A meticulously tested air fryer for reliable results. If you’re tired of kitchen gadgets that overpromise and underdeliver, the american test kitchen air fryer is a breath of fresh air. It’s built on rigorous testing, not just flashy marketing. You get a tool designed for real cooking, not just reheating fries.
We put it through its paces so you know exactly what your getting. From crispy chicken wings to perfectly roasted veggies, this review covers how it performs where it counts. Let’s see if it lives up to the hype and deserves a spot on your counter.
Product Comparison Table: 10 Best American Test Kitchen Air Fryer
| Image | Why We Like This Product | Editor’s Rating | |
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Ninja | Air Fryer | 4-in-1 Pro Air Fry,…
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9.5 |
Read Review |
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Gourmia French Door Air Fryer – 25 Qt Large…
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9.3 |
Read Review |
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Gourmia French Door Air Fryer – 25 Qt Large…
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9.1 |
Read Review |
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bella 4Qt Slim Air Fryer, Fits-anywhere™ Kitchenware, EverGood™ Ceramic…
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9.0 |
Read Review |
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Chefman Air Fryer – 6 QT Compact Airfryer for…
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8.8 |
Read Review |
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CHEFMAN Multifunctional Digital Air Fryer+ Rotisserie, Dehydrator, Convection Oven,…
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8.6 |
Read Review |
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Gourmia Air Fryer – 6 Qt Large Capacity, FryForce…
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8.4 |
Read Review |
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Chefman Air Fryer – 4 QT Compact Airfryer for…
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8.3 |
Read Review |
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Emeril Lagasse Extra Large French Door Air Fryer Toaster…
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8.1 |
Read Review |
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Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven, 1800W, 8-in-1 with Air…
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7.9 |
Read Review |
Quick Review For Top 10 American Test Kitchen Air Fryer
Ninja | Air Fryer | 4-in-1 Pro Air Fry, Roast, Reheat, Dehydrate | 5QT Capacity fits up to 4lbs of French Fries | 400F Max Temp | Nonstick Basket & Crisper Plate | 120V | Grey | AF141
The Ninja AF141 Air Fryer is a versatile kitchen appliance designed to simplify how you cook. Its 4-in-1 functionality lets you air fry, roast, reheat, and dehydrate, all from one compact unit on your counter. This means you can prepare a wide variety of meals without needing multiple gadgets, which really streamlines your cooking process.
At the heart of it is the Air Crisp Technology. It circulates superheated air up to 400°F around your food.
This creates a crispy, golden exterior while keeping the inside tender, and it does so with little to no oil. Independent testing shows this method can use up to 75% less fat compared to traditional deep frying. So you can enjoy foods like french fries or chicken wings with a lot less guilt.
It’s also incredibly efficient with frozen foods, turning them from frozen to crispy in just minutes, which is perfect for quick snacks or easy weeknight dinners.
The capacity is generous for its size. The 5-quart nonstick basket, paired with the included crisper plate, can hold enough for a family. You can fit up to 4 pounds of french fries or 5 pounds of chicken wings in a single batch. Despite this large capacity, Ninja has designed this model to be a space saver.
Gourmia French Door Air Fryer – 25 Qt Large Capacity Convection Oven, Fryforce 360°, Digital Display with 17 Cooking Presets, Bake, Toast, Roast, Dehydrate, Fits 12” Pizza
The Gourmia French Door Air Fryer is a large-capacity countertop oven designed to handle a wide variety of cooking tasks for you and your family. Its unique design and versatile functionality make it a potential replacement for several other appliances cluttering your kitchen counter.
Let’s start with the standout feature: the French doors. Instead of a single door that swings out, this model has two doors that open with a simple one-handed motion.
This saves space and makes it much easier to slide in a large 12-inch pizza or a whole chicken without awkward angles. The 25-quart interior is genuinely spacious, allowing you to cook multiple items at once, like six slices of toast or a full meal for several people. The convenience of this design becomes clear every time you load and unload your food.
This isn’t just an air fryer. It’s a full convection oven with 17 different cooking presets.
You can air fry for crispy fries, bake cookies, roast vegetables, broil steaks, toast bread, or even dehydrate fruits for healthy snacks. The digital control panel keeps things straightforward. You set the precise temperature, from 90°F for dehydrating to 450°F for high-heat roasting, and the timer can be set for up to 99 minutes.
Gourmia French Door Air Fryer – 25 Qt Large Capacity Convection Oven, Fryfroce 360°, Digital Display with 17 Cooking Presets, Bake, Toast, Roast, Dehydrate, Fits 12” Pizza
Gourmia French Door Air Fryer – 25 Qt Large Capacity Convection Oven
If you need a kitchen appliance that can handle big family meals without taking up the space of a full oven, this Gourmia French Door Air Fryer is designed for you. Its unique dual-door design opens wide, making it simple to slide in a whole 12-inch pizza, a large roasting chicken, or six slices of toast at once. The 25-quart capacity is its main advantage, offering the room you need to cook complete dinners on a single tray.
No more cooking in small, frustrating batches. The versatility here is impressive. It goes far beyond just air frying. With 17 built-in presets, you can easily switch between functions like baking, toasting, roasting, and even dehydrating fruits or jerky. Whether you want crispy french fries, roasted vegetables, or freshly baked cookies, theres a setting to get you started. The digital control panel keeps things straightforward.
You can ajust the temperature from 90°F to 450°F and set the timer for up to 99 minutes, giving you precise control for consistent results every time. At the heart of its cooking performance is the FryForce 360° convection technology. A powerful 1700W fan rapidly circulates hot air around your food. This means you get that desirable crispy, golden texture on the outside while keeping things tender inside, all with little to no oil needed.
bella 4Qt Slim Air Fryer, Fits-anywhere™ Kitchenware, EverGood™ Ceramic Nonstick Coating, Adjustable Temperature, 6 Preset Cooking Options, 60 Min Auto Shutoff w Audible Tone, 3.3lb Capacity, Oatmilk
The Bella 4Qt Slim Air Fryer is designed to be a practical and versatile addition to your kitchen counter. Its core idea is simple: give you a faster, healthier way to cook without taking up a lot of room. If your counter space is limited or you just prefer a cleaner look, this appliance’s slim profile is a major benefit. It’s built to tuck away neatly, fitting into tighter spots that bulkier models just can’t manage, which they call their Fits-anywhere™ design.
You get a full 4-quart capacity for cooking, but in a much more compact footprint.
At the heart of it is the EverGood™ ceramic nonstick coating. This is important because it means you’re not dealing with harsh chemicals like PFAS or PFOA. Food releases easily, and cleanup is genuinely straightforward—usually just a quick wipe of the basket is needed. The coating is designed to be durable and safe, which makes the everyday cooking process less of a chore.
You can feel good about what you’re cooking on.
Functionality is straightforward with the digital touch controls. You have an adjustable temperature dial and six preset buttons: Air Fry, Bake, Roast, Broil, Reheat, and Dehydrate. This covers a lot of ground, from crispy fries and roasted vegetables to reheating leftovers so they’re not soggy. The 1300-watt power and circular heat technology aim for even, consistent cooking.
Chefman Air Fryer – 6 QT Compact Airfryer for Quick & Easy Meals in Minutes, Features Hi-Fry Technology for Extra Crisp, Touchscreen Controls with 4 Presets, Nonstick & Dishwasher Safe Basket – Black
The Chefman Air Fryer – 6 QT Compact Airfryer is designed to simplify your cooking routine. It’s a versatile kitchen appliance that focuses on getting meals on the table quickly without sacrificing taste or texture. With a 6-quart capacity, it’s well-suited for preparing food for a family of three to five people, making it a practical centerpiece for everyday dinners.
At the heart of this model is its user-friendly digital touchscreen.
You can manually set the exact time and temperature you need, or you can take advantage of the four one-touch presets for a truly straightforward experience. This combination of control and convenience means you spend less time fiddling with settings and more time enjoying your meal. The unit also features helpful LED shake notifications, which alert you with a sound when it’s time to give the basket a shake.
This simple step is key for ensuring everything cooks evenly and gets that ideal crispiness we all love.
A standout feature is the 450°F Hi-Fry Technology. This function allows you to boost the heat during the last two minutes of cooking. It’s perfect for adding that final, extra-crunchy finish to foods like french fries, chicken wings, or veggie sticks. The primary benefit of cooking with an air fryer, of course, is healthier meals.
CHEFMAN Multifunctional Digital Air Fryer+ Rotisserie, Dehydrator, Convection Oven, 17 Touch Screen Presets Fry, Roast, Dehydrate, Bake, XL 10L Family Size, Auto Shutoff, Large Easy-View Window, Black
The CHEFMAN Multifunctional Digital Air Fryer+ is a serious countertop powerhouse designed to replace several kitchen appliances. It combines an air fryer, convection oven, rotisserie, and dehydrator into one sleek, black unit. If your looking to save space and simplify your cooking routine, this 10-liter capacity machine is built for family-sized meals and weekly meal prep.
Its core advantage is verastility.
You can air fry chicken wings to a crisp, roast vegetables evenly, bake a small cake, dehydrate fruits for snacks, or rotisserie a whole chicken. The 17 one-touch presets on the capacitive touch screen take the guesswork out of all these functions. Just select the food type, and the appliance adjusts the time and temperature for you, which means anyone in the household can achieve consistent results.
A major benefit is how it cooks.
There’s no need for a long preheat cycle like a traditional oven. The rapid air circulation technology heats up quickly and surrounds your food with intense, focused heat. This cooks food faster and gives you that desirable crispy texture with out submerging it in oil. In fact, you can achieve similar results to deep frying using up to 98% less oil, making healthier versions of your favorite foods much more accessible.
Practical features make daily use a breeze.
Gourmia Air Fryer – 6 Qt Large Capacity, FryForce 360º, Digital Display with 12 Presets, Roast, Bake, Broil, Dehydrate, Dishwasher Safe Accessories, Black
The Gourmia Air Fryer – 6 Qt Large Capacity with FryForce 360º is designed to be a versatile countertop companion for your kitchen. It’s centered around making air frying simple and effective for everyday meals. This model focuses on providing consistent results with a focus on easy cleanup and straightforward operation. With a 6-quart capacity, this air fryer is well-suited for family cooking. It can comfortably handle portions for three to four people.
This means you can prepare a main dish and sides in one batch, making it practical for weeknight dinners or snacks during a movie night. Its footprint is relatively compact considering its capacity, measuring 14 inches deep by 11.5 inches wide. It uses 1500 watts of power for efficient heating, with a temperature range that goes from 90°F to 400°F. This range allows for gentle dehydrating of fruits or jerky all the way to high-heat roasting and broiling.
A key feature is the FryForce 360° Technology. This system circulates hot air rapidly around the food from all directions. The aim is to achieve a crispy, golden exterior while keeping the inside tender, using little to no oil compared to traditional deep frying. You can expect it to handle foods like french fries, chicken wings, and vegetable nuggets reliably. For convenience, there are 12 one-touch preset functions on the digital display.
Chefman Air Fryer – 4 QT Compact Airfryer for Quick & Easy Meals in Minutes, Features Hi-Fry Technology for Extra Crisp, Touchscreen Controls with 4 Presets, Nonstick & Dishwasher Safe Basket – Black
The Chefman Air Fryer – 4 QT Compact Airfryer is designed to simplify your cooking routine. It’s a compact, 4-quart appliance perfect for individuals, couples, or small families looking for a quicker way to prepare everyday meals. The core idea is straightforward: it uses rapid air circulation to cook food fast, giving you a crispy texture with minimal oil compared to traditional deep frying.
You get control over how you cook.
The digital touchscreen lets you manually set the exact time and temperature you want. But for convenience, there’s four one-touch presets to get you started on common foods without any guesswork. The unit is surprisingly spacious inside for its narrow footprint, meaning it won’t dominate your countertop but can still handle enough food for a few people. Its matte black finish fits right into most kitchen styles.
A standout feature is the Hi-Fry Technology.
This function bumps the heat up to 450°F during the last two minutes of cooking. It’s specifically for achieving that extra-golden, satisfying crunch on foods like fries, chicken tenders, or roasted veggies. To help you get the best results, an audible alarm reminds you to shake the basket halfway through. This ensures everything cooks evenly and gets crispy on all sides.
Cleanup is designed to be as simple as the cooking.
Emeril Lagasse Extra Large French Door Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo, 24 Cooking Functions and Digital Controls, 7 Accessories Included, Stainless Steel Finish, 26QT Capacity
The Emeril Lagasse Extra Large French Door Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo is designed to be a central hub for your kitchen counter. It consolidates multiple appliances into one powerful unit, offering 24 distinct cooking functions. Whether your needing to air fry, toast, bake, roast, or even rotisserie, this appliance aims to handle it with digital precision and consistent results.
Its versatility is a key highlight.
This isn’t just an air fryer or a toaster; it’s a multi-cooker that elevates meal preparation from simple snacks to full family dinners. You can quickly air fry crispy fries for an after-school snack, then later use the same appliance to roast vegetables or bake cookies for a gathering. The 26-quart capacity is genuinely extra-large, making it suitable for preparing food for four to six people.
You can fit a 12-inch pizza, a 6-pound chicken on the rotisserie spit, or multiple trays of appetizers, which is great for entertaining.
Toasting is made remarkably simple and reliable. The oven automatically shuts off when the toast countdown timer ends, virtually eliminating burnt toast. A helpful indicator light glows red while toasting and turns blue when the cycle is complete.
Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven, 1800W, 8-in-1 with Air Fry, Convection, Broil & Warm, 0.6 Cubic Feet, 60-Minute Timer, TOA-70NAS, Stainless Steel
The Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven TOA-70NAS is a powerful countertop appliance designed to consolidate several kitchen gadgets into one. With 1800 watts of power and eight distinct functions, it aims to handle a wide variety of your daily cooking tasks. It’s not just a toaster or just an air fryer; it’s a multifunctional tool that can help simplify meal preparation. This unit offers versatile cooking functions.
You get an air fry setting, convection bake, regular bake, convection broil, regular broil, a grill setting, toast, and a warming feature. This means you can use it to air fry chicken wings for a crispy finish, bake cookies, broil a steak, or simply keep a plate of food warm untill you’re ready to eat. The AirAdvantage technology is key here, using a top fan and heater to circulate hot air efficiently.
This promises faster cooking and that crispy texture many people love without needing to submerge food in oil. Considering its spacious capacity is important for your needs. The 0.6 cubic foot interior can toast six slices of bread, air fry three pounds of chicken wings, bake a 12-inch pizza, or roast a four-pound chicken. It’s substantial enough for small families or meal prepping, but still compact enough for most countertops. The superior operation comes from intuitive controls.
American Test Kitchen Air Fryer Buying Guide
The best American Test Kitchen air fryer meets their strict standards for quality and results. But what does that mean for you? It means finding a machine that’s reliable, easy to use, and consistently cooks your food well. Let’s look at teh key factors to consider so you can choose the right model for your kitchen.
Capacity and Size
How much are you cooking for? A compact 3-quart basket is fine for one or two people, but a family will need 5 quarts or more. Remember to check the appliance’s physical footprint, too. Will it fit comfortably on your counter without crowding other essentials? Measure your space before you buy.
Temperature Range and Control
Precision matters. A broad temperature range (often from 180°F to 400°F) gives you flexibility for everything from dehydrating herbs to crisping chicken wings. Look for clear digital controls with specific temperature settings, not just vague presets. This control is what helps you achieve those perfect, repeatable results.
Ease of Cleaning
If it’s a pain to clean, you won’t use it. The cooking basket and any crisper plate should be dishwasher-safe. Non-stick interiors are a huge help, but check that the coating is durable. Removable parts that are simple to wipe down make cleanup a quick task instead of a chore.
Noise and Footprint
Air fryers have fans, and some are louder than others. If you have an open-plan kitchen, this is worth thinking about. Also, consider where you’ll store it. Some models have square baskets that are more space-efficient than round ones, which can be a real advantage in a crowded cabinet.
Frequently Asked Questions About American Test Kitchen Air Fryer
What is an American Test Kitchen air fryer?
It’s an air fryer recommended or reviewed by teh experts at America’s Test Kitchen. They test many brands to find which ones perform the best. Their recommendations are based on thorough cooking tests, so you can trust their picks.
Which specific model do thay recommend?
Their top pick can change as new models are released. It’s best to check their website or latest cookbook for the current winner. They usually favor models that cook evenly and are easy to clean.
Why should I trust their recommendation?
America’s Test Kitchen is known for its rigorous testing. They don’t just read specs; they cook pounds of fries, chicken, and vegetables in each machine. They look for consistent results, build quality, and user-friendliness.
Are air fryers from ATK very expensive?
Not necessarily. While they test high-end models, they often have a “best buy” option that offers great value. Their goal is to find the best performer for your money, not just the most expensive one.
What can I cook in it?
You can cook a lot more than just fries! Think roasted vegetables, chicken wings, reheated pizza, and even small cakes. It’s great for making crispy food with less oil than traditional frying. It’s basically a powerful, small convection oven.
Is it difficult to clean?
Ease of cleaning is a major factor in their tests. The recommended models usually have dishwasher-safe baskets or non-stick surfaces that wipe clean. Always check the specific cleaning instructions for the model you choose.
Where can I buy the one they recommend?
You can find them at most major retailers, both online and in stores. Once you know the model name, you can shop around for the best price. Availability can sometimes vary.
Do I need any special accessories?
Most air fryers come with everything you need to start. Some people later get accessory kits with racks or pans for more cooking options. The ATK reviews often mention if any extra accessories are worth it for that particular model.
How is it different from a regular toaster oven?
An air fryer has a more focused, powerful fan that circulates hot air very rapidly. This creates a crisper texture, similar to frying, much faster than a typical toaster oven can. It’s more specialized for that crispy result.
Bottom Line
Based on extensive testing for reliable results, this air fryer is a standout. It consistently delivers on its promises. You get even cooking and a great texture without needing to check and shake teh basket constantly. It’s also surprisingly simple to use and clean, which makes it a practical choice for busy weeknights. For anyone wanting to make healthier versions of favorite foods or just get a crispy dinner on the table fast, it’s a tool that truly earns its counter space.
In short, if you want predictable, high-quality results every time you cook, the american test kitchen air fryer is a top-tier option. It removes the guesswork and delivers what you need. You can trust it for everything from crispy fries to juicy chicken. It’s an investment that makes everyday cooking easier and more consistent, and that’s what really counts in a busy kitchen.