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Chicken wings. French fries. Mozzarella sticks. Tater tots. Onion rings. Potato chips. Pigs in a blanket. Mini pizzas. These greasy guilty pleasures have a special place in our hearts, but so much deep-fried food can give your body a real beating. If all this heavy food has you craving a slightly healthier twist any time you can get one, an air fryer might be your secret weapon. With the touch of a button, an air fryer allows you to make all the foods above at a fraction of the fat content and calorie count.
Unlike typical frying devices, air fryers circulate hot air throughout the device, similar to what happens in a convection oven. And when combined with a minimal amount of oil (typically only about a teaspoon or less, as opposed to the pints of oil used in deep-fat frying), it can yield the same delicious results and crunch as deep-frying.
While all air fryers can crisp up your ingredients, differences between models range in terms of functionality and overall capacity. Some are better for single-serving cooking, others have smart designs that can make meal prep hands-off and there’s a whole host of differences in between. It’s what makes shopping for an air fryer a more difficult decision than you might anticipate.
To help find the right air fryer for you, we’ve compiled nine of the top air fryer models, all of which we chose for their combination of customer satisfaction ratings, overall functionality and price.
All you have to do is add the model of your choice to your shopping cart and start cooking.
Best air fryers
Instant Pot 6-Quart Vortex Air Fryer ($99.99; target.com)
Instant Pot devotees will love the brand’s very own air fryer, which comes with Instant Pot’s signature one-touch cooking technology. The Vortex Air Fryer has eight simple touch controls, which makes cooking a breeze. Four built-in smart programs go beyond just air-frying and can roast, bake and reheat food in a flash. Other benefits of the appliance that have won over past customers include its easy-to-clean basket as well as its spacious design that can hold large quantities of food, such as a whole 4-pound chicken. Just think how many Buffalo chicken wings you can make in one go with this one.
Chefman 6.3-Quart Digital Air Fryer ($147.17; amazon.com)
When it comes to kitchen appliances, you want something that is versatile and can be used to craft a number of dishes. After all, you’re a foodie who loves creating and trying new foods. The Chefman Digital Air Fryer is a model that suits your lifestyle. This design can handle so much more than just french fries (although it’s great for those too). It can also dehydrate fruits, crisp up pizza crust, act as a rotisserie for your proteins and bake desserts to perfection.
Best budget-friendly air fryers
Dash 2-Quart Compact Air Fryer ($51.50; amazon.com or $49.99; bedbathandbeyond.com)
Most air fryers come in 5- to 6-quart designs. But if your kitchen countertop space is limited, a compact air fryer might be the right choice. This popular design from Dash is about half the size of traditional designs and is ideal for cooking dishes for one. It’s also scored extra points from past customers for its ease of use and sleek design.
Gourmia Digital Air Fryer ($79.99; bestbuy.com)
The Gourmia Digital Air Fryer is an air fryer with full-size capacity but an affordable price tag. This design comes with eight preprogrammed settings to choose from, based on your ingredients (which include fries, steak, bacon, pizza, chicken, fish and shrimp). Home cooks can also increase the capacity of the device, thanks to its two-tiered cooking design. And at $79.99, it’s much cheaper than other air fryers of the same size.
Best air fryers on Amazon
Cosori Air Fryer Max XL ($119.99; amazon.com)
With nearly 13,000 customer ratings under its belt, this Cosori device is one of Amazon’s most popular air fryers, with a 4.6-star rating. This design is larger than the other models on our list; it can feed three to five people in total and can hold upward of 6 pounds of food. It has 11 touch settings that can cook steak, poultry, seafood, shrimp, bacon, frozen foods, french fries, vegetables, root vegetables, bread and desserts — basically, you name it and the Cosori can cook it. If you’re not sure where to start, the device comes with a guide with nearly 100 recipes to get your creative juices flowing.
Ninja Air Fryer ($99.99, originally $129.99; amazon.com)
Another model that has won over Amazon customers is the Ninja Air Fryer (rated 4.7 stars by over 8,000 customers). It’s also been named an Amazon’s Choice product, a special distinction for goods on the site that are highly rated, well priced and available to be shipped immediately. This dishwasher-safe model is best known for its ability to help foodies enjoy healthier alternatives to fried foods that contain 75% less fat than traditional cooking methods.
Best air fryers with toaster oven
Instant Pot Omni Plus Air Fryer Toaster Oven ($199.95; amazon.com)
This 11-in-1 toaster oven and air fryer from Instant Pot is the king of kitchen decluttering. Its large 26-liter capacity allows you to toast six pieces of bread at once, bake a 12-inch pizza or even roast a whole chicken. Plus, it has an easy-to-use interface comprised of simple buttons and dials so you’ll be well on your way to becoming an air-frying pro.
Chefman Air Fryer Toaster Oven ($149.32; amazon.com)
This 25-liter option from Chefman gives you plenty of space and seven ways to cook any meal you can think up. Whether you want to bake, broil, toast or air-fry, this do-it-all device has got you covered. It’s equipped with an auto shutoff function and dishwasher-safe components so cleaning is a breeze.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailers’ listed prices at the time of publication.