Air fryers have taken the cooking world by storm, especially for people with smaller kitchens. These appliances essentially allow you to get that crunch that you know and love from deep-fried food, but without all the greasy oil and fat. That can make cooking fried food both easier and healthier. Of course, there are tons of options out there these days, and as a result, it can be hard to find the best air fryer for your needs. That’s why BGR’s expert product reviewers put together this extensive guide, which is based on thorough testing of more than 65 different air fryer models.
Our top picks
- Best air fryer overall: Ninja AF101 Air Fryer
- Best air fryer toaster oven: Cuisinart TOA-70
- Best small air fryer: Chefman TurboFry
- Best large air fryer: GoWise 7-Quart Air Fryer
- Best cheap air fryer: GoWise 3.7-Quart Air Fryer
You absolutely cannot go wrong with any of the options we listed above. They span a wide range of feature sets and price points, but they all deliver consistently delicious air-fried results. If you want crispy food without all the oil and grease you get with traditional deep-frying, these are the best air fryers you can get.
Here’s an in-depth breakdown of why we chose each of the air fryer models above:
1. Best air fryer overall: Ninja AF101 Air Fryer
Pros: Easy to use, not overly expensive, even cooking
Cons: Not big enough for large families
If you’re looking for a solid, reliable option that gets the job done quickly and easily, then the Ninja Air Fryer is the way to go. This option looks good, is easy to use, and will evenly cook your food.
The Ninja AF101 Air Fryer is particularly good at cooking foods like chicken wings and fries, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it for other things. For example, it’s excellent at cooking frozen foods evenly and quickly. It also comes with a 4-quart basket, which is dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
There are other advantages to this air fryer, too. Its wide temperature range—from 105 degrees to 400 degrees—makes it perfect for cooking all different types of foods. And it has a decent design, so it won’t look out of place in your kitchen.
The Ninja Air Fryer is an excellent choice, but it’s not perfect. If you’re cooking for larger groups, this appliance probably isn’t the right choice for you. It’s also not cheap, though it’s not overly expensive either.
2. Best air fryer toaster oven: Cuisinart TOA-70
Pros: Stunning design, powerful, simple controls
Cons: Expensive, large
If you’re looking for a premium, great-looking air fryer/toaster oven combo, the Cuisinart TOA-70 Airfryer Convection Toaster Oven is the way to go. This option not only looks great but also functions extremely well and is very easy to use. Plus, it will look right at home in any kitchen… as long as it fits, but we’ll come back to that.
The Cuisinart Airfryer Convection Toaster Oven has several functions, making it extremely versatile. For example, it has warm, broil, toast, air fry, and convection bake functions. It also has a larger capacity, meaning that you can toast up to six pieces of bread, a chicken, up to 3 lbs of wings, and so on.
The Toaster Oven is pretty powerful, too. Its 500-watt power allows it to heat up to an impressive 500 degrees. The inside of the device has a nonstick coating to make cleanup easy.
So what are the downsides? Well, the device is pretty expensive, and it’s pretty big. It’s safe to say that you’ll need to make sure that it fits in your home before you buy. But if you can look past that issue, you’ll absolutely love the Cuisinart Airfryer Convection Toaster Oven.
3. Best small air fryer: Chefman TurboFry
Pros: Compact, easy to use, inexpensive
Cons: Cheap design
If you’re looking for a smaller air fryer that can easily fit in a smaller kitchen, studio apartment, RV, or other small space, then the Chefman TurboFry is the way to go. The device is easy to use, though it may not have enough capacity to cook for a family. If you only need to cook for one or two people, that won’t matter.
One of the best things about the Chefman TurboFry is how easy it is to use. The device has a timer dial on the front and a temperature dial on the top. Temperatures range from 200 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that it should be relatively easy to cook most foods.
The TurboFry is also pretty easy to clean. The basket and tray are removable and top-rack dishwasher safe, so you don’t have to worry about scrubbing them after use. And because the basket is non-stick, no cooking spray is required.
This is a great compact option, but it’s not perfect. The build is a little cheap, and the functionality of the device is a little basic. That said, the TurboFry is very inexpensive, so you wouldn’t really expect a premium build or tons of features anyway.
4. Best large air fryer: GoWise 7-Quart Air Fryer
Pros: Large capacity, lots of functions, relatively inexpensive
Cons: Not the easiest to clean
Looking for a large-capacity air fryer that you can use to feed a family? The GoWise 7-Quart Electric Air Fryer is the way to go. This device is larger than most others on this list, comes with a recipe book, and even comes with three stackable racks for different kinds of food.
The GoWise 7-Quart Air Fryer also comes with lots of different functions. The device not only air fries, but it can also roast, dehydrate, grill, bake, reheat, or simply warm. In other words, there’s not a lot you can’t cook here.
This air fryer is pretty well-designed, too. Its front has an LED display that should make it easy to see what you’re doing when you’re using it. The temperature range is 180 degrees to 400 degrees, making it easy to cook a variety of different foods.
It’s not perfect, though. One of the biggest issues is that it’s not the easiest to clean, thanks to the basket’s nonremovable design. Still, once you get used to it, that shouldn’t be a huge issue.
5. Best cheap air fryer: GoWise 3.7-Quart Air Fryer
Pros: Inexpensive, lots of functions, a few different colors
Cons: Not the largest capacity
GoWise doesn’t just make a great large-capacity option, it also won’t break the bank. The GoWise 3.7-Quart Air Fryer is inexpensive, offers lots of features, and more.
When it comes to functions, the GoWise 3.7-Quart Air Fryer offers eight — warm, fries, chicken, steak, shrimp, pork, cake, and fish. That covers tons of different types of foods, and allows you to simply tap a button to cook your meal. The device is able to cook at temperatures between 170 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit. It also has a dehydration range of between 90 degrees and 170 degrees.
While inexpensive, this air fryer doesn’t skimp on features. The device has a touchscreen display on the front that lets you quickly and easily access the different functions, and the basket is dishwasher safe, though GoWise says cleaning it in the dishwasher may impact longevity.
It’s not perfect though. One of the trade-offs of spending less is that you’ll get a smaller capacity, which is something to keep in mind if you’re cooking for a family.
