The 5 best air fryers we tested in 2021

Best air fryer overall

The Philips Premium TurboStar Air Fryer heats up within seconds, turning out evenly cooked, crispy food with greater efficiency than an oven and other air fryers.

Pros: Heats quickly, “fat removal technology” removes excess oil, cooks evenly, most food stays moist

Cons: Many parts to clean, only adjustable at 15-degree increments, may dry out more delicate foods

Efficiency is the name of the game when it comes to air fryers, so those with long preheat times were docked points during my testing. The Philips Premium TurboStar exceeded expectations in efficiency with virtually no preheat time whatsoever. It came up to temp within seconds, faster than any other air fryer I tested. It also won the frozen fry test outright and was only just edged out in the fresh-cut fry cook test by the Breville Smart Oven Air.

It had a bit of trouble with broccoli, drying the florets out a bit, but it was by no means the worst batch and a couple of recipe tweaks could fix that. The user interface is intuitive with a knob you twist to cycle through presets and adjust your time and temperature.

The TurboStar also features Philips’ “fat removal technology” which employs a cyclone of hot air to blow excess oil off your food and trap it in a specially designed base under the fryer basket. And I did notice some excess oil collected in the base of the air fryer after cooking. I noticed it the most after my batch of broccoli, and I wondered if it would’ve dried out less had that oil stayed put. But if staying low-oil is your main motivation for buying an air fryer, this feature could be a bonus for you.

The one downside to the TurboStar is how many parts there are to clean. The base and basket disassemble into four parts instead of the usual two — five if you use the splatter shield — though all these components are dishwasher safe.

Best air fryer on a budget

The Dash Compact Air Fryer could not be more straightforward to use, and it takes up very little precious counter space.

Pros: Simple interface, compact design, even cooking

Cons: No additional modes or cooking presets, can only control time and temperature, only fits single serving of food

The Dash Compact Air Fryer boasts the simplest design of all the air fryers I tested, making it very user-friendly and virtually plug-and-play. While you won’t have the advantages of presets for commonly cooked foods, there are also no menus to cycle through and not a single button to press. The interface consists simply of a temperature dial and a time dial, and as soon as you twist your dial to the desired time, the air fryer kicks on.

And just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s a slouch. It exceeded expectations in my cook tests and even produced the most successful batch of broccoli. It’s a bit less powerful than the other air fryers we recommend, but I think that works to its advantage. It’s not hammering food with hot air and high heat in the same way that some other air fryers are, which can lead to overdrying. It’s just a bit gentler on food. That doesn’t make it slower though — it met expected cook times in every test.

Its compact size can be a plus or a minus depending on your needs. It’s great for those with limited counter space or those who are cooking for a couple or just themself, and it’s even small enough to tuck into a cabinet when not in use. But if you need to cook for a large family, you’ll likely find yourself making batch after batch with this petit appliance.

Best multitasking air fryer

The Instant Pot Duo Crisp is a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and air fryer all in one, making it one of the most useful and economical small appliances I tested.

Pros: Multiple functions; doesn’t dry out delicate foods; can perform multiple steps in a recipe in the same appliance

Cons: Food on lower level of fryer basket cooks more slowly, many pieces to store, difficult to agitate food mid-cook, removing lid exposes heating coil

Air fryers often get a bad rap for being unitaskers, but Instant Pot has bucked the trend by adding air fryer functionality to its already quite versatile multicookers. The Duo Crisp comes with two separate lids — a traditional Instant Pot lid you’ll use for all your pressure and slow cooking and another equipped with an electric heating coil and fan that you’ll use for air frying, broiling, dehydrating, and more.

If you’ve used an Instant Pot, you’re already familiar with the Duo Crisp‘s pressure cooking. We rated it the best multitasking electric pressure cooker. For more on its pressure cooking performance, see our guide to the best Instant Pots.

The air fryer function excelled in my tests, producing tender broccoli and crisp frozen fries, though the tall cylindrical basket presented some small downsides. The basket allows you to stack two layers of food to make up for the lack of horizontal space, but because the heat comes from above, the food on the bottom layer is often less crisp than the top. The air fryer basket also lacks a handle, which makes agitating the food difficult

The lid’s heating coil is exposed when you remove it, which is a burn hazard. The unit comes with a special plate for safely setting the lid down on your counter, but you still need to be careful.

All told, this is the air fryer I reach for most. Its versatility has earned it a space in my kitchen.

If you own an Instant Pot, you can purchase an air fryer lid separately for a 6-quart model. 

Best large capacity air fryer

The Ninja Foodi Two-Basket Air Fryer lets you cook two separate dishes at once, and you can time them to finish simultaneously to take the guesswork out of planning dinner.

Pros: Two independent cooking zones, can time food to finish at the same time, largest capacity air fryer we tested, can copy settings across zones

Cons: Cooks more slowly than other air fryers, different cook times depending on whether you’re using one zone or both

Most air fryers can only cook one thing at a time, meaning you’ll likely have to batch cook or lean on other appliances for a full meal. But the Ninja Foodi Two-Basket lets you double your output. It features two independent zones that can be programmed to different cook times and temperatures, increasing this air fryer’s versatility in a big way.

The Smart Finish setting is one of my favorites which lets you program the Foodi to stagger each basket’s start time so they finish cooking simultaneously. And if you’re cooking two baskets of the same food, just hit the Match Cook button, and it will apply your settings to both baskets so you don’t have to program it twice.

The Ninja Foodi wasn’t as efficient as some of the other air fryers I tested, and I often had to add a few more minutes to my cook times, but it’s worth the couple extra minutes for the convenience of being able to cook multiple batches at once. If you’re really in a hurry or only need to cook one thing, the air fryer is a bit more efficient if you just use one basket at a time, though still slower than many of its counterparts. You’ll have to remember to adjust your recipes accordingly.

Best upgrade air fryer

The Breville Smart Oven Air handles a variety of kitchen tasks with aplomb, from your morning toast to a roast chicken to air fried everything.

Pros: True multitasker; takes the place of several small appliances including an air fryer, toaster, roaster, dehydrator, and more; produces oven-quality food quickly; two convection settings for greater customizability; comes with air fryer basket, two racks, pizza pan, roasting pan, and broiling rack

Cons: Takes up a lot of counter space

Any air fryer is simply a miniature convection oven with more focused heat, but the Breville Smart Oven Air takes full advantage of its convection capabilities and toaster oven shape to expand the tasks it can handle. I’ve been impressed by everything I’ve gotten out of this countertop oven.

It excelled in our broccoli test, producing a result that was still moist and tender with gently crisped florets, and it was the only air fryer that made fresh-cut fries that were even remotely crisp without being totally overdone. And outside of that, I’ve used it for morning toast, dough proofing, roasting sweet potatoes, and more. There are still plenty of settings for me to explore, and I’m particularly intrigued by the “cookies” and “pizza” modes.

The interface is intuitive with two knobs that let you cycle through cooking modes, time, and temperature. You can even tell the Smart Oven Air you’re cooking something from frozen, and it will automatically adjust to the optimal time and temperature. It’s also large enough to fit a small Dutch oven, so you can slow cook, bake, and even braise in it.

The two caveats are the price and size of the Breville Smart Oven Air. There’s no getting around the fact that it’s an expensive appliance, but it will entirely replace your toaster oven, pop-up toaster, air fryer, and dehydrator, making it one of the most useful small appliances I’ve ever tested. If it were any larger, it could probably replace your entire oven. That said, it is very large for a countertop appliance, so it’s likely not for apartment-dwellers or those with limited counter space.

What else we tested

What else we recommend and why:

Cosori Max XL Air Fryer ($120): The Cosori was able to produce some of the best broccoli during our testing but it struggled with fresh-cut fries, drying them out. The five minutes it takes to preheat also adds some time to your cooking process. That said, it’s packed with presets for everything from root vegetables to steak to bacon, so if you’re looking for a user-friendly air fryer, this is still a good buy. 

What we don’t recommend and why:

Instant Vortex ($99): If you undercook something, you can always throw it back in for a few more minutes, but there’s no coming back from overcooked food. The Instant Vortex consistently overcooked food no matter which recipe I followed. I’m sure you could take the time to learn this air fryer and tweak your recipes, but it’s much easier to just buy a more reliable one.

Our air fryer testing methodology

One thing I discovered early in my testing process was that air fryers tend to vary wildly in their cook times. Set at the same temperature, one unit charred broccoli to an undesirable crisp in six minutes, while another took 13 minutes to just reach al dente. So I cooked three different recipes with each machine, evaluated how quickly each one cooked, whether or not it dried out the food, and how evenly each batch came out.

I also assessed each machine for ease of use, noting how intuitive the user interface was. I tracked how many component parts there were to disassemble and clean. A unit with dishwasher safe accessories got big bonus points. These were the three cooks I performed with each machine:

Food	Testing Process	Result
Broccoli	I cooked a basket-full of broccoli in each unit, assessing for doneness and even cooking. Each batch was air fried for 8 minutes at 375 degrees after being sprayed with olive oil spray and seasoned with salt and pepper. Additional cooking time was added if necessary.	Overall, the air fryers struggled with fresh vegetables, but a few units managed to produce tender broccoli with crisp florets. More often, the result was incredibly dry.
Frozen French fries	I cooked a basket-full of Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food French Fries in each unit, assessing for doneness and even cooking. I cooked them for 8 minutes at 400 degrees, jostling them halfway through, per the air fryer-specific instructions on the French fry bag. Additional cooking time was added if necessary.	This was, by far, the most successful test. In fact, I didn’t get a single bad batch of frozen fries. If you eat a lot of frozen finger foods, you should absolutely buy an air fryer.
Fresh-cut French fries	I cooked a basket-full of hand-cut French fries in each unit, assessing for doneness and even cooking. I soaked the cut fries in cold water for 30 minutes prior to cooking, patted them dry, sprayed them with olive oil spray and seasoned them with salt before cooking. I cooked them for 15 minutes at 375 degrees, adding additional time if necessary (which often was).	Overall, the air fryers had trouble getting fresh potatoes crispy, and a few units created a leathery exterior on the fry by the time it was cooked in the middle. But most units produced a satisfying baked-style fry.

Air fryer FAQs

Is air fried food healthy?

The short answer is “it depends.” For example, air-fried Oreos won’t be low in calories but will be lower in calories and fat than deep-fried.

Cassetty explained that deep-fried food is typically considered “unhealthy” because you’re often coupling a breading of refined grains with a dunk in a low-quality oil. The breading then absorbs oil as it’s fried, adding calories to your food. Air fryers are marketed as healthier because they use a fraction of the oil, cutting down on calories. However, you won’t be fooling anyone into thinking the food you made in an air fryer was deep fried.

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Is an air fryer worth it?

An air fryer is worth it for its versatility and efficiency in roasting and baking if you have the counter space to spare, but it’s not going to trick anyone into believing your food is deep fried.

Laurence and Cassetty both emphasized the speed of air fryers. Air fryers take very little time, if any, to preheat, so you’re saving both time and electricity. The location of the heating element — placed directly over the food — creates more efficiency, explained Laurence. They also expel much less heat, which is especially handy during hot weather when you’d rather avoid turning on your oven.

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What are the advantages of air fryers?

An air fryer is one of the quickest-cooking appliances out there aside from a microwave, making it a real time-saver, especially for weeknight meals. Plus, it’s more versatile and produces crisper results than a microwave.

Air fryers cook pretty much anything you’d normally roast in an oven: vegetables, fish, whole chickens, and more. Think beyond chicken nuggets and the possibilities are endless.

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Should you wait until Black Friday/Cyber Monday to buy an air fryer?

We’ve seen the best air fryer deals during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday annual sales event. So, if you can hold off, wait until these days to make your purchase. 

For up-to-the-minute sales on air fryers, check out our deals slide below. Or, visit our Black Friday and Cyber Monday hubs.

Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on air fryers from this guide

Air fryers have developed a sort of cult following and are some of the most popular products sold on Amazon. They’re convenient, easy-to-use, and can make foods that are traditionally deep-fried like French fries, chicken wings, and more. Air fryers are regularly discounted throughout the year. As you might expect, we typically see the best deals during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Prime Day. Some of our picks even see discounts of over $50 during Black Friday — the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, for example, dropped to an all-time low of $130 last year.

Figuring out what is and is not a deal takes some practice. Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on the air fryers we recommend.

Read more about how the Insider Reviews team evaluates deals and why you should trust us.

Check out our other great kitchen guides

• The best microwaves
• The best toaster ovens
• The best toasters
• The best Instant Pots and electric pressure cookers