Recommended Air Fryers for 2024 [+ Why Own an Air Fryer]

In recent years, air fryers have soared in popularity, emerging as a kitchen must-have for busy home cooks or anyone looking to make food faster and more conveniently.

Beyond just frying, most air fryers can bake, roast, and grill, making them a versatile addition to any kitchen. From crispy chicken wings to fluffy cakes, the possibilities are endless.

Air fryers heat up quickly and cook food faster than traditional ovens. Plus, they’re compact and easy to clean, perfect for small kitchens and busy lifestyles.

» Try these 15 Easy Air Fryer Recipes You’ll Love.

But with so many models on the market, how do you choose the right one for your kitchen? Our comprehensive air fryer reviews are here to guide you through the best options available, helping you find the perfect match for your cooking needs.

Why Use an Air Fryer

An air fryer is an incredibly easy way to cook just about anything. You place the food in a fryer-style basket and hot air rapidly circulates all around the food, making the food crisp – much like deep-frying, but without the oil. You can cook anything you’d make in the oven.

Top-Rated Air Fryer Reviews

The best air fryer for you should be determined by your individual needs and preferences. We’ve used dozens of different brands and types, so we know exactly what we like and why. I’m just going to pass those preferences along to you in the following reviews. I have personally used and approved all of these air fryers.

Ninja Max XL Air Fryer

This is one of the best air fryers out there. It’s compact and nice looking and has a lot of great functionality. I’ve been using this air fryer for almost a year and it’s still in great condition! The coating on the basket is 100% in tact and looking nice. Still very non-stick.

It also cooks hotter and faster than any other air fryer I’ve tried. It cooks as hot as 450°F, while many other brands stop at 400°F. It also has 1750 watts of power, while many stop at 1500 watts. Together that means your food cooks a lot faster and gets a lot crispier.

The other main feature that I like about this machine is that the basket just has an insertable tray at the bottom, so it’s very easy to clean. It’s a large enough size to cook just about anything you want. It’s not loud, and it doesn’t take up too much space on the counter.

• 5.5 quart (fits 3 lbs or fries or wings)
• Temperature range: 105 to 450 degrees F
• Ceramic-coated nonstick basket
• Can be used as a dehydrator
• Dishwasher safe parts
• One-touch control panel
• 7 cooking programs (roast, air fryer, bake, reheat, dehydrate, broil, max crisp)
• 1750 watts

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Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer

There are a lot of different models of Cosori air fryers that you can purchase. We’ve personally tried four of them and haven’t found one that we don’t like. However, my current favorite is the COSORI Pro LE, which is a 5qt size with 9 pre-programmed settings and a detachable, dishwasher safe square basket.

First of all, the square basket fits more food than a round one, which is great. It has a crisper plate in the basket that’s very easy to take out and wash in the dishwasher.

The standout feature on this air fryer, for me, is the shake reminder that beeps at the halfway point so you can remember to shake or turn your food. Not many air fryers have that feature.

It also cooks at a temperature up to 450 degrees F, which means it can cook up to 50% faster than older models that don’t go that high.

• 5 quarts
• 9 preset cooking functions
• Non-stick, dishwasher safe, PFOA-free and BPA-free
• Square basket fits most foods
• Digital display and tempered glass touch panel
• Has a unique preheat and “shake” reminder
• 1500 watts, 12 pounds

Cons: Shake reminder and it cooks really efficiently so you can often cut a few minutes off the typical cook time.

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GoWISE Air Fryer

GoWISE USA is another brand that is really popular. We particularly like the 5.8-quart size because it’s a more powerful 1700-watt version that holds quite a bit of food. It has 8 cooking presets if you’re wanting to just touch a button to cook your food (doesn’t get any easier than that). It also has the detachable inner basket that makes it easy to pour out food.

The new shape is a bit more oblong than round, so it fits in the cabinet better. While with our last one the coating did start to come off the basket after a few months, the new model is definitely improved and we haven’t had that issue with the second one.

This air fryer also has a shake reminder that you can set for 5, 10, and 15-minute increments, which is super handy.

• 5.8 quarts
• Temperature range: 180-400 degrees F
• PFOA-free non-stick cooking basket
• 8 programable cooking functions
• Digital display
• 1700 watts

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Cuisinart 6-Quart Air Fryer

One of our newest favorites is the Cuisinart air fryer. There are several reasons why we like this one. The top reason is the window in the basket that lets you see how the food is doing inside. This keeps you from having to stop and open the basket during cooking.

It also has 1800 watts and heats up to 450 degrees F. That’s one of the best we’ve seen. Not only does the food cook faster, but it gets more crispy. If you’re one who likes crispy food, this is the air fryer you should get.

It’s only a little more expensive than comparable air fryers, but does have some premium features, and it’s a higher-end brand name.

• 6 quarts, square design that fits more food
• Temperature range: up to 450 degrees F
• PFOA-free non-stick cooking basket
• 5 programable cooking functions
• Up to 60-minute timer with automatic keep warm function
• Digital display
• 1800 watts

Pros: It has a large viewing window so you can view your food while it’s cooking, which means you don’t have to repeatedly open the basket to check.

Cons: The beeps for settings and when done are pretty loud.

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Other Options

There are two more options that we really like that I wanted to share. One is the Ninja Foodi dual-zone air fryer, which is fantastic if you’ve switched to mostly cooking all of your food in the air fryer, like I have. It gives lots of space and flexibility to cook what you want, at the same time. The other is a higher-end, expensive air fryer, but it’s so worth it. This thing cooks food faster than any other air fryer I’ve ever tried.

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Why Buy An Air Fryer?

The biggest reason to buy an air fryer is to cook food in a much easier way, no matter what you’re making. Today’s air fryers allow you to fry, roast, bake, grill, and reheat food in a much easier and faster way than ever before.

1. Less Mess

While there are some deep fryers that keep a firm lid on the splatters, literally, they still produce a lot of mess to clean up. With a deep fryer, you have to change the oil regularly, and clean the greasy, grimy interior. Not to mention that while cooking, the oil often splatters around the kitchen.

An air fryer is much cleaner because there is no messy oil left behind in the fryer, except the little bit that might drip from the food as it’s cooking. It’s easy to wipe down after each use. There’s no splatter. Not a problem if you knock it over.

>> If you’re interested in alternative ways to cook food faster and more conveniently, you might also like the Instant Pot. Learn more about the Instant Pot and decide if you should get one.

2. It’s Healthier Than Deep Frying

Deep frying your food can add an incredibly amount of calories and fat to the final product. Plus, many oils used for deep frying are unhealthy and high in trans fats.

Air frying, on the other hand, only requires a small amount of added oil, if any (many foods don’t require oil to cook well in the air fryer). You will still get the crispy exterior – crispy french fries or onion rings, for instance – but without the added calories and fat.

3. It’s Versatile

An electric air fryer isn’t an incredibly expensive kitchen appliance. For around $70, you can get a very good air fryer that allows you to do a lot of different types of cooking at home, in one appliance.

The best air fryers allow you to fry, bake, grill, roast and dehydrate. So you can use it for french fries, a whole roast chicken, any type of frozen foods, pizza, even steak. We’ve cooked cinnamon rolls, breakfast sandwiches, muffins and baked apples. You name it.

4. It’s Energy & Time Efficient

The air fryer has saved us an incredible amount of time. It doesn’t require a lengthy preheating time, so you can just put it in and cook it immediately. This is way less time than it takes in the oven to do the same thing.

And speaking of the oven, using an air fryer is much more energy efficient than using your oven to cook the same food. The appliance is small and it takes much less energy to run it than it would your oven. It also keeps the room cooler, which is a major plus during the summer when you really don’t want to use the oven at all.

How to Choose the Right Air Fryer

You’ll want to consider these important things before purchasing a power air fryer. As we’ve said, there are so many different ones out there, so you can narrow down your needs and find the oil-less fryer that works best for you. Be sure to ask yourself these questions before buying:

Size & Capacity

One of the most important factors to which air fryer you buy is the size and capacity. As you can imagine, they come in all different sizes. There are small ones that don’t take up much space in the kitchen, but that can only hold a small amount of food. And there are large ones that fit a lot (even a whole chicken or turkey!) but take up much more space to store.

Most fryers can cook between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds of food at a time. If you’re cooking for just one or two people, a smaller fryer (usually 3.7 qt) would probably suit you just fine. If you’re cooking for 4 or more, you’d want a larger size (usually referred to as XL).

Extra Features

Extra features include temperature gauges, baskets and trays, timers, pre-set buttons, dishwasher safe parts, etc. These extra features can turn the cooking process into a breeze, while machines lacking in features can make it a chore.

For instance, a removable basket will make it much easier for you to clean the machine after it’s been used. Don’t underestimate the features you might want. They can add slightly to the overall price, but those features may well be worth it.

Wattage

You really don’t want to skimp on wattage with a power air fryer. A higher wattage means it is a more powerful fryer. It’s easy to become frustrated with low-wattage fryers that don’t seem to do their job well.

Typically, fryers range in wattage from 800-2100. It’s wise to make sure your power outlets can support a higher wattage before you purchase it.

Price

Air fryers range in price from around $65 to $250. Likely you’ll be getting more features for the higher-end products, but you need to read the included features to be sure.

The price also takes into consideration the brand. A brand name, like Hamilton Beach or Philips, will cost more than a no-name brand, but that doesn’t mean a no-name brand isn’t a good one. Read the reviews to know what you’re getting.

CONCLUSION

Many of the air fryers on the market today have very similar features, but if you know what you’re looking for, you can find the perfect one for your needs.

We hope that our well-researched list will help you choose the model that’s right for you. If you buy one, we’d love to hear what you think and if it met your expectations. Leave us a comment!

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