Our Experts CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. Our Picks CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. What's the best air fryer to buy? Air fryers continue to impress even the amateur home cooks.
If you want to add an air fryer and get cooking along with the rest of the civilized world, we've tested to make things easier for you and find the best models. After weeks of air frying and more than 15 countertop cookers put through their paces, Ninja's 4-quart model takes the top spot as the best air fryer for 2024. The Ninja has power, power and more power.
It's also user-friendly and comes at an affordable price. In our experience, Ninja kitchen tools are often a safe buy with solid contruction and a long life. But there are other air fryer models we tried that might be an even better fit for your modern kitchen.
Read more: The Air Fryer Is the Best and Fastest Way to Make a Roast Chicken We made a double cheeseburger in an air fryer and it did not disappoint. The air fryer remains a popular kitchen gadget and is our absolute favorite way to fire off quick snacks using less oil or reheat last night's leftovers . We also did some math and it turns out that energy-efficient air fryers can even save money on your electric bill .
To curate this list, we tested more than a dozen top-rated air fryer ovens and settled on these five as the absolute best air fryers to buy in 2024. Best air fryers of 2024 SCORE Ninja's sleek and efficient pod air fryer impressed us in several rounds of testing and remains our pick for best air fryer overall. The Ninja is powerful, easy to operate, looks great and clocks in at a reasonable price.
We tested both the 4-quart model and the otherwise identical 5.5-quart model (perfect to roast a whole chicken ). There were no discernible differences in performance between the two.
The Ninja turned out the best chicken wings of any air fryer we cooked them in. It seems to run a little hotter than other models of its size, but I consider that a good thing. Air frying is about getting the outside crispy without drying out the middle, and you need a blast of hot convection to do it.
The Ninja's control panel is simple and intuitive. There are a handful of presets and cooking modes beyond just flicking on the air fryer including bake and reheat which are perfect for warming bread or reviving leftover pizza without burning them. One thing to note is the Ninja lacks a special cooking mode for vegetables.
So, much as in earlier rounds of testing, the fresh Brussels sprouts emerged a tad overdone -- even burnt in spots. This simply requires a little bit more checking when you're air-frying certain foods for the first time. SCORE Editor's note: On Feb.
23 2023 Cosori recalled over 2 million air fryer models due to a potential fire and burn hazard. The below model was not affected by the recall. It was a battle to the finish line between the Ninja and the Cosori.
In truth, I would be happy with either one on my countertop. The Cosori Lite is 4 quarts -- a size I like, although the brand makes plenty of larger models . This air fryer has a maximum temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 50 degrees more than the Ninja, but I cooked chicken wings on high in both machines for 25 minutes, and they emerged nearly identical.
Another thing I liked about this model is the placement of the LED controls, which sit directly on top of the oven, making them easy to see and program. The dishwasher-safe basket fits snugly into place and I was able to easily remove it without having to use force. I liked the simple cooking programs and found that there were not too few and not too many.
The Cosori is also a smart air fryer so you can control it from your phone via an app. This wasn't something I found particularly useful, but it's there if you want it. The app also has more than 100 recipes to try, which is great for air fryer inspiration.
SCORE As the award suggests, this air fryer is small. About as small as any brand makes them. If you're only cooking for one or two people, it may be enough capacity and will save you precious space on the counter.
The Gourmia has good power to make eight or nine crispy chicken wings in about 25 minutes and a few servings of fries in about half that time. The digital controls are easy to manipulate, and there are several modes to use: air fry, broil, bake and reheat. For an air fryer under $40, this model is solidly built and the basket fits snugly into the hull without any wobble.
It's also easy to clean and quiet when running. If you want a slight upgrade in size, I recommend the Magic Bullet 2.5-quart model .
It has simple analog controls and 1,300 watts of power, which is more than enough for an oven this size. It runs about $20 more than the Gourmia but will give you more cooking capacity to play with. SCORE A dual-basket air fryer allows you to cook most of an entire meal in one go without fear of burning one thing or undercooking the other.
Smaller baskets net better results when air frying, so I suggest a dual-basket as opposed to an oven with one single, large cooking chamber. While Instant also makes a formidable version , Ninja's 8-quart (two 4-quart baskets) is our top pick sporting tons of power at a great price. As with the single-basket Ninja, this machine feels rock solid and the baskets slide in firmly with no wiggle.
This model has all the same settings and cooking modes as the single basket model but allows you to toggle between both baskets to set the time and temp accordingly. There is also a handy match cook setting if you're doing one huge heap of wings in both baskets. There is a smaller 6-quart model (two 3-quart baskets) and a massive 10-quart version (two 5-quart baskets).
Need more info? Check out our full review of the Ninja Foodi Dual-Basket air fryer . SCORE The Instant Pot Duo Crisp air fryer and multicooker turned out some excellent air-fried chicken. If you're eyeing an air fryer but also an Instant Pot or another multicooker, let me save you some money and kitchen space.
The Instant Pot Duo does all the work of the popular multicooker -- pressure cooker, slow cooker, steam and saute -- but comes with a separate air fryer lid and cooking function as well. I found the air fryer function worked as well or better than most of the solo air fryers I tested. One reason, and something you might consider a drawback, is that the cooking capacity is relatively small, which generally translates to better air fryer results since the hot circulating air hits the food harder, hotter and faster.
Instant Pot's Duo model made incredible crispy "fried" chicken, wings, veggies and other classics, but know that you'll likely have to cook in batches if you're making food for a group. It's also a solid deal considering all this machine does. The Duo Crisp can often be found for $150 or cheaper if you nab it on sale.
One thing I don't love about this model is the steel air fryer basket, which is trickier to clean than the pod-shaped models, most of which feature nonstick cooking baskets. The Instant Pot Duo Crisp air fryer and multicooker turned out some excellent air-fried chicken. SCORE Breville's stylish Smart Oven Air is our favorite air fryer and toaster combo.
This isn't just a proficient air fryer but a mini version of a smart oven that can handle a small chicken, as many as four filets of salmon or a tray of homemade cookies. Most likely because of its size, the Smart Oven Air took a little bit longer to get crispy chicken wings and Brussels sprouts, but only by a few minutes. The Breville heats very consistently and has a wealth of cooking modes -- toast, bagel, bake, roast, broil, warm, reheat, air fry -- making it about as good a replacement for your big oven as any.
If you have a toaster oven you like and are just looking for an air fryer, this probably isn't the pick. If you want a countertop appliance that can do far more than wings and wedges, this is a whole lot of oven capability for less than $300. Ninja's $200 Foodi oven is another we tested and liked.
While it was the best toaster at actually air frying , its cooking chamber is very slim, making it impossible to fit certain foods. It's also more of a pain to clean than the Breville. Compare air fryers The Instant Pot Duo Crisp air fryer and multicooker turned out some excellent air-fried chicken.
Other air fryers we tested Dreo Chefmaker : This souped-up air fryer has a built-in thermometer and tons of smart features. It works ggreen t but I found myself just using the basic air fryer function which makes it hard to justify the $300 price tag. Dash Tasti-Crisp : I don't have major complaints with this model's function but it feels a little flimsy for $60.
Crux Marshmello : This compact 3-quart air fryer did well in testing and the cooking basket was easy to clean. I wasn't a fan of the control panels, which sport cutesy LED images in place of words, and it wasn't abundantly clear what each one was for. The Crux air fryer performed well but the control panel was a little too cute for its own good.
Phillips Essential Compact Air Fryer : I didn't have any major complaints with this 4-quart model, and it's a good value at under $120. It was less powerful when air frying chicken wings and other foods. PowerXL Air Fryer : This is another small air fryer that did well in testing, but I prefer the controls and sleek design of the more budget-friendly Gourmia 2-quart.
Instant Vortex : One popular option is the Instant Vortex. It's priced in line with the other air fryers in this group. The Vortex is made by the same company that created the groundbreaking Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.
Despite that, I wasn't blown away by its results. Chicken wings and fried chicken were acceptable but not incredible, and less juicy than what other fryers produced. My Brussels sprouts ended up overdone too, and frozen fries cooked unevenly.
Dash Compact Air Fryer : We found the Dash Compact Air Fryer to be underpowered. While the larger Dash Deluxe is a powerhouse, the Dash Compact struggled to air-fry almost everything we put inside it. Both french fries and Brussels sprouts were under-done and unevenly cooked.
The only bright spot was chicken wings. They took 30 minutes, but I was treated to skin with some crunch. GoWise USA 8-in-1 Digital Air Fryer : You may not have heard of this brand, but this offering from GoWise is a solid choice.
It didn't cook the skin of my chicken wings evenly. That said, french fries came out crispy and crunchy, with fluffy interiors. The fryer also roasted Brussels sprouts well, no mean feat for this group of appliances.
Chefman 3.5 qt. Analog Air Fryer : Another relatively affordable choice is the Chefman Analog Air Fryer.
It's tiny too, offering just 3.5 quarts of food-frying capacity. The appliance did deliver decent chicken wings.
It undercooked the Brussels sprouts and frozen french fries. We also found the Chefman's timer control confusing. This dial is labeled in numerical increases of 10.
The numbers are separated by groups of four dots, not nine as you would expect. PowerXL Vortex Air Fryer : You might consider purchasing the PowerXL Vortex, but we recommend against it due to its steep price and mediocre frying performance. We had satisfactory results cooking chicken wings in it, but this machine overcooked Brussels sprouts, and the french fries were just OK.
DeLonghi Rapid Crisp : The DeLonghi Rapid Crisp was one of the most expensive models we tested, and it just didn't live up to the price tag. While I liked the design and sturdy build and appreciated the small viewing window for watching the cooking progress, I found the buttons and interface clunky. There was no way to set an actual cooking temp, only presets, and even those weren't very intuitive.
Beautiful Air Fryer by Drew Barrymore : This air fryer offering from the actor's new kitchen line performed well in the four rounds of testing. It showed good power and cooked chicken wings to a nice crispy outside and kept them juicy inside after about 25 minutes. The air fryer's interface is slick, although I liked the Ninja's simpler control panel more, which is one of a few reasons it edged out this unit for best air fryer overall.
This is a great option and is about $30 cheaper than the Ninja. It also has a pleasing design with smooth matte plastic (which does smudge a bit). How we test air fryers You can make a whole roasted chicken in your air fryer.
To date, we've tested well over a dozen air fryers to curate this list. Each air fryer is evaluated for its power, consistency, ease of use, design, features and overall performance. In total, we've logged over 75 hours of air frying.
There are hundreds of recipes that can be made with an air fryer but we stuck to the basics and focused on the most popular foods people associate with air fryers. Chicken wings are at the top of that list but French fries, frozen snacks and dense vegetables -- in this case, Brussels sprouts -- are air fryer food staples. Before we began, we consulted each model's manual for relevant cooking directions.
If the manual didn't provide specific instructions, we applied uniform procedures to each air fryer depending on the type of food we were preparing. The Cosori Lite made some mighty tasty wings in 30 minutes. For chicken wings, we followed a basic air fryer recipe.
First, we preheated the air fryer to 400 Fahrenheit and cooked them for 25 minutes in the basket with the included tray, then checked on them and turned them every 8 minutes. Most of the air fryers we tested had a solid showing in the wing test although some, including the powerful Ninja and Cosori Lite models, got the wings a bit crispier in that amount of time. For Brussels sprouts, we preheated the ovens to 375 Fahrenheit and cooked them for 15 minutes.
Before cooking, we rinsed and cut the sprouts in half and tossed them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. In this test, some ovens struggled to brown the outside of the sprouts but most got there eventually. Dense Brussels sprouts are a popular air fryer food.
Soft and watery veggies such as zucchini and mushrooms may turn to mush under this type of intense heat. For the French fry test, we opted for Alexia's frozen crinkle-cut fries and cooked 1 cup, according to the air fryer directions on the bag. Quick note: Be careful when cooking fries in an air fryer as some types, especially thinner-cut fries, can dry out easily when hit with super-convection.
We recommend heftier waffle fries, tater tots, crinkle cut or potato wedges over the shoestring variety. At the end of each test, we looked for how evenly the items were cooked, if they were cooked through and whether they had a sufficient level of crispy, crunchy, fried goodness comparable to deep frying or pan frying. Beyond cooking performance, how easy an air fryer is to operate and how intuitive the buttons and controls were something we observed closely during testing.
Overly complicated settings, controls and presets didn't generally result in high marks, but certain features were appreciated. All air fryers have base-level control over the temperature and cook time, although some are controlled digitally while others require the crank of simple manual dials. From there, you'll find preset programs for various foods such as wings, fries, fish, veggies and even baked goods.
I liked the top placement of the control panel on the Cosori Lite air fryer. To get a sense of how each air fryer in this test group handles, we ran a battery of three tests on each model. Each test focused on one food: chicken wings, Brussels sprouts and frozen french fries.
Most air fryers we tested passed the French fries test, although it's critical to check on them frequently so you don't overcook and dry them out. What health experts say about air fryers How healthy cooking with an air fryer is all depends on what you put in it. The Cleveland Clinic : "They [air fryers] won’t magically remove the saturated fat from bacon or the trans fats from a bag of processed chicken wings.
To reap the benefits, reach for better-for-you options like vegetables and lean proteins...
.Think of the air fryer as a way to enhance healthier foods, so they’re even more tempting.” Medical News Today: "Research on the effects of air-fried food is promising.
Air fryers appear to be a healthy alternative, offering flavors similar to fried food with fewer adverse effects." British Heart Foundation : "If you often eat deep-fried foods, switching to an air fryer could be helpful." Why we prefer pod-shaped air fryers to air-frying toasters In a word, cleanliness.
While the idea of a toaster oven that doubles as an air fryer is a good one, and the air frying function on many of the hybrid machines is proficient, there are certain foods we love cooking in an air fryer that are too messy to cook in a toaster. All pod air fryers have removable cooking baskets and most of them are nonstick. When you're cooking chicken thighs with a sauce or even veggies drizzled with oil -- a few favorites -- there is going to be some inevitable splatter.
Air frying mode is intense, with high convection heat circulated at a fast pace. Do this in a toaster oven, which is markedly more difficult to clean, and you'll be dealing with some serious caked-on gunk after the first few dozen uses. Air frying toaster ovens have advantages but they typically take longer to cook and the inner cavity can be tricky to clean if food splatters.
Pod air fryers, on the other hand, take very little effort to get clean. Most air fryer baskets are now thicker and also nonstick. Beware of thin wire baskets, which can be tougher to clean.
Both types can be removed to soak in the sink and some can be run through the dishwasher. The same can't be said for the inside walls of a countertop oven. If you're buying a toaster oven, there's no reason not to get one with an air fryer function .
It can still be used for less splatter-prone foods such as potatoes, frozen empanadas and filets of salmon with too much risk of making a mess. For more, read CNET's complete guide to air fryers . Factors to consider when buying an air fryer An air fryer can bring efficiency and simplicity to your nightly meal routine.
It's easy to make a quick and delicious meal with the best air fryers in your kitchen. They are not only healthier than an oven but also use less energy . Check out the complete guide to air fryers to learn more about these great kitchen appliances.
While there are several features to consider, the size of your air fryer is likely the most important decision you'll make. If you're typically cooking for one or two people, a 2- or 3-quart air fryer should be large enough. Consider adding another quart of capacity to your air fryer for every person that you're regularly cooking for.
A family of four or five, for instance, should be fine with a 5-quart model. If you plan on regularly cooking full meals for a family, including meat and veggies or sides, you might consider a larger, dual-basket air fryer like the Ninja DualZone. Here's the tiny 2-quart Gourmia air fryer next to the more standard 4.
25-quart Phillips model. All that said, the smaller the air fryer you can get away with the better. I've found that smaller air fryers such as the Magic Bullet 2- to 5-quart model and Instant Pot's Duo Crisp net better results since food will get blasted faster and more often than inside a larger model.
Smaller air fryers mean less overall capacity, so you may have to cook in batches. Most air fryers are somewhere between 1,200 and 1,800 watts. Larger air fryers typically have more wattage and smaller models have less.
Your midrange 4-quart air fryer should have about 1,500 watts. The small Magic Bullet and Gourmia air fryers have 1,300, but that's plenty of power to cook food in the petite basket. Larger air fryers should have about 100 more watts per quart to make sure they hit those hot temps of 400 to 450 Fahrenheit.
Some fancy models may come with extra accessories, but all you need is an air fryer basket with wire or nonstick grates. They come standard with most air fryer models and help the super-convection to hit all sides of your food evenly. I prefer the nonstick variety as wire baskets can be particularly tricky to clean.
All the air fryers we tested came with a grated fryer basket or tray. The Philips Essential Digital model has it attached to the handle making it easier to remove for cleaning. The Duo Crisp with Ultimate Lid turned out equally browned sweet potato fries as a single-function solo air fryer in the same amount of time.
That depends on the type of cooking you'll do and what other appliances you already have. I like having a solo air fryer, but I'm also a fan of the Instant Pot Duo Crisp which functions as both an air fryer and a multicooker (also a pressure cooker and slow cooker). Fritaire's glass bowl air fryer certainly is an eye catcher.
Air fryers don't have to be kept on the counter but anything larger than 3 quarts might be tricky to store when not in use. Considering that, you should get an air fryer that compliments your kitchen. Both the Ninja and Cosori models are available in a range of colors (Cosori has more).
There are also glass bowl air fryers , more modern-looking machines and those with . What does Reddit think is the best air fryer? Over on Reddit , users agree with much of our analysis for the best air fryers. Reddit's aggregate of commenters ranks a slightly different Cosori model as No.
1 and our top-rated Ninja model as No. 3. What's the No.
1 air fryer on Amazon? Amazon shoppers seem to agree that the Ninja AF101 is the best air fryer for most people. On megaretailer Amazon, the shopping and reviewing public concurs with our picks yet again. Ninja's 6-quart air fryer is the No.
1 bestseller with a 4.7 rating in roughly 80,000 reviews. Air fryer FAQs The air fryer is a simple cooking machine that employs hot, fast-circulating air to flash-roast food inside a contained frying basket.
While there's generally no or very little oil used, the results can be similar to that of traditional frying in that food comes out crispy on the outside and (ideally) moist on the inside. Air fryers heat up fast, cook quickly and make healthier versions of traditionally fatty fried foods, so what's not to love? They're not just for healthy versions of bar snacks. The options for foods you can cook in an air fryer are vast, but some air fryer favorites include chicken wings, chicken tenders, french fries and mozzarella sticks.
You can also make fish in an air fryer, including salmon, for a moist inside and roasted outer crust. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are great when made in an air fryer, as are certain vegetables like Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, onions, peppers and carrots. Frozen foods such as dumplings, potato skins, Hot Pockets and tater tots can be made in an air fryer for a quick and easy snack or side dish.
Air fryers can also quickly reheat food, like last night's pizza or leftover fried chicken. Yes. Generally speaking, air frying is a healthy way to cook.
Cooking with an air fryer means you'll get foods that taste like they've been fried but with little or no oil. You can make healthier chicken wings, french fries and cheese sticks without deep-frying or pan-frying in oil. Some foods do best in an air fryer with a light coating of oil, but most don't require any.
Air fryers have become popular in part because they allow people to eat snack-type foods but with far less fat, cholesterol and fewer calories. Air fryers use convection heat similar to a standard oven but moving at a faster rate. There are no magnetic waves or experimental heat sources to worry about.
Power and size are the most important factors in finding the best air fryer for you. The Ninja air fryer that we liked best has 1,550 watts of power but you can expect an oven with slightly less oomph to also deliver solid results. The best size for an air fryer is relative and will vary based on your personal needs.
A 4-quart model should be enough for most households and can easily hold five or six chicken thighs at once. There are also air fryers as large as 10 quarts that make cooking for large groups easier and some as small as 2 quarts that are perfect for singles and couples. Other considerations include how intuitive the interfaces, dials and controls are as well as the build and durability of each air fryer.
Roasting Brussels sprouts well is tricky for an air fryer..
