Making quick dinners and reheating leftovers were difficult tasks before air fryers entered my life. Frozen food was soggy and mushy, and microwaved pizza never tasted the same. Now, all I have to do is place a tray in my preferred air fryer, and it will be back and better than before in a matter of minutes. With just a small mist of oil, the best air fryers use hot air circulation to crisp up your food.
To identify the best air fryers, I conducted interviews with three experts and tested more than 60 models for features including browning, cooking speed, and ease of use. Because it cooks food quickly and evenly and features a window for you to see it, the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer Oven is our number one choice. Our lovely touchscreen air fryer is the budget pick. It will save you and perfectly cook fresh broccoli, but it lacks a front window.
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Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
Top 5 Air Fryers You NEED to Try in 2025
1.Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer
- 6-in-1 air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat or dehydrate
- clearCook window and internal light to easily monitor cooking progress without opening the basket
- OdorErase built-in air filters to remove odors during cooking
Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
The Instant Vortex Plus, which combines the finest characteristics of a toaster oven and an air fryer, is the greatest air fryer I’ve tested. It comes from the same company as the well-known Instant Pot. Like a toaster oven, it has a front glass, but it cooks food faster than a basket air fryer. The Instant Vortex Plus cooked food the quickest in our tests, including hand-cut fries that were evenly cooked in just 14 minutes, even after preheating. Most importantly, it produced evenly cooked, juicy broccoli.
Additionally, using the air fryer oven is simple. Press start after choosing one of the six presets and adjusting the air fryer’s cooking duration and temperature using the temp/time button. It was a little irksome how thecook time countdown only starts once the unit preheats. You can’t just have it count down once you press the start button.
An air filter in the Vortex Plus keeps smells from escaping. This feature did a good job of keeping scents contained, even if I didn’t test it well. If eliminating smells isn’t a priority, the model without the air filter is frequently less expensive. Both variants have a light so you can easily view your meal via the window.
Both the crisping plate and the basket are dishwasher safe. However, because the basket takes up a lot of dishwasher space and the nonstick surface makes cleanup simple, I greatly liked washing it by hand. This is still the greatest air fryer available on the market after innumerable testing cycles.
Pros
- Simple to use
- A window in the basket lets you view food
Cons
- Basket takes up a lot of room in the dishwasher
2.Ninja Foodi 10 Quart DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer
- 2 INDEPENDENT BASKETS: The XL version of the original Air Fryer with 2 independent baskets, the XL air fryer lets you cook 2 foods, 2 ways, at the same time, eliminating back-to-back cooking like a traditional single-basket air fryer. Now in larger 5-quart baskets.
- SMART FINISH & MATCH COOK: DualZone Technology allows you to choose between the Smart Finish feature, which unlocks cooking 2 foods 2 ways that finish at the same time, and the Match Cook feature, which easily copies settings across zones for full 10-qt. capacity meals.
- IQ BOOST: optimally distributes power across each basket to cook a 6-lb. whole chicken and side as quickly as possible when Match Cook or Smart Finish is not selected.
Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
Because it functions similarly to two full-size basket air fryers in your kitchen, the Ninja Foodi DualZone is our choice for the finest large-capacity air fryer. You may program it to heat the two 5-quart air fryer baskets separately or at the same time and temperature. If you’re cooking two different kinds of food, a “smart finish” feature makes sure that both baskets finish cooking at the same time.
The Ninja Foodi DualZone’s ability to cook food evenly without drying it out is its most significant feature. It produced tasty broccoli and hand-cut fries fast, while being one of the slowest machines making frozen fries.We thought this $200 air fryer would have a steep learning curve because it has so many features, yet the controls are simple to use. Without consulting the instructions, we had it operational. Because the crisper plates and baskets are dishwasher safe, cleanup is also a breeze. We appreciate that the baskets fit in the dishwasher more easily because they are smaller than the conventional 6-quart models.
The Ninja Foodi FlexBasket Air Fryer with MegaZone is an additional high-capacity choice. It functions similarly to the DualZone model, but instead of having two baskets, the 7-quart basket is divided by a divider to make cooking larger foods easier. It has a lesser capacity but is more reasonably priced.
One of Reddit’s top air fryers is the Ninja DualZone.We also make our own fries in each air fryer we examine. A pound of potatoes is chopped into fry-shaped pieces, soaked for approximately 30 minutes in cold water, dried, and then tossed with salt and olive oil. We check for doneness after 15 minutes of air-frying them at 375 degrees. We increase the cooking time if they aren’t crispy.
The majority of air fryers have trouble passing this test; they either take more than 15 minutes or give inconsistent results. The Ninja Foodi DualZone XL was one of the best, but it was far from ideal. About 25 minutes was a completely reasonable amount of time for the fries to be crispy and cooked through.Air fryers tend to struggle with cooking broccoli florets, often producing crispy tops and undercooked stems. When testing we spray a pound of broccoli florets with cooking oil, season it, and air fry at 375 degrees until the broccoli is tender.
Most units take at least 12 minutes, but the Ninja produced stellar results in eight. Air fryers can burn the florets before the stems get tender enough; not the Ninja. The florets remained moist and lightly crisped while the stems were a perfect al dente.
Pros
- Each basket holds 5 quarts
- Cooks two baskets of food independently or in sync
Cons
- Cooked frozen fries slowly
3.Beautiful 6 Quart Touchscreen Air Fryer
Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
Products bearing the names of celebrities always make us a little wary. Nonetheless, we really believe that Drew Barrymore’s Beautiful 6 Quart Touchscreen Air Fryer is the greatest low-cost air fryer. Despite being among the least expensive air fryers we evaluated, it performed admirably.
The controls are easy to use. The presets are illuminated when you first push the power button. After choosing a preset, you can choose the temperature and time, and the blinking start button starts the cooking process. The appealing unit is available in seven different hues, including black sesame, cornflower blue, and white icing. Additionally, 3-quart and 9-quart versions are offered.
The Only two units, including the lovely air fryer, could cook hand-cut fries in 15 minutes, and the fries turned out deliciously and uniformly. It was also one of the quickest at preparing frozen fries and broccoli. The broccoli was perfectly cooked, however the frozen fries were a bit dry.
Both the basket and the crisper plate are dishwasher safe, but the basket will take up a lot of room in your dishwasher due to its protruding handle. The nonstick coating makes hand washing a simple substitute.
Setting up the Beautiful Air Fryer is quite simple: simply take it out of the box and plug it in. I got started without any instructions. Because you can’t see the buttons when you first glance at the air fryer, it could be confusing. However, the power button illuminates and pulses when you plug it in.
Four cooking modes are available after pressing the power button: air fry, roast, reheat, and dehydrate. The start/pause button pulses to indicate how to start your cook when you make your selection, and the time and temperature adjustment buttons light up. Simple as pie.
In every air fryer we test, we cook a pound of Ore-Ida french fries at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. After eight minutes, we check to see if the fries are done, and we continue to add more time until the fryer achieves golden-brown fries. Few air fryers are done in eight minutes, and the Beautiful air fryer was no different. It ranked average with 13 minutes cook time. The fries were evenly cooked and crispy, though a little dry.
Pros
- Dishwasher-safe basket and crisper plate
- Cooked food quickly and evenly
Cons
- Frozen fries were a little dry
4.Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Fry Oven
- TRUE SURROUND CONVECTION: Up to 10X the convection power vs. a traditional full-size convection oven for faster, crispier, and juicy results.Cord length (in.): 36..Special Features: Programmable
- 10-IN-1 VERSATILITY: Air Fry, Air Roast, Bake, Whole Roast, Broil, Toast, Bagel, Dehydrate, Reheat, and Pizza all in one powerful, 1800-watt appliance
- FASTER COOKING: 90-second oven preheat time and up to 30% faster cooking than a traditional full-size convection oven
Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
Making quick dinners and reheating leftovers were difficult tasks before air fryers entered my life. Frozen food was soggy and mushy, and microwaved pizza never tasted the same. Now, all I have to do is place a tray in my preferred air fryer, and it will be back and better than before in a matter of minutes. With just a small mist of oil, the best air fryers use hot air circulation to crisp up your food.
To identify the best air fryers, I conducted interviews with three experts and tested more than 60 models for features including browning, cooking speed, and ease of use. Our preferred choice is the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer Oven since it features a window for monitoring your meal and cooks evenly and quickly. The Beautiful Touchscreen Air Fryer is our budget pick. It will save you $60 and perfectly cook fresh broccoli, but it lacks a front window.
The interior of the Ninja Foodi XL Pro is roomy. With the second wire rack that is included, it may accommodate two pizzas or other foods. In addition, it has various helpful presets and dehydrates. It takes eight minutes to reach 350 degrees and nine minutes to reach 400 degrees, which is the primary drawback compared to other air fryer toaster ovens.
Additionally, the Ninja Foodi XL Pro comes with an integrated probe thermometer. Although I haven’t used it, if you enjoy cooking meat and don’t already have a good meat thermometer, it might be worth the extra.
Pros
- Sleek design with large front window and interior light
- Comes with useful extras and presets
Cons
- Preheats slowly
5.Midea Two-Zone Air Fryer Oven
- INNOVATIVE DOUBLE-DECKERS DESIGN: This dual air fryer features both an upper 6QT basket and a lower 5QT baking pan, providing 11QT large capacity but taking up smaller footprint with its exclusive design. Basket for fries, nugget, and pan for pizza, bread. lt is all up to you!
- 8 IN 1 VERSATILITY: Midea air fry has 8 preset menus: air fry, grill,dehydrate, bake, roast, broil, reheat and toast. This will be the only 1 versatile appliance you need in kitchen!
- 3 HEATING TUBES FOR POWERFUL COOKING: Midea air fryer has 3 heating tubes at top, middle and bottom part of the cavity, allows for precise temperature control and evening cooking for each zone
Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.
In my experience, two-drawer air fryers that let you cook two things at once tend to cook food more slowly than two individual air fryers. That wasn’t the case with the Midea Two-Zone Air Fryer Oven because of a special design. The lower cooking chamber functions similarly to a little toaster oven, while the upper cooking chamber is your typical basket air fryer. To keep an eye on your meal, both areas have windows and indoor lighting.
In comparison to the other two basket air fryers we tested, the cooking speeds were mediocre for a basket air fryer. Even better, the meal items were almost flawless. Both the wings and the frozen fries were as crispy and uniform as they could be.not too dry, and restaurant-quality. The broccoli came out as well as you can expect from an air fryer: close to even, though the florets were more done than the stems.
I really enjoyed using the dehydrating feature. It was simple to dehydrate greater amounts of food without crowding because to the two drawer design. It transformed cherry tomatoes into sun-dried tomatoes with a delightful taste in just two hours.
Regretfully, compared to most air fryers, the Midea Two-Zone Air Fryer Oven is more difficult to operate. It took me some time to find out how to program it because I don’t like to read user manuals. Once you have decided on your cooking function, you cannot change the time or temperature until you have chosen which drawer you wish to heat and pressed the knob. Although it cannot be started with the app, setting the unit with the SmartHome app (iOS and Android) was simpler.
There are no dishwasher-safe parts. Thankfully, the nonstick coating makes clean-up a breeze. Overall, the Midea is the best two-drawer air fryer for large families wanting to air-fry multiple dishes simultaneously.
Pros
- Two independent cooking sections
Cons
- Controls take some getting used to
How we test air fryers
Early in my testing, I discovered that even the best air fryers varied wildly in cook times. One unit charred broccoli to an undesirable crisp in 6 minutes, while another took 13 minutes to reach al dente. So, I cooked three recipes in each machine and evaluated how quickly and evenly they cooked.
Are air fryers worth it?
Because of its efficiency and variety in baking and roasting, an air fryer is worth the counter space if you have it. It won’t fool anyone into thinking your food is deep-fried, though. The greatest air fryers save electricity and time by heating up quickly.
An air fryer is a time-saver, especially for weeknight meals, as it is among the fastest cooking machines aside from the finest microwaves. Compared to a microwave, it is also more adaptable and yields cleaner results. Almost anything you would normally roast in an oven may be cooked in an air fryer, including whole chickens, seafood, and vegetables.
How do air fryers work?
Similar to convection ovens, air fryers circulate hot air using a fan. As with deep-frying, this browns and crisps the food. Although it won’t taste and feel exactly like deep-fried food, air-fried food is as close as you can come without using a tub of oil. One advantage of utilizing an air fryer is that you don’t have to keep a close eye on your food or cook it for a long time. Read our article on the operation of air fryers to find out more.