The best air fryer 2024: tried and tested by experts

The best air fryers cook dinner faster. Not only that but they’re easy to use, use less oil and don’t need much cleaning afterwards. And many of the best air fryers won’t make a big dent in your wallet or purse, and won’t take up too much counter space either.

Air fryers don’t really fry, although they produce very similar results. Like a countertop, convection or easy-bake oven they use a heating element – typically at the top of its cooking compartment – to heat up the air, while a fan circulates that air around and under the food. That fan is much bigger than in more traditional ovens, and that’s what delivers the crispy, tasty results.

Air fryers’ better, faster air circulation can typically cook similar recipes to a standard oven – but they can do it at a lower temperature for less time. Most models also include presets to take the guesswork out of particular kinds of cooking, and some even have two individual compartments so you can cook two things at the same time at different temperatures.

If you’re a kitchen multi-tasker, we’d also recommend you check out our best Instant Pot guide as many of those models have air fryer capabilities along with pressure cooking and more, making them the ultimate kitchen all-rounder. But for this guide we’re focusing on fryers first and foremost rather than other kinds of appliance where air frying is an additional option.

Whether you want a large-capacity model, a two-basket version, or one of the best small air fryers, this guide is based on many cooks in many kitchens to find the best air fryers available right now. We’ve focused not just on how well they cook but how affordable they are, how easy they are to use, and how easy they are to clean. Whatever kind of cooking you do, and whatever kind of kitchen you do it in, these are the best air fryers you can buy today.

The quick list

With so many options out there, we made it simpler for you to choose the best air fryer for your needs. Whether you have a small household, are preparing for a feast, or need one that meets all you everyday cooking needs, our list should have something for you. And we’ve all tested and approved every single one.

The best air fryer 2024: tried and tested

The best air fryer overall

The brand behind the iconic Instant Pot also makes air fryers, and its top-of-the-range model consistently turned out the crispiest fries and chicken wings of any air fryers we tested. In our testing, the fries had crisp exteriors but soft, fluffy insides, and the chicken was moist, while its skin was crispy and retained loads of flavor. 

The Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 Air Fryer with ClearCook & OdourErase builds on the previous iteration, the Instant Vortex Plus, with a plastic window in the basket, and a light, that lets you keep an eye on food while it’s cooking, and has a built-in filter to reduce smells too. 

However, it doesn’t come with any cooking guides, which means you will need to spend time experimenting to achieve the right cooking duration and temperature, particularly when it comes to frozen food. We also found the crisper plate tends to fall out if the basket is tipped up too much when removing food, and the display suffers from fingerprint marks. However, these are minor gripes on what is in our eyes, the best air fryer on the market for most people right now.

Read our full Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 with ClearCook & OdourErase review

The best budget air fryer

If you want a budget-friendly air fryer that’s as stylish as it is effective, then the Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer L501 is worth considering. Unlike any of the air fryers we’ve tested previously, the LED and touch control panel is located on the glossy top of this kitchen gadget creating a streamlined look. 

On test, we found the air fryer produced crisp, crunchy fries with soft, fluffy inside and succulent juicy chicken wings. However, it struggled to evenly brown foods, so we found ourselves tweaking cooking times, and it wasn’t effective when cooking frozen foods either.

It has seven presets for dishes such as bacon, seafood, and cake. It also has a reminder to shake, which can be activated when setting the cooking time that will alert you halfway through cooking so you can turn the food to achieve an even crisp. 

Read our full Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer L501 review

The best money no object air fryer

The Dreo ChefMaker is so impressive with its cooking prowess and its ability to deliver moist-on-the-inside and crispy-on-the-outside results. That’s due to the fact that this air fryer is able to cook more precisely than many others.

While it’s missing a lot of the usual presets – at least without app support – it offers Chef Mode, Classic Cook, and Probe Cook, so that you can either fine-tune the cooking experience, set it and forget it, or have the ChefMaker cook your food until its internal temperature is right where you want it, thanks to a nifty probe aka food thermometer that’s included in the box.

The transparent glass basket is also a nice addition as you can keep visual tabs on your food without pulling the basket out. We also appreciate the fact that the components are dishwasher safe. And, though water atomization and super convection seem like buzzwords that Dreo applies here, make no mistake. This is a powerful, if pricey, air fryer.

Read our full Dreo ChefMaker review

The best air fryer toaster oven

Veering away from the basket fryer design, the TOA-60 Air Fryer Mini Oven raises the bar with its oven toaster form factor. This offering from Cuisinart is a little pricier than the other entries on this list. However, as it comes with every baking-oriented cooking function you would need, it’s a much better value for your money.

Apart from the usual air frying, roasting, baking, and reheating functions, it’s also able to toast, convection bake, and convection broil. Not only did we find it to be powerful with its air frying capability, but its seven functions also performed well during testing. Its spacious interior also grants more room to spread your food out or cook in bigger batches. And, while it is bigger than regular air fryers, you’re still saving space on your counter since you’re getting several kitchen appliances in one.

Just note that due to its spacious inside, you may have to do some tweaking and a bit of guesswork to get air frying temperatures and cooking times just right. 

Read our full Cuisinart TOA-60 Air Fryer Mini Oven review

The best for first-time users

If you have yet to ever own an air fryer, but are a little nervous to try out new appliances and / or are conscious about spending money, the Ultenic K10 is a good one to consider.

During our review, it was hard to find fault in its results. Its full-featured control panel comes with options like keep warm, automatic preheat, and a reminder to give the food a shake, giving you a lot of bang for your buck, especially with its budget-friendly price tag. It doesn’t have any other cooking function, however, apart from air frying, but the app and 11 presets will make it a really easy-to-use and nice addition to the kitchen countertop.

A particular feature we loved is that there’s a little beep half way through select cooking modes to remind you to shake the foods. You won’t be able to cook two food types at the same time, though, and the controls are on the top so placing it on a high counter may not be the best position for it.

Read our full Ultenic K10 review

The quietest air fryer

Called the Instant Vortex Slim 6-quart Air Fryer in the UK, the Instant Vortex Slim 6-quart Air Fryer is designed for people with limited counter space or a compact kitchen. In order to accommodate that space limitation while still giving you a full-sized air fryer, Instant Pot redesigned their popular air fryer line that’s 20% smaller and only weighs 6.8kg.

Just because it’s compact, doesn’t mean that it’s less capable when it comes to cooking. It air fries brilliantly and quietly as well, only reaching 50.4dB during our testing. It even comes with a Quiet Mark certification. It’s also well-built and has a fairly spacious inside.

Still, there were compromises to be made due to its size. There’s no dehydrate setting, for one, and instead of a progress or text bar, you’re only getting a tiny seven-segment screen that shows you the temperature, time, and stage in cooking. There’s also no window or a light, and you’re losing two marquee features you’ll find on the regular Vortex models: OdorErase and ClearCook. If those are important and saving space isn’t as vital, we recommend getting the bigger models instead.

Read our full Instant Vortex Slim review

The best air fryer with smart thermometer

Also known as the Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill & Air Fryer with Built in Thermometer, 2nd Generation, DG551, the Ninja DG551 is an impressive piece of kitchen appliance. 

Fitted with Ninja’s Smart Cook System, it’s able to deliver the perfect level of doneness when cooking different meats. All you need to do is choose one of four protein settings on hand then use the Foodi Smart Thermometer that the Smart Cook System utilizes to monitor the meat’s internal temperature and detect when the meat reaches the desired temperature. Based on our tests, this system works incredibly well, creating great char. Of course, it delivers crispy, air fried foods as well.

It has other cooking functions as well, including bake, roast, broil and dehydrate – all of which we found it did better than its predecessor, the Ninja Foodie 6-in-1 10-qt. XL 2-Basket Air Fryer with DualZone Technology, its predecessor. The only thing is that it’s not able to cook different dishes at different cooking temperatures at the same time.

Read our full Ninja DG551 Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 review

The best outdoor air fryer

Though it’s still electric, the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill is designed for outdoor use, making it a fantastic addition to your backyard or garden and just the perfect cooking appliance to see you through your summer barbecues and backyard parties. It’s primarily a grill and a smoker, but it comes with a few additional cooking functions that give you a bigger bang for your buck – it can also air fry, bake, and roast. 

Even if you haven’t used an electric grill or smoker before, you won’t have a hard time using this one. On test, we found it incredibly easy to use, thanks in large part to its clever self-igniting woodfire smoke box that utilizes wood pellets to give your food that smoky flavors that traditional wood or charcoal grills deliver. And it does so without a flame and with very minimal mess. If you hate the clean-up after grilling, this might be a better option for you. Just bear in mind that the accessories here aren’t dishwasher safe so you still have some cleaning to do.

As far as its air frying function, it works well too. It comes with a 2.5-quart basket that gives you enough room to cook around 3lbs (1.5kg) of fries, every single piece of which came out crispy and fluffy during our testing. 

Read our full Ninja Woodfire review

The best dual basket air fryer

Known as the Instant Vortex Plus Dual Drawer Air Fryer in the UK, the  Instant Vortex Plus Dual Air Fryer has a lot going for it. Not only will it let you check in on your food without pulling the basket out, thanks to its basket windows and cooking chamber light, but it will also let you cook two different dishes at the same time, thanks to its dual-basket design and dual-cooking functionality that also has the capability to sync finish times.

When it comes to its air frying performance, we have no complaints. It delivered crispy and evenly-browned results during our tests, whether we were cooking fries or chicken wings. And because it can cook two different dishes at once, we have found that it saves us a bit of time and effort.

Just bear in mind that while it does have a bigger capacity overall, each basket does have a smaller capacity. It also doesn’t come with cooking charts, which means you may have to do some trial and error to get the cooking times and temperatures just right.

Read our full Instant Vortex Plus Dual air fryer review

The best air fryer for frozen foods

Also known in the US as the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL, the compact Ninja Air Fryer Max may be a little older, but it remains one of the best air fryers we’ve had the pleasure of using. It delivered incredibly crispy, evenly-browned results, whether we were air frying french fries or chicken wings during testing, while keeping its operation beautifully quiet.

What does set this apart from everything else is its Max Crisp feature, a dedicated frozen food setting that allows you to pop frozen foods inside and cook them to perfection. This, therefore, is the ideal air fryer for you if you’re looking for one that primarily cook frozen foods. 

We’re only disappointed that it doesn’t have the reminder to shake and automatic preheat functions. Plus, we didn’t find its reheat mode as reliable as a microwave oven. However, for an air fryer for cooking frozen foods, this is the best on the market right now.

Read our full Ninja Air Fryer Max review

How to choose the best air fryer for you

Most modern air fryers consist of a pull-out drawer with a crisper tray inside, similar to the perforated trays found in a fryer or oven. This design allows any excess oil to be removed from the contents, decreasing the eventual fat content on the plate. The handle found on the drawer is also handy for shaking the food part-way through cooking, which encourages an even distribution of crispiness.

Some larger air fryers even have dual-zone modes that allow you to set specific settings for different foods you want to cook at the same time. For more tips and tricks on getting the most out of your appliance, take a look at our guide to how air fryers work.

Preheat times are short when air frying and they also use less electricity than a traditional oven. For more on these benefits, take a look at our dive into the question: ‘do air fryers use a lot of electricity?’.

There are many other benefits to enjoy when switching to one of the best air fryers, including the relative lack of clean-up when cooking traditionally oily foods like sausages. And even if you do end up making a mess, you can take a look at our article on how to clean an air fryer – which may involve just popping the relevant elements into the dishwasher when you’re done.

Of course, despite all of these pros to getting an air fryer, sometimes they’re not the right fit for every kitchen. If you’re short on space, for example, you could consider an Instant Pot or alternative multi-cookers, which includes some models that mimic the effect of a standalone air fryer.

Frequently asked questions about air fryers

What to consider when buying an air fryer

There are a number of considerations that need taking into account when choosing the best air fryer for you. 

First of all, what kind of air fryer do you want? Basket air fryers tend to be healthier because they funnel the juices, as well as the fat, away from the food but you can’t check on the food without opening them and letting cold air in, which can stall the cooking process.

Bowl air fryers often have glass lids so you can keep an eye on your meal, but the cooking juices remain in the air fryer and in contact with the food, making it tastier but not as healthy.

If you’re feeding four or more mouths, look for larger air fryers, which can hold around 6.5 quarts / 6 liters, while couples will find designs that have a capacity of around 2.5 quarts / 2.5 liters will be sufficient. Some of the best air fryers also have more than one compartment, which means you can cook multiple foods at the same time.

As we’ve already mentioned, if you’re tight on space look for air fryers that offer a multitude of different cooking methods, to cut down on the number of appliances that clutter up your kitchen countertop. Also, consider whether you want an air fryer with smart features that means you can switch it on or off from your smartphone.

What type of air fryers are there?

There are a few designs of air fryer to consider. The size, functions and over all user experience will play in to the design you end up with.

Basket air fryers are the most popular type of air fryer. They have a slide-out basket or tray which slots in to the main unit, and tend to be available as a single or dual-drawer. When cooking food types such as fries, an uneven bake can sometimes be achieved if the food isn’t rearranged or tossed around.

Oven-style air fryers are much larger than basket air fryers, but they are often much smaller than convection ovens owing to their counter-top design; they’re about the same size as a microwave. They have a door rather than a drawer, and use shelves rather than baskets. The air frying function is able to circulate air around the food more efficiently to achieve a more even crisp. Some may also include a rotisserie, and other accessories.

Halogen ovens. Although sometimes described as air fryers, halogen ovens work in a different way. Instead of circulating hot air a halogen oven uses infrared to constantly heat the food. This means that they can be more versatile than the more traditional air fryer, with a larger capacity and more forgiving shape of cooking area.

Is air-fried food healthier?

Air fryers use substantially less oil than deep frying: some foods, most of which are frozen or have naturally occurring fat, like Chicken Wings, are suitable for air frying without any oil at all. Fries, roast potatoes, and other traditional crisp foods will need some oil, but how much varies between air fryers.

In our tests, manufacturers’ instructions have recommended anywhere from 1tsp to 1tbsp of oil per 1.1lb / 500g of fries, so if you want to use as little oil as possible – we’d suggest you check how oil is required before you purchase a specific model.  It’s also crucial to remember the healthiness of what you make in your air fryer all depends on what you actually put in it, to begin with. To find out more, read how healthy are air fryers?

What can you cook in an air fryer?

Fries, roast potatoes, chicken wings and other deep-fried favorites are obvious dishes to cook in an air fryer, but that’s not all you can whip up in one of these handy kitchen gadgets. You can prepare anything you can cook in a traditional fan oven, space permitting, because they work in the same way.  

So whether that’s frozen foods, mini pizzas, or even gnocchi and ravioli – it can all be cooked in an air fryer. You can even make fudgy brownies in an air fryer, in less time than it takes in an oven. 

We’ve tried to cook pretty much everything apart from soup in an air fryer. We found that an air fryer can rival KFC when it comes to fried chicken, and was also the answer when it came to creating crisp, crunchy crackling on pork belly. 

It also proved to be the best way to cook cinnamon rolls and Krispy-Kreme-style donuts. 

As well as being used in place of an oven, air fryers can be an easier way to prepare dishes usually cooked on a stove, without having to watch them like a hawk and turn them before they burn. In particular, we discovered French Toast and grilled cheese work extremely well in the kitchen gadget.   

If you’re a fan of fries but unsure how to go about making them in an air fryer, then check out our advice, which even details an air fryer trick that’s a game-changer when it comes to cooking fries. 

We’re also big fans of reheating takeout in air fryers: they’re particularly good for pizza and fried chicken.

If you’re still unsure we’ve got plenty of inspiration when it comes to what you can cook in an air fryer?.

What can’t be cooked in an air fryer

Air fryers are very versatile but there are some things you should avoid. For example, we found 5 foods to avoid putting in an air fryer. These include foods dipped in batter, as the liquid will simply slide off the item and leave a mess in the frying basket. And anything lightweight such as an individual slice of bread or leafy greens is likely to get blown around the cooking cavity. That means it may cook unevenly or even burn. 

With many air fryers large joints of meat can be tricky too: if they’re too big for the drawer the hot air can’t circulate properly. That means the joint won’t be evenly crisped and browned. And we wouldn’t recommend trying to cook red meat medium rare or medium: the outside cooks too quickly and can leave the center raw.

How does an air fryer work?

Despite its name, an air fryer doesn’t actually fry. Utilizing a very cleverly designed fan oven, it efficiently uses airflow to cook in a way and at a speed that conventional ovens, even fan ones, cannot.

Some of the best air fryers are also multi-cookers, meaning that the air circulated doesn’t just air fry. A single countertop device can make tasty fries but also work as a toaster oven, a dehydrator, a slow cooker and a pizza oven, as well as heat up last night’s takeout leftovers and bake brilliant bagels too. 

How we tested these air fryers

To compare each air fryer, we’ve cooked up batches and batches of fries and chicken wings. As well as evaluating how, crisp, evenly browned and in the case of chicken wings, how moist and juicy the meat was, we’ve also compared how easy they are to use.

We rated each design on how many settings it offers, how durable and easy to clean the body and parts are, how loud their fans are and how hot the exterior casing gets. For each model we wanted to know whether it was simple to use design and didn’t require reading a thick instruction manual before use, came with useful accessories such as frying baskets, or a recipe book for inspiration.