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We thoroughly researched over 80 air fryers before purchasing and testing the best 20 available today; we then cooked more than 200 meals. We made the same chicken breasts, donuts, onion rings, sweet potato fries, and tater tots with each model and directly compared the results side-by-side. We also assessed how easy and clean each model is to use. We've included basket-style, oven-style, and toaster oven-style in our fleet — each model brings a unique level of versatility to your kitchen.
Our test team brings expansive experience to the realm of the best kitchen appliances and similar items. With over 60 kitchen-related categories, we've made it our priority to bring you detailed reviews. With categories like the best microwaves, toaster ovens, top-rated bread machines, and best toasters, we aim to help improve your time in the kitchen.
Editor's Note: This was updated on April 22, 2024 with additional products, new testing, buying advice, and more details about how we test.
Measured - Max OutsideTemperature Front of Air Fryer During Cooking
146
The Instant Vortex Plus excelled in every test we put it through, which lands it at the top of the pack as our favorite air fryer in our lineup. It fully delivers, cooking everything to near perfection, producing delectably crunchy tater tots and mouth-watering donuts — all with minimal oil. Perhaps most impressively, it achieves an excellent texture and slight crispness when making sweet potato fries, which is no easy feat. This machine's temperature accuracy is near perfect, ensuring you achieve the same results time after time. True to the Instant brand, this device is multifunctional — it can dehydrate, reheat, and do some basic baking.
In addition to the top-tier cooking performance, we adore the Vortex Plus for both its easy cleanup and user-friendliness. Since it has a smooth tray rather than a fry basket, cleaning up is consistently quick and easy. That simplicity extends to the user interface. The dedicated preset buttons and intuitive control wheel are very simple and we never needed to refer to the user manual during setup.
Above is a graph displaying our logged temperature data of various heating trials with the Instant Vortex Plus at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
We also think families will love the Vortex Plus, since it has a larger 6-quart capacity. We were impressed that that everything came out crispy and delicious even with this higher capacity. It's a great option for entertaining or family use.
The Instant Vortex Plus left us with very few complaints. It's certainly not the least expensive air fryer, but the overall performance makes it well worth the investment. If you can spend a little extra, the Vortex Plus is the best way to satiate fried food cravings without overdoing it on the cooking oil. If you want dual drawers and an even larger capacity, check out the Instant Vortex Plus XL.
Measured - Max OutsideTemperature Front of Air Fryer During Cooking
154
The Ultrean Air Fryer is a 4.2-quart air fryer that packs a lot of performance into a small footprint. It excels at cooking potato products and produced even browning and crisping during our testing. In addition to being priced well, we found the overall ease of use to be very strong. This air fryer has a simple user interface with buttons for power, temperature, and time.
We also really like that the Ultrean is so easy to clean. It has a great non-stick coating and we found it wiped down easily after cooking. It performed better in this category than a lot of higher priced options.
The Ultrean 4.2qt has a simple display that is easy to use.
Credit: Laura Casner
Anyone looking for a reasonably priced air fryer that doesn't skimp on performance will appreciate the Ultrean. It has a mid-size capacity at 4.2-quarts and plenty of versatility.
The Ultrean punches well above its class. It has an excellent price to performance ratio and is an overall amazing budget pick. That said, we found the beep sound it makes to be very annoying, but it's not a deal breaker and there are hacks online to disable it. There are some models available that are more intuitive to use and create juicier, crispier chicken. If you have any wiggle room in the budget, it's worth considering the Ninja Foodi Digital Oven. It has a slightly higher price tag, similar capacity and scored higher in both cooking and user-friendliness.
Measured - Max OutsideTemperature Front of Air Fryer During Cooking
160
In your search for an air fryer, you may have noticed that many high-end models opt for a larger six-quart capacity. If you're short on counter or storage space or do not need the larger capacity but still want top-notch performance, the four-quart Ninja Air Fryer is our top recommendation. Our tests consistently churn out satisfyingly crispy foods with minimal fuss. We are also impressed by its temperature accuracy, which our thermometers indicate is the best of any other we tested. Accuracy is important for this model because it doubles as a food dehydrator, a process vastly improved by steady and precise temperatures. The Ninja was one of our favorites for its ease of use. The buttons are easy to navigate, and we especially liked that we could easily remove the basket with one hand. It slides in easily and never gave us any trouble.
That said, the main drawback of the Ninja is the cleaning of the fryer basket. Gunk tends to accumulate in the numerous nooks and crannies on the bottom, requiring extra elbow grease to clean thoroughly. The Ninja offers otherwise impressive performance for those who don't mind a little extra cleaning effort. The TurboBlaze also delivers top-level ease of use and the basket was much easier to clean. Just note that it did not score as highly for cooking.
Measured - Max OutsideTemperature Front of Air Fryer During Cooking
236
Multifunctionality is quickly becoming the name of the game for countertop kitchen appliances, and the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is currently at the forefront of that trend. It effectively combines the abilities of an air fryer and a toaster oven. In terms of cooking functionality per square inch of counter storage space, it is one of the top kitchen appliances out there.
The Smart Oven produced some of the best tater tots we made, though the sweet potato fries were lacking in crisp. We were slightly surprised to see that the chicken was juicy, yet somewhat dry. This could be because the Breville required a longer cooking time to reach the appropriate internal temperature.
The display on the Breville Smart Oven is very easy to read and navigate.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
One of our absolute favorite things, though, is the control panel. There are a lot of options and presets with the Smart Oven, but this unit was among the easiest to control. The knobs move smoothly and you can tell it is a high-quality appliance.
The Breville Air Fryer is a solid choice for anyone interested in a dual-purpose appliance. It takes up a decent amount of counter space, but considering it's both a toaster oven and an air fryer, it could be worth it. If you decide you don't need the toaster feature, it's worth considering the Instant Vortex Plus, which has a higher capacity, lower price, and better overall cooking performance.
Measured - Max OutsideTemperature Front of Air Fryer During Cooking
180
The Instant Vortex Plus XL has two separate baskets operating independently. The temperature of one does not affect the other, and their timers can be synced to complete the cooking simultaneously. This is a very handy feature if you want to make an entire meal in the air fryer or frequently entertain guests.
The viewing windows and interior lights make watching your meal's progress easy. We really liked being able to see our food, especially for things like donuts that can quickly go from perfect to burned. The interface rocks a dial-digital combination and is generally very intuitive. While its cooking performance varies, the Vortex Plus XL never fails to produce a perfectly cooked chicken breast.
The temperature accuracy test results from both the left and right draws of the Instant Vortex Plus XL.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
With an 8-quart capacity, this air fryer is the largest highly-rated option we tested. We imagine it would be great for Super Bowl parties and family dinners.
Despite the temperature accuracy, the Vortex Plus XL struggles with cooking a crispy potato for some reason. Whether you are working with tater tots or sweet potato fries, the evenness and texture are just off. None of these foods are inedible, but you'll likely need to play around with the settings to get crispy, crunchy fried potatoes. If you don't need dual drawers, we think most people will prefer the Instant Vortex Plus.
The Instant Vortex Plus XL passed almost all of our tests with flying colors.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Compare Products
Air fryers undergo a variety of quantitative tests, including measuring the external temperature.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
How We Test Air Fryers
To start, we conducted thorough research into the market to discover the best and top-rated air fryers. After narrowing down our selection, we purchased each product at retail prices and got down to business. For this review, we cooked dozens of batches of sweet potato fries, tater tots, donuts, and chicken breasts, using the same ingredients, recipes, and techniques in each air fryer. After some gluttonous side-by-side taste tests, we carefully evaluated how easy to use and clean each model was. Finally, we plopped two calibrated oven thermometers into each model and set them to four different temperatures to assess heating time and, more importantly, temperature accuracy. Learn more about our testing process in our how we test article.
We use four different metrics:
Cooking Performance (35% of overall score weighting)
User Friendliness (25% weighting)
Ease of Cleaning (20% weighting)
Temperature Accuracy (20% weighting)
We used thermometers to test the temperature accuracy and heating speed of each model.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Why You Should Trust Us
Lesley Robinson has B.S. degree in Food Science from California Polytechnic Institute, which helps her think critically and break down large data sets. Contributing writer, Mallory Paige, has more than a decade of experience reviewing gear and working as a journalist. With her love of tech, food, and the written word, she aims to help readers easily find the right products.
Lead reviewer Jessica Riconscente has extensive experience in the restaurant industry and is also an ace in her kitchen. She takes pride in creating everything from scratch, from homemade wontons to pickling her own vegetables. She enjoys making up recipes based on what's available in her fridge and combines produce and spices to concoct a delicious meal. Hayley Thomas has lived and traveled all over the world, and her palette is rather refined. While dishes vary greatly with location, there is one thing that you can find everywhere: fried food. Whether she's ordering calamari in Italy or tempura shrimp in Japan, each dish requires the perfect crisp-to-moisture ratio; Hayley knows just what to look for after many taste tests.
The tools we used during our air fryer testing.
We logged the internal temperature of each air fryer.
We measured the bed of each fryer to determine the actual cooking capacity.
We analyze every aspect of the top air fryers from size to temperature accuracy.
How to Choose The Best Air Fryer
Air fryers are becoming increasingly popular, but a lot is not intuitive about them, starting with the term "fryer."
What is an Air Fryer?
Air fryers are having a moment right now, hailed as the next great kitchen appliance. So what exactly are they? At their core, they are small, efficient, super convection ovens that use a fan to circulate hot air around food to get it crispy. And they do this all while using much less oil than a traditional deep fryer. However, they still fall short of recreating the taste of deep-fried food. Anyone hoping these devices will produce crispy and decadent fried chicken without guilt will be sorely disappointed. These fryers can add a delightful crisp to many foods more easily and efficiently than most other cooking methods.
Do I Need One?
So, does one of these machines deserve a place in your kitchen? Suppose you like the approximation to frying this cooking technique produces and would like to incorporate it into your meal rotation twice a week. In that case, it's worth investing in the speed and convenience of a dedicated air fryer. If you don't think you'll be air frying frequently, you might be better off using the convection or broil setting on your conventional, or better yet, your toaster oven for those occasional dishes you want to make crispy.
What Types of Food Do You Cook The Most?
Beyond overall cooking ability, focus on each appliance's strengths and weaknesses. While most machines handled onion rings decently, chicken cooking results differed significantly. Prioritize a fryer that excels in your favorite dishes. If crispy, juicy chicken is your goal, pay close attention to our chicken-specific cooking performance metric.
What Is The Ideal Size for You?
Air fryers come in various sizes, measured in quarts, which reflect the basket's capacity. Here's a guide to choosing the right size for your needs:
Small air fryers (1-2 quarts) are ideal for singles or couples cooking side dishes.
Medium air fryers (3-5 quarts) are versatile for families of up to four and can cook main or larger side dishes.
Large air fryers (5+ quarts) can cook meals for bigger families or those who like to entertain.
How Much Do You Care About Temperature Accuracy?
Temperature accuracy in appliances like air fryers impacts consistency but does not necessarily produce perfect results. In contrast, some models with slightly off temperatures still cooked well in tests. Achieving consistent browning or doneness becomes easier with a more precise machine. This is especially important for recipe experimentation. When tweaking recipes, understanding how your adjustments affect the food, rather than unpredictable temperature fluctuations, allows you to refine your creations confidently.
Here we are measuring air fryer temperature accuracy. This measurement is not necessarily correlated with cooking performance, but it is important that your air fryer is set to your desired temperature.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Analysis and Test Results
Though air fryers may seem like a niche kitchen appliance, they can be useful for many situations beyond the obvious. Our testing parses out each model's specific pros and cons to help you decide whether an air fryer will be a worthwhile addition to your kitchen.
Value
The Ninja Air Fryer offers high-end performance at a quite reasonable price. If you are looking for the most budget-friendly option and don't plan to tackle meats, the Ultrean Air Fryer is perfect for potatoes and doughy foods. The Breville Smart Oven Air Pro operates as both an air fryer and a toaster oven. It is one of the most expensive options in our testing; however, the dual use gives it a little extra bang for the buck.
The Ninja Air Fryer is a great price for its overall performance.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Cooking Performance
For obvious reasons, the cooking performance has the largest impact on overall scores and is where we spend most of our testing time. During our testing, we cook sweet potato fries, chicken breast, donuts, and frozen tater tots to find the best fryer for every dish. We prep all of these foods in the same way with the same ingredients, then simultaneously make them in each fryer. This allows us to compare freshly prepared treats from each appliance, right after the other. We specifically score each model based on how well the insides are cooked and how evenly the foods' outsides are crisped. All models did a reasonable job, but some were better than others.
The Instant Vortex Plus and its sibling, the Instant Vortex Plus XL, perform very well in this metric. Both of these machines can get a better crisp on sweet potato fries than any of the others we tested. They also excel in making evenly cooked and crispy tater tots so good you could almost believe they were deep-fried.
The Instant Vortex Plus created juicy and delicious chicken.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
All of the Ninja products we tested perform similarly well in our cooking trials, producing fantastic donuts, chicken, and tater tots. However, they yield slightly less crunch on sweet potato fries than the Instant Vortex Plus and Rotisserie models. Still, we highly doubt anyone will be disappointed with the air-frying performance of these models. Unfortunately, the Instant Vortex Plus XL does not perform as well as its siblings in the crunch department. However, it serves up some of the juiciest chicken we've had the pleasure of tasting.
The Cosori and Ninja fryers had some of the juiciest chicken of this bunch.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Also earning a well-deserving higher score is the Ultrean Air Fryer. Donuts and chicken breasts came out with even cooking and good crisps. However, sweet potato fries and taters tots lack some of the crunch that some top models can produce.
The Ninja Foodi sweet potato fries had a good crunch to them.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Our tests prove that non-dedicated air fryers can also produce great air frying results, as the Breville Smart Oven Air (toaster oven) offers solid runner-up performance in our cooking metric. The Smart Oven performs well across the board, from crisp donuts to juicy fried chicken.
We tested the air fryers with four different food types to assess cooking performance. The chart above summarizes the results, with line length corresponding to overall effectiveness.
Credit: Lesley Robinson
The Foodi Deluxe makes excellent donuts, adding more crispiness to sweet potato fries than most other machines. However, it struggles with chicken breast, producing a somewhat dry and overdone result.
Donuts were surprisingly a challenge for many air fryers. As you can see in the photo above, many donuts had a crispy outside but a doughy and undercooked inside.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
User Friendliness
To assess user-friendliness, we pay attention to a few things: the user interface's intuitiveness, ease of loading, unloading, and shaking the frying basket, and how much each model can adjust to different types of food (essentially, how many cooking settings are offered).
The Instant Vortex Plus, Plus XL, and Instant Vortex Plus Clear Cook provide a seamless user experience. The control panel is streamlined and intuitive, making selecting a temperature, cooking mode, and cooking time easy. The fry trays slide in and out easily, so you can shake items mid-cook with a single hand.
The Clear Cook window makes it easy to keep an eye on your food.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Plus Clear Cook also has a window you can peer through to monitor your cooking progress. The Ninja Air Fryer supplies one of our tests' most intuitive user experiences, largely thanks to a simple control panel adorned with an easy-to-read LCD screen. The cherry on top is a frying basket that can slide in and out using just one hand.
The Ninja has a clear interface and a fry basket that easily slides in and out while using just one hand.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Several models fall just behind these top performers in our ease-of-use testing. For the most part, these models offer clear and intuitive interfaces but present one minor annoyance, like a fry basket that offers a bit of resistance when sliding in and out or that requires two hands to handle. This group includes the Ninja Foodi and the Instant Vortex Plus with Rotisserie.
The Clear Cook offers a clear, easy to use interface.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Most tested models receive runner-up scores for user-friendliness, like the Ultrean. Mainly, these machines offer intuitive user experiences with just one or two minor annoyances.
The digital buttons on the Cosori Pro LE are very responsive.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Cleaning
There are two cleaning tasks with air fryers: wiping off any bits of food on the fry baskets between batches and washing the machine itself. We completed both of these tasks multiple times for each machine.
The Instant Vortex Plus is smooth inside and has no basket, just a removable tray. This means there is nowhere for food to get stuck, making cleanup uncomplicated and swift.
The basket of the Vortex Plus is one of the easiest to clean.
Credit: Laura Casner
Having two baskets would make cleaning up a heftier task, but the Ninja Foodi 2-Basket is easy to disassemble and wipes down quickly. The Ultrean Air Fryer is also a quick clean.
Cleaning the door on the Chefman Multifunctional.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
We like that the door is removable on the Chefman Multifunctional but we found the trays excessively difficult to clean.
The Cosori Turboblaze is among the easiest to clean air fryers.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Temperature Accuracy
When frying foods with minimal oil and convection heating, as these devices do, a temperature that is 10-20˚F too low can make the food taste chewy rather than crispy. Conversely, just 10-20˚F too hot can push beyond crispy and into the burnt territory. To test temperature accuracy, we give each model 20 minutes to preheat to 300˚, then check the temperature using three calibrated oven thermometers. We then up the temperature to settings 350˚, 375˚, and 400˚, with five minutes allotted to settle in at each new temperature. Then, we recheck the thermometers. The closer each model gets to the set temperature, the higher the score.
The Ninja and Ultrean air fryers score nearly perfect in this metric. We were surprised to find that the Ninja had an average deviation of 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit from its set temperature, while the worst in the lineup were off by nearly 30 degrees. The Ultrean was only off by an average of 2.1 degrees.
We heated each model to 400 degrees and then measured the actual temperature. As you can see, the temps swung a lot.
Credit: Lesley Robinson
The Instant Vortex Plus performs fairly well in our temperature accuracy tests, never deviating more than a degree or two from the set temperature. Its close relative, the Plus XL, also operates within a few degrees of the claimed temperature.
We measured the outside surface temperature of each model. The ideal outside surface temp is 140 degrees Fahrenheit or below. The Instant Vortex Plus XL had a good surface temp according to our thermometer.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The Ninja Foodi 2-Basket does a great job of keeping both baskets accurate, even when their temperatures are vastly different.
Our hands-on testers spent countless hours researching, air frying, recording data, and eating donuts so that you don't have to.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Conclusion
If you plan to air fry occasionally, we think it's worth purchasing one of these appliances. The quick heat-up times and ease of cleaning are excellent pros that will make a big difference for frequent users. An air fryer is also a great appliance in the summer, as using it won't heat your house like an oven might. Remember that a slightly less efficient but much more versatile toaster oven that includes a convection or air fry setting might be a better fit for your kitchen. Either way, we hope this review has helped guide you toward making a confident purchase decision.
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Lesley Robinson, Jessica Riconscente, Hayley Thomas, and Mallory Paige
