The 5 Best Air Fryers of 2024
You probably have heard about air fryers on Facebook or YouTube, but you’re still not quite sure if they’re right for you. You may have asked yourself or friends, just what are they exactly and why do I need one?
To put it simplistically, air fryers cook food with hot air, as opposed to oil. Similar to a convection oven, there is a fan that circulates the hot air all around the food so that it cooks to a golden crispness. You can even cook frozen meat, such as chicken wings. Just adjust the time needed to cook thoroughly. They come in 3 different versions.
The most common type is a basket air fryer. Many come in an oval or egg shape and some are square shaped. The air fryer sits on the countertop and plugs into an outlet. It uses a perforated basket to cook food, such as french fries, to golden crispiness. The perforations allow air to circulate all around the food.
Another countertop version looks like a lot like a toaster oven, but has multiple functions such as baking, roasting, toasting, dehydrating, and, of course, air frying. These use perforated trays rather than a basket. Like a toaster oven, this air fryer has racks that fit more than one tray of food. Because air is used, you can cook two or more trays of food at the same time, depending on the model of the air fryer oven.
The third option is the most costly. Many kitchen ranges now come with air fryer features. This version is an alternative if you don’t have much counter space, but would like the option of air frying. A range air fryer also cooks more food than the standalone models, even more than the countertop oven models. However, because of its size, it requires a longer time to heat up and cook foods than a smaller standalone type—something to keep in mind when considering an in-range air fryer.
If you’re wondering which air fryer is the best, here are 5 of the best you can find on Amazon to get you started.
Instant Vortex Plus 6-quart fryer. Listed on Amazon for $170, it often goes on sale for $120. Made by the same company that made the immensely popular Instant Pot pressure cooker, this square-shaped fryer cooks food the fastest, especially French fries.
The touchscreen displays pre-programmed settings that include air fry, broil, roast, bake, and reheat. It also includes a dehydrating feature. The one knob on an otherwise-smooth display screen controls cooking time and temperature. The Clear Cook window allows you to watch the food as it cook. The Vortex Plus also has an air filter to keep odors contained.
While the basket takes up a lot of space in the dishwasher and the broil feature is a little disappointing, it is the best standalone air fryer.
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. At $400 on Amazon, this one is a little pricey. However, it’s roomy enough to fit nine slices of toast. The thirteen preset functions include air fry, slow cook, roast, broil, bake, cookies, pizza, toast, bagel, reheat, proof, dehydrate, and warm, giving you plenty of cooking options to choose from. Printed rack levels on the door make it easy to know what height to set the racks for optimal cooking. This very precise air fryer comes with a 13-inch pizza tray, a wire rack, a broiling rack, a 9 x 13-inch roasting pan, an air fry basket, and a crumb tray to keep your air fryer easy to clean.
Two-speed convection fan provides high speed for making fries or chicken crisper and lower speed to make cakes and desserts softer. The only downsides might be a loud fan and that this fryer takes up a larger amount of space on the kitchen counter.
Cuisinart Basket 6-Quart Air Fryer, $140 on Amazon, has the advantage of temperatures that go up to 450 degrees whereas most other air fryers have a maximum temperature of 400 degrees. This sleek, square model is super easy to use. Its features include air fry, bake, broil, roast, dehydrate, and keep warm to give the user control over how food is cooked. Even cake comes out evenly baked.
It also has presets for popular food such as frozen French fries and chicken wings. The viewing window and light are a plus, making it easy to check on the progress of your food without opening the door and letting heat escape. This model also automatically switches over to warm mode in case you’re away when it finishes cooking.
2-Quart Instant Vortex Mini. Another air fryer from the excellent Instant Pot line. At $60 on Amazon, it’s among the more affordable air fryers. Because of its compact size, 11.26" x 9.02" x 11.73", the Mini takes up very little counter space. Like its bigger cousin, this air fryer has a sleek touchscreen that displays the preset functions, including air fry, roast, bake and reheat, all of which can be adjusted. A knob controls the cook time and temperature.
Easy to use and to clean, the compact size is perfect for one or two people. Of course, it works best if you don’t overfill the basket.
Ninja 4 Quart Air Fryer joins the group of top air fryers and sells for $90 on Amazon. Simple and straight-forward to use with its touchscreen controls, you adjust the time and temperatures with the arrow buttons. The basket easily slides in and out using the sturdy handle, making it easy to remove it using only one hand.
Cooking features include air frying, roasting, reheating, and dehydrating, making it suitable for most air frying recipes. The basket and the crisper plate, located at the bottom of the basket, are dishwasher safe. The basket is pretty easy to clean. However, the small grooves in the crisper plate, as well as the handle in the center may require a little more cleaning precision.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to join the growing number of people who enjoy the benefits and convenience of air fryers, there are plenty of choices. Though the above air fryers are listed as the best, these are just the tip of the iceberg. As their popularity grows, so do the number of companies creating their own version of the beloved air fryer. There are so many more choices for the consumer than when they first came out in 2010.
Whether you go with a basic standalone for simpler cooking or the more versatile air fryer oven with multiple functions depends on your individual needs. Whichever you chose, get ready to be wowed by this cooker’s speedy and even cooking. You’ll wonder how you lived without one.
