The Best Air Fryers Of 2023
Okay, we know that air fryers aren't everyone's cup of tea, as some home cooks find them unnecessary and others claim that these kitchen gadgets are difficult to use. But don't count the air fryer out just yet. The group of those who sing the small appliance's praises is ever-growing, and if you've used one before, you know why. Air fryers are convenient as heck, easy to use, versatile, and can be used to make some seriously excellent food. They've also been marketed as a healthier alternative to a traditional deep fryer, proving that you don't need oil to make crispy food.
However, they can be used for much, much more than just making chicken wings and cheese balls. Air fryers are small convection ovens, meaning that they can be used to bake, roast, broil, toast, and more. You can arguably craft anything from a cake to a steak in your air fryer. Heck, you can even make bagels in this thing. And unless you've literally never stepped foot in a kitchen before, chances are it'll turn out fabulously.
It seems that there are nearly infinite ways to use an air fryer. As it turns out, there are almost an infinite number of them on the market. We think that purchasing the one that's right for you and your kitchen needs is of utmost importance, So, to make that choice easier, we rounded up a list of the best air fryers of 2023.
How we chose products
Selecting the best air fryers of the year was not an easy task. Not only are there loads of air fryers that are up for sale at any time, but there are also plenty of good air fryers. Of course, we wanted to give you the best of the best, so settling for "good" wasn't an option.
But fear not, as we definitely didn't settle for any middle-of-the-road air fryers. We took a look at loads of models before settling on the best options for this list. We took into consideration everything that makes a particular model of air fryer great, including hitting a wide range of prices, seeking out high performance, and looking for unique tech that helped models stand out from the pack.
After all that work, we had a list of stellar air fryers, all of which will make a fabulous addition to your kitchen. We love these selections, and we know you will, too.
Best overall air fryer
When you take a look at the field, you'll find that there are thousands of air fryers available for purchase, but the best you'll find this year is the Ninja AF101. Ninja has set the bar high in air fryer technology with its ability to cook just about anything in a shorter time than a standard oven. Even with that shorter cook time, it still leaves you with food full of flavor and texture.
For those with limited counter and cabinet space, this Ninja model is spacious yet easy to store. It's also easy to use, but still has plenty of settings. As one reviewer raved on Amazon, "It has so many uses, my oven is jealous. The instructions are easy, and it is very easy to clean. The stick-free coating is amazing. It is bigger than I expected but it has its spot on my counter."
TheCookingWorld gave this air fryer high praise, too, writing that it's supremely versatile and well-suited to prepping healthy meals. What's more, compared to other similar devices, the Ninja AF101 is affordable and just might become your favorite small kitchen appliance.
As of this writing, you can purchase the Ninja AF101 for yourself on Amazon for $99.99.
Best affordable air fryer
Most air fryers aren't terribly expensive when it comes to the world of kitchen appliances, but if you're looking for an especially great deal, then you should check out the DASH Compact Air Fryer Oven. For just under $50, you'll secure an air fryer that does nearly any cooking task that you can imagine. As one reviewer said on Amazon, it's "Healthy, easy and fast cooking. Yes, its possible with this amazing product. Highly recommend for daily uses."
The DASH air fryer is especially attractive if you want to test out this trendy kitchen appliance without making a major commitment or putting a serious dent in your wallet. However, we're so confident in the quality of the DASH air fryer and its many uses that we believe it might be your only purchase. Reviews state that this air fryer can put in some serious work. Tom's Guide states that it's a nice kitchen tool after you get past the initial learning curve — which is pretty small, considering this air fryer's ease of use.
As of this writing, you can purchase your own DASH air fryer on Amazon for $49.99.
Best air fryer for a splurge
If you don't feel the need to worry about budgets, then it may be time to check out the Phillips Premium Air Fryer XXL. As many say, you get what you pay for. In this case, you get a lot. The Phillips air fryer boasts serious capacity, powerful capabilities, and will work just the same whether it's your fifth time using it or your 500th.
Built to last, the Phillips air fryer is somewhat of an investment piece due to its price. Still, if you can manage it, the many happy reviewers of this product will tell you that it's well worth the cost. As per one Amazon reviewer, "It was more pricey than other brands, true, but we figured that we would be using it for a long time to come and would be glad we paid the extra for the quality that Philips delivers. This air fryer has added a welcome and delicious new dimension to our culinary world."
Other reviewers were taken with their air fryer the moment they used it. As one customer said on Best Buy, "It's Awesome! Easy to clean. Easy to use, Makes great dishes with little to no oil. Highly recommend this brand and model."
As of this writing, the Philips air fryer is available on Amazon for $199.
Best large capacity air fryer
For many people, an air fryer is an appliance solely meant for single people, but CHEFMAN is here to debunk any lonely hearts misconceptions that you might have about the machine. The CHEFMAN Large Air Fryer has tons of space, so much so that you can fit an entire chicken inside (so long as it's not monster-sized poultry, of course). If you haven't considered cooking an entire holiday meal from one small appliance, the CHEFMAN Large Air Fryer just might have you contemplating such a feat.
Those who have already purchased theirs can attest to the serious capacity of this device. As one pleased Amazon customer said, "This is easily the best air-fryer I have ever used. 3 shelves or rotary basket means plenty of space to cook." Another added that the CHEFMAN air fryer was "Spacious, very easy to use," and that they were "impressed with the results."
The capacity of this air fryer doesn't have to be limited to one large item, either. With a bit of planning, you can cook multiple dishes in the CHEFMAN at once, making it a great appliance to have around whenever you are hosting large groups of people. Whether it's in addition to your oven and stovetop on Thanksgiving or your sole source of cooking for some New Year's Eve appetizers, we think you'll be pleased to have your CHEFMAN around.
As of this writing, you can purchase the CHEFMAN air fryer on Amazon for $99.99.
Best compact air fryer
We know that we just went on about how fabulous a large-capacity air fryer can be, but there's something special about a small-capacity appliance, too. After all, not everyone has tons of space in their kitchen. But that doesn't mean they need to lose out. For that reason, we love the CHEFMAN Small air fryer. Although this air fryer is little, it's mighty. This gadget is especially useful if you're only cooking for one or if you're preparing smaller dishes.
Naturally, there isn't tons of space in this device (or in many other air fryer models, to be fair). This means that you'll likely only be able to fit one dish inside at a time, but we still think that you'll be very pleased with the outcome of whatever it is you make, even if it's in batches. Even better, because of its small capacity, this air fryer is easy to store, making it a justifiable purchase even if you only intend to use it a couple of times a year.
Don't be fooled: the CHEFMAN Small is compact, but the food is fantastic. One Amazon reviewer noted that it's "perfect for cooking bacon, fries, sausages, cooking and reheating food (vegetables and meats) that needs to be crisp. I always had second thoughts on have this appliance. But now I have no regrets. I should have gotten it earlier."
As of this writing, you can purchase the CHEFMAN Small air fryer on Amazon for $39.96.
Best air fryer with a mobile app
Instant Pot is known for having appliances with great technology tie-ins, a feature that it puts on full display in its air fryer, and its attendant mobile app. It's not necessary for an air fryer to have a mobile app for it to work well, but it does make the appliance a little bit nicer and definitely more engaging for the technologically minded.
If you're skeptical, we still think you should give this a try. The mobile app has tons of neat features, including thousands of tasty recipes so you'll never get bored with your air fryer concoctions. It also has information on the machine itself, such as what the settings are for and how to best use them. The app is there to make sure all users feel like they're making dishes worthy of a Michelin star. The air fryer itself works well, too, even if you'd rather skip the app portion. It preheats quickly and is equipped with an overheat protection function to ensure your and your kitchen's safety. Say goodbye to burned food.
Both the mobile app and the air fryer are highly rated. One Amazon customer noted that it was "Absolutely a game changer for us. We use it for about everything now." Give the Instant Vortex air fryer as a gift or keep it for yourself. Either way, it's a great purchase.
As of this writing, you can purchase the Instant Pot Vortex Plus on Amazon for $109.95.
Best air fryer for beginners
Most air fryers are pretty straightforward, but many have come out with an astounding amount of settings. For seasoned chefs, these are welcome additions, but for beginners, it can all be a bit overwhelming. That's why we like the BELLA Manual Air Fryer. It comes with only one setting to control the temperature, making it sinfully simple to use. Consider that, when using your air fryer, the two most important variables are time and temperature. With the BELLA, that's all you have to worry about. If you've never used an air fryer before, you won't get preoccupied with the dehydrating or convection settings, but instead can focus on your main concern: cooking something delicious.
Steamy Kitchen stated the BELLA air fryer and was especially well-suited to households with three or fewer people. As one Amazon customer noted, "This is truly a phenomenal & easy to use air fryer. No complicated settings or menus, just straight forward easy to use controls. Heats up very quickly, it's quiet, & always cooks food perfectly."
In addition to its ease, you'll be pleased with the BELLA's quick cook time and dishwasher-safe tray. It's easy to clean and easy to store when not in use, but it might just live on your countertop.
As of this writing, you can purchase a BELLA air fryer on Amazon starting at $38.34.
Best air fryer set
All air fryers come with accessories of some sort, even if it's a simple add-on of a basket or a pan. But why stop there? We love the NuWave Brio One Touch because it comes with a far wider array of accessories. Though you can make good food in an air fryer without a bunch of extras, these accessories give you even more options for crafting cooked and baked goods in your air fryer.
The NuWave air fryer comes with multiple baking racks, a non-stick baking pan, baking liners, and more. The accessories are easy to clean and store, and you'll even be able to get some use out of them outside of your air fryer. The NuWave itself is a great air fryer, as well. It's got multiple settings and is simple to operate. Plus, it's easy to keep clean and stores just as well as its accessories.
One happy customer on Walmart said that this air fryer "cooks everything so well and quickly! It's super easy to program, use and clean! It's as EZ as 'ABC123'!" On Amazon customer added, "I absolutely love this and it saves space too."
As of this writing, you can get the NuWave Brio One Touch on Amazon for $129.99.
Best dual basket air fryer
It's nice to have space in your air fryer, but it's even nicer when you can cook two things at once, which is why we're fans of the NinjaDZ201 Foodi air fryer. Here, you get amazing performance and excellent food with the addition of another basket.
A dual-basket air fryer might seem to be a bit much, but there are plenty of ways to make good use of this unique feature. You might need to cook a full meal in your air fryer, for instance, or have dishes that require different cook times and temperatures. You might need to reheat one dish while cooking another from scratch. Or perhaps you'll want to use it as a warming drawer for desserts while you're eating your meal.
"I absolutely love this Air fryer!!!!! I am a terrible cook and this just makes me want to cook everyday. It is so easy to use and makes food so fast and tastes great!" one customer said on Amazon. "Lots of space [...] Cooks well and evenly. Lots of options. Super quick and easy clean up," another shared.
As of this writing, you can get the NinjaDZ201 Foodi on Amazon for $159.95.
Best air fryer toaster oven combo
If you want your air fryer to do a little bit more, look into a toaster oven combination. With these machines, you get a little bit more space and versatility than a plain air fryer. The best of all of these machines is the Cuisinart Air Fryer + Convection Toaster Oven.
This toaster oven-air fryer combo has customers hooked. As one said, "It is very easy to use and comes with multiple racks and baskets, including a grill plate which has been a total win in our house." There's plenty of space in this air fryer toaster oven combo, and its accessories and racks make it quite versatile. You can cook, toast, bake, and more. We can't promise you'll consider getting rid of your oven when you buy one, but we're certain you won't be disappointed with your purchase.
As of this writing, you can purchase the Cuisinart Air Fryiner + Convection Toaster Oven on Amazon starting at $229.80.
Best air fryer for techies
If you prefer digitized kitchen appliances, the COSORI Pro II Smart Air Fryer could be the best one to add to your cart. This air fryer not only has the basic controls you'd expect in an air fryer, like "preheat" and "keep warm," but it also has fun add-ons that make it a tech lover's dream.
For example, a voice assistant allows you to control the air fryer hands-free, so you won't need to worry about pressing buttons when you're working on other cooking tasks. It also connects to a mobile app that includes hundreds of recipes with built-in presets, so your air fryer can automatically change to the ideal settings for each recipe. We also love the scan-to-cook feature that lets you scan frozen foods with the app to pull up nutrition facts and cooking suggestions to get the best results possible with your air fryer. One Amazon reviewer explains why they love the COSORI Pro II, "I had no idea an air fryer could do so much and even so much faster than an oven. Fish, in particular, tastes as good or better than a filet in a restaurant. It even makes toast."
As of this writing, you can purchase the COSORI Pro II Smart Air Fryer on Amazon for $139.99.