Alongside coffee makers, toasters and blenders, air fryers are a staple kitchen appliance for many home chefs. But they don’t actually fry anything. Air fryers are small convection-like ovens that blow hot air around their insides, cooking and crisping food like chicken wings, fries, bacon and Brussels sprouts with very little oil. If you’re interested in purchasing one — be it an affordable air fryer or a more luxe model — I spoke to experts about what to consider while shopping.
SKIP AHEAD Best pod-shaped air fryers | Best convection oven-style air fryers | Best air fryer accessories | Why trust NBC Select?
Related
How I picked the best air fryers
When shopping for an air fryer, experts recommend keeping the following in mind:
- Type: Air fryers come in a small pod-shaped style or a larger convection oven-style. Pod-shaped air fryers often have a basket in which you cook food, while convection oven air fryers usually come with multiple racks or pans you slide inside.
- Capacity: If you’re cooking for one or two people, look for an air fryer that offers a cooking capacity of at least two quarts. For larger parties, air fryers that offer a cooking capacity of six quarts or more are ideal.
- Footprint: Think about how much counter space the air fryer you’re interested in will need. Pod-shaped air fryers are usually best for those looking to save counter space, but if you have room to spare, you may prefer a larger convection oven air fryer.
- Cooking modes: Generally, all the buttons on an air fryer do the same thing: turn the heating element and fan on, says Bruce Weinstein, author of “The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook.” Don’t be fooled by an air fryer with lots of different functions — if you’re using an air fryer to air fry, then all you need is the air fry button, experts say.
- Care: Experts recommend looking for an easy-to-clean air fryer model, ideally one that comes with removable, nonstick parts or dishwasher-safe parts.
- Warranty length: Like any device, appliances can break. Be sure your air fryer comes with a warranty of at least one year in case something goes wrong.
- Price: Expect to spend around $80 on a good air fryer, though top-tier models can cost as much as $300, experts say. And remember, price isn’t always an indication of quality: Weinstein’s $300 air fryer has lasted him a long time, but he owns air fryers half that price that have worked their way through testing the thousands of recipes in his books.
Best air fryers to shop
Below are a variety of air fryers recommended by experts and NBC Select staffers, as well as highly rated options.
Best pod-shaped air fryers
Best overall: Ninja AF101 Air Fryer
- Simple operation
- Pause button
- Doesn't take up much space
- Basket's plate can get stuck
"If you’re someone like me who doesn’t cook a ton and hates overly complicated appliances, this air fryer is for you," says Nikki Brown, NBC Select SEO editor. "I appreciate the size and how easy it is to clean. It’s big, but not too big for a small space like my kitchen, and it’s relatively no-frills." The appliance offers four programmable cooking functions — air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate — and you can adjust the temperature and timer manually. The air fryer also has a pause button so you can stop cooking momentarily if you want to add food to the basket or check a dish’s progress. In addition to this 4-quart option, you can purchase Ninja's air fryer in 5.5-quart XL and 5.5-quart Max models.
Capacity: 4 qts. | Warranty: 1 year | Care: Dishwasher-safe parts | Rating: 4.7-star average rating from 80,554 reviews on Amazon
Best wide basket: Instant Vortex 6-Quart Air Fryer
- Wide basket
- Preheats quickly
- Screen is easy to read
- Shorter basket
Weinstein says the Instant Vortex 6-Quart Air Fryer has more surface area than many other air fryers he’s used. “The baskets are not very tall, but they’re very wide, which is really nice,” he says. It has a screen for viewing the temperature and time, as well as four cooking modes: air fry, bake, reheat and roast.
Capacity: 6 qts. | Warranty: 1 year | Care: Dishwasher-safe parts | Rating: 4.6-star average rating from over 12,036 reviews on Amazon
Most sleek design: Beautiful 6-Quart Air Fryer
- Sleek look
- Quiet operation
- Pause button
- May notice odor on first use
Thanks to its matte exterior and gold accents, Beautiful’s air fryer has a sleek look that makes you want to leave it out on your countertop. It's also easy to operate, says Cory Fernandez, NBC Select commerce editor. "I got this air fryer as a sample from from the brand over a year and a half ago and I haven’t stopped using it since," he says. "The rack is easily removable and food doesn’t stick to the basket that much. It also doesn’t make as much noise as other air fryers do, in my experience." The appliance offers four cooking modes — air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate — and you can manually adjust its temperature and timer. The start button doubles as a pause button, allowing you to stop cooking at any point to check cooking progress.
Capacity: 6 qts. | Warranty: 2 years | Care: Dishwasher-safe parts | Rating: 4.6-star average rating from over 7,850 reviews at Walmart
Best smart air fryer: Cosori 4-Quart Smart Air Fryer
- Can control from your phone
- Pairs with Amazon Alexa
- Automatic shake reminder
- Nothing to note at this time
Cosori’s smart air fryer connects to a companion app that allows you to control the appliance from afar, plus it sends you cooking progress notifications and reminders to shake or flip food in the frying basket. The appliance is also compatible with Amazon Alexa, so it responds to voice commands. You can manually adjust the air fryer's timer and temperature, as well as choose from seven cooking functions: chicken, fries, bacon, steak, veggies, keep warm and preheat.
Capacity: 4 qts. | Warranty: 2 years | Care: Dishwasher-safe parts | Rating: 4.6-star average rating from 5,434 reviews on Amazon
Best dual-zone air fryer: Ninja Foodi DZ071 Dual-Zone FlexBasket Air Fryer
- Two cooking zones
- Removable divider
- Multiple sizes available
- Nothing to note at this time
This air fryer comes with a removable divider, which allows you to split its 7-quart basket in half as needed, creating two 3.5-quart baskets. With the divider, you can simultaneously cook two different foods two different ways, and sync the zones so everything is ready to serve at the same time. The air fryer offers six cooking functions: air fry, air broil, roast, bake, reheat and dehydrate. If you’re looking for an even larger appliance, this Ninja air fryer is also available as a 8-quart and 10-quart model.
Capacity: 7 qts. | Warranty: 1 year | Care: Dishwasher-safe parts | Rating: 4.8-star average rating from 31,160 reviews on Amazon
Best for small kitchens:Gowise 3.7-Quart Programmable Air Fryer
- Ideal for small kitchens
- Detachable inner basket
- Screen is easy to read
- Nothing to note at this time
Despite its small size, this Gowise air fryer can hold enough food to feed a few people, says Dr. Urvashi Pitre, author of several bestselling cookbooks using appliances like Instant Pots and air fryers. It has a screen for viewing the temperature and time, plus eight cooking functions: warm, fries/chips, chicken, steak, shrimp, pork, cake and fish. You can also detach the inner basket from the exterior basket, making food easy to serve and eliminating one part that you have to clean.
Capacity: 3.7 qts. | Warranty: One year | Care: Dishwasher-safe parts | Rating: 4.6-star average rating from 15,628 reviews on Amazon
Best convection oven-style air fryers
Best overall: Instant Vortex Plus 10-Quart Air Fryer
- Two rack levels
- Touchscreen
- Large capacity
- Must swap racks halfway
This large-capacity air fryer is designed with two racks to maximize cooking space. Weinstein loves this model, but notes that if you use both trays, you need to swap your food halfway through cooking. The heating element is on the top of the Instant Vortex Plus, so if you don’t swap the trays, half your fries might end up less crispy. The Instant Vortex Plus has a touchscreen to set the temperature and time, and it offers seven cooking functions: air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, dehydrate and rotisserie.
Capacity: 10 qts. | Warranty: 1 year | Care: Dishwasher-safe parts | Rating: 4.4-star average rating from 35,733 reviews on Amazon
Best for small kitchens: Our Place Wonder Oven
- Steam infusion technology
- Two rack levels
- Chic look
- Hand-wash all parts
Our Place’s Wonder Oven — which the brand sent me to try — is the most used appliance in my apartment's tiny kitchen. It fits on the sliver of countertop space I have available, and thanks to its chic look, I don't mind keeping it out all the time. I air fry fish, vegetables, potatoes and more inside, and I love utilizing its steam infusion technology. I add a tablespoon of water to the appliance’s inlet and the steam that’s created makes my food’s interior moist while the exterior gets crispy.
In addition to air fry mode, the Wonder Oven offers bake, roast, toast, reheat and broil modes. You can adjust its temperature, time and mode with dedicated dials, and the appliance dings when food is done cooking. I also appreciate the Wonder Oven’s glass door so I can monitor what I put inside. The appliance comes with a wire rack, bake pan and air fryer basket.
Capacity: 0.4 cu. ft. | Warranty: 1 year | Care: Hand-wash all parts | Rating: 4.6-star average rating from 3,192 reviews at Our Place
Editor's pick: Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven with Grill
- Easy operation
- Toast shade selector option
- Two rack levels
- Hand-wash all parts
"I tested Cuisinart's air fryer oven for over two weeks and I loved how easy it is to use," says Fernandez (the brand sent him it to try). "The glass door makes it easy to monitor your food as it cooks, so you don’t have to worry about it burning. Plus, I appreciate that it comes with different types of trays for cooking multiple foods." The appliance offers eight cooking modes: air fry, toast, convection bake, bake, convection broil, broil, grill and warming. You can adjust the temperature, timer and function via the oven's dials, plus there's a toast shade selector option. The oven has an interior light, too.
Capacity: 0.6 cu. ft. | Warranty: 3 years | Care: Hand-wash all parts | Rating: 4.2-star average rating from 88 reviews on Amazon
Expert pick: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer
- 11 cooking functions
- Even heat distribution
- Counts down cooking time
- Hand-wash all parts
Pitre recommends this Breville smart oven, which offers 11 cooking functions: toast, bagel, bake, roast, broil, pizza, cookies, reheat, warm, air fry and slow cook. The appliance is designed with a LCD screen that displays the adjustable cooking function, timer and temperature, and it counts down cooking time while food is inside. Breville's smart oven is designed with the brand's Element IQ system, which helps evenly distribute heat inside the appliance and eliminates cold spots. It also has an interior oven light to help you see food.
Capacity: 0.8 cu. ft. | Warranty: 2 years | Care: Hand-wash all parts | Rating: 4.6-star average rating from 2,302 reviews on Amazon
Best air fryer accessories
While you can place food directly on the racks or trays that air fryers come with, accessories like reusable liners help keep them clean. Below are a few highly rated air fryer accessories that may make cooking easier.
Related
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Bruce Weinstein is an award-winning cookbook author who, along with his partner Mark Scarbrough, has 35 titles under his belt, including three cookbooks on the air fryer: “The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook,” “The Instant Air Fryer Bible” and “Look & Cook Air Fryer Bible.”
- Dr. Urvashi Pitre is the author of several bestselling cookbooks using Instant Pots, air fryers and more, including “Every Day Easy Air Fryer.”
Why trust NBC Select?
I'm an associate updates editor at NBC Select who writes about kitchen tools and gadgets, including Dutch ovens, tools to make pie, ice cream makers and cookware sets. For this article, I interviewed two experts about how to shop for air fryers and rounded up highly options, in addition to expert picks and NBC Select staff recommendations.
Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.
