Ninja Max Xl Air Fryer
Heres the truth: Extra-large basket-style air fryers arent that large. If you want a large capacity air fryer but dont have the counter space for an air fryertoaster oven combo, then you should consider sizing up to an XXL air fryer. Bon Appétit deputy food editor Hana Asbrink loves her Philips Premium Airfryer XXL, which has a 7 quart capacity that offers more versatility and the opportunity to cook a wider variety of foodslike a whole roast chicken. It helps her avoid the need to turn on her full-size oven. The clear win for me is the lack of preheat time, which makes it an exceptional kitchen helper during the hot and sticky summer months, she says. I use it for so many different foods, like standard frozen items like fries, crispy ravioli, egg rolls, and various proteins like chicken, fish, and even pork belly.
If you can afford the counter space, youll love this air fryer. But, like the rest of the air fryers on our list, it has its drawbacks. First, Asbrink says that you must be mindful of the residual fat that drips when cooking meat, which can quickly smoke up a small kitchen or apartment. She adds that if you’re roasting a large quantity of vegetables, it might just be easier and more efficient to do so in a traditional oven.
Other Products I Tested
I tested five other products that each have a lot of fantastic benefits, but ultimately didnt rank among our favorite dedicated air fryers.
Philips Air Fryer XXL: This is a fantastic fryer that turned out crispy chicken wings, golden fries, and perfectly baked cookies. It narrowly missed being listed in our top three, but ultimately is not as convenient as some of the other fryers. It takes up much more space on the countertop and the control panel isnt as simple or straightforward.
Cosori Air Fryer Max XL: This oven yielded great results, but it isnt as easy to use as some of the others. It was loud when running and we found the button on the drawer to be cumbersome and confusing. Chicken and fries came out perfectly cooked, but the cookies burned and blackened on the outside.
Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven: Though this oven wowed us with its baking abilities, it didnt stand up to the rest of my tests as a dedicated air fryer. It’s a versatile and functional toaster oven, but we wouldnt recommend it if youre looking for a fryer that can achieve the same crispy, crunchy results as a deep fryer.
DASH Tasti-Crisp: I loved how simple and straightforward this product is. It easily fried wings and fries, but it couldnt bake cookies without burning them around the edges. I left it off of our list due to the lack of versatility and petite size.
Are Air Fryers Energy Efficient
Air fryers vary in their energy efficiency, but it is possible to calculate how much energy an appliance will use, which in turn will help you cost up the impact it’ll have on your bills. Here’s how:
Take the appliance’s wattage and multiply it by the gadget’s hours of use per day, then divide the total by 1000. The result will be the appliance’s daily kilowatt-hour .
The cost per kilowatt-hour will vary depending on your energy tariff and area. If you have a smart meter installed at home, you’ll be able to see the cost per use during cooking without having to calculate it.
One of the many useful qualities of air fryers is the countertop size. These gadgets are much faster to heat up and designed to circulate hot air efficiently, meaning food can be cooked much quicker than in a traditional oven. For smaller quantities and specific ingredients, air fryers will be switched on for considerably less time, which equates to less electricity consumption.
Read Also: Chef’s Star Air Fryer
How Do You Clean An Air Fryer
Most removable parts on most air fryers are dishwasher safe. Check the owner’s manual of your air fryer for which parts, if any, are ok to run through the dishwasher.
These parts are also easily cleaned by hand with warm, soapy water and a non-abrasive sponge. If there’s any particularly difficult to remove grease or stuck-on food, let the parts soak in hot, soapy water first.
The interior and exterior of the air fryer can be wiped clean with a damp cloth, but should never be submerged in water since it contains electrical components.
If the heating element gets dirty, you can wipe it with a damp cloth when the unit is turned off, cooled, and unplugged.
What To Look For In An Air Fryer
When shopping for an air fryer, consider its capacity, wattage, temperature control and cooking functions. It can be difficult to distinguish on fryer from the next, so these features are best for finding the one that’s right for you and your family.
But let’s break these feature down:
- Capacity: Is the capacity suitable for your needs? If you need to roast a whole chicken, best go for the larger ones.
- Wattage: Is your fryer wattage supported by your kitchen outlet? If you have an older kitchen, it’s a good idea to make sure your UK plugs are up to date or that your new fryer is usable in your kitchen.
- Temperature control: Much like traditional cooking and frying, you need different temperatures when it comes to cooking with your air fryer. Before you buy, make sure the fryer has an appropriate range of temperatures to choose from. If it has indicator lights, it will make the entire process much easier, too!
- Cooking function: Consider what you plan to fry and cook, then determine if the functions offered by your air fryer will fit that bill.
Also Check: Stainless Steel Air Fryer Tray
What Types Of Air Fryers Are There
There are two basic styles of air fryers, which can be distinguished by their capacity, how much physical space they take up and how difficult they are to clean.
First, there is the smaller pod-shaped air fryer, which is the one most people are familiar with. A pod-shaped air fryer is about the size of a coffee maker and starts at around a 2-quart capacity and typically maxes out at around 7 quarts. It takes up less space on your countertop and is easier to clean than its convection oven counterpart. This is a good choice if youre making food for a smaller group.
Then theres the larger convection oven air fryer, which looks like a toaster oven with a door that usually opens down but has air-frying capabilities. A convection oven air fryer usually holds more than its pod-shaped counterpart, with many models boasting room for 10 quarts of food or more. However, they typically take up more space on your countertop and theyre more difficult to clean.
I use my every single day, but I rarely use it to air fry, Urvashi Pitre, author of Every Day Easy Air Fryer, said. It makes such a huge mess.
What Is The Best Air Fryer Brand
As you can see, we think that the best air fryer brand is Instant. We rated its Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer the best on the market when we tested it in our review kitchen, but Ninja came a close second with its Ninja Foodi DZ401 6-in-1 XL 2-Basket Air Fryer. This comes with two cooking baskets and an XL capacity for feasting.
Another brand that really impressed us when it came to cooking quality is Philips, and if you want the best value air fryer brand, take a look at Cosori air fryers.
Recommended Reading: Recipe For Power Xl Air Fryer
What Are The Best Air Fryers
We think the Cosori Smart Wifi Air Fryer is the best air fryer for most people. In our tests, it consistently gave crispy results. Plus, it has digital controls and nonstick-coated, dishwasher safe baskets that make it easy to use and clean. At about $125, it’s also not too expensive.
If youâre looking for the best air fryer on a budget, we think the GoWISE USA 3.7 Quart 8-in-1 Air Fryer is the best value at well under $100. In spite of its low price, it has digital controls and preset programs to take the guesswork out of air frying.
And, once you purchase a model, be sure to check out our guide on how to use an air fryer for the best results. If you love rice to go with your foods, here are 8 reasons why you should buy a rice cooker.
How To Adjust Air
You dont need to seek out air-fryer recipes to get great results in a convection toaster ovenany recipe written for a standard oven works. However, if you have your eye on a recipe written specifically for an air fryer but want to prepare it in a convection toaster oven, you have to make some minor adjustments for the best results.
Generally, if youre following an air-fryer recipe but plan to cook it in a convection toaster oven, you need to increase the cooking time and temperature to compensate for the toaster ovens larger cavity. You dont need to buy an air-frying basketa regular quarter-sheet pan will give you similar air-frying results in a convection oven . Here are some tips for cooking some common dishes in a convection toaster oven.
Vegetables:
- Roasted vegetables: Roast at 425 °F with speed convection for 12 to 20 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking time.
- Air-fryer pickles: Bake at 425 °F with speed convection for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time.
- Hand-cut fries: Bake at 425 °F with speed convection for 40 to 45 minutes, tossing occasionally.
- Frozen fries: Bake with speed convection at the temperature indicated on the package. You may need to cook them longer than the instructions recommend .
Meat, poultry, and fish:
Baking:
Don’t Miss: Cuisinart Toa 60 Air Fryer Toaster Oven
What Is An Air Fryer
An air fryer is an all-purpose cooking appliance that can crisp nearly anything, from sweet potatoes to sizzling bacon. It provides a compact environment thats generally smaller and more lightweight than a microwave, for heated air to be blown around quickly in order to heat up and cook whatevers inside it. The hot air crisps the food actually frying the edges, Bruce Weinstein, author of the The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook, explained so you barely have to use any oil at all. But you must use some , he added.
Simply add a spritz of oil atop a slab of steak, for example, and put it in the air fryer. Its outsides will get crispy and the taste of the food will get more flavorful as the moisture evaporates and flavors condense.
Our Pick: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is the best air fryer toaster oven weve tested . Some air fryer toaster ovens perform better as an air fryer or as a toaster oven, but the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is the perfect marriage of those two appliances. Its convection fan is strong enough to crisp up food quickly, but since you can reduce its speed or turn it off, you can really fine-tune the settings for what youre cooking. It was also remarkably good at maintaining a set temperature, and toasted almost as evenly as our runner-up pick, the Cuisinart Chefs Convection Toaster Oven TOB-260N1. It produced crispy fries with creamy interiors and fish sticks that were crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. It also made a beautifully golden-brown roasted chicken and evenly baked cookies.
This oven also has a phase cook feature, which allows you to program two cooking cycles back to back . Lets say youre baking a pumpkin pie. Using the phase-cook mode, you could, for instance, bake the pie at 425 °F for 15 minutes, then program the oven to automatically reduce the temperature to 350 °F for the remaining 30 to 40 minutes.
Recommended Reading: How To Choose The Right Air Fryer
Tower T1700: The Best Budget Air Fryer
Price: £42 |
This low-cost air fryer is unassuming but sturdy and easy to use. It also produces great quality fried foods: its equipped to crisp up everything from chicken goujons to chips .
Price isnt the Towers only attraction: its a solid contender for family use, as it has a large capacity, and is on the healthier side of the spectrum, reportedly cutting down on fat by 80%. Its parts are dishwasher-safe, which is great for speedy cleaning up after cooking, and theres a range of accessories available, from a baking pan to a divider for making two foods at once.
Plus, while the Tower might still rely on a manual 30-minute timer with an auto switch-off, what gives it an extra edge is that it can also be used in conjunction with the Tower Recipe Alexa skill so you wont be limited to making tasty crunchy chips.
Key specs Power: 1,350W Capacity: 3.2l Display: Manual timer Accessories: Several available, sold separately
Ninja Air Fryer Max Xl Vs Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven
The Ninja Air Fryer Max XL’s basket size is average but seems smaller than some other air fryers of similar size, particularly those with square air fryer baskets. It cooks quickly and efficiently and is easy to use.
The main differences between the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL and the Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven are size and cooking capabilities. The Ninja Air Fryer Max XL is mainly an air fryer, while the Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven resembles a toaster oven and can also toast bread and bake foods, thanks to extra elements on the bottom of the unit. The Air Fry Oven also has a much larger surface area so you can cook more foods that benefit from being cooked in a single layer, like wings and other proteins, at once.
Don’t Miss: Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer Reviews
What Can You Cook In An Air Fryer Oven
You can cook a wide variety of foods in an air fryer oven. Air fryers are often used to cook meats like pork chops and chicken breasts, and they can also be used to cook frozen packaged foods such as french fries and chicken nuggets.
These countertop appliances often have a number of other functions in addition to air frying, making it possible to bake cake and bread, make toast, cook pizzas, roast vegetables, cook roasts and whole chickens, and dehydrate fruits, vegetables, and meats.
Many people use air fryer ovens as an alternative to a regular oven. Depending on the size and capabilities of your air fryer oven, you may be able to cook anything you would in a regular oven.
How To Cook Rice In A Rice Cooker
Rice cookers work swiftly by reducing air pressure above the liquid, encouraging it to boil faster. Brilliant. For even more info, check out our story How to Cook White Rice In a Rice Cooker.
You May Like: Cuisinart Air Fryer And Toaster Oven
When Is An Air Fryer Deal Too Good To Be True
Some retailers, like Ninja, have reported a rise in fraudulent sites claiming to have air fryers that are sold out everywhere else.
Only buy from retailers that you know and trust. It’s important to read reviews and do your research, especially when buying an expensive item. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Tefal Actifry Genius+: The Best Air Fryer Overall
Price: £200 |
If youre looking for a top-of-the-range air fryer that offers a decent alternative to deep frying with minimal fuss, the Tefal Genius+ is the one to try. With a 1.2kg capacity, this air fryer will cook up to six portions of food with little effort. You can opt for larger models in the Genius range, but these are rather large and we think this model is the ideal size.
The 360-degree stirring paddle is incredibly handy and ensures food is evenly and consistently cooked without the need for shaking your food mid-cooking cycle. Nine automatic cooking functions take most of the guesswork out of air frying but theres still an option to manually set the time and temperature if need be. What’s more, if youre using these presets, the Genius+ automatically adjusts the temperature and stirring paddle during cooking so your food isnt overcooked.
Theres no doubt that Tefals Genius range is expensive, but you really wont find a line of air fryers that do the job better.
Read our full Tefal Genius+ review for more details
Key specs Power: 1,500W Capacity: 1.2kg Display: Digital touchscreen Accessories: Measuring spoon
Price: £270 |
In testing, chicken and homemade chips came out beautifully crisp with one tablespoon of oil and were ready in just 25-30 minutes. Whats more, the stirring paddle meant we didnt even need to flip or check on them. This may be a bigger investment than some of the other air fryers on this list, but theres nothing else quite like it.
Recommended Reading: Top Air Fryer On The Market
