When Shouldn’t You Use An Air Fryer
Air fryers are great for crisping foods, but there are certain scenarios when you shouldn’t use one.
- You shouldn’t use an air fryer for liquids, as they can easily spill and splatter, even when heated in a heat-resistant vessel. You also shouldn’t use an air fryer for foods that require a wet batter, like tempura, because the coating doesn’t set quickly enough to stick, which can cause drips and smoking as well as failing to produce a crispy food.
- We wouldn’t recommend an air fryer for many baking tasks: Most can’t actually bake because they have heating elements only on the top of the unit versus the top and the bottom like a toaster oven or oven. The basket or shelf design also generally restricts the size of your baked goods. Air fryers are, however, great for desserts that benefit from browning like a baked apple or an individual sized crumble.
- You should avoid cooking greasy foods in an air fryer. If air frying something greasy, use a lower temperature to help reduce splattering, which can cause grease to hit the elements and create smoke.
- Beware of lightweight food, such as bread, as well some air fryers with a powerful fan can cause it fly around.
What Were Looking For
Single- or multifunctional: Perhaps the most important matter to decide on is whether you want an air fryer that is just an air fryer or one that also does a lot of other things. Some on this list are one-trick ponies, while others have settings that allow you to broil, dehydrate, proof, and more.
Capacity: How you intend to use your air fryer should, of course, affect what size you buy. Are you planning to use it mostly for yourself to bake off the occasional single cookie or to reheat leftovers? Or is the idea to use it for regular family dinners? For this category, Ive listed the capacity of each model. But it should be noted: Basket-style air fryers are measured in terms of how many quarts they hold, while ones with rack inserts are measured in terms of their interior cubic inches.
What To Know About Buying Air Fryer Toaster Ovens
A good air fryer toaster oven fits more food than a single-function air fryer, but your food may not turn out as crispy.
These appliances expand the versatility of a toaster oven. Pop-up toasters are great for making, well, toastand that’s about it. Toaster ovens, on the other hand, can handle a whole range of tasks, from toasting four or more slices of toast at once to broiling, baking, and reheating.
Now more and more can also air fry so that with just one appliance on your countertop you can get the functionality of three or more. Some models can also roast on a rotisserie, slow cook, or dehydrate, making them even more useful.
All air fryer toaster ovens are basically convection ovens with fans that operate at a high speed to promote browning and crisping.
They also have some big advantages over dedicated air fryers. In these multitaskers, you can usually cook more food at a time, because its designed to spread the food out in a shallow air fry basket thats the length and width of the ovens interior. Its also easy to monitor cooking through the window and to pull out the basket and stir and flip over items.
However, few of these multifunction countertop ovens are among the tops at air frying. That means these appliances are for people who prioritize toasting and versatility over air frying. To get good results, you may find you have to extend the cooking time and be vigilant about tossing, flipping over, and rearranging.
Read Also: Air Fryer Oven On Tv
Ninja Air Fryer Af100uk: The Best Mid
Price: £100 |
Promising healthy chip frying with up to 75% less fat , this Ninja air fryer is arguably so much more. As well as whipping up to 900g of fries, its removable crisper plate and two fan speeds turn it into a far more versatile machine. You can not only roast and fry food, but dehydrate it to produce beef jerky, chewy apple rings, banana chips, veggie crisps and other healthy snacks.
One of its other great functions is a reheat setting, which is perfect for bringing leftovers back to life without having to turn on the oven, and for crisping up single slices of pizza. It goes without saying that the Ninja is brilliant for frozen food but, thanks to easy controls and a digital display, it’s also simple to customise programs to suit whatever you’re cooking. If the 3.8l model isn’t quite big enough for the whole family, there’s also a 5.2l MAX version for £150.
Read our full Ninja Air Fryer review for more details
Key specs Power: 1,550W Capacity: 3.8l Display: Digital, Accessories: Removable crisper plate
What Can You Make In An Air Fryer
The options for foods you can cook in an air fryer are vast, but some air fryer favorites include chicken wings, chicken tenders, french fries and mozzarella sticks. You can also make fish in an air fryer, including salmon, for a moist inside and roasted outer crust. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are great when made in an air fryer, as are certain vegetables like Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, onions, peppers and carrots. Frozen foods such as dumplings, potato skins, Hot Pockets and tater tots can be made in an air fryer for a quick and easy snack or side dish. Air fryers can also quickly reheat food like last night’s pizza or leftover fried chicken. Air fryers reheat food almost as quickly as a microwave and the results are generally much better.
Don’t Miss: How Good Are Air Fryers
The Best Air Fryer In 2022
Shopping for an air fryer the small kitchen appliances that claim to re-create the crispy, crunchy taste of fried foods, without the oil and fats used in traditional deep fat frying can be a confusing endeavor when you consider all the options out there. Not to mention the sheer number of opinions on whether or not theyre actually as convenient as they say they are.
So to see which air fryers perform the best, and which might be best for certain users, we put nine models to the test, running them through a comprehensive evaluation process. We selected three top choices that did a great job with our test recipes and impressed us with their features and construction, so regardless of your cooking needs, budget requirements or storage space, you should find an option that works for you.
Kent 1300w Classic Hot Air Fryer
You can fry, grill, roast, steam, and bake food as well as do much more with the Kent 1300W Classic Hot Air Fryer. The air fryer can reduce oil consumption by up to 80 percent without compromising taste or texture. You always get snacks that are crispy on the outside and delicate on the inside thanks to the vapor steam and rapid heating technology available. Other features of this appliance include a 30-minute timer with auto cut-off, adjustable temperature from 0 degrees to 200 degrees, and a good capacity of 4L per batch.
Pros
Recommended Reading: T Fal Air Fryer Xl
Affordable Air Fryers Under $100 To Shop
In our guide to air fryers, experts told us to look for models that are easy to clean or have dishwasher-safe parts. They also mentioned that its important to buy models that come with a warranty of at least one year in case something breaks. How many people you typically cook for can help you decide which air fryer to purchase, too experts said air fryers with at least 2 quarts of cooking space are suitable for one or two people, while models with at least 6 quarts of cooking space are best for larger groups.
With this guidance in mind, we rounded up highly-rated air fryers under $100 below. We listed them by cooking capacity, from smallest to largest.
How Much Oil Do I Need To Use In My Air Fryer
Ready for another test? Best kettles
While most recipes call for a teaspoon or half a teaspoon of oil. We found we got a more even coating on some foods by decanting our choice of oil into a small spray bottle and using that. Never use one-calorie oil spray, which is a step too far in the diet stakes we found, producing nasty, chewy fries.
Most of the machines we tested couldnt be used with fattier meats such as sausages or chicken or duck with the skin on. This sometimes results in meats being drier on the outside. This was where a spray oil came in handy and definitely improved results if not making them as good as if theyd been fried.
Also Check: Kohls Instant Pot Air Fryer
Simple Chef Air Fryer Air Fryer For Healthy Oil Free Cooking 35 Liter Capacity W/ Dishwasher Safe Parts
The Simple Chef Air Fryer is a great way to encourage healthy eating. It utilizes air circulating technology that will cook your food until it has a nice crispy outside that you love, while the inside remains tender and juicy.
You can manually adjust the temperature to accommodate the recipe that you are creating, and there is also a timer on the unit that allows you to set it for up to 30 minutes.
The fryer is easy to clean in fact, many of the parts are dishwasher safe, but those that are not can simply be wiped clean. This fryer is also designed with overheat protection, which means that it will automatically shut off at a certain temperature.
Pros:
How Do You Clean An Air Fryer Oven
Allow the device to cool. Remove the racks, pans, and drip tray you used during cooking and wash them as you would your regular dishes.
Using a damp cloth, wipe down the exterior and interior of the air fryer oven to remove crumbs and grease.
Its a good idea to do this after each use to prevent excess grease buildup that will be more difficult to clean later.
Recommended Reading: Cooking Salmon In Air Fryer
Best Air Fryer Toaster Oven: Cuisinart Toa
If you prefer the versatility and extra space that comes from having an oven-style air fryer, theCuisinart TOA-60 is a great option. We loved the square shape and compact size of this oven . The large knobs were straightforward and easy to use, and although this is subjective, we appreciated the lack of LCD screen. There was something about the tactile feel of using separate knobs to select the cooking mode, temperature and timer that made us feel in total control over the cooking process.
One of the primary reasons we chose this model over other oven-style fryers is that its fryer basket is just a little bit deeper than the other ones we tested. Its not by much, but just enough to make it noticeably easier to shake up fries or other loose items you may be air frying. We found shallower baskets are more likely to either send a few fries flying off, or just not allow you to shake them up effectively. The interior light was a nice perk as well, and made it easy to keep an eye on the food inside without opening it up and losing heat.
Performance-wise, the Cuisinart TOA-60 cooked food to near perfection and even resulted in our favorite fries of the bunch.
One of the most valuable features of the Cuisinart is its three-year warranty, the longest of any oven-style version we tested. That Cuisinart stands behind this product should address any concerns with the relatively high cost of this model.
Downsides Of Cheap Air Fryers
Most air fryers are not that large, which means that they are not able to create a meal for a large family quickly. If you need an air fryer for more than a few people, you will need to get a larger capacity device, which can cost quite a bit. In addition, air fryers tend to require more cooking time, so if you are trying to make dinner in a hurry, it may not be the best option.
Recommended Reading: Nuwave Air Fryer 6 Qt Accessories
Air Fryer Touchscreen By Cozyna With 2 Air Fryer Cookbooks And A Skewer Rack Accessory
If you are looking to cook all of your favorite foods with much less oil then the air fryer from Cozyna is a great option for you to consider. It has a non-stick basket that has a 3.7-quart capacity, which is ideal for a couple to enjoy.
The basket comes out with ease, which means that you can easily transfer your food to a serving dish, and then transfer it to a dishwasher to clean it when you are done.
The temperature of this unit can be adjusted up to 400 degrees, and there is also a 60-minute timer on the digital display so that you know how much longer you need to cook your favorite dish. This air fryer comes with a toaster rack and some skewers as well as two cookbooks that are filled with ideas to get you started.
Pros:
Best Budget: Cosori Compact Air Fryer
If you dont have a lot of space or money to spare, Cosoris Compact Air Fryer is a great option. As a 3.7-quart capacity machine, it doesnt take up too much counter space and it can easily fit into a cabinet when youre not using it. It has a traditional, square-ish pod design with a touch panel on the top half and a removable cooking basket on the bottom. I was impressed by how easy this air fryer was to use from start to finish. Learning how to program cooking modes and times was easy and using the basket is simple as well. It also has a handy release button that disconnects the air fryer basket from the base, which makes cleanup quick and simple.
This is a true air fryer in the sense that it has presets rather than a bunch of different cooking modes. It does have toast and bake, which are different from air fry, but otherwise you can choose from different food-specific presets like french fries, shrimp, frozen foods and more. While thats not so great if you want a multipurpose device, its ideal if youre just looking for an air fryer that can do exactly that very well. Not only was the Cosori machine fairly quiet, but it also only took between three and five minutes to preheat in most cases, and everything I cooked in it from tofu nuggets to chicken wings came out crispy and flavorful.
Read Also: Dash Compact Electric Air Fryer
Secura 1500 Watt Large Capacity 32
This Secura air fryer is designed to circulate hot air around your food so that it cooks your food quickly. It has a 3.2-liter basket that is large enough to cook for an entire family, and it also comes with a grill rack and skewers for when you want foods that you typically enjoy on the grill.
You can set the temperature to any point between 180 degrees and 400 degrees, which means that you can cook your food your way.
There is also a 60-minute timer that is designed to let you know when your food is done cooking, but if you are unable to tend to it immediately, the appliance will automatically turn off when the food is cooked.
Pros:
How To Buy The Best Air Fryer For You
Look for easy-to-use controls for both temperature and time, as these are the most important features on any air fryer. Auto-stop and keep warm functions can be useful but chips, if left for any amount of time will soon lose their crispness. More expensive machines will feature touch screens rather than dial controls, which will help with accuracy.
The bigger the basket capacity, the more people youll be able to cook for. So if youve got a family, then a 5 litre machine is probably a must.
A loud beep to signal the end of cooking time is a good idea if youre using the time to wander off and do something else. Most air-fryers will only cook one food group at a time but some will cook a whole meal in one go if youre after a one-pot solution.
Recommended Reading: Instant Pot Omni Air Fryer
How We Chose The Best Air Fryers
Every air fryer in our top 10 roundup has been tested hands-on by the Ideal Home team for a minimum of two weeks, or four thorough recipes. This allowed us to compare air fryers directly when compiling our top 10 list, and it also helped us when deciding which air fryers will be the right pick for different living situations. Because all air fryers claim to do very similar things, it’s important to us that we put them through their paces before recommending any air fryer to our readers. We used a standard recipe for air fried homemade chips across all air fryers, recording the cooking timings and considering how evenly the crisps came out, and how well cooked they were.
Another test we replicated across different air fryers was cooking bacon. Bacon cooks brilliantly in air fryers, allowing fat to drip away and leaving crispy rashers in the basket. We used the speed and evenness of cooking as a way of measuring how well an air fryer distributed heat and how fast it circulated hot hair. Based on our findings, we gave every air fryer a rating out of five and then sorted them into a top ten list to recommend to our readers.
Best Overall Air Fryer
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best dining-room décor items, coffee-makers, knife sets, Japanese coffee brewer, charcoal water filter, and drinking glasses for water and more. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.
Don’t Miss: Ninja Foodi Oven And Air Fryer
