What To Look For When Buying An Air Fryer

Instant Vortex Plus 10

The Instant Vortex Plus 10-Quart Air Fryer is a convection oven-style air fryer with two racks to help separate your food as you cook it. Weinstein said that he loves this model, but noted that if you use both trays, youll need to swap your food halfway through cooking. The Instant Vortex Plus has a touchscreen to set the temperature and the time. It features seven functions, from air frying to dehydrating. It comes with a drip pan, cooking trays and a rotisserie spit that you can throw in the dishwasher, too. The Instant Vortex Plus has a 4.6-star average rating from 23,000 customer reviews on Amazon and comes with a one-year warranty.

How Cr Tests Air Fryers

Consumer Reports buys and tests air fryers from a wide range of brands, including Cuisinart, Gourmia, GoWise, Hamilton Beach, Ninja, NuWave, and Philips, to find out whether theyre worth making room for on your counter. Each air fryer is evaluated and rated based on its controls, how quiet it is while operating, and how easy it is to clean.

First, our engineers judge the model based on the buttons and/or dials and the size and clarity of the lettering on the unit. Many air fryers come with preset buttons that help guide users on cooking times and temps, while others have an analog dial that sets the temperature and counts down the time.

Noise ratings are determined by administering a test that involves the air fryer being placed on a butcher block counter in the lab. A sound-level meter is used to take multiple measurements of how loud each air fryer gets during operation, noting the noise at its peak.

And no matter how well an air fryer does at cooking or reheating your food, if cleanup is a hassle, we want you to know. Thats why our testers judge how easy it is to clean each models interior and exterior.

Best Two Basket: Ninja Foodi 6

• Smart Finish for coordinated finish time

• Extra space for large batches

• Takes up a lot of counter space

• Large batches cook longer

With two separate cooking baskets and heating zones, this air fryer enables you to cook different foods with different cooking times and temperatures at the same time. You won’t have to choose between air frying wings or fries on game days and can prepare a complete meallike air-fried chicken with crispy Brussel sprouts or sweet potato wedges on the side.

The magic lies in the “Smart Finish” feature, which lets you program the air fryer with two cook times and temperatures for different foods. The air fryer will automatically start the basket with the shorter of the two cook times so both baskets are finished cooking at the same time.

There are six cooking presets, including air fry, air broil, roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate. Our tester found this air fryer cooks faster than other models and the cook time on most recipes needed to be shortened for best results. However, if you’re looking for added space and the convenience of cooking two different foods at the same time, our reviewer highly recommends this model.

The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie

Capacity: 8 quarts | Power Rating: 1690 watts | Dimensions: 15.63 x 13.86 x 12.4 inches | Warranty: 1 year

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Factors To Consider Before Buying An Air Fryer

Most individuals love deep-fried, greasy food such as potato chips, french fries, and fried chicken.

There’s a comfort that most of us feel when indulging in a plate of fried food.

However, besides taste, eating fried food comes with little other benefits. It’s usually high in fat and calories, and contributes to high cholesterol.

Don’t Make These 10 Mistakes

Doing any of the following things wont melt your face off, but try to avoid them.

Do not be too generous with oil.

Use a light hand with that oil! Excess oil ends up in the drawer under the grate, but if theres too much buildup, it might smoke. Generally speaking, if theres already fat on the food , you might not need to oil the food at all. Vegetables, however, benefit from a light coating of oil, because it helps make them nice and brown.

Do not grease the drawer with cooking spray.

Seems like that would be a good idea, right? But the baskets have nonstick coating, and cooking spray can damage the finish over time.

In lieu of cooking spray, toss your food in oil insteadyoure probably doing that already, in many casesor rub it down with an oil-saturated paper towel. I found pre-fried frozen foods didnt need the help of extra grease.

Do not use oil with a low smoke point.

Olive oil isnt great for air frying, because it has a low smoke point. Not only will it smoke at high temperatures, but it can also develop a weird aftertaste. Vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and other high smoke point oils are the way to go.

Do not crowd the drawer.

For all the space they hog on a countertop, air fryers dont have a big capacity. For the best results, dont load the drawer up with food . Its so tempting to add another handful of potato sticks or shaved beets, but youll learn from experience that food comes out crisper and cooks up faster if you work in small batches.

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Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer

If you arent worried about money or space and you find that youre regularly preparing meals for a bunch of people, the Breville Smart Oven Air is a great convection oven-style air fryer. I have a Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer that I absolutely love, Pitre said. It has 11 cooking functions, like toasting, broiling, baking, and of course air frying. Like most of our recommendations, it has a screen for the timer and temperature. The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer has a 4.7-star average rating from around 160 reviews at Best Buy and comes with a one-year warranty. Its important to note here that the Breville doesnt have any dishwasher-safe parts.

Air Fryer: What Features You Should Look For

When buying an air fryer for the first time, you are probably wondering what features to look for. Well, it actually depends on your needs and which features you think are most important. To give you an idea here are some of the features that most consumers want in an air fryer.

1. Is The Air Fryer Made From High-Quality Materials?

When choosing an air fryer, you must check on the quality and safety of the materials used. It must be free from physical defects or missing parts. Pro Tip: When buying online like in Amazon or other online shops, it is a great help to read the reviews from verified buyers so that you will know if the quality of the air fryer is good or not.

2. Special Features of the Air Fryer

When searching for the right air fryer for you, you will find that there are so many air fryer models that you can choose from. They come in different colors, shapes, and sizes which only you can decide. However, you must also look for models that offer additional features that others dont have. Some of these features include pre-programmed settings or function modes, power/heat indicator light, automatic shut-off feature, ready alarm, and additional accessories .

3. Ease of Cleaning the Air Fryer

When choosing an air fryer, look for one that is easy to clean based on the users guide manual. It is very important to clean the air fryer every after use so that it will remain in tip-top condition.

4. Cooking Capacity of the Air Fryer

5. Cooking Performance of the Air Fryer

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Design Of The Air Fryer

The design of your kitchen appliance matters because of personal preference and circumstances. If you have limited counter-top space, you should consider a smaller portable one. People with larger spaces can opt for larger ones.

• Shape

You might prefer to buy an egg-shaped air fryer if you intend to cook small amounts of food and have limited space. A square-shaped one is better for larger families and people with more space.

• Width of the basket

The width of the basket also matters when youre looking at the design because a wider basket helps you cook more items without layering. A wider basket is ideal for making burger patties and chicken wings. If you get a basket with depth, remember to turn your food so that it cooks evenly.

• Noise

Pick an air fryer with a noise level you can withstand. Some will affect your kitchen conversations so you might be unable to bond over dinner preparation.

Con: They Have Limitations

Convenient though they are, air fryers are not set-and-forget appliances. Fiona says you still need to be around to give the chips a shake and turn your chicken wings during cooking or you’ll find them deliciously golden on one side and pale on the other.

The air fryer is unable to crisp and brown on the base of solid foods, so if your model doesn’t let out a beep to remind you to attend to your meal, you’ll need to set a timer.

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Who Should Use An Air Fryer

Air fryers can be used by anyone who desires the taste and texture of fried food, with more convenience than traditionally frying food.

Air fryers are exceptionally easy to use and relatively easy to maintain as well. For that reason, owning an air fryer is very convenient. People who would benefit the most from owner an air fryer are:

Air Fryers Vs Deep Fat Fryers

Despite both having ‘fryer’ in their name, air fryers and deep fat fryers work quite differently. Air fryers are often referred to by manufacturers as healthy or low-fat fryers, as they use hot air and a small amount of oil to cook the chips by convection. The results are more akin to oven chips than traditional chip-shop chips. Deep fat fryers submerge chips in hot oil to cook them, giving a crispier but fattier result.

We’ve broken down the differences between the two, including how they work, what their chips taste like and how to choose, in our air fryers vs deep fat fryers guide.

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Check Into Additional Features

Some air fryers have additional functionality that will make them a more versatile tool in the kitchen.

• Air fryer toaster ovens: One of the most popular combinations, these air fryers resemble a traditional toaster oven and can be used to bake, broil and toast.
• Air fryer dehydrators: If you like dehydrated fruits or homemade beef jerky, an air fryer with dehydrating abilities might be a good option for you.
• Air fryer rotisserie cookers: Many people love the flavor of a moist rotisserie chicken, and an air fryer rotisserie cooker combo allows you to make this delicious dish at home.
• Instant Pot air fryer lid: Dont have space for another appliance? This handy lid turns your trusty Instant Pot into an air fryer!

Air Fryers with Added Features

Is An Air Fryer Worth It

An air fryer would best suit:

• people living in one-person or small households who enjoy frozen pre-cooked foods
• those living in a caravan, campervan or a home with no oven
• home cooks who enjoy experimenting with crispy foods such as vegetable chips
• people who struggle with overheating kitchens in the summer, as an air fryer doesn’t heat up a room like an oven does.

You probably don’t need an air fryer if:

• you have a large household and you already have an oven, a grill and a cooktop
• you want to cook battered foods .

Other things to consider if you’re thinking about buying an air fryer:

• They can only cook one type of food at a time.
• Cooking takes roughly the same amount of time as it would in a regular oven.
• Air fryers generally have a small capacity, so multiple batches may be needed.
• They can take up quite a lot of space consider where you’ll store it before you buy.
• Some air fryers can use more energy than an oven.

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Ease Of Cleaning And Storage

An air fryer should never be submerged in water as doing so can cause damage to the cooking chamber! An air fryer is a pretty simple device, so you should be able to take it apart and clean all of the parts very quickly. Make sure that your future purchase offers removable baskets as this will make cleaning much easierand if not, look for an air fryer with non-stick coating on its inside surfaces.

Everything Cooks So Fast Sometimes Too Fast

When cooking in an air fryer, most foods take less than 15 minutes to fully cook. Typically, I’m used to waiting 20 or 30 minutes to bake chicken breasts in the oven. While the chicken breasts bake, I usually wash the kitchen and tidy up.

But when I use an air fryer for chicken breasts, it takes between 10 and 15 minutes. I’ve tried to clean the dishes and the kitchen in that time frame, but the ding of the fryer always sounds before I’m finished. It means I’ve had to adjust my cooking routine.

Sometimes, things cook so fast that I don’t even realize they’re done. One night, I cooked a meatloaf, and it was finished in under 15 minutes. I was expecting it would take closer to 20, so I left it in there too long. That night, I had burned meatloaf for dinner.

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How To Choose The Best Air Fryer

Air fryers differ in size and versatility so the choosing the best one for you will depend on a few key elements. For example, consider what you’ll most likely be cooking in it, how many you’re cooking for and how much space you have in the kitchen.

If it’s simply a healthier, more efficient method of cooking chips that you’re after, you can narrow your search down to one without bells and whistles and save some pennies on a machine that does the core function well.

Top tip: Watch out for those that will require you to part-boil the cut potatoes prior to crisping – air fryers worth having should be able to fully-cook chips on their own.

More sophisticated models will offer multiple functions like the ability to bake, roast, dehydrate, grill and reheat food.

The circulated hot air from inside these fryers gets released from fans often at the back of the air fryer, which means they can require a lot of room around them for safe use. Style and aesthetics on a countertop are also important.

Best Budget: Chefman 37

• Quieter than other air fryers

• Affordable

• Temperature cannot be set above 400 degrees

• Cooking basket can be tricky to insert

If you want to try air frying, but don’t think you’ll do it often enough to justify investing in a more pricey model, the Chefman 3.5 Liter Air Fryer is worth considering. Its dome shape is compact to save counter space, but the basket easily fits enough food for several people. The black finish is sleek and the matte model resists fingerprints so it’s easy to keep looking new.

There are both digital and analog versions of this air fryer. We tested the digital version and found the touch controls simple and intuitive to use. The temperature can be set from 200-400 degrees Fahrenheit and the timer up to 60 minutes, which is plenty of cooking range for most air-fried recipes and basics like frozen fries and tots. Although, if you’re interested in using an air fryer to dehydrate snacks, you might want a model that allows you to set the timer for longer.

The Spruce Eats / Sharon Lehman

Capacity: 3.5 liters | Power Rating: 1000 watts | Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 12 inches | Warranty: 1 year

“This has become my go-to air fryer. It barely takes up any space on my countertop, has basic, intuitive controls, and turns out crisper frozen fries and tater tots than my standard oven.” Sharon Lehman, Product Tester

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When The Food Is Cooking It’s Difficult To Check If It’s Done

Though my air fryer has a window, the space inside is so small that it’s difficult to see if something is cooked or not. With basket air fryers, there is no window, so it’s impossible to see how your food is doing. Instead, you have to rely solely on the timer.

Many times I’ve had to open the door, let out the precious heat, and pull out the tray just to see if something is cooked through.

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How Do You Clean An Air Fryer

Air fryers are easy to clean and should be cleaned properly after each use. The pan, tray and basket can be washed in warm water and washing-up liquid or can go into the dishwasher. The appliance itself should be unplugged and wiped down after use.

Like other counter-top appliances, an air fryer should stand on a heatproof surface.

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The Bottom Line On Choosing An Air Fryer

When choosing this kitchenware, pick one that suits your individual needs. Dont pick one because of the hype around it because you dont want to buy something that youll hardly use. Most air fryers have similar features, so do your due diligence to find which differentiating feature is essential to you.