Top 9 Air Fryers to Buy in 2022, According to Kitchen Appliance Pros

The 5.5-quart Ninja Air Fryer Max XL was the top performer in our traditional, basket-style air fryer test. It scored the highest marks across the board for ease of use, thanks to its easy-to-use and -read buttons and clear owner’s manual. During our tests, the air fryer basket slid in and out easily, which made handling a breeze. We’re fans of the basket’s slick, ceramic interior and removable tray, which makes it nonstick. The tray also fits snugly and securely on the bottom of the basket so you don’t have to worry about it falling out when you turn the food out onto a plate. Both are dishwasher safe and easy to clean, even if you choose to hand wash.

In our tests, the 3.7-quart Chefman TurboFry produced crispy and even results. It was also easy to use with a lightweight air fryer basket. One thing to keep in mind is its vented basket, which promotes air circulation, also allows for dripping if you don’t empty the grease buildup between rounds. The removable tray has many vents that benefit from cleaning with a brush. A digital version is available, which we’ve tested in the past and allows for more precise temperature and time selection, but if you’re not one to program specific times, the TurboFry is a great value.

We were impressed with the performance of this air fryer from the makers of one of our favorite multi-cooker brands. Instant Pot’s Instant Vortex Plus is sleek with its stainless steel face and large, easy-to-read buttons. It boasts six cooking settings, including air fry, roast, broil, bake, reheat, and dehydrate, with different programmable temperature and time settings. The dial allows for easy selection so you don't have to click a button 100 times to get to the temperature you’re looking for. The air fryer basket is large (6 quarts) and square, which creates more cooking space than its round competitors, making a smart home investment for a family. Its removable tray has a thin, hinged handle, which allows for easy removability, but also lays flat to not disrupt the cooking area.

Cuisinart was one of the first brands to introduce a toaster oven air fryer that allows you to toast, bake, convection bake, and air fry.  The 0.6-cubic-foot interior offers a large cooking area, and holds an oven pan, air fryer basket, and baking rack. Since introducing the toaster oven air fryers, Cuisinart also introduced a digital version with the same features and quality performance.

Air fryer ovens offer more space to cook (and dehydrate if you want to!) in a single layer through the use of multiple racks. The one downside is you often have to rotate the racks for the most even results. In our tests, the Power XL Air Fryer Pro required the least maintenance during cooking, producing evenly browned chicken wings on the top and middle racks. It also made crispy fries in the rotating basket although we prefer cooking them on the racks for quicker and crispier results. Another perk of most air fryer ovens is their ability to cook like a rotisserie – it took the Air Fryer Pro less than one hour to make a juicy, four-pound chicken; plus, it comes with skewers for kebabs. Juices collect on a removable, dishwasher safe drip tray, and the door removes for easier cleaning.

The Cosori’s 3.7-quart square basket offers a lot of cooking space, especially compared to its round competitors. It’s removable and lightweight, with many vents for optimal air circulation. The control panel is loaded with presets that are programmed with recommended cooking temperatures and times, including a preheat option, which is not common on air fryers. The Cosori Air Fryer can also be used on a manual setting if none of the presets are the perfect fit.

The GoWISE USA 7-Qt. Air Fryer is the one we turn to most for cooking in large batches since it’s so big. In our tests, it air fried crispy fries and juicy wings that we kept going back to nosh on. It's air fryer basket has an oblong shape, which allows for more cooking in a single layer than round baskets, and is big benefit when it comes to dehydrating. This GoWise air fryer comes with three additional racks that stack, which sets it apart from others on the market. The racks stack, which allow you to air fry thin and dehydrate up to four layers at a time.

Our favorite feature of the Philips Premium Air Fryer is its compact shape that still cooks enough food for one to two portions. At 2.5 quarts, it’s the smallest of the Philips air fryers, which comes in XL and XXL sizes. It's also the only air fryer we tested with a splatter lid. In our tests, the lid helped make crisp frozen fries that were moist on the inside, not dried out and evenly golden. It also allows for air frying greasy foods, such as sausages, which are not typically recommended in an air fryer because they can cause smoking. In addition to the lid, the Philips is very easy to use with a user friendly control panel and four preset settings. The basket handle removes for easy cleaning.

The Dash is perfect for people who cook only for themselves. At 1.7 liters, it has a small footprint that can quickly cook one portion of food. A smaller footprint means it takes up less room on your counter, and a smaller basket means easier cleaning. The Dash has a mechanical timer, which makes it a little tricky to program to the exact minute. The temperature dial also doesn’t offer many temperature options, but we use the max 400°F temperature to air fry most foods anyway. We love that it comes in an assortment of colors that pop, unlike most air fryers on the market. The aqua, pictured here, is a fave.