I've spent 5 years testing the best air fryers — these 9 are expert-approved

I've got five years of air fryer testing under my belt, so I'm attuned to finding all the differences in leading air fryer brands such as Ninja, Instant, Cuisinart and Cosori. When choosing a new air fryer, the majority of models will be able to crisp up frozen French fries and roast vegetables without too much trouble, but some are faster, more powerful, and easier to use.

The Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1 is my number one best air fryer for most people thanks to its compact design, tactile controls and powerful cooking. However, if you want something a bit (actually, a lot) smarter, the Dreo ChefMaker is one of the most exciting air fryer releases I've seen recently. It comes with a temperature probe and built-in smart recipes to take the stress out of meal prep.

I've tested and reviewed a range of air fryers as well as some of the best toaster ovens with air fryer functions, to find the best options out there. To assess the performance, I cooked up a range of recipes, scoring each for browning, crisping, evenness, tenderness and moistness. On top of this, I factored in the overall design, including the intuitiveness of the control panel, external surface temperature, and ease of cleaning. I then compiled the results to form the below list, with recommendations for different scenarios. Whether you need a compact design, or a smart toaster oven with all the bells and whistles, these are the best air fryers you can buy.

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The air fryers in this guide have been tested by a number of experts, but the results have been compiled by our Senior Homes Editor Millie, who has five years of rigorous air fryer testing under her belt.

Chosen by

Chosen by

Millie Fender

I've tested 29 air fryers, and counting, from both my own home and Tom's Guide's test kitchen. When testing I consider ease of use first and foremost. Most air fryers will do the basics well, but some lack the quality build and easy cleaning that I look for when testing. That's why I make sure to use each air fryer for a prolonged period before I make my verdict.

Best air fryer for most people

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For the price, you don't get a whole lot of machine with the Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1. However, if you're willing to invest, this is an immensely capable option that wowed us when we put it to the test at home. It's got a five-quart basket, but we found that it was capable of meal prepping for four without any trouble thanks to the improved shape and design of this air fryer when compared to Ninja's earlier models.

When testing, this air fryer crisped up french fries in under 10 minutes, although it could use a 'remind to turn' alarm as we did note it cooks faster at the sides of the basket, leaving the center fries a little less crisp than the ones that lined the exterior. When roasting vegetables, the basket filled up very fast. Despite this, we were able to cook slow and low on the Roast setting and achieved some good charring on our zucchini and peppers.

We did note the shallower basket and overall lower profile of the Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1. It will slot easily under any cabinet and could be stowed in a cupboard easily if you're short on counter space.

Read our full Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1 review.

Best toaster oven air fryer

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We think the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven is the best air fryer if you want the functionality of several appliances in one package. In addition to air frying, it can crisp up bagels, roast a 4-pound chicken, and bake a 12-inch pizza. There’s no preheat required which adds to the cooking time but saves you a step. As it cooks the Cuisinart is very quiet so it won’t prevent you from chatting in the kitchen or having a phone conversation.

Unlike most air fryers, the Cuisinart isn’t housed in plastic and it’s not shaped like a space capsule or giant egg. Instead, it’s constructed of stainless steel and has a boxy design. Not only will it fit neatly on your countertop, it will actually look good. The controls aren’t digital which means they’re very straightforward to operate — you simply set the well-marked dials. However, there are no pre-programmed settings so you have to refer to the manual for air frying temperatures and times.

Read our full Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven review.

Best smart air fryer

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Known for creating some of our favorite tower fans, we didn't expect Dreo to create such an outstanding cooking appliance. And yet, the ChefMaker wowed us so much that we awarded it a Tom's Guide 2024 Award as the most exciting air fryer release of the year.

This smart air fryer interacts with whatever you cook inside it thanks to its temperature probe. We used it to cook medium-rare steaks to an astonishing degree of accuracy, and even achieved some nice browning on the outside. Our fries were crisp and golden, some of the best we've achieved in an air fryer, and when we cooked chicken thighs we simply told the machine what we were cooking, and it alerted us when they were finished according to its probe. Say goodbye to overcooked meat.

Another standout feature is the steam feature, which will infuse steam into the cooking chamber for relevant dishes that are at risk of drying out. This is great for baking and toasting. The only downside is that the basket is best suited to smaller households, and as you'd expect with an air fryer this savvy, it's an expensive option.

Read our full Dreo ChefMaker Combi Fryer review.

Best budget

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The Cosori TurboBlaze comes with pre-set modes for cooking everything from steak to cookies. All in all, it's a well-equipped, powerful air fryer that holds its own among the likes of Ninja and Instant when it comes to quality performance. Cosori is a top brand on Amazon, and you'll often find this air fryer on some sort of promotion, so while it's standard price isn't the lowest, it can be a very affordable option if you pick it up on sale.

When testing, we liked the automatic pre-heat (a setting that's missing from the likes of Ninja), but thought it would benefit from a reminder to shake halfway through cooking, which will help you to achieve a crispier and more even cook on fries or veggies. With a max heat of 450°F though, this is certainly one of the more powerful options we've tested. Frozen chicken nuggets were cooked in under 10 minutes, vegetables roasted after only 8 minutes, and a whole chicken crisp and cooked through in under an hour. If you're a beginner and want an introduction to the world of air fryers, this is a smart choice.

Read our full Cosori TurboBlaze 6-quart review

Easiest to use

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The Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Fry Oven DT201 will deliver exceptional results, no matter which setting you’re using. The display and controls can all be found on the handle, which means this oven is making the most efficient use of its space — this puts the controls in an easy-to-read position as well. It can fit nine slices of bread at once, or a 12 pound turkey and comes with 10 cooking settings including roast, bake, broil and air fry. Two oven racks are also included, which can fit two 12-inch pizzas at once.

When put to the test, we found it was brilliant at baking yellow cake as well as browning toast and air frying chicken wings. Our only real complaint about the design was how hot the glass door grew in use, reaching temperatures as high as 282°F. It’s not the quietest of toaster ovens either, with noise readings of 61.3 dBa. All of the parts are dishwasher safe though for easy cleaning, and the manual couldn’t be more thorough in terms of guiding you through multi-rack cooking.

Read our full Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Fry Oven DT201 review.

Best compact

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The Instant Vortex Slim manages to pack a larger internal capacity than the Ninja 4-in-1 into a super narrow frame. How, you might ask? The answer's in that extra deep basket. Yes, it's not ideal for rounder foods like pizza or even cake, but I found that it actually worked better than a lot of square air fryers for foods like fries or chicken tenders. Broccolini also slotted neatly into place, and came out both tender and a little crisp.

You'll also enjoy the super quiet functions of this air fryer when using it in a smaller home, because it's Quiet Mark certified, meaning the noise level is both low and the quality of sound unobtrusive. It's a gentle whirring that hit 62dB at its highest point, which is significantly quiet than the likes of the Cosori TurboBlaze.

One small complaint I had was that super-sleek control panel. These touch controls look brilliant when sitting on a kitchen counter, but they'll smudge up in seconds if you touch them with greasy fingers. The max temperature isn't bad at 400°F, but the likes of Ninja will go up to 450°F.

Read our full Instant Vortex Slim review.

Most versatile

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You might notice something familiar about this toaster oven — it looks very similar to the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. In fact, the Joule Oven is the upgraded version of this model and we consequently found the design, accessories and cleaning instructions were along the same lines. There were however some minor differences in performance, which is why this upgrade ranked slightly lower.

First, we loved that this toaster oven comes with smart connectivity. Simply download the Joule App recipe assistant and you get step-by-step guidance to create some delicious dishes. Plus, with 13 settings at your disposal on this toaster oven, the possibilities are pretty endless. You can also use Alexa or Google Assistant to change settings or set timers remotely, although we found this was a bit unnecessary.

In terms of performance, the Joule Oven exceeded its Smart Oven predecessor when it came to making toast. It was also slightly better at frying up chicken wings as well as frozen French fries. However, the Smart Oven came out on top when cooking French fries from scratch and breaded chicken. On the whole, recipes emerged beautifully cooked from the Joule Oven and we were particularly impressed by the roast chicken it produced. This model still gets hot to the touch, particularly on the glass, and it’s by no means a cheap investment, but if you love all things tech and you want your toaster oven to make a statement, it’s worth considering.

Read our full Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro review.

Best for beginners

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Sometimes you just need an affordable machine that gets the job done, especially if you're on a budget. As seasoned air fryer testers, we were aware of the fact that we were working with a more budget pick than our top choices in this guide, but the Ultenic K10 Air Fryer would be perfect for beginners. It has 11 pre-sets for an entryway into cooking different dishes, just be wary that not every pre-set will work for everything you cook. Our cupcakes came out a bit too browned for our liking when using the cake pre-set, so use your judgement when getting started.

As for the classics, fries came out crisp and evenly golden, and nuggets didn't need turning for them to come out crisp on both sides. As far as cooking performance goes, this one ticks a lot of boxes.

Where it might fall down is on its promise of WiFi compatibility. We simply couldn't get that to work, but having tested air fryers with app functionality before, we don't think you'll miss much if you have the same trouble.

Read our full Ultenic K10 Air Fryer.

Best for small servings

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The best air fryer for small families is the Dash Compact Air Fryer. It's not much bigger than a coffee maker and does a good job of cooking up an air-fried chicken dinner or hamburgers for just one or two people. With a pair of dials, one for temperature and one for time, it couldn’t be easier to program. When you use the Dash, you may find air frying times are a little on the long side and you will want to be vigilant about tossing your French fries and turning over your chicken cutlets to get evenly browned and crisped results.

Thanks to its petite, cylindrical shape and glossy finish, the Dash Compact Air Fryer is adorable. In addition to black and white, it also comes in red and aqua. The basket is safe for dishwasher cleaning and because it’s small, it won’t hog too much of your precious rack space.

Read our full Dash Compact Air Fryer review.

How we test

To find the best air fryers, we tested a range of popular models to determine how well they air fry as well as how convenient they are to use. In each air fryer, we cooked both frozen and homemade French fries, Brussels sprouts, chicken wings, chicken breasts breaded with Panko crumbs, and hamburgers. We cooked whole chickens in those fryers that had baskets large enough to accommodate them. We added a tablespoon of oil to the made-from-scratch French fries and Brussels sprouts but otherwise added no other ingredients to any items. Everything was cooked on the setting recommended by the manufacturer until tender or cooked to a safe internal temperature. In those models that can toast, we toasted white bread on the light, medium, and dark settings. Each food was evaluated for browning, crisping, and how evenly it cooked and how moist and tender it came out.

To rate the ease of use of each air fryer, we considered how convenient it was to set the controls, slide the basket in and out, and of course, how easy it was to clean up. We checked to see if the manual adequately explained how to use the product, which we think is particularly important in view of the fact that air fryers are more often part of a multifunctional design. We measured the sound level of each air fryer while it was operating to determine how much it would interfere with conversation in the kitchen and took surface temperatures on eight places that the user is likely to touch during cooking to determine if it could be a hazard.

Test results

The following table shows the noise produced from each air fryer in operation as well as the highest recorded external temperature.

How to choose

Air fryers vary in size, shape, capacity and price. The most expensive ones are solidly built, but not necessarily the best at air frying, nor the most convenient to use.

Size: Most air fryers are not only large, but they’re irregularly shaped. Be sure to measure the space on your countertop where you plan to keep your air fryer and the machine itself before making a purchase. Don’t forget to check how much room you have from the counter surface to the bottom of your cabinets if you want to be able to move the fryer back and out of the way when you’re not using it. If you don’t plan on using it often, also consider how heavy the appliance is to see if it will be convenient to lift it in and out of a cabinet or closet.

Capacity: Air fryers are labeled with a wide range of capacities from as little as two quarts to as much as eight. However, the stated capacity is not necessarily a good indication of how much food you can cook at one time. For best results, it’s not a good idea to pile up food to the top of the basket. Few models can cook more than a pound of food like French fries or veggies at a time. When you’re making chicken or hamburgers you’re limited to how many pieces you can fit on the bottom of the basket. It’s more important to check the diameter of the basket than its volume.

Type of Controls: Dial controls are intuitive to operate but offer less precision. To set the time you’re basically turning a mechanical timer that dings when time is up. While digital controls can take a little more work to figure out, they are exact and allow for special settings for various types of food so you don’t have to guestimate what temperature to use and how long to cook.

Other functions: Some air fryers double up as other appliances. This gives you more versatility and means you’ll have fewer products taking up space in your kitchen. However, it also adds to the price of the air fryer so be realistic about whether or not you need the extra functions. Whatever you purchase, air fryers are more versatile than you'd think, here are 7 foods you never knew you could cook in an air fryer.

When to replace your air fryer

An air fryer will last for as long as you take care of it, although there are ways to make an air fryer last longer. There are reports of some breaking within a few months because there are things you should never put in an air fryer, while others last up to eight years. Most brands will offer around three years of warranty. The best way to extend the life of your air fryer is to keep it clean and wash it thoroughly between each use; see our guide on how to clean an air fryer for more details. If you hand wash the basket and avoid using metal tools, the non-stick finish won’t take damage — this is one of the most common problems with air fryers.

Another common complaint is the handle breaking away from the basket. The answer to this, once again, is washing by hand, as being exposed to the high temperatures within a dishwasher won’t help the plastic. Try not to pull on the handle with too much force during everyday use as well. If your air fryer malfunctions, and it’s not under warranty, it’s best to replace it. If you request a repair quote, and find it’s more than half the price of a new air fryer, we recommend replacing the model.

When you’re on the market for a new air fryer, you might notice that there are more options than there’s ever been before. There are compact designs for small families, which will save space on your countertop, and then there are multifunctional options which can bake, toast and roast, as well as air fry. This can get bulky and expensive though, so make sure you only buy what you intend to use. Some can also pressure cook and slow cook as well, such as one of the best instant pots. If you want to air fry two different things at once, some even offer two baskets.

If you're looking at cast iron skillets, we have a guide on the best cast iron skillets to choose from.

Air fryer FAQs