Whether it’s part of a New Year’s resolution or simply an additional step in developing a healthier lifestyle, more and more people are turning to air fryers to prepare and enjoy delicious, nutritious meals. Thanks to breakthroughs in cooking technology, air fryers allow home cooks to prepare a wide variety of savory dishes without the negative consequences of bathing foods in oil.
The Benefits of Using an Air Fryer
Although they are touted as being “fryers”, air fryers are actually advanced enclosed ovens that used forced hot air to cook in a number of styles, including frying, baking, and grilling. Whereas a traditional deep fryer is restricted to durable foodstuffs that can be immersed in high-temperature oils, an air fryer can cook a variety of different recipes, including making souffles and other forms of delicate pastries.
Air fryers use temperature controls, timers, and different forced air styles in order to achieve a number of different cooking styles. It is always best to consult the instruction manual or user guide to get the best results from your air fryers, as all models are slightly different.
When it comes to duplicating the same effects as standard frying, air fryers often do require the use of a small amount of oil. Depending on your dietary needs and goals, the amount of oil used in an air fryer can be adjusted, resulting in a substantial reduction in the amount of saturated fats in popular dishes like French fries, potato chips, fish, shrimp, chicken, and other cuts of meat.
Tips on Buying an Air Fryer
Different models of air fryers use slightly different technologies in order to cook food. Some manufacturers use a special proprietary technology while others employ different terms, but effectively all air fryers operate by circulating extremely hot air in a contained space in order to cook food evenly. If looking large volumes of food is important to you, look for air fryer models that have multiple fans and/or have higher power fans.
Beyond price and design, other factors to consider are when and how you plan to use your air fryer. Pre-heating the unit before cooking is usually a mandatory step, and you will also need to factor in the amount of time it will take for the air fryer to cool down before you can clean it and put it away. Since an air fryer is a substantial kitchen appliance, it’s also important to find a design that will complement your home’s decor.
All air fryers are rated in terms of the total volume of foods that they can cook. If you are planning on using an air fryer to prepare large portions of food for multiple people, it is essential that you find a large-capacity model that can successfully cook bigger volumes of food.
Most air fryers use a digital control panel to adjust the temperature and other settings. One of the benefits of a self-contained frying appliance is that most models have a timer that can be set, allowing the cook to focus on other activities while the appliance does all of the work. Other models of air fryers have features like indicator lights and a stand-by mode to alert cooks to when the food is ready and to prepare overcooking and burning.
Remember that the interior of the air fryer will become extremely hot with use. Always follow the instruction manual or user guide for proper cleaning and maintenance. Generally speaking, it is recommended that only soft sponges be used to clean the interior of the air fryer in order to avoid scratching the surface.
Check out our Top 10 Best Air Fryer on the market with these mini reviews
After carefully researching the models, makes, and styles of air fryers currently on the market, we have created the following list of what we believe are the 10 best air fryers available for sale today.
GoWISE USA GW22621
From one of the premiere manufacturers of air fryers, the GoWISE GW22621 features a stylish design in one of four primary colors that can rapidly cook up to 3.7 quarts of food at temperatures ranging from 175 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The GoWISE GW22621 comes with a touch screen to select from seven different presets or to manually program the air fryer. The cooking basket is detachable and ELF certified, allowing home cooks to directly serve food from the unit to the plate. A special button guard on the GoWISE GW22621 keeps the basket in position during cooking.
Best Choice Products Electric Air Fryer
Available in one of three sleek color designs, the Best Choice Products can easily fry, bake, grill, and roast foods at temperatures ranging from 176 to 392 degrees Fahrenheit. An auto shut-off feature and 30-minute timer keeps foods from burning or overcooking in the Best Choice Products fryer. Able to speedily ramp up to the ideal temperature, the Best Choice Products fryer is both free of BPA plastic and is CSA, UTL, and UL certified. The pan of the Best Choice Products can cook up to 4.4 quarts of food while the detachable cooking basket makes it easy to transfer foods from the unit to the plate.
Philips Airfryer
One of the most popular models on the market, the Philips air fryer comes in your choice of solid black or elegant white. The Philips air fryer comes with an instruction manual and a recipe book with over 150 suggestions for preparing a wide range of meals, including breakfast, dinner, and dessert. The patented starfish design on the bottom allows for a more complete circulation of air to rapidly and efficiently cook food evenly on all sides. The Philips air fryer measures 13.8 by 13.8 by 15.1 inches and is easy to clean up after use.
NuWave 36001 Brio Air Fryer
Available in a sleek black design, the NuWave 36001 Brio can cook up to 3.5 quarts of food at temperatures ranging from 100 to 390 degrees Fahrenheit. A special pre-heat feature allows the NuWave 36001 Brio to quickly obtain the optimal temperature for cooking. The NuWave 36001 Brio comes with a special safety feature to prevent the unit from operating when the basket is not locked in place, and the basket has a specially-designed grate to allow for even and efficient cooking. The food basket of the NuWave 36001 Brio has a durable non-stick coating that is safe for the use in the dishwasher, and it is simple and easy to clean the rest of the unit.
Big Boss 9063 Oil-Less Fryer
With a powerful 1300-Watt design, the Big Boss 9063 is available in one of six different colors. The Big Boss 9063 is unique in that it uses a combination of infrared lights, halogen lights, and convection air to rapidly and efficiently cook a variety of different foods. The Big Boss 9063 comes with two different trays to allow for cooking different kinds of food while the unique three different heating techniques allow for food to be cooked up to three times faster than conventional ovens. The Big Boss 9063 measures 16 by 12.5 by 13.5 inches.
NutriChef Electric Air Fryer
With a pleasing rotund black design, the NutriChef combines the power of a halogen with circulating air to rapidly and efficiently cook a wide varieties of foods. The 1400-Watt design of the NutriChef can easily cook frozen foods, and the 30-minute timer allows home cooks to focus on other items while food is being prepared. The slide-out frying basket makes it simple to transfer food directly from the unit to the plate. The basket of the NutriChef comes with an advanced Teflon non-stick coating for easy clean up and operation. The NutriChef measures 10.8 by 10.5 by 12.1 inches.
Farberware Multi-functional Powerful and Versatile Air Fryer
With a sleek black design, the Farberware air fryer is ideal for baking, grilling, roasting, and frying a variety of foods with a minimum amount of oil. The cool-touch housing and handle is a great safety feature along with the food basket lock that prevents unwanted releases of the food being cooked. The Farberware air fryer comes with a timer that can be set as high as 30 minutes, and the auto shut-off feature prevents foods from being overcooked or burned. The Farberware measures 26.6 by 14 by 13.2 inches, and the food basket and basket holder are both safe for use in a dishwasher. The Farberware fryer also comes with a recipe book.
Power Air Fryer XL
Ideal for cooks wanting to prepare large volumes of food, the Power Air Fryer XL features a generous 5.3 quart cooking basket and is available in two different distinctive color designs. The Power Air Fryer XL comes with a digital touch panel that allows cooks to choose between seven pre-sets, and the unit has a safety auto shut off feature whenever the Power Air Fryer XL is opened that automatically resumes where it left off once the appliance is closed. The Power Air Fryer XL measures 14 by 13.9 by 12.8 inches.
Della Electric Air Fryer
Available in one of three primary color designs, the Della air fryer can cook foods between 175 and 392 degrees Fahrenheit. A protective cover on the basket release button prevents accidental dislodgment during the cooking process, while two rugged knob controls allow cooks to set both the cooking temperature and a timer. The Della Electric Air Fryer is ELT certified and measures 14 by 14 by 16 inches. The Della Electric Air Fryer is powered by a 1500-Watt motor with a cooking basket measuring 2.8 quarts in volume and a frying pan area measuring 4.4 quarts in volume. The Della Electric Air Fryer also comes with a pair of tongs and a recipe book.
NutriChef Halogen Cooking Convection Oven Air-Fryer
Few kitchen appliances are as versatile as the NutriChef PKAIRFR48 that uses a combination of a halogen lamp, infrared lights, and convection air to rapidly and efficiently cook food with a minimum of oil. Available in either black or white, the NutriChef can defrost, broil, grill, barbecue, steam, roast, steam, and fry a wide variety of foods using little or no oil. The NutriChef comes with a timer and temperature control to precisely cook food every time. An automatic power-off feature prevents overheating and overcooking while the stainless steel cooking bowl and other parts are simple and easy to clean. The NutriChef measures 14 by 8.9 by 13.5 inches in size.
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