How we test air fryers: Our ultimate guide to top models, recipes, and more

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Air fryers are now a mainstay in many kitchens, used for everything from quickly heating frozen treats to preparing a whole meal without using a house-heating oven. The air fryer has proven itself to be a useful appliance that can do the work of an oven, toaster, dehydrator, and more.

To find the best air fryers, we've tested over 60 models by putting them through objective tests while also using them daily in our kitchens. We determined the best small air fryers for apartments and single-person households, plus the best air fryer toaster ovens for maximum versatility. This guide highlights the tips, tricks, and wisdom gained from our experiences to help demystify this popular machine.

Our top-rated air fryers

Are air fryers worth it?

Yes. After testing over 60 models, we're convinced that air fryers are worth the cost and counter space. When air fryers first exploded in popularity, we thought they were a gimmick, but experience proved to us that air fryers are versatile and efficient small appliances.

For the last six years, I've had at least one air fryer (and often a few) on my kitchen counter. I use an air fryer to cook anything that I would usually toss in the best microwave or traditional oven. My favorite use is to air fry leftovers. Unlike a microwave, air fryers make foods crispy without drying them out, which means your pizza and french fries taste the same as when you first ordered them.

During the summer, I like that air fryers don't give off much heat, so you can keep your oven off when cooking. Plus, they preheat and cook faster than a standard oven, so your food is ready faster. Air fryers also work well when there is no space for an oven or if you are just cooking for one or two people. I've even been known to bring an air fryer to parties so I can cook my famous bacon-wrapped dates on-site without getting in the host's way.

How we test air fryers

In the six years I've tested appliances professionally, I've evaluated over 60 air fryers and air fryer toaster ovens. In that time, I've developed several standard tests to determine how well an air fryer performs. Here's a detailed look at what we assess and how we do it.

Setup and user-friendliness

I try to approach testing each unit as if I were new to the process. To determine if the controls are intuitive, I don't reference the user manual during setup. Ideally, you should be able to select the function (air fry, toast, warm, etc.), time, and temperature without referencing instructions. Still, I recommend that newbies familiarize themselves with the user manual to be more comfortable.

Air fryer frozen foods

Air fryers are celebrated for cooking frozen goodies quickly and deliciously. To test this, I cook a pound of Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Fast Food French Fries in each unit (half a pound in small air fryers) at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for eight minutes, shaking the basket at the halfway point. After eight minutes, I check the fries to see if they are golden. If not, I add more time. 

Once they achieve their ideal doneness, I taste-test the fries to see how evenly cooked and fry-like they are. The ideal fry is restaurant-quality: crisp on the outside but not dried out on the inside. I also evaluate how quickly the air fryers cook the fries. On average, it takes about 12 minutes.

When testing air fryer toaster ovens, I also make frozen pizza. I cook the pizza at 425 degrees until the cheese starts to brown. Then, I evaluate how evenly cooked the pizza is, including the crust's crispiness. Time is a major factor in our rating. On average, air fryer toaster ovens take eight minutes to preheat and 11 minutes to cook the pizza in our tests.

Testing air fryer chicken

One of the most popular recipes is air fryer chicken wings, so we found out which models make them best. I toss the wings with olive oil and season them before arranging a single layer in the air fryer basket: one pound in full-size air fryers and half a pound in small ones. I air fry the wings at 400 degrees for 16 minutes, flipping once at the halfway mark. 

After cooking, I use a meat thermometer to ensure the wings have reached a safe internal temperature (165 degrees). Then, I taste-test the wings for evenness, crispiness, and moistness. All the air fryers cooked wings in 16 minutes, but they varied greatly in crispiness and even browning. The best air fryer for wings so far has been the Midea dual-basket air fryer.

When testing air fryer toaster ovens, I air fry a whole chicken, following the recipe in "Toaster Oven Takeover." I time how long the toaster oven takes to preheat and how long it takes before the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature. The average preheat time is six minutes, and the chicken takes about 69 minutes to cook fully. I evaluate the evenness, the meat's juiciness, and the skin's crispiness. I've found Ninja air fryer toaster ovens tend to do the best in this test.

Cooking fresh vegetables

In general, I haven't been impressed with air-fried vegetables. We used to test air fryers by cooking hand-cut fries, but this method is too labor-intensive for a time-saving appliance. Plus, the resulting fries are far inferior to the frozen variety. Now, we test air fryers with broccoli florets.

I spray a pound of broccoli florets (half a pound in small air fryers) with olive oil and lightly salt them. Then, I cook them at 375, checking for doneness after eight minutes, and add more time if the stems aren't tender. The ideal is tender stems and evenly cooked florets that aren't burned but lightly crisped. However, most of the time, the florets start to burn while the stems are still quite hard. On average, the air fryers take about 12 minutes to cook the broccoli in our tests, and the Midea was among the best at it, though the broccoli still came out a bit dry.

Cleaning

You'll want to clean any components that come in contact with food after each use, including the basket and crisping tray. We give bonus points to air fryers with dishwasher-safe pieces. I've found washing the crisping tray in the dishwasher is best because it doesn't take up much space, and cleaning the debris from the little vents and slots by hand can be a pain. I wash the basket by hand because the gunk comes off easily, and it frees up dishwasher space.

Read our full guide on how to clean an air fryer. You can make clean-up easier by using aluminum foil, parchment paper, or a silicone air fryer liner.

Air fryer versus toaster oven

Most of today's toaster ovens have air frying capabilities. When you do find a non-air-frying toaster oven, it may cost less, but it likely lacks the versatility of an air-frying model. 

For the sake of this comparison and based on current trends, we'll consider all "toaster ovens" to be air fryer toaster ovens. We'll consider "air fryers" to be the pod-like basket air fryers. I've tested dozens of each style, and I've found basket air fryers cook faster, are more affordable, and take up less counter space. Air fryer toaster ovens have a larger capacity and offer more cooking functions.

Air fryer recipes

Since air fryers use the same technology as convection ovens, they can bake, roast, and sometimes toast and dehydrate food alongside air frying. Often, during the summer, my oven sits unused as I make most meals in an air fryer since it doesn't heat the house as much. Below are links to some of our favorite air fryer recipes. You can also check out our article on all the best air fryer recipes.

• Air fryer bacon: Add a little water or a slice of bread to the basket and cook at a lower temperature to prevent smoking and to ensure you don't overcook your bacon.
• Air fryer french fries: For crispier fries, wash and soak the hand-cut potatoes to remove excess starch.
• Air-fryer baked potato: For a crispier skin, lightly oil the potato; there is no need to pierce it.
• Air fryer hot dogs: Remember to add the hot dog bun to the basket at the end of the cook to toast it.