The best air fryers of 2020 are easy to use, easy to clean, and get the job done every time. They cook well, evenly and thoroughly. They give you a nice crisp “fried” texture if used correctly, and help you cook a healthier meal.
WHY YOU NEED AN AIR FRYER
- You’ll save time in the kitchen
- You’ll cook with less fat
- You can easily make healthier versions of your favorite junk food
- Delicious snacks become a breeze
- Perfect for cooking for one or two people, but works for families too!
- Will lower your gas bill because you won’t need your oven much anymore
- Many will cook an entire chicken
TOP 5 AIR FRYERS OF 2020
BEST HEAVY DUTY AIR FRYER
If you need an air fryer that is going to really work hard for you, this is the one you want. It’s a true workhorse, has great food capacity and will air fry one meal after the next without a single hiccup. This is a wonderful air fryer that will last you for years to come. It’s durable and cooks really well.
PROS:
- Reduces and captures any excess fat during cooking.
- Cooks for up to 6 people at once.
- Cooks a whole chicken.
- No warmup required.
- Cooks 4 times faster than a regular oven.
- Multi-fuction appliance: air fry, grill, bake, roast, dehydrate, reheat and toast.
- Has dishwasher-safe removable parts and a quick-clean basket.
CONS:
- This is a larger appliance, so it will take up some room on your counter.
(L x W x H): 17.04 X 12.6 X 12.44
NOTEWORTHY INFO: Make sure to fully read the instruction manual for this air fryer. It’s a workhorse, but you have to understand how to operate it properly. There is a learning curve with every air fryer.
BEST AIR FRYER FOR FAMILIES
This Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven Air fryer is great for cooking larger meals. It can handle the heavier use of a family and cooks larger portions at a time than many air fryers on the market.
PROS:
- Handles the constant usage of many family members.
- Handles larger portions as well as smaller ones. Cook for yourself or cook for the whole family.
- It is a multi-function appliance, so in addition to air frying, you can also convection bake, convection broil, bake, broil, warm and toast.
- Comes with an oven rack, baking pan and air fryer rack/basket.
CONS:
- Runs on the hotter side. You need to keep an eye on your food when you first use this until you learn how it cooks.
NOTEWORTHY INFORMATION: Read your user manual with this one!
BEST SMALL AIR FRYER
PROS:
- Has an auto shut-off function that prevents overcooking.
- Cool exterior making is safer to touch, even for kids!
- The fryer basket is dishwasher safe.
- Cooks 1 lb. of french fries at a time.
- Weighs only 5.7 lbs.
- Easily fits on your counter top with dimensions of 10.2 x 8.1 x 11.4 inches.
- Comes with a companion cookbook and available in several different colors.
- Has great accessories you can order separately. (See here
on Amazon)
on Amazon)CONS:
- Best used for one person at a time. The basket is small.
- The back of the unit can become quite hot, even if the basket stays cool.
- No bells and whistles. A very basic unit.
NOTEWORTHY INFORMATION: This appliance is analog, not digital.
BEST VALUE AIR FRYER
This Instant Vortex Air Fryer gives you the most bang for your buck. The most bells and whistles for your investment.
PROS:
- One touch air frying, baking, roasting and reheating.
- Space saving with 4 appliance functions in one!
- No heating the entire kitchen in the warmer months.
- Does a good job at getting the crispy-fried texture, without all the oil.
- Cool 2 lbs. of fries at once or a 4 lb. whole chicken!
- Digital controls.
- Not overly large with dimensions of 16.5 x 15.3 x 15 inches.
CONS:
- While this is not the biggest air fryer you can buy, it will still take up some counter space. So measure before you buy.
- This model does not toast.
- As with some other air fryers, this will have a tendency to have a plastic smell initially. Clean it well and let it run through a few cycles in a well ventilated area.
BEST AIR FRYER WITH ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES
While not necessarily the cheapest (or the most expensive!), this is the air fryer we use most often. We love everything about it and the majority of recipes you’ll find here are made using this air fryer. It rocks!
PROS:
- You’ll get the functionality of 9 different appliances so you can air fry, roast, broil, bake, toast, reheat, proof, dehydrate and rotisserie
- Cooks up to a 4 lb. chicken (we’ve cooked a 5 pounder!)
- The rotating basket is incredible for making delicious fries out of any veggies with minimal fat! Think sweet potato fries, carrot fries or even butternut squash fries. They all turn out delicious!
- Cooks in about half the time of a regular oven.
- Comes with drip pan, cooking trays, rotisserie basket, rotisserie spit and forks. All are dishwasher safe.
CONS:
- As with some other air fryers, this will have a slight plastic smell in the first round or two of cooking. But it does go away.
- While it does come with two trays, it cooks better when you just use one.
- The rotisserie basket will be very hot after cooking. Make sure you use pot holders to remove it from the oven. This can take a little getting used to, but once you learn how, it’s quick and easy.
- The hinges of the door can be hard to clean properly. Not impossible, but difficult.
- With dimensions of 18 x 16.2 x 15.8 inches, it takes up a bit of space on your counter. But we have found this to be an easy sacrifice to make with an appliance that does so much.
NOTEWORTHY INFORMATION: Make sure to read your users manual. There are a lot of functions on this appliance. It’s best to have a good idea of what you’re doing before you begin to use it.
BENEFITS OF AIR FRYING
There are several benefits of air fryer you’ll want to consider.
- You use so much less oil when you air fry!
- The food retains much of its nutrients because you aren’t deep frying in a gallon of hot oil.
- You cut cooking time in half.
- Many air fryers have multiple functions, which means you can get rid of some of those other appliances cluttering up your counter top.
- Air fryers make delicious food! Is it a bit different from deep fried food? Yes. But is it just as delicious? Yes!! You really can’t go wrong cooking in an air fryer!
THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN THE BEST AIR FRYERS
- Consider how many people you will be cooking for on a regular basis.
For 1-2 people, a 2-quart air fryer is plenty.
For more people, you’ll want a 4-quart or larger. - With basket air fryers, make sure the basket has plenty of room. This is one area where bigger is better. Especially when cooking for more than one or two people. Basket size is everything because it dictates how much food you can make at the same time. You don’t want layers of food in your basket. Think in terms of your food cooking in a single layer.
- In convection oven air fryers, make sure you consider the types of foods you like to cook, and the accessories the air fryer comes with. Be willing to purchase additional accessories if necessary to get the full measure of what your air fryer can do.
- Note that some air fryers require a warmup time, while others do not. Choose according to your preference.
CONCLUSION
If air frying is on your radar, we highly recommend giving it a shot. It’s a wonderful way to cook anything from healthy fries to frozen hand pies.
The above mentioned air fryers are our top pics. We encourage you to do your research beyond this site. Everyone has a different experience with different air fryers. So making sure you get the right one for you is important.
