[Updated 1 June 2020]Deep-fried food is delicious to eat, but the only problem with it is they are drenched in fatty grease, which can be a prospective health hazard in the long run. The thought of circumventing the tasty deep-fried foods to lead a healthy lifestyle can be a nightmare for many, but in this case, air fryers can be your new best friend. In this article, we have listed the best air fryers available in the market with their positive & negative points.
How does an air fryer work?
An Air fryer is a new age kitchen appliance that cooks food by using the convection mechanism which circulates hot air around the food. When compared to the traditionally Deep-fried food, air fryers requires seventy to eighty percent less oil. The air fryer coats the food with a thin layer of oil and circulates hot air which is about 392 degrees Fahrenheit to cook the food.
Who should use Air Fryers?
Air fryers can be used by people who want to eat healthy food, people who love fried food, those who don’t like to clean up the mess after cooking and for those who would love to cook the food quickly. As air fryers offer its users with low-fat meals it can be used by anyone who loves eating fried foods but without compromising on the taste and texture as that of traditionally fried foods.
What are the advantages of using air fryers?
Air fryers have recently become the next big thing in kitchen appliances, as they offer numerous benefits to the users. Air fryers are useful appliances that can help you prepare deep-fried food in a much healthier way, as they prepare food which has around eighty percent lesser fats when compared to deep-fried foods. They produce food that tastes exceptionally wonderful without making the food dry from the inside and also without affecting the crispy feeling from the outside.
Besides the fried foods, air fryers can also help you to bake eggs, roast chicken and even prepare desserts like muffins and cupcakes. Another added advantage of the air fryers is that they are economical when compared to the traditional oil fryers.
In addition to helping you save calories some of the other notable advantages of using air fryers is that it is easier to clean, it saves ample of time, prepares meals quickly and it will surely prevent your house from stinking.
Facts to consider before buying an air fryer
To make a good decision regarding the purchase of the best air fryer, it is extremely important that you check the options available in the market. All air fryers work in a similar fashion, i.e. circulation of hot air around the food to cook, therefore it becomes necessary to check the features offered by the air fryers. Some of the features which you should carefully check before purchasing are further outlined below:
Capacity
The capacity of the air fryer matters to a great extent, and it depends on the number of members in your family. There are different types of units available in the market with different capacity, the smaller units have the capacity of 1 to 2 liters whereas the medium size air fryers have a capacity of 1.8 to 2.8 liters. Some of the larger units have a capacity of 5 liters or more. So, if you have a small family of 2-3 people then you can opt for a smaller air fryer. If your family size is around 4-5 people, you should opt for the medium size air fryer. For larger families, where a whole chicken is normally cooked at once, the larger unit would be in order.
Wattage
Before you purchase the air fryer to ensure that the power outlet in your kitchen can support the wattage consumption of the appliance. Air fryers come in different wattages, but the best ones are available with wattage levels of around 1500 Watts. There are models that have more than 1500 watts as well. So, make sure the power outlet of your kitchen can support such wattage levels.
Settings
Comparing the features of the air fryers can help with your decision making. There are air fryers which come with a variety of preset functions, which allows you to cook your favorite delicacies with just one touch of a button. The machine takes care of the timing and calculations, so you need not stand and watch your favorite delicacies being prepared. There are air fryers that allows you to roast veggies, prepare desserts, make your favorite French fries and lots more, so based on your cooking needs you can select the type of air fryer you need.
Features
There are lots of air fryers available in the market which can cook two different food delicacies at the same time. This is possible because they have two separate levels or compartments in the basket which makes cooking easy and quickly.
Now when you know the advantages of using an air fryer, and the facts to consider before buying one, it’s time for us to discuss 7 of the best air fryers available in the market today.
Best Air Fryers
Cosori Air Fryer
Let’s start with the aesthetic look of this air fryer first, Cosori comes in black color and boasts of astonishing brush matte finish.
The make and design of this air fryer is sleep and professional even though it’s made of coarse plastic.
When compared to the other air fryers in the market, one of the best things about the Cosori air fryer is that it comes with a 5.8-quart square nonstick basket which allows you to cook more food at one go.
What I like about this air fryer is the one-touch LED panel, where the 11 original presets along with other buttons, are displayed. The display buttons are round in shape and display icons that are universally coherent. One of the small yet effective details of the display button is that it glows in white when in use and it is also ergonomically angled so you don’t have to bend over to look at the buttons.
The Positives:
- Avail extended warranty with no extra cost
- Comes with a detailed manual in multiple languages
- Detachable and non-stick basket
- Dishwasher safe
- Comes with Keep warm and Pre-Heating functions
- Switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius
- 11 preset functions with adjustable temperature
- Shake reminder option which reminds you to flip or shake your food
- You also get a cookbook with more than 100 recipes
The negatives:
- You have to give a tug to the bottom bucket to open it.
- When the fryer is in use the bottom bucket sticks to the drawer, however, it doesn’t affect the cooking.
Ninja Air Fryer AF101
The Ninja AF 101 is a medium-size air fryer which comes with a 4-Quart ceramic quoted basket.
The air fryer is capable to cook around two lbs of fries and is apt for a family of 3 to 5 people.
When compared to other models available in the market, Ninja AF 101 is a state of art air fryer with lots of options that are not available in most of the air fryers.
One of the best features of this air fryer is that it has four preset programmed functions which make cooking easy. The four preset functions which I am talking about are the Air Fry, Roast, Reheat and Dehydrate respectively. The best thing about Ninja AF 101 is that it is FDA certified and is also PFOA, PTFE and BPA free.
The Positive:
- The best ceramic coating on the grill plate and basket
- All accessories are dishwasher safe
- Wide temperature range
- Does not leave hot air from the bottom of the unit
- Comes with a unique crisp plate
- Set your own time and temperature
The negatives:
- The sides of this air fryer get very hot while in use
- Comes with only one rack and the size is of the rack is also small
- The spacing in between the rack is also too big
- Comes with only 12 recipe cooking guide
- Doesn’t come with an automatic pause button
OMORC Air Fryer
OMORC Air fryer can serve a family of 2-8 people and can be an apt kitchen appliance if you have frequent parties, or small gatherings, as it comes with a 6-quart basket.
One of the best features of this air fryer is that it comes with seven presets for cooking fish, chicken legs, pork chops, steaks, cake, French fries, and shrimp.
The innovative combination of touch control and the knob is unique and can’t be found in other standard units. All you have to do is press the M button on the control panel, turn the knob to select the desired option and press the Push button to get started.
The detachable basket which measures 9.1*9.4*4.5 has a nonstick coating is dishwasher safe, is PFOA free and BPA free and it’s also FDA approved.
The Positives:
- Comes with a 2-year warranty for quality problems and lifetime support
- Wide temperature range (180 to 400 degree F)
- Has an auto shut off function
- Raid heat air circulation functionality
- The stainless steel parts are two twice thicker
- Dishwasher safe and easy to clean
- The extra knob is oily/wet finger-friendly
The Negatives:
- Disappointing nonstick coating
- The usual manual lacks information
- Confusing preset icons
- The cookbook only has 9 recipes in English out of the 30.
- The smell of plastic is too strong
Philips HD9650-96
Philips HD9650-96 or Philips Air Fryer XXL comes with a unique Twin TurboStar technology which allows you to cook your favorite delicacies with less or one tablespoon of oil.
The Philips HD9650-96 is the largest air fryer manufactured by the company, as it comes with 4 quarts or 3lbs capacity which can allow you to cook in bulk.
One of the unique features of this air fryer which grabbed my attention is that it can remove and capture excess fat from the food and stores it in a fat reducer which is at the bottom of the unit.
Besides frying, you can even bake, grill and roast your favorite food with this air fryer.
Users can also download the Philips Air Fryer App as it contains all the necessary tips and tutorials to run the appliance perfectly.
There are lots of air fryers in the market which require preheating, but with Philips Air Fryer XXL you can start cooking your favorite food instantly as the air fryer heats up immediately.
The Positives:
- Allows you to cook food in large batches
- No preheating required
- All removable parts are dishwasher safe
- Wide temperature range
The Negatives:
- Extremely difficult to clean it with hands
- Confusing temperature controls
- Over expensive
Yedi Air Fryer comes with a 5.8-quart basket which can make it easier for you to cook large batches easily and quickly.
What I liked about this air fryer is the LED touch screen panel where you can manually select from the many preset cooking functions or you can simply set the cooking temperature and time.
This air fryer comes with varieties of accessories like the cupcake and egg bites mold, heat resistant mat, perforated papers, pizza pan, 8-inch cake carrel, multipurpose rack with skewers, cooking basket divider and the cookbook which has more than 100 easy to follow recipes. The cooking basket divider also allows you to cook two meals at once.
The Positives:
- Comes with 2 years warranty
- Automatic shutdown functionality
- Easy to use preset program
- Dishwasher safe, FDA approved, PFOA and BPA Free
- Access to iOS and Android Mobile application
- Comes with a Recipe book with than 100 recipes
- Extremely easy to clean
The Negatives:
- Non-Stick coating wears off in a few months
- The strong smell of burnt plastic
- Difficult to use until you get to hand off
- The quality of the make is not up to the mark
Secura 4.0 liter Electric Air Fryer
The combination of high-speed air circulation and hot air used by Secura Air Fryer has made the cooking process easier and quicker.
When compared to the other medium-size air fryers, the size of the frying basket is relatively large. The 4.2 Quart frying basket allows you to fry your favorite snacks in large quantities, or even cook a whole meal for your family.
This air fryer comes with additional accessories like the skewers and extra rack with which you can plan to cook your favorite delicacy.
One of the notable features of this air fryer is that it has an auto shut off functionality which shuts off the unit when the food is cooked, thus preventing it from burning.
The cord of this air fryer is 3 feet 8 inches long so you can easily place it at the nearby kitchen countertop.
The Positives:
- 2 years limited warranty from the manufacturer
- Variable Temperature Control (180-390 degree F)
- Dishwasher safe pan and accessories
- Large capacity
- Timer up to 60 minutes
The Negatives:
- Durability issues (normally breaks down within a year)
- Doesn’t have a digital touch screen
- Non-Stick Coating peels off quickly
GoWISE USA Air Fryer
GoWise Air Fryer dons a sleek, professional and modern look.
It also features a modern touch screen design that displays the eight pre-programmed functions for easy and quick cooking. With these eight preset functions, you can easily cook your favorite food items like fries/chips, cake, pork, pizza, chicken, shrimp, fish, and shrimp. You can also use the manual functions to set the temperature and time based on your cooking needs.
The GoWISE Air fryer features a 5.8-quart basket that comes with a basket divider, which therefore allows you to cook 2 meals at a time.
This air fryer is ready to go, as it doesn’t require preheating before using it.
Another amazing feature of this air fryer is that it has a built-in alarm which reminds you to shake or flip your food.
The Positives:
- It has a large capacity
- PFOA free and FDA certified
- Cookbook with 50 Recipes included
- Extended temperature range of 180-400 degree F
- Comes in four colors (Matte Black, White, Chili Red, and Plum)
- Comes with a Start/Stop button
- 30 minutes Timer
The negatives:
- You have to buy the accessories separately
- The coating of the pans wears off within a few months
The Final Verdict
Hopefully, these insights into these 7 quality air fryers will help you make your purchasing decision. Based on the features, pros, and cons of the best air fryers we have shortlisted above, the Cosori Air fryer is selected as our editor’s choice, with a close second going to the GoWISE USA Air Fryer. In all reality, you likely would be happy with either of these air fryers, as both offer good value for money and have lots to offer to the users.