Air fryers have quickly become popular home kitchen appliances, with chefs using them to produce extra-crispy chicken wings or bring frozen fries back to life. These countertop devices act like sleek turbo toaster ovens capable of roasting, baking and dehydrating food products.
Test results demonstrated that these units quickly heat food while producing a satisfyingly crunchy texture similar to deep frying. When purchasing one, keep your countertop space in mind before making a decision.
1. Cuisinart AWF3500XL
Air fryers have quickly become popular countertop appliances for producing extra-crispy chicken wings and blistered Brussels sprouts quickly, as well as revitalizing frozen fries, pizza slices or bacon that has gone cold in your refrigerator. These appliances utilize hot air circulation technology similar to that found in convection ovens to cook food efficiently and deliciously.
Cuisinart’s AWF3500XL air fryer stands out among our tests as being attractive, easy-to-use, and available in seven vibrant colors. Pressing its power button illuminates preset settings before selecting one to set a timer and begin cooking.
With its large wattage, rotisserie, and extra accessories, this air fryer is an ideal choice for larger households. We found that its fast hand-cut fries cooking speed made it one of the fastest units we tested while its meat cooking accuracy made it one of the most accurate units tested (be sure to monitor temperatures with a thermometer!). Furthermore, it features multiple convenient presets, adjustable temperature settings, and 24-hour auto shutoff timer – ideal features when used at larger households.
2. Cuisinart AWF3600XL
At its heart lies an air fryer, designed to give any dish an irresistibly crunchy exterior. Ideal for family households that frequently cook from scratch or use frozen foods regularly.
Drew Barrymore’s Beautiful home line at Walmart features this toaster oven-esque model in seven vibrant colors with an elegant digital display that illuminates presets. Additionally, this multifunctional device can air fry, roast, dehydrate, bake and warm – plus it comes complete with crisper tray and pizza pan for additional storage! While smaller than some mid-sized air fryers and lacking smart functions (note: not included in February 2023 Cosori recall), this outstanding value offers outstanding value at current pricing.
3. Cuisinart AWF3800XL
If you want to make your own fries, tater tots or chicken nuggets at home, this small air fryer cooks them evenly and quickly. Plus it can heat frozen foods such as samosas or fish sticks without overcooking.
This compact yet sturdy unit can serve two people comfortably, although its controls may be too simple for larger gatherings. It features sturdy construction with intuitive controls for user use.
The latest iteration of this popular appliance boasts all of the functions necessary for full kitchen utility, such as air frying, dehydration, baking, roasting and toasting. Additionally, there’s also a rotisserie function, baking tray and crisper tray, touchscreen display that’s easy to navigate as well as preset options that enable air frying at different times and temperatures – an important feature we found during testing! Finally, its dual basket makes air frying versatile: allow different times or temperatures at which to air fry foods simultaneously! This feature played out throughout our tests!
4. Cuisinart AWF3900XL
Air fryers have quickly become essential kitchen appliances for many home chefs, and it’s easy to understand why. From making extra-crispy Brussels sprouts and taking frozen fries to new levels (even approaching gourmet), these countertop devices offer endless culinary opportunities.
This top-rated model is on sale right now, featuring an easy digital display with presets. Though not the biggest air fryer available, its 4-quart capacity cooks plenty for two people at once and it heats quickly – one of the fastest air fryers we tested!
This air fryer stands out from other models by not automatically preheating before cooking, which may require additional steps for some recipes. Please refer to your owner’s manual in order to find out the right preheat time for this air fryer.
5. Cuisinart AWF3800XL
Cuisinart’s AWF3800XL proved superior in our tests of frozen foods like chicken nuggets, fries and yellow cake; its sleek design made it easier than other large air fryers to use and create golden crisp results for every batch of food we tested.
Drew Barrymore’s Beautiful home line at Walmart comes with this 4.7-star-rated model available in seven colors including whimsical lavender. Featuring nine one-touch cooking functions including air frying, baking, roasting, dehydrating, reheating and dehydration as well as a baking pan, racks and rotisserie spit, you can be sure that it can produce amazing results every time!
These advanced countertop convection ovens resemble toaster ovens in design and function; some even include rotisserie functions. Unfortunately, however, these advanced units may not air fry as quickly or intensely as smaller single air fryers do; check your model owner’s manual to see if manual preheating may be required before purchasing one.
