The best air fryer 2023: top air fryers for quicker, healthier cooking

Having one of the best air fryers in your kitchen makes getting dinner together so much easier. Not only are they fairly inexpensive, but they save time, don’t require too much space in the kitchen, and can help you create healthier meals, especially if you often cooked with oil. 

If you’re new to air fryers, just know that they don’t actually fry anything. They’re convection ovens that use a fan to not only heat up quickly but circulate the hot air for even cooking results. 

They also require 20% less time and temperature to cook the same recipe as a traditional oven. On top of that, many models have multiple presets for even more functionality, so you can also bake, dehydrate, broil, and more. Some air fryers even have two baskets so you can cook two different foods at two different temperatures at once.

If you care particularly about that multi-functionality, you might also be interested in checking out our best Instant Pot cookers guide. Brands like Ninja and Instant have a whole range of products that combine air frying with other functions like pressure cooking for a one-stop cooking shop.

But, for the best air fryers, we’ve collected our top picks here. We’ve tested different models from different brands and every option you see here has gone through rigorous real-world testing, which includes how well they cook, how easy they are to clean, and how useful their presets are, among other factors such as price. With that in mind, here are the best air fryers available right now.

Be sure to check out our picks of the best Black Friday air fryer deals as well so you can get them for even cheaper.

The quick list

With so many options out there, we made it simpler for you to choose the best air fryer for your needs. Whether you have a small household, are preparing for a feast, or need one that meets all you everyday cooking needs, our list should have something for you. And we've all tested and approved every single one.

The best air fryer 2023: tried and tested

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

The best air fryer overall

The side view of the Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 air fryer with ClearCook and OdourEase

(Image credit: TechRadar)
The best air fryer overall

Specifications

Style: Basket fryer
Wattage: 1700W
Capacity: 6 quart / 5.7-liter
Cooking modes: Air-fry, roast, bake, reheat, broil and dehydrate

Reasons to buy

+
Crisp, evenly browned results
+
Window let you check on food during cooking
+
Reduces cooking smells

Reasons to avoid

-
Crisper plate falls out if basket tipped up too high
-
Display suffers from fingerprint marks

The brand behind the iconic Instant Pot also makes air fryers, and its top-of-the-range model consistently turned out the crispiest fries and chicken wings of any air fryers we tested. In our testing, the fries had crisp exteriors but soft, fluffy insides, and the chicken was moist, while its skin was crispy and retained loads of flavor. 

The Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 Air Fryer with ClearCook & OdourErase builds on the previous iteration, the Instant Vortex Plus, with a plastic window in the basket, and a light, that lets you keep an eye on food while it's cooking, and has a built-in filter to reduce smells too. 

However, it doesn't come with any cooking charts, which means you will need to spend time experimenting to achieve the right cooking duration and temperature, particularly when it comes to frozen food. We also found the crisper plate falls out if the basket is tipped up too much when removing food, and the display suffers from fingerprint marks. However, these are minor gripes on what is in our eyes, the best air fryer on the market right now.

Read our full Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 with ClearCook & OdourErase review

The best budget air fryer

The side view of the Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer L501

(Image credit: TechRadar)
The best budget air fryer

Specifications

Style: Basket fryer
Wattage: 1500W
Capacity: 5-quart / 4.7-liter capacity
Cooking modes: Air fry

Reasons to buy

+
Produces crisp fries and chicken wings
+
Sleek, minimalist design
+
Seven presets for dishes such as bacon and seafood

Reasons to avoid

-
Struggles with frozen foods
-
Requires some experimentation to achieve evenly browned results

If you want a budget-friendly air fryer that's as stylish as it is effective, then the Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer L501 is worth considering. Unlike any of the air fryers we’ve tested previously, the LED and touch control panel is located on the glossy top of this kitchen gadget creating a streamlined look. 

On test, we found the air fryer produced crisp, crunchy fries with soft, fluffy potato inside and succulent juicy chicken wings. However, it struggled to evenly brown foods, so we found ourselves tweaking cooking times, and it wasn't effective when cooking frozen foods either.

It has seven presets for dishes such as bacon, seafood, and cake. It also has a reminder to shake, which can be activated when setting the cooking time that will alert you halfway through cooking so you can turn the food to achieve an even crisp. 

Read our full Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer L501 review

The best money no object air fryer

Dreo Chefmaker on a table

(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)

3. Dreo Chefmaker

The best money no object

Specifications

Style: Basket
Wattage: 1800W
Capacity: 6 qt / 5.7 liters
Cooking modes: Chef Mode, Classic Cook, Probe Cook

Reasons to buy

+
Precise cooking
+
Transparent glass basket
+
Easy-to-use interface
+
Dishwasher-safe components

Reasons to avoid

-
Pricey
-
Doesn’t have the usual presets

We're almost done with our testing and review of the Dreo Chefmaker, and we can already attest to its cooking prowess and its ability to deliver moist-on-the-inside and crispy-on-the-outside results. That’s due to the fact that this air fryer is able to cook more precisely than many others.

While it’s missing a lot of the usual presets – at least without app support – it offers Chef Mode, Classic Cook, and Probe Cook, so that you can either fine-tune the cooking experience, set it and forget it, or have the Chefmaker cook your food until its internal temperature is right where you want it, thanks to a nifty probe aka food thermometer that’s included in the box.

The transparent glass basket is also a nice addition as you can keep visual tabs on your food without pulling the basket out. We also appreciate the fact that the components are dishwasher safe. And, though water atomization and super convection seem like buzzwords that Dreo applies here, make no mistake. This is a powerful, if pricey, air fryer.

The best air fryer toaster oven

Cuisinart Air Fryer Mini Oven

(Image credit: Future)
The best air fryer toaster oven

Specifications

Style: Toaster oven
Wattage: 1800W
Capacity: 17 liter
Cooking modes: Air fry, convection bake, convection broil, bake, broil, warm, toast

Reasons to buy

+
Seven cooking functions
+
Quiet and discreet
+
Plenty of room

Reasons to avoid

-
Door can fog up
-
Takes up a lot of counter space
-
Expensive

While most choices on this list are basket fryers, this offering from Cuisinart raises the bar with its mini oven or oven toaster design. The Cuisinart TOA-60 Air Fryer Mini Oven is a little more expensive than the others, but you're getting a lot of bang for your buck as it offers every cooking function you could need. 

It doesn't just air fry, roast, bake, and reheat. It also convection bakes, convection broils, bakes, and toasts. And, we found it to be a powerful air fryer whose seven functions performed well during testing. Just bear in mind that, as in our experience, it takes a bit of tweaking and guesswork to get cooking times and temperatures right.

Finally, while the air frying function doesn’t make full use of its generous capacity, its spacious interior does grant more real estate to spread out your food while cooking. Plus, as it's several cooking appliances in one, you're also saving counter space.

Read our full Cuisinart TOA-60 Air Fryer Mini Oven review

The best for first-time users

Frozen fries in the ultenic k10

(Image credit: Future / Helen McCue)
Th best entry-level air fryer

Specifications

Style: Basket air fryer
Wattage: 1500W
Capacity: 5.3-quart / 5-liter
Cooking modes: shrimp, French fries, wings, steak, vegetable, fish, onion rings, pizza, bacon, cake, and toast

Reasons to buy

+
Reminder to shake foods
+
Optional auto preheat
+
Produces great food

Reasons to avoid

-
Controls on top
-
App requires 2.4GHz WIFI connection

If you're yet to ever own an air fryer, a little nervous to try out a new appliances and / or are conscious about spending money, the Ultenic K10 is a good one to consider.

During our review we couldn’t fault the food we cooked in it. With features such as keep warm, automatic preheat, as well as a reminder to shake foods, there’s certainly nothing lacking from the control panel, even with the wallet-friendly price tag. It isn't able to perform any other feature, other than air fry, but the app and 11 presets will make it a really easy-to-use and nice addition to the kitchen countertop.

A particular feature we loved is that there's a little beep half way through select cooking modes to remind you to shake the foods. You won't be able to cook two food types at the same time, though, and the controls are on the top so placing it on a high counter may not be the best position for it.

Read our full Ultenic K10 review

The quietest air fryer