Best air fryers of May 2024: ranking and price comparison

What is an air fryer?

An air fryer is essentially a small convection oven that sits on your countertop. Despite being called an air fryer, it doesn’t actually fry food. However, the fact that it heats up rapidly and reaches very high temperatures allows it to produce results similar to frying, but without using oil.

Choosing the best air fryer

There’s a huge range of air fryers on the market, so there are various factors to think about when choosing an air fryer that’s right for you. The main things to consider are the type of air fryer, how many people you’ll be cooking for, and the functions you need.

Type of air fryer

There are two main types of air fryer: basket and oven. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, as we'll go into here.

What is a basket air fryer?

As you might guess from the name, basket air fryers have a simple basket that you slide in and out of the air fryer. These are the most common type of air fryer and are very easy to use. They also tend to be easier to clean afterward (the baskets are usually dishwasher safe).

What is an oven air fryer?

Oven air fryers are more like a miniature oven, and have some advantages over basket-style air fryers. They tend to be larger, allowing you to cook more food at once, or types of food that wouldn’t fit in a basket air fryer (such as pizza).

Many models (both basket- and oven-style) also have a rotisserie function that's great for cooking things like chicken.

Functions

Most air fryers come with presets for various functions or types of food, similar to the ones you might find on a microwave. If you don’t mind setting things manually, you might opt for an air fryer with basic heat/temperature controls, such as the Dash Compact. If, on the other hand, you want the most hassle-free air frying experience, you should look for one that has plenty of preset functions. The Cosori Pro II, for example, has various functions such as air frying, toasting, and baking, as well as presets for different food like chicken, french fries, and seafood.

Smart features

Some air fryers also have smart features that make cooking even easier. With these models, you can check on the progress of your food without leaving your couch, simply by checking an app on your phone. The Cosori Pro Smart, for example, can be controlled by your smartphone over Wi-Fi, and also works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

Power

With energy costs much higher than in previous years, many people are asking the question: can an air fryer save me money on electricity bills? Although it depends on your usage, the simple answer is yes. Most air fryers have a wattage of between 1000–2000, which is equivalent to 1–2 kWh (kilowatt hours). Conventional ovens, on the other hand, use an average of between 2000–5000 watts (or 2–5 kWh). If you're looking to buy an air fryer to cut down on your energy bills, it's well worth looking at the wattage to work out how much you can save compared to using a traditional oven.

Capacity

The size is one of the most important factors to consider, with most air fryers having a capacity between 2-6 quarts (litres). If you’re only cooking for 1-2 people, you can get by with a small air fryer (around 2-3 quarts, or litres). On the other hand, if you're planning to cook for your family or gatherings, you may want to consider a larger air fryer capacity of 6 quarts (litres) or more, which should be enough to cook five chicken breasts at a time, to give an indication of the size.

Dual-zone air fryers

You may also wish to consider a dual-zone air fryer if you plan to cook multiple things at once. Dual-zone air fryers have two separate compartments so that, for example, you can cook meat and vegetables simultaneously. Some also have a sync function so that you can have both types of food ready at the same time without having to work out the timings yourself.