7 Best Air Fryers of 2023 [Tested and Reviewed]

The Instant Vortex is a compact kitchen gadget with a two-quart capacity. Alongside its air frying capabilities, it comes with roast, bake, and reheat modes, each programmed with the ideal temperature and time settings. The square two-quart basket is the perfect size for cooking for two people. 

In our testing, fried chicken made with this air fryer was truly delicious. It managed to retain the juiciness of smaller pieces, which typically tend to dry out with high-temperature air cooking. On the other hand, frozen fries came out with a crunchy texture quite similar to potato chips. The unmistakable flavor of potato was still there, though, for fans of a softer texture, thicker slices are recommended. The potato wedges cooked in this fryer also benefited from an even heat distribution, preserving the right amount of moisture. We found that this air fryer keeps dishes deliciously moist, not overly dry.

This air fryer earned high marks not only for its performance but also for its ease of use. Its lightweight basket, weighing one pound three ounces, is simple to maneuver single-handedly. There's an alert to remind you when to give it a shake. Plus, adjusting temperature and time settings is a breeze using its dials. 

This air fryer has a built-in safety mechanism that stops heating as soon as the basket is removed. Only just the basket and the net need a wash, and the net is dishwasher-friendly. The interior simply needs a quick wipe-down. It also pairs with a dedicated app that has a host of unique recipes to try out. This air fryer is ideal for anyone looking to enjoy delicious meals daily while cutting down the fuss of cooking.

The Philips Premium Airfryer XXL is an air fryer with a seven-quart capacity that claims it can reduce fat content by as much as 90 percent. Its design combines a rounded body with a square basket, simplifying ingredient arrangement. In addition to air frying, you can also roast, bake, grill, and reheat. Plus, it comes with a recipe book for culinary inspiration. 

This air fryer produces frozen fries that hit the sweet spot between being moist, having a crispy surface, and bringing out an authentic potato taste. Fried chicken, although slightly overdone on the outside, boasts juicy meat under a crunchy crust. Potato wedges fared well too. But we noticed some inconsistencies in cooking if you don't shake the basket midway through cooking.

However, the air fryer lacks a notification function to tell you when to shake the basket. The basket design includes a part with a handle and a mesh bottom, along with a base basket that doubles as a tray. The handle part, weighing around one pound six ounces, is manageable with one hand, but if you're shaking a dish with liquid, we suggest using tongs. Be aware that the heating doesn't stop when the basket is removed, so you'll need to exercise some caution.

One good point is the fryer's dishwasher-friendly components. However, cleaning involves three parts, and you'll need to check for leftover residue in the basket's mesh corners. Despite some usability quirks, if well-cooked food is your priority, you might want to consider this air fryer.

Instant's Vortex Plus is a six-quart-air fryer. It uses a square basket and advertises that it can cook meals for up to six people. In addition to air frying, it also offers roast, bake, broil, reheat, and dehydrate functions. 

During our testing, we noticed that some parts of the food were slightly drier compared to our top-ranked air fryers, but it still managed to make pretty tasty dishes overall. The fried chicken boasted a delightful, crispy crust, while the potato wedges cooked uniformly, locking in a good balance of moisture and rich potato flavor. 

On the downside, frozen fries turned out a bit dry. We also observed some uneven cooking with just one basket shake, so we recommend shaking more frequently for the best results. A notification sounds to signal the timing for shaking, which helps prevent you from forgetting it. However, the basket weighs almost three pounds, which is heavy to hold with one hand, so using tongs when shaking is advisable. When the basket is pulled out, the heating stops, reducing the risk of accidents.

During testing, some frozen fries had a slight residual plastic smell. We recommend you wash the basket and run the device empty several times before use. It should be noted, however, that this wasn't noticeable with heavily seasoned dishes like fried chicken. There are two parts to clean, and the main body simply needs to be wiped, which makes cleaning relatively easy, but please note that the device is not dishwasher-safe.

The Ninja Foodi XL is an air fryer that comes equipped with two four-quart baskets, giving it the ability to cook two different dishes at the same time. 

This product particularly excelled in the preparation of frozen fries. The surface was crisped to perfection while maintaining moisture, allowing us to enjoy the natural potato flavor. Although fried chicken appeared slightly overcooked on the surface, it had a juicy finish. Potato wedges came out evenly cooked, leading to satisfying results in our testing. 

Each of the four-quart baskets is the recommended size for making two types of side dishes for two to three people. While the baskets don't seem large, each one weighs two pounds, which is worth noting. The lack of an alarm for shaking timing is slightly inconvenient. Please ensure you check that the baskets are fully closed, as the heating does not stop even when they are open.

As both the baskets and the nets are dishwasher-safe, cleanup should be less of a hassle. Besides air frying, it also supports broil, roast, reheat, dehydrate, and bake functions. Since the bottom surface area of the basket is small, it may not be suitable for cooking larger items like roast chicken. However, being able to set different cooking methods in each basket makes this product recommended for those who wish to easily cook several dishes at once.

The appliance is equipped with buttons preset with recommended temperatures and times for cooking chicken, fries, frozen foods, steak, seafood, vegetables, and bacon and for keeping food warm. As for the cooking methods, it supports air frying, roasting, broiling, and reheating.

The GoWise comes with buttons preset with recommended temperatures and times for cooking French fries, chips, pork, chicken, steak, shrimp, cake, fish, and pizza. 

The product tends to overcook the surface of the food overall. In the case of frozen French fries, the surface was evenly crispy, and the flavor of the potato was noticeable. However, chicken was noticeably charred and had a somewhat dry impression. The potato wedges did not have a problem with drying, but the burnt surface led to bitterness and off-flavors. You can manually set alarms at five, 10, and 15-minute intervals, so make sure to shake the food frequently while keeping an eye on the cooking progress. 

The basket consists of a part with a handle and a mesh bottom and cover. The part with the handle alone weighs about one pound six ounces, which is light enough to hold with one hand. However, when cooking food with a high oil or water content such as chicken or fish, you will need to shake it with the cover on, which might be heavy with one hand. 

There are only two parts to wash when cleaning, but the mesh plate is integrated with the handle, making it a bit of a hassle to clean thoroughly. There are no instructions regarding dishwasher use, so it is better not to use a dishwasher.

The DASH is a compact, two-quart air fryer. The only operations are setting the temperature and time dials.

 In our testing, we found that managing the temperature and evenly distributing the heat in the compact chamber posed challenges, leading to some noticeable scorching. Both the fried chicken and frozen fries exhibited some burn marks and a distinct bitterness, and the overall dryness was evident. When cooking thicker-cut potatoes, the insides were cooked through, but the burnt tops detracted from the overall potato flavor. 

It is difficult to circulate heat effectively with the body alone, so shaking is essential, but there is no alarm. The weight of the basket is only just over one pound, which is easy to hold with one hand. The heating stops when you pull out the basket, and it has a feature to prevent excessive heating, so safety is not a concern. 

When cleaning up, wash the two basket parts and wipe the inside of the device. It is also dishwasher-safe, which can further reduce the hassle of cleaning. It is a good size for those who live alone and want to use it occasionally, but the fact that it tends to burn is a drawback.