The Best Air Fryers for Crispy Food and Easy Cleanup

The Instant air fryer has been found to be the best one tested by Serious Eats. It cooks quickly and efficiently, and has a touchscreen display with a knob for quickly changing the temperature and time.

Air fryers are a staple in many kitchens, and Serious Eats has been a fan of them for years. They are used to make easy breaded chicken cutlets, crisp up Brussels sprouts or potatoes, and heat various frozen foods. Editorial director Daniel Gritzer says, "They roast small amounts of food very, very well, and quickly. If you have the space to store yet another device in your kitchen, it's arguably worth buying one." Senior culinary editor Genevieve Yam adds that she loves her air fryer and that it's "handy for warming up leftovers," like pizza.

To find the best air fryers, Serious Eats spent years testing 38 of them, searching for which ones crisped food the best, and were the easiest to use and clean.

### How We Tested the Air Fryers

Serious Eats tested the air fryers using a variety of methods, including:

- Frozen Fries Test: We cooked one pound of frozen French fries for 20 minutes at 400℉, shaking the basket every five minutes and noting whether the air fryer finished cooking early (when the fries were crispy and golden brown all over). - Homemade French Fries Test: We made homemade French fries with each air fryer, using 1.5 pounds of potatoes. - Chicken Wings Test: We used our favorite air fryers to cook two pounds of chicken wings. - Usability Tests: Throughout testing, we evaluated how easy it was to set the time and temperature and shake the air fryer baskets midway through cooking. We also noted how quiet (or loud) the air fryers were when on. - Cleanup Tests: After each test, we washed the air fryer baskets by hand. At the end of testing, we used the dishwasher to clean the top picks with dishwasher-safe baskets.

### What We Learned

Serious Eats learned that air fryers are essentially convection ovens equipped with a very effective fan. They are small and have a compact cooking chamber, which means they heat up quickly and efficiently. Many air fryers also skip preheating, with their timers immediately counting down as soon as you press start.

There are three types of air fryers:

- Basket air fryers: These are the most common type of air fryer and have a basket with a handle that can be easily grasped for shaking food mid-cooking. - Dual basket air fryers: These models have two baskets that are smaller than a standard air fryer's. They can be run at the same temperature and time or set independently. - Air fryer toaster ovens: These are basically toaster ovens with air fryer functions. They come with perforated or wire mesh inserts for better air circulation.

### Performance and Speed

The performance and speed of the air fryers varied. For best results, Serious Eats recommends taking recipe times with a grain of salt and frequently checking (and shaking) your food. This will help you figure out whether your air fryer's running hotter/faster or colder/slower.

The best air fryers had square baskets that were at least 10 inches wide and 4.25 inches high, lessening crowding and allowing for more air circulation.

| Model | Basket Size | Performance | | --- | --- | --- | | Instant Vortex Plus 6 Quart Air Fryer | 10.14 x 4.25 inches | Excellent | | Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro | 10.14 x 4.25 inches | Excellent | | Instant Vortex Plus 10 Quart Air Fryer | 10.14 x 4.25 inches | Poor |

### Why We Don’t Recommend Air Fryers with Dual Baskets

Air fryers with dual baskets allow you to set two separate temperatures and cook times or sync them to run in tandem. However, their performance just didn't match their appeal. This is because you aren't getting more cooking space, despite the machines being (quite actually) double the size of standalone models.

### Air Fryers with Digital Controls Were Easier to Use

Air fryers with digital controls, responsive touchscreens, and knobs for increasing the time and temperature were the easiest to use. Touchscreen control panels needed to be clearly labeled, as some relied on small pictographs for their presets.

| Model | Digital Controls | Ease of Use | | --- | --- | --- | | Instant Vortex Plus 6 Quart Air Fryer | Yes | Excellent | | Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro | Yes | Excellent | | Ninja Foodi 2-Basket Air Fryer | Yes | Poor |

### Conclusion

Serious Eats found that the Instant air fryer is the best one tested, with a touchscreen display and a knob for quickly changing the temperature and time. They also found that air fryers with digital controls were easier to use, and that air fryers with square baskets were the best performers.