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With all the techy appliances on the market, today everyone is curious to try something new in the kitchen that will ease cooking in certain foods and reduce cooking time. If any kitchen appliance has taken the internet by storm, they are air fryers. Although there are some people who do not get the desired results due to the mistakes they do while using the air fryers, but honestly, the correct use of it will always be beneficial for you and your health. Everyone wants to satisfy their fried food cravings without all the guilt so who wouldn’t want Air Fryers? Even if you are on a tight budget, you can also buy some decent air fryers under $100.
Do Air Fryers Deep Fry Food?
The name can be tad misleading but it’s important to know what’s going on. Actually, air fryers don’t really fry food at all. Instead, they act as a small convection oven that circulates hot air around the food, thus, you aren’t necessarily going to get that deep-fried greasy food you get by frying in oil. However, you will get that satisfying crisp texture without the excessive amount of oil and you’ll get it in less time than you would with a traditional oven.
Moreover, air fryers allow you to eat unhealthy food without all the drawbacks that sound pretty appetizing. Once you get your hands on one of these nifty devices, the opportunities are truly endless. Use it to fry up delicious golden fries, crispy chicken wings, and also crunchy vegetables. Intrigued there are a few key features to look for when purchasing an air fryer.
Counter Space
Counter space is precious real estate, especially when you’re dealing with a small kitchen. While air fryers are designed to fit neatly on your counter, consider how much space you have to spare when you go to purchase one. Compact air fryers are available for those looking to save on counter space. In the same vein as size capacity varies greatly among different types of air fryers.
They typically range in size from 2 quarts all the way up to 7 quarts. It’s important not to overcrowd the basket therefore consider the size of your family when choosing an air fryer. A 2-quart air fryer would be suited for one or two people whereas a 7 quarts air fryer can accommodate up to six or seven people.
Wattage Levels
Wattage levels can go up to 1800 watts and beyond. So make sure your kitchen outlet supports the watts consumption of the air fryer you choose. Air fryers are an investment but obviously, you do not have to break the bank to buy them.
Price Range
You can find an air fryer for under a hundred dollars or you can splurge and spend almost 400 dollars on a top of the line model. Therefore, keep your budget in mind while choosing the right air fryer for yourself.
Check Out The Features You Are Looking For
Air fryers sometimes have presets for popular foods like chicken or vegetables. If you’re planning to use your air fryer to cook specific dishes, then you may want to go with one that comes pre-programmed with that setting to make life a little bit easier. One way to maximize counter space is to get an all-in-one appliance. Furthermore, some air fryers feature extra features like a toaster oven, dehydrator, and rotisserie cookers. Indeed, this can cause a bump in price so consider whether you really need these features before choosing them.
Stay with us until the end because you don’t want to miss our number one pick as we count down the five best air fryers to buy in 2021.
Now, let’s get started.
6- DASH COMPACT AIR FRYER- DCAF150GBAQ02
Number six on our list is the Dash Compact Air Fryer. As cute as it is, this compact air fryer to be ineffective in terms of even crisping. Out of all the best air fryers on our list, this one took the longest amount of time to fully cook the food plus the small holes in the basket didn’t allow for the crumbs to effectively fall to the bottom, therefore, resulting in noticeable burnt bits. At such a low price, we wanted to love this air fryer but it just didn’t perform as well as the others. This machine is the cheapest air fryer in the market and it definitely shows it’s simple to use. But the cheap material suggests that it won’t last long. This unit would be best for a single person because it only held about four to five nuggets at a time and one to two small portions of french fries. However, one must take into consideration that this air fryer comes under $100 therefore at this price, this air fryer is still a decent purchase.
Pros | Cons |
Affordable, less than $100. | Takes longer time to be fully cooked. |
Suitable for one or two persons. | Due to low in price, the quality is a little cheap. |
East to use. |
5- CUISINART AIR FRYER TOASTER OVEN- TOA 60
Number five on our list is the Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven TOA 60. For anyone living in an apartment or with limited counter space, this Cuisinart Air Fryer is a great investment. It acts as a replacement for a toaster and toaster oven in addition to giving you crisp air fried foods. This Cuisinart Air Fryer also functions as a toaster oven and would fit easily under a cabinet without taking up too much space on a counter. That’s exactly what you want, a small air fryer, when you don’t have the counter space.
Despite the Cuisinart Air Fryer’s versatility and size, there are a few drawbacks to this appliance. This air fryer toaster oven created some burnt bits around the surface of the food. There is also no digital screen for accurate temperature reading and in terms of cleanup, the removable parts aren’t dishwasher safe and the mesh basket is also a little hard to clean by hand. This appliance would take some trial and error to get things exactly right but overall it acts as an all-in-one appliance that’s great for small kitchens. Hence if you want a discreet air fryer that can do the job, this is the one.
Pros | Cons |
All in one appliance i.e. toaster and toaster oven features added. | Food can have some burnt bits. |
Do not take too much counter space making it a small air fryer. | No display of actual temperature. |
Gives crisps food. |
4- NINJA AIR FRYER- AF101
Number four on our list is the Ninja Air Fryer. In addition to the best air fryer feature, this ninja air fryer model also boasts dehydrating, roasting, and reheating features. When tested for its crisp frying capabilities we found the fries and nuggets to have a reasonable amount of crisp. Although there was some uneven surface browning compared to the other air fryers we tested but this one worked more quickly than others hence, helping to cut down on cook time. The large holes of the crisper plate help to catch any fallen crumbs at the bottom of the basket. Both the basket and crisper plate are dishwasher safe.
We would not recommend this air fryer to larger families as it only fits one or two servings of food per basket making it a small air fryer in terms of capacity. Again, this is an exceptionally good choice for you and your roommate if you do not need the air fryer for a large family of 4 or more.
Pros | Cons |
An added feature of dehydration, roasting, and reheating. | Not suitable for a family of 4 people or more because of small air fryer capacity. |
Dishwasher safe. | |
Suitable for one or two servings. | |
Cooking time is less. |
3- CHEFMAN MULTIFUNCTION AIR FRYER:
Purchasing an air fryer but also getting the option of baking, dehydrating, reheating, and rotisserie in the same money is like winning a jackpot. So for that, the air fryer we have chosen is Chefman Air Fryer -6.3 Quart Digital Air Fryer.
This Chefman Air Fryer is an appliance that is completed in a cleaned gleam dark plastic hence, making the air fryer look really attractive. Moreover, it accompanies a huge transparent window incorporated into the front, so you can see your food which is enlightened by the inside light. It has all of the mentioned properties included. The reviews on it are 5 out of 5 which is remarkable as a product.
Pros | Cons |
Classy and sleek design with space-saving size. | A little heavy in size compared to other air fryers. |
Added accessories making this air fryer versatile. | Some people have face issues with the door. |
8 preset options for easy cooking. | Instructions are a bit unclear to understand. |
Multi-functional air fryer. | |
Easy to use and clean. |
2- COSORI PREMIUM 5.8 QUART AIR FRYER
Number two on our list is the Cosori Premium 5.8 Quart Air Fryer. For less than half the worth of the Philips Air Fryer. This model from Cosori makes for efficient crisping and even cooking really well every time. At 5.8 quarts capacity, you’ll be able to fit 9 to 10 nuggets and 2 servings of fries at a time. The basket of this unit is significantly deeper than other air fryers. Taking it a little longer to fully preheat and cook food. However, it can fit larger objects like a small roasting chicken and other taller items. The sleek LED screen, features a number of presets plus displays for time and temperature. It even reminds you when you need to shake the basket. In terms of cleaning the basket and drawer of the unit is dishwasher safe.
The only issue found with this cosori air fryer unit was the condensation collected at the bottom of the basket and spilled on the counter when you opened it. While this is frustrating it can be easily overlooked for the air fryer’s many features and efficient cooking abilities. This air fryer is not perfect but it’s one of the best in the market at the moment.
Pros | Cons |
Good in price. | Takes a little longer to preheat and cook food. |
Suitable for two to three servings. | Condensation collected at the bottom of the basket and spilled on the counter. |
Can fit larger items like a whole chicken. | |
LED screen to display temperature & time. | |
Dishwasher safe. |
1- PHILIPS PREMIUM AIR FRYER- HD9741/99
Finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Number one on our list is the Philips Premium Air Fryer. This philips air fryer has a large flat basket that helps in producing an even crisp on the food’s surface. Our testers found that this philips air fryer produced the most reliable crisp on both the french fries and the chicken tenders. Both were to die for. Its extra-large size is perfect for feeding a crowd since we were able to fit 10 to 12 nuggets and 2-3 servings of fries in the basket hence, making it a large air fryer. The easy pull-out drawer allowed for smooth and secure motion when checking the food for doneness. The basket drawer and fat reducer heat plate are all dishwasher safe making for easy cleanup. Even though this is the most expensive unit but it was also the most effective. This philips air fryer would be ideal for families with larger kitchens as this is also a large air fryer as we discussed above and is the perfect air fryer for a large family of 4 or more.
It would be cumbersome to move from the cabinet to counter so the best-case scenario is that it would live on the counter full time. So if you decide to purchase this large air fryer, then it’s best to make sure you have the available space on your counter, or else, you would regret it. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. However, it’s worth making the extra space for this large philips air fryer because it will make it worth you, and you will realize this after you eat the french fries.
Pros | Cons |
Extra-large flat basket making a large air fryer | Expensive. |
2- 3 servings can be made at a time. | Takes larger space on your counter. |
Dishwasher safe. | |
Ideal for families. | |
Easy to clean and wash. | |
Easy pull out drawer. |
We hope this countdown of the five best air fryers was informative and helpful. If you feel this article helped you, let us know in the comments below.