I am a chef by profession, and every day, I cook and serve hundreds of fried dishes. I have been working for years in this industry and have always wanted to cook chicken wings with less oil.
After a lot of research and using some of them myself, I have realized how multi-functional air fryers can be, making them suitable for households and professional kitchens.
1. COSORI Air Fryer
2. GoWISE Digital Air Fryer
3. Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven And Airfryer
Air fryers use up to 70% less oil for the same dish, making them the perfect kitchen appliance for today’s health-conscious clients. In this blog, I have picked some of the best air fryers in 2021 for you. They all have unique features that will help you get a healthy life.
Best Air Fryers In 2021: Our Top Picks!
Last update on 2024-11-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1. COSORI Air Fryer For Fitness Freaks
The COSORI air fryer is our top pick for the best air fryers in 2021. The air fryer uses up to 85 % less fat than traditional deep-fried food. This cooking fryer is designed to ensure better health while you eat your favorite dishes without any guilt.
No products found.
Its best features are:
- Oil-free: The Cosori air fryer cooks food quickly with 85% less oil, probably the best in the market.
- Flavor: You can cook your favorite meals while maintaining the same delicious taste.
- One-Touch: I found that display panel easy to use, and the one-touch selections helped me cook the crowd favorites quickly.
- 11 Presets: The fryer has 11 one-touch presets, including steak, seafood, shrimp, poultry, bacon, french fries, frozen foods, vegetables, bread, root vegetables, and desserts.
- Dishwasher Safe: The fryer has a removable non-stick coated basket, which is dishwasher friendly.
- Square Basket: This air fryer has a square non-stick basket containing 5 lbs or 6 lbs whole chicken. Other fryers have round baskets, which make it challenging to fit an entire chicken in them.
- Capacity: It has a 5.8-quart basket, enough for a family of 3 to 5 people.
Pros:
- Works on 85% less fat while preserving the taste. Perfect for fitness freaks.
- 11 one-touch presets for easy selection of your favorite meals.
- Removable non-stick coating on the basket
- Dishwasher friendly.
- Angled display for easy viewing
- Compact size easily fits on your kitchen counter.
Cons:
- I found that the basket lets the condensed steam leak out at times, which leaves puddles on the counter. I solved this problem by pressing the basket a bit more carefully before turning it on.
2. GoWISE Digital Air Fryer For Working Moms
This digital air fryer is our second choice for the best air fryers in 2021. The air fryer cooks faster than most others and has an eight preset touch menu, making it perfect for working moms who need to get the cooking done quickly.
- Enjoy your favorite food without the extra calories. This air fryer allows you to fry, bake, grill, and roast with little to...
- Sleek and modern look with advanced touch screen menu. Take the guesswork out of cooking with the built-in touch screen menu...
- Featuring a new Start/Stop button to change time and temperature in the middle of a cook cycle. Don’t forget to shake with...
Last update on 2024-11-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Its best features are:
- Easy Air Frying: The air fryer gives you eight easy one-touch presets. You can cook your favorite and healthy meals without added calories since it uses up to 80% less oil.
- Rapid Air Circulation Technology: Letting hot air circulate rapidly in every direction cooks food quicker, and lets the food be cooked in a more uniform way
- Touchscreen Display: The touchscreen display lets you control your cooking time and temperature. You can change the time and temperature in the middle of a cook cycle with start and stop buttons.
- Eight cooking presets: the air fryer includes eight presets for fries/chips, pork, chicken, steak, shrimp, cake, fish, and pizza.
- Alarm Function: the built-in alarm function reminds you to shake your ingredients in 5, 10, 15 minutes increments.
- Detachable Basket: You can shake and flip contents in the middle of your cooking with the detachable basket. You get a cool-touch handle and button guard to keep you safe in case of an accidental detachment.
- Heating Element: Its temperature ranges from 180 to 400 degrees, allowing you to do anything from air fry to boiling.
- Recipe Book: You get an excellent recipe book filled with 50 recipes specially made for this air fryer along with it.
Pros:
- Rapid Air circulation technology makes your food crisp.
- Healthier and oil-free cooking without added calories.
- The built-in alarm function reminds you to shake your ingredients.
- The non-stick pan and detachable basket are equipped with a cool-touch handle, which keeps your hands safe.
- This XL air fryer has eight presets that let you cook your favorite meal in less time.
- Available in three sizes – 5 quarts, 5.8 quarts, and 7 quarts.
- The touch screen gives you control over cooking time and temperature to cook your food evenly.
- You can change the temperature and cooking time in the middle of the cooking cycle.
Cons:
- The bottom tray tends to detach easily. It’s not a big problem as long as you are careful.
3. Cuisinart Convection Toaster Oven And Airfryer: Best All-Purpose Appliance
The toaster oven and air fryer combo air fries, bakes, toasts, and does many other things, making it the best all-purpose device.
- COOKING FUNCTIONS: This premium 1800 watt toaster oven and AirFryer, is equipped with an AirFry setting plus toast,...
- CAPACITY: Large enough to toast 6-slices of bread, air fry 3-pounds of chicken wings, bake a 12-inch pizza or roast a 4-pound...
- SUPERIOR OPERATION: Equipped with an adjustable temperature dial, 60-minute timer/auto-shutoff and a toast shade selector to...
Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Its best features are:
- Multi-functional: the device is a full-size toaster oven with a built-in air fryer
- Healthy Meals: It uses heated air instead of oil, unlike deep fryers
- 7 Presets: The air fryer works on seven preset functions. They are air fry, convection broil, convection bake, broil, warm, bake, and toast.
- Capacity: the air fryer can air fry chicken wings (nearly 3 pounds), toast bread (six slices at a time), or bake a pizza (12 inches or less). It can roast a full chicken (about 4 pounds).
- Adjustable: The adjustable thermostat has a 60-minute timer that auto-shuts when the meal is ready.
- Interior: The interior is made with non stick material. The thickness of the non-stick layer is about 0.6 cubic foot. It also includes an oven rack, air fryer rack and a baking pan
Pros:
- The seven preset functions allow you to choose your favorite cooking style.
- Ultra hot air technology makes your food delicious and healthy.
- An adjustable thermostat with a 60-minute timer gives ease to prepare your meal.
- You can easily air-fry right inside the oven.
- Avoid you from the hustle of messy cleanup.
- Fits easily into your space without much botheration.
Cons:
- It may sometimes create a mess on the bottom surface. Take care to wipe off the bottom once you are done cooking.
4. DASH Compact Air Fryer For Small Families
The Dash compact air fryer is ideal for small families or a single person. It is one of the very few air fryers in its size range (1.2 quarts).
- HEALTHIER FRIED FOOD: Dash Compact Air Fryer uses AirCrisp technology (instead of oil) to help reduce added fat by 70-80%,...
- QUICK plus EASY: Short on time. Simply load the 2 qt capacity fryer basket, set the temp, and set the timer. Your food comes...
- SAFER: The auto-shut off function prevents overcooking, and the cool touch housing and handle makes it easy to use.
Last update on 2024-11-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Its best features are:
Capacity: The air fryer has 1.2 quarts capacity that can make up to ½ a bag of fries and ½ a dozen wings. It is a perfect choice for a dinner of 1-2 people. If you’re living alone and looking to keep a check on your diet, it can also be an excellent way to control your meal size.
Healthier Food: the air fryer is designed to cook healthier and fat-free food with its “Aircrisp” technology that uses 80 % less oil.
Quicker: The air fryer cooks meals 80% faster. It is easy to use, and your food comes out more crispy and in less time than it takes to preheat your oven.
Safe: It features an auto-shutoff function that prevents overcooking, and the cool touch housing and handle makes it safe to use.
Compact: This air fryer is nearly half the standard fryer’s height and ideal for smaller kitchen countertops with limited space.
Recipe Guide: A recipe guide is included with 15 easy to follow recipes that you can make as per your convenience.
Pros:
- It uses 80% less oil when you cook your food in this air fryer.
- Air crisp technology and a rapid air circulation system quickly crisp your ingredients while eliminating the extra calories.
- The temperature control dial allows you to adjust heat during the cooking cycle.
- The 30-minute timer shuts off automatically when your food is ready.
- Its compact size is perfect for those having small kitchens.
- 1.2 quarts capacity, ideal for individuals or two persons.
- Cool-touch housing and handle ensure safety while cooking your meal.
Cons:
- Some reviewers mentioned that it sometimes shuts off after a few minutes. It didn’t happen to me, however.
5. T-Fal Actifry Air: Best For People With Diabetes Or Heart Disease
The T-Fal air fryer comes with an actifry precision spoon that lets you measure the exact amount of oil that you are using in your dishes. If you have diabetes, you would know the importance of measuring calorie content in your meals. More importantly, you can cook most recipes in just a teaspoon or less of oil with this fryer, making it perfect for keeping your calories under check.
- ONLY A TABLESPOON OR LESS OF OIL to Cook all your favorite fried food (up to 2.2 pounds). Automatic rotating paddle for...
- SIMPLE ON / OFF SWITCH and digital countdown timer with buzzer for easy monitoring
- PTFE AND PFOA FREE removable ceramic coated nonstick pan for easy clean up
Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Its best features are:
- Healthy Food: The air fryer lets you cook healthy dishes using a precision spoon to measure the amount of oil required to put in a meal.
- Air fry Technology: The air fryer uses Heat pulse, a proprietary and patented system that maximizes hot air circulation to cook food on all sides equally
- Simple Controls: The simple on and off switch on this air fryer and the digital countdown timer lets you monitor the dishes’ progress.
- Safe Cooking: The secure lid of this air fryer enables safe, splatter-free cooking. You can cook your favorite dish without worrying about making a mess.
- Easy to Use: The air fryer features a large LCD, a removable pan, a paddle, and a auto – countdown timer. These features make this air fryer easy to use.
- Easy to Clean: The various parts like pan and paddle are all removable and can be cleaned by putting them in your dishwasher. You can wipe the rest of the machine with a wet cloth or a soft sponge.
- Recipe Book: The air fryer includes a full-color recipe book that has 38 recipes.
Pros:
- The precision spoon lets you measure the exact amount of oil that your dish requires.
- The heat pulse system of this air fryer makes sure that your food is evenly cooked.
- It has a 2.2-pound food capacity (3.7 quarts). It can serve a family of 4 people efficiently.
- Easy on and off button for monitoring the meal cooking time.
- Automatic rotating paddle.
- Secure lid for safety.
Cons:
- While I did not experience it, a few reviewers online said that it left a bad smell after cooking meals. Nothing a little old fashioned cloth wipe and sponge wouldn’t solve!
6. Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer For Large Families
This versatile air fryer has two large cooking trays that let you cook multiple meals at one go. It’s “one-step-even-crisp” technology allows you to get a crispy outside and tender inside for a flavorful meal.
- 7-in-1 FUNCTIONALITY: Air fry, broil, bake, roast, dehydrate, reheat, rotisserie, toast, warm, convection oven
- EvenCrisp TECHNOLOGY: All the crunch and tenderness of deep-frying with little to no oil
- QUICK AND EVEN HEATNG: Top heating element with fan ensures optimal cooking and baking performance
Last update on 2024-11-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Its best features are:
- Multiple Meals: You can make numerous meals in this air fryer with its large 10-quart capacity. Moreover, you can put both cooking trays at once to make multiple meals at a time. There is even a 26-quart version of the fryer for bigger families!
- Even Crisp Technology: The one-step even crisp technology gives you a crispy outside and tender inside, giving you a delicious taste while making your favorite meal.
- 7 Presets: the seven smart programs are toast, bake, roast, dehydrate, rotisserie, and broil
- No Oil: You can get free deep-fried flavors using up to 95 percent less oil so that you can be assured of great taste without added calories.
- Easy Cooking: With very little time required to preheat, you can cook the dinner in 50% less time than a conventional oven.
- Easy to Use: The air fryer has a one-touch control, operating it is a breeze. It lets you store whatever settings you are choosing, so that you can make the same food again later on by just touching one button
- Touchscreen: The bright, well-lit touchscreen is sleek and modern and offers 14 simple touch controls for a better cooking experience.
- Safe: the overheat protection aids in reducing the risk of burning food, and when in standby mode, the display indicates off, which offers you peace of mind.
Pros:
- The 7 in 1 air fryer crisps aids in oil-free cooking.
- Simple touch control makes it easy to use.
- The bright, bold display lets you change the settings as per your convenience.
- One step crisp technology allows to crisp the food from both inside and outside.
- With the smart rotisserie program, you can roast a whole chicken.
Cons:
- It can be noisy if you use the wrong settings. You need to make sure that you get the settings right before and after using it.
7. NuWave BRIO Air Fryer for Everyday Use
The air fryer is an ideal everyday meal choice as the BRIOs versatile cooking technology allows you to use it for virtually every meal of the day, and dessert to boot.
- MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ON-THE-FLY – Want hotter temperature or need to cook it longer? No problem. Simply adjust on-the-fly....
- HEALTHY FRIED FOOD & EASY CLEANUP - Brio uses super-heated air and an efficient air-flow design to cook crispy delicious...
- 100 PRE-PROGRAMMED MENU PRESETS AND CONVENIENCES BUILT-IN – Brio is programmed with 100 pre-programmed menu presets for...
Last update on 2024-11-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Its best features are:
- Healthy Fried Food: The air fryer uses superheated air and airflow design to cooking crispy and delicious food without excess oil and added calories. The flavor infusion technology allows you to air fry all your favorite food.
- Consistent temperature: it uses a digital switch to check the temperature 120 times per second to minimize the temperature fluctuations and get the right temperature.
- Even-Heat Distribution: the uniquely designed cooking temperature where superheated air circulates all around your food, cooking it from all the sides simultaneously, resulting in evenly cooked meals.
- Temperature Control: it can cook between 100 to 400 degrees F, which is adjustable in a 5degree increment with the simple press.
- 6 Preset Menu Selection: the six preprogrammed recipes let you cook homemade fries, frozen fries, chicken nuggets, steak, chicken breast, and frozen fish stick.
- Preheat and Reheat: the preheat function ensures the cooking chamber is at the ideal temperature, while reheat will warm your food at 360 degrees for 4 minutes.
- FryPan Basket: the frypan basket allows airflow in all directions.
- Safety: the built-in safety features ensure that it automatically shuts off when the basket is removed and stays off until it is securely replaced.
- Easy to Clean: the pan basket and a base tray have a non-stick coating to ensure that the food doesn’t stick and makes it easy to clean.
Pros:
- Flavor infusion technology allows you to air fry all your favorite meals.
- Superheated air technology circulates in all directions, for even cooking.
- With a press of a simple button, you can use one of the six preset menu options.
- A removable basket allows airflow while keeping the different foods separated.
Cons:
- The plastic tray can slide out of place. You have to make sure that it is securely in place before you start cooking.
8. Chefman TurboFry Air Fryer For Small Kitchen
This compact and lightweight air fryer is an ideal choice if you have a small kitchen. It uses up a space of only 9.75 x 9.75 inches on your kitchen counter.
- HEALTHY FRYING: Achieve perfect fried results with little or even no oil! Temperature range from 200°F - 400°F allows you...
- SPACE SAVING COMPACT SIZE: The personal size air fryer saves space on your counter and in your cabinet; perfect for any small...
- VERSATILITY: Manual temperature control & 60-minute integrated timer lets you air-fry everything from frozen veggies, chicken...
Last update on 2024-11-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Its best features are:
- Healthy Frying: The air fryer is perfect for cooking your meal in a healthy way, as it uses 80 percent less oil, which means less fat and calories.
- Rapid Air Technology: the futuristic technology produces dishes with a crispy fried texture and cooks your favorite meal with full perfection.
- Flat Basket Design: The flat basket design holds 40% more food, so you can cook enough food if you have people over.
- Time and Temperature Settings: The timer and auto shut off function allow you to program your fryer with ease to achieve great results without overcooking your food.
- Easy Clean: the 2-liter fryer basket and trays are removable, and the top rack is dishwasher safe and aids you to clean it easily.
- Easy Fit: the personal and compact size fryer saves space on your counter and in the cabinet. Therefore, making it perfect for small kitchens.
Pros:
- Texture with little or no oil aids you in making healthy dishes.
- A 30-minute timer and auto shut function allow you to program your fryer.
- This air fryer circulates hot air at high speed.
- Dishwasher safe basket is non-stick and makes cleaning easy.
Cons:
- The first few meals you cook may have a plastic chemical smell. You can do a few test dishes before trying it out for actual food.
9. Ninja Max Air Fryer for Superhot Food
The Ninja Max’s rapid fan speed and super hot temperature (up to 450 degrees) deliver fast and crisp cooking. Most air fryers on the market can only cook up to 450 degrees, so if you have some unique dishes that need a bit of extra crisp cooking, then the Ninja Max is your best bet.
- LESS FAT: Up to 75% less fat than traditional air frying methods. Tested against hand-cut, deep-fried French fries.
- MAX CRISP TECHNOLOGY: Delivers 450 degrees of superheated air to cook foods up to 30 % faster (Versus Ninja AF100) for...
- XL CAPACITY: The 5.5 QT ceramic coated nonstick basket and crisper plate fit 3 pounds of french fries or chicken wings.
Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Its best features are:
- Central Unit: the seven programmable cooking functions let you choose your favorite meal and cook it in less time.
- Free Fried Food: the air fry uses 75% less fat than the traditional frying methods to make more healthy food.
- Hotter Temperature: Crank up the temperature to 450 degrees to give your favorite meal a crispier finish than before.
- Faster cooking: the rapid fan and super hot temperature ensure faster cooking in a few minutes.
- Dishwasher Safe: the cleanup of this air fryer is easy with non-stick dishwasher safe accessories.
- Control Panel: the preset programs with optimized fan speeds for perfect results.
- Broiling Rack: it helps to bring your food closer to the heating element for optimal broiling.
- Capacity: the 5.5 quarts capacity of the basket and crisper plates fit 3 pounds of French fries and chicken wings for a perfect family meal.
Pros:
- Superheated air technology allows food to cook 30 percent faster than the traditional air fryers.
- The air fryer can heat up to 450 degrees, so you can cook that special dish that needs the extra crispness or heat.
- Seven functions let you air fry, roast, dehydrate, bake, reheat, and broil your food.
- A ceramic coated plate allows hot air to get under the food to make it crispier.
- Rapid fan speed allows food to cook in no time.
Cons:
- You sometimes notice a burning plastic smell, but most air fryers in the market. If you clean it up and air it out a bit, it usually goes away pretty quickly.
10. PHILIPS Air Fryer for Fat-Free Meals
The air fryer is suitable for those who want minimal fat in their meals. It is the only air fryer with fat reduction technology as it captures and removes the excess fat from your meals.
- The Philips Airfryer XXL is the healthiest way to fry, using little or no added oil to fry your favorite food. It's the only...
- With a 3 pounds/4qt capacity you can now make delicious meals for up to 6 people every day. Fits a whole chicken or 2 bags of...
- The air fryer is instantly hot and ready to go in seconds, cooking 4 times faster than a conventional oven. With no preheat...
Last update on 2024-11-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Its best features are:
- Oil-Free: you can cook delicious food with up to 90% less fat as it fries your food with powerful hot air, using minimal oil.
- Turbostar Technology: the twin-turbo star technology is designed to create fast, tornado-like airflow to expose all food to constant circulating heat.
- Remove Excess Fat: by combining a powerful heater and motor, the excess fat can be extracted from the food and captured in the fat reducer at the bottom of the air fryer.
- Capacity: the four quarts capacity easily handles a whole chicken and can prepare up to 6 portions worth of food for better possibilities.
- Dishwasher Safe: for a hassle-free cleanup, all its removable parts are safe to clean in your dishwasher. The basket has a removable non-stick mesh for easy cleanup.
- Easy to Use: the air fryer requires no preheating and cooks fast food with ease. The 60-minute cooking timer gives full control throughout the cooking process.
Pros:
- With no added oil and excess fat, it gives you healthy food.
- Creates less smell and splattering than traditional air fryers.
- You can make up to 6 portions of food in it.
- It instantly gets hot in seconds without the need for any preheating.
- Remove and capture the excess fat from your food to make it more healthy.
Cons:
- Often develops a white powdery film all over it. So you must take adequate precautions to use this air fryer.
Buyers Guide
Do you love fried food even though you are health conscious? If the answer is yes, then air fryers can come to your rescue. People who take oil in their meals are more susceptible to heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, and many other conditions.
But with the help of these air fryers, you can fry your favorite food without oil. Oil-free air frying is the best solution to maintain your health.
But before buying the best air fryer, there are several factors you must need to consider so that you can select the best air fryer of your choice.
Size
Size does matter when you are buying an air fryer for your family. To get a perfect size, you have to consider your family’s size, i.e., the number of people it will be cooking for and the size of your kitchen counter where you will be placing it.
It is advisable to buy a compact and lightweight air fryer of 2 or 3 quarts if you have a small kitchen. If you have a large family and have the space for it, you can try out bigger sizes.
Temperature Settings
You know that different food needs different temperatures to cook. So while selecting an air fryer, you must choose one with a wide range of temperature levels to accommodate any food.
You need to be clear about the maximum temperature that you need on the air fryer as well. Most air fryers on the market go up to 400 degrees, but some can go higher.
Easy to Use Controls and Alarm Feature
A clear display, easy to use controls, and alarm feature help adjust timing and temperature. With a simple touch of a button, you can change the settings as per your convenience.
A timer setting is essential while choosing an air fryer because you need to remember not to overcook your food. It is also crucial from a safety point of view.
Cooking Capacity
The cooking capacity of the air fryer depends upon how they work or the technology used.
You should look for one that is best suited to your needs, depending on the number of servings you aim to put out.
If you are cooking for one or two-person, it is better to get air fryers with a 3 to 5-pound capacity.
Basket and Design
Air fryers have removable baskets or drawers that make it easy to cook food. The basket should be easy to remove and dishwasher safe. It will also let you clean the air fryer easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Use An Air Fryer Instead Of An Oven?
Air fryers create heat through rapid air technology instead of using heating elements. This helps them to heat up much more quickly than an oven.
Moreover, they are of small size that helps them circulate the heat more evenly and crisp up your food without hot spots.
Lastly, they use very little oil, making them a much healthier option than traditional cooking methods.
How Do Air Fryers Work?
The air fryer works by coating the desired food in a thin layer of oil while circulating superheated air (up to 200 degrees) to apply heat.
Most air fryers have temperature settings and timers so that you can control your cooking. A cooking basket that sits atop the drip tray is where the food gets cooked.
How To Find The Best Air Fryer?
Before buying the air fryer, you must know how much space you have in your kitchen. There are various features, capacities, sizes from all of the powerful air fryer brands.
You must look for the capacity as to how much food and type of food you wanted to cook. Knowing the settings on the air fryer will help you make a better decision. Some come with the ability to cook two separate food items.
Our buyer’s guide above gives you some helpful tips on looking for a good air fryer.
What Can You Easily Cook In An Air Fryer?
Air fryers are one of the healthiest methods to cook fried food. Not only can you make traditional fried food in your air fryer, but it is also great for vegetables, proteins like chicken wings, nuggets, and appetizers. Besides this, you can even cook desserts like brownies and blondies and other baked recipes with your air fryer’s help.
Wrap Up
As a professional chef, I have seen how many calories the holidays and new year celebrations can add to your body.
If cooking and eating healthy food is your resolution for the new year, you should start the year by getting yourself an air fryer. Air Fryers preserve taste while keeping away calories.
The COSORI Air Fryer is our overall top choice. It uses up 85% less oil and has a wide range of presets, a lovely, sleek design, and compact despite its 5.8 quarts capacity.
Another great option is the GoWISE Digital Air Fryer, which is perfect for you if you are always short on time. Its easy controls, and super-fast heating makes it an ideal choice for people on the go.
If you want an inexpensive and compact option, the DASH Compact Air Fryer is the way to go.
