Healthy eating can be difficult when delicious, mouth-watering junk foods surround you. If you want to eat healthily but delicious food, there is a perfect substitute for you! Believe us or not, eating healthy and delicious food at home is super easy using an air fryer.
We have prepared a list after a detailed analysis of all consumer testimonials posted by real users on Amazon US official website (yes, we did the heavy lifting for you!). Please note that the pros and cons of each product are taken from the customer reviews section of respective amazon page.
Best Air Fryers as per Consumer Reports on Amazon
Philips TurboStar
Philips TurboStar Technology Airfryer is best for cooking, baking, and roasting your favorite dishes all in one appliance.
Set the required temperature and time with just quick dial and get evenly cooked food.
Consumers have reported using this air fryer to make vegetable fries for regular meals both day and night.
Pros
- Even airflow and quickly heats the food,
- Tasty and crispy food with 75% less fat,
- The food warming technology keeps your food warm even after cooking,
- The machine is very quiet,
- There is no need to preheat, and so you can cook instantly,
- The cooking basket has a nonstick surface,
- It is easy to clean,
- It is dishwasher safe.
Cons
- The food cooking capacity sucks.
Check Philips TurboStar Price on Amazon
T-Fal Actifry
The T-Fal Actifry Oil-Less Air Fryer It helps you to cook food evenly. All you need to do is set the timer, and your food will be cooked with perfection.
If you do not prefer much oil in your diet, this might be the best choice for you. Less oil means lesser fat in diet. Sounds good?
Not to mention, you can clean it without herculean effort.
Pros
- T-Fal Actifry Oil-Less Air Fryer provides optimal temperature to cook food evenly,
- It is easy to use,
- Cleaning is easy with nonstick pan and removable parts,
- It is dishwasher safe,
- It does not use much oil.
Cons
- Small fryer capacity.
Check T-Fal Actifry Price on Amazon
COSORI (100 Recipe) Electric
COSORI (100 Recipe) Electric Hot is much more than just a fryer. Cook your breakfast, side dishes, desserts, and any proteins like an expert.
Honestly speaking, this one is worth a shot considering its features. Not to mention, the size is reportedly quite satisfying for most of the buyers.
Don’t believe us? Let’s have a look at the pros and cons. We’re sure that you would love this one.
Pros
- Cook smartly with accurate calculations using LED Panel,
- Fry evenly with the shake reminder,
- The warm function keeps your food warm for quite a while,
- It takes 2-5 mins to preheat much lesser time than traditional ovens,
- It is dishwasher safe,
- The basket is detachable, which helps in cleaning as well as cooking food conveniently,
- The surface of the basket is non-sticky,
- Cooks faster with crispier and tastier results,
- It has a large food capacity.
Cons
- The fryer might be larger than expected for some people,
- The basket is difficult to detach from the pan.
Yedi Total Package
Yedi Total Package Air Fryer gives you a smart and healthy cooking option keeping taste, quality, and convenience in mind.
If you prefer using touchscreens (most of us do, of course), this one might come real handy for you.
It also comes with kits for different kinds of recipes, which is fantastic, especially for hardcore food lovers. Still not sure? Let’s have a look at the good and the bad sides.
Pros
- Cooks food fast with efficiency,
- Even distribution of heat,
- It heats up faster,
- It comes with a digital touch screen that helps you to set the desired cooking time and temperature to make the food,
- There is a basket divider which will help you to cook two dishes simultaneously,
- You can cook a large quantity of food,
- It does not make noise,
- Yedi Total Package includes many deluxe accessory kits like cake care, pizza, silicon cupcake pan, and many more,
- Cleaning is easy.
Cons
- It vents out hot air.
Power XL
The Power XL cooks your food with minimum oil and surrounds it more with air delivering the crispy and crunchy fries at the comfort of your home.
Cook your meals safely at home (safer than ordering food online considering the current pandemic) using this air fryer.
You can also reheat any frozen food or cook fresh veggies using this appliance with much effort.
Pros
- Power XL comes with a divider. Cook two different types of foods at the same time,
- The preset cooking option helps you to cook different food without worrying about setting temperature and time each time, making it easier for you to cook;
- The basket comes out easily, making it easier to clean;
- It is dishwasher safe,
- It cooks any meat well and fast. No more excuses for those tasty chicken fries, eh?
Cons
- Power XL vents out hot air,
- Re-inserting the basket can be a hassle.
Check Power XL Price on Amazon
Ninja Programmable Base
Ninja Programmable Base (for Air Frying, Roasting, Reheating & Dehydrating) with 4-Quart Ceramic Coated Basket covers everything you might need for a great meal.
It makes food which are tasty and healthy as well. You can also cut your fat intake by 75% using this multitasking appliance.
Pros
- The one-touch control panel gives choices from four different cooking programs. You can manually change the temperature and time,
- You can cook a large portion of food,
- It heats up quickly,
- It is easy to clean, and it is dishwasher safe as well.
- You can air fry and get the crispy food without oil,
- You can roast easily with the roasting program. Cook your favorite roasted veggies recipes and casseroles,
- It works wonder on frozen foods. Reheat and get the perfect crispy pizza, fries, and wings;
- You can also remove the moisture with the dehydration function to make homemade dried fruits and veggies.
Cons
- It is a bit loud,
- It stinks during the first use.
COOK JOY Multifunctional
COOK JOY Multifunctional is a 3D multifunctional air fryer that helps you cook fry and barbecue food with little oil to keep your health and taste in mind.
With the advanced air cycle technology, locking air and steam cooks any meal faster and evenly.
You can even cook for your whole family with this 10L air fryer. The large capacity helps you to roast an entire chicken. Thus, it is an excellent choice for families.
Pros
- The large size, which is perfect for a family,
- The transparent design allows you to see the cooling process from outside,
- Cooks food fast with a 360° angle and retains the authentic taste,
- It looks after your safety with the double seal design ensuring no harm to your hands,
- The inner container is covered with nonstick coating making it easy for you to clean,
- There are different cooking modes, and so you can bake roast or air fry;
- It comes with a filter that gets rid of excess oil.
Cons
- The nonstick coating of the outer side is not very good.
Check COOK JOY Price on Amazon
Homia Droid with Detachable Heating Element
Homia droid comes with detachable heating elements that help you to clean any food residue.
It is dishwasher safe as well.
The handles can be fastened, which makes it more secure for handling the pots. Thus, while keeping security and convenience in mind, it takes care of your food, making it healthier and more hygienic.
Pros
- Easy to install,
- Ease of use,
- It comes with many accessories, so you don’t have to be limited to air fry. It has accessories for frying fish, baking cake, making pizza, grilling, etc.;
- Easy to clean and dishwasher safe;
- The turbo airflow technology cooks food evenly.
Cons
- The size is enormous,
- There is no preset cooking option. You will have to set up time and temperature every time.
Check Homia Droid Price on Amazon
Foodie Tip: Are you a caffeine addict as well? You might want to go for a best expresso machine and satisfy your urge for the perfect cup of coffee.
Our pick from the above list
We have posted a list of 8 great picks of the best air fryers above, but consumers’ (so does ours!) favorite one is Homia Droid.
It can do much more than just fry. You can cook pizzas, bake cakes, or make muffins. You can even air fry all kinds of meat, including steaks or chicken in it. It also comes with all the accessories you would need to make the fries. It is dishwasher safe, and so it is easy to clean as well.
The capacity is 3.2 liters, which means you can cook quite a lot of food in a single batch. It is easy to use and cooks food evenly. It retails for less than 100 bucks on Amazon, which is a pretty good deal considering the outcome it is going to give.
Things You Need to Know Before Buying an Air Fryer
Buying any appliance can be a tricky business. And when it comes to buying one, you should have all the knowledge regarding it. And we are here to help you with that.
What is an Air Fryer?
First of all, it is entirely different than a deep fryer. It does not require any oil to cook food. Instead, it uses scorching air to do the same thing. It is just like a convection oven, or you can also call it a mini version of it.
It comes with a mechanical fan that blows hot air, which makes them crispy on the outside and soft on the inside while preserving the yummy taste.
Healthier Food
Yes, it cooks healthier food. The taste and texture of the food cooked in it are comparable to regular fried food. It is more robust as it requires very little oil to prepare food, which depends on what you are cooking.
Dietitians say that it cooks food with less than 75% fat than regular cooked foods. And it is a fantastic appliance if you want to cut back some fats and carbs. You can make your favorite snack even healthier from now on.
Optional Oil Usage
A lot of people confuse it as a non-oil fryer. It is true, but you can still use oil or butter according to your preference. It depends on what you are cooking. Just brushing a little oil on the food won’t hurt much and might make the food even crunchier and tastier.
You can avoid oil totally if you want or use healthier fats such as olive oil, soya oil, or coconut oil.
Much More than Just Fries
It is a misconception that you can only make fries in it. No, you can cook so much more.
Air fryers cook food fast, and once you get well acquainted with this appliance, you can cook anything in it. You can cook different kinds of vegetables, meat, and even desserts as well.
You can cook so many dishes in it. Here are some recipes, for instance:
Meat
It includes chicken, beef, pork chops, steak, etc. You don’t even need to use too much oil as these are already so juicy. Some salt and seasoning or even some sauce would work.
Vegetables
Eating healthy vegetables is so much easier and tastier using air fryers. There are countless ways to make healthy veggies like Zucchini, Broccoli, and carrots, etc. with it.
Baked Stuff
You can bake cakes, muffins, fudges, and so many desserts in it. You can make loaves of bread, lasagna, custards, or a lot of baked desserts.
Frozen Foods
You can fry frozen foods in it as well. Frozen fries or nuggets only take around 15 minutes to get ready.
Roast
You can roast nuts like cashew and almonds in it. You can also roast chicken or other meats.
Our favorite
In your air fryer, you can even cook delicious and the best frozen lasagna you can find on Amazon. But you might need to use your personal favorite sides alongside.
Features to Consider while Buying an Air Fryer according to Consumer Reports
It cooks food evenly and makes sure that the food is crispy and soft on the inside. It is worth it. Now that you understand entirely, what this appliance can do, you must be wondering what else you need to before you get one for yourself or your family.
Capacity
Every appliance has its capacity. The smaller ones are basically around 1 to 2 liters. Perfect for you if you have a small family of 3 to 4 people or want it for yourself. You might also need to think about the amount of food you will cook in it as overcrowding this appliance is not a good idea.
The bigger ones are perfect for you if you have a more prominent family of 7 to 10 people or host parties more often. It will then be wise to go for the bigger ones as you can roast an entire chicken there. Some of them come with twin baskets as well, which is great because you can cook more than one type of food simultaneously. So, look into the capacity of the fryer and choose according to your needs.
Preset Controls
Another vital thing to consider while buying is the temperature control of your fryer. Two types of commands are dial and digital. The dial has a manual temperature dial that you would have set up, and there is a timer for it. These are less accurate. So, look for a timer that comes with more than 30 minutes.
The digital ones are more accurate as they come with default temperature settings for your favorite snack. So, try to look for something that has preset buttons for ease of use. Some fryers come with more than ten preset temperature settings.
Cleaning
In general, air fryers are easy to clean. As there is not much oil use, there is not much to clean, but that doesn’t mean it won’t require any cleaning. Nonetheless, it depends on the appliance’s size because if it is small, you can wash in it a sink. And some of them even come with cleaning tools as well. Most of them are dishwasher safe and comes with parts that are easy to disassemble.
If you are still confused, here’s how you should clean your fryer.
How to Clean your Air Fryer?
- First, please unplug and wait until it cools down completely.
- Now, clean the outside areas with a clean and slightly wet cloth.
- You might need to disassemble the tray, pan, and basket, and if it is dishwasher safe, wash it in a dishwasher or use some dishwasher soap/liquid and wash it in the sink using water.
- Then, take a clean and wet cloth and wipe the inside of the fryer.
- If there’s any food stuck, do not use any other utensils to clean it. Just use a brush.
- And lastly, please make sure that every part of it is dry before you assemble it and plugin for use.
Space in your Kitchen
According to your choice, you might get a small or big size air fryer. Regardless of the size, make sure you have enough space in your kitchen or at least make some space where you should have a plug to use. So, try to consider the fryer’s size first and then make sure you have enough room for it in your kitchen.
Power consumption and Wattage
Most of the fryers use 800 to 1500 watts to operate. Before buying one, make sure your kitchen outlet supports that. If the appliance is high on watt, it will cook food faster, and most of them have almost 1800 watts. If you run it for at least 30 minutes a day, it might consume only half a unit of power or even less than that.
Safety and Added Features
Don’t forget about your safety. Look for one that has cool-touch handles so that you don’t end up burning your hands while opening it. Also, look into the base as it should be a non-slip one to avoid accidents. And try to get the one that has features like a locked lid and basket control.
Cost
These appliances can cost around $50 to $300. The cost can also differ based on the features and capacity of the machine. Make sure you check everything like the features, position, size, presets, etc. before buying one. If you want one for regular use, then definitely invest a little more and get yourself one that has all the features.
Warranty
It operates with the help of electricity, so you never know when it might stop working. That is why it is better to ask about the warranty period before buying it. Most of the fryers in the market come with a warranty of only 60 days, but there are the ones with one to two years of warranty. It varies from product to product. So, check that before buying as well.
Foodie Tip: Do you know how to reduce your cooking time each day? You might want to purchase one of the best food processors or any of the good air fryers on Amazon and save a lot of time daily. We bet on it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do I need to buy an air fryer?
If you want to cut back extra fat and start eating healthy while still eating your favorite food, then definitely consider buying one.
Q. Does it cook healthy food?
Yes, it does. According to consumer reviews, it prepares food with less than 75% oil and fat. So, it is pretty good if you want to eat healthier.
Q. Can I bake a cake in the air fryer?
Yes, you can bake cake, muffins, and cupcakes and so many more desserts in it.
Q. How fast can it cook food?
It depends on the power of that particular appliance and how much food you are about to cook. However, it takes around 15-30 minutes to do the same.
Q. Is it right if I am on a Keto diet?
Yes, it is a good option if you are on keto as the keto diet’s whole concept revolves around low-carb food. Air fryers can be an excellent way to cook some keto-friendly dishes.
Q. Can it be toxic?
No, not at all. It is not toxic as long as you follow all the instructions, cooking and cleaning it accordingly.
Q. Is it the same as an oven?
No, an oven and a fryer are entirely different from each other. The purpose of both might be the same, but the functions and operations are altogether different.
Q. Do I need an air fryer if I have a conventional oven?
Yes, they are the same, but a fryer is much easier to operate and has more functions than a regular conventional oven.
Q. Does it operate on batteries?
No, it runs on electricity. It is too powerful to be operated by batteries.
Q. How much electricity will it consume?
If it runs for even more than 30 minutes, it consumes less than half an electricity unit. So, it won’t consume a lot of electricity.
Q. Can I use oil to make food in it?
Yes, you can use a little oil or brush it on up the food. Zero to minimum oil can be used to prepare food in it.
Q. Do I need to pre-heat it?
It is wise to pre-heat it before you cook anything for faster results, but some fryers in the market do not even need that.
Q. How much food can it hold in one batch?
That depends on the capacity of the basket of the appliance. Although, don’t put too much stuff in just one batch as that can lead to uneven cooking.
Q. Do I have to buy any extra tools with it?
No, you don’t need to buy any extra equipment with it. All the essential tools are available with the fryer.
Q. What do I do if the food sticks inside of it?
If there is any food residue in the fryer, spray some vegetable oil and wipe it off with a damp cloth or a brush.
Q. Can I pause the appliance to check the food?
It is not necessary to pause the fryer as it just takes seconds to check it.
Q. Am I supposed to shake the basket while cooking?
Yes, it would help if you shook the basket as that prevents the sticking of the food.
Q. Do I need to put any aluminum foil or baking paper while cooking?
Using them might slow down the cooking process. So, avoid using them if you can.
Q. According to all best air fryer consumer reports on Amazon, what food items can we cook in it?
You can cook various veggies, meats, and even bake in it. In the consumer reports about best air fryers posted on Amazon’s official website, people often wrote about making meat recipes and vegetable fries.
Bottom Line
Admit it or not, many of us can’t get enough of the tasty, crunchy fries. This appliance is handy in every kitchen to cook food healthily.
It is worth buying an air fryer if you are on a diet or want to cut back extra fat in the first place. Get yourself one according to your needs, which you can use for various cooking purposes and enjoy your meal!
Learn more about Air Fryers on Wikipedia.
