If you need a slightly smaller machine, we think you’ll be happier with the Cuisinart—it performed just as well and it’s also more affordable. But if you have the space and still want a dedicated air fryer setting , we’d recommend getting our upgrade pick, the Breville Pro. They may use less energy, but if you’re buying with sustainability as a top priority, and you have the counter space, you should probably consider getting a toaster oven instead of a slot cuisinart choppers toaster. We’ve learned through research done by The Ohio State University that slot toasters aren’t built to last (you can read more about OSU’s in-depth work in our blog post). Since most modern slot toasters aren’t repairable, they’re destined for a landfill once they give out. Toaster ovens, on the other hand, typically last longer, which may be in part because the heating elements are enclosed or better protected by metal guards to prevent damage.
We also used an AI-powered analysis tool to scan 6,500-plus customer reviews across nine toaster ovens to identify what made some models better or worse than others. I liked the simple and straightforward cooking programs — not too few and not too many. The Cosori is also a smart air fryer so you can control it from your phone via an app. This wasn’t something I found particularly useful, but it’s there if you want it. The app also has more than 100 recipes to try, which is great for air fryer inspiration.
Pod air fryers, on the other hand, take very little effort to get clean. Both types can be removed to soak in the sink and some can be run through the dishwasher. The same can’t be said for the inside walls of a countertop oven. One thing I don’t love about this model is the steel air fryer basket, which is trickier to clean than the pod-shaped models, most of which feature nonstick cooking baskets. If you’re eyeing an air fryer but also an Instant Pot or another multicooker, let me save you some money and kitchen space.
Katie Briggs, chef and founder of West Philly Bunny Hop, a mutual aid group providing free food to the community of West Philly, even favors their air fryer toaster oven over their traditional oven. “I disconnected my gas stove because it was more expensive to run, and now I do everything in my toaster oven,” says Briggs. If you’d like to air fry, but you just don’t have the space for an air frying toaster oven, then a pod-shaped air fryer might be best for you. Their cooking baskets can also be a little safer or simpler to maneuver than a hot pan for children, new cooks, or those with mobility concerns. Just keep in mind that the pods tend to cook a little less evenly, and in most cases you’ll only be able to make a couple servings at a time.
We tested all the top brands to separate the best air fryers from the rest of the pack. Some models have a stand knob-style dial to dictate time or temperature. These can provide an excellent visual range, but it can sometimes be challenging to get a precise temperature.
I didn’t actually read the recipe, so I thought it was going to be ready pretty fast, but it actually took hours to make. Luckily, I had just bought a pack of these frozen yogurt bars on my last trip to Costco. I brought them out to our fire pit, and everyone excitedly grabbed one. I don’t know if it was ice cream truck nostalgia for the adults, but they were just as happy to enjoy one of these after a big meal as the kids were. So if you have the freezer room to store this 15-bar box and are a mint chocolate chip fan, do yourself a favor and grab one. They’re only 100 calories each, with 5 grams of protein and 9 grams of added sugar.
Plus, when stored upright, the bottom of the oven can be released for cleaning so you can easily wipe it down. However, in our research, we’ve found that toaster ovens have a longer life expectancy than slot toasters. If you don’t have room for both appliances in your kitchen, we’d recommend getting a toaster oven instead. Some fancy models may come with extra accessories, but really all you need is an air fryer basket with wire or nonstick grates. They come standard with most air fryer models and help the superconvection to hit all sides of your food evenly.
This article was updated in February 2023 to ensure all picks are in stock and reflect accurate pricing. Our top picks, based on testing notes from the Good Housekeeping Institute, remain the same. We appreciated the compact size of the Breville Compact Smart Oven , but it didn’t do well in many of our tests. It also costs more than the Panasonic FlashXpress, which we like better overall. The undersides of the bread we toasted in the KitchenAid were more unevenly browned than the tops. The Zojirushi ET-WMC22 toasted so unevenly that the bread looked like someone with terrible aim had zapped it with a laser.
If you are referring to the Panasonic unit that uses infrared heating it is a very good unit , the only problem is that the Panasonic is a lot smaller unit and does not have convection cooking. Instant Pot’s Duo model made incredible crispy “fried” chicken, wings, veggies and other classics, but know that you’ll likely have to cook in batches if you’re making food for a group. The Duo Crisp can often be found for $150 or cheaper if you nab it on sale. Place in a slow cooker for up to 8 hours on the lowest possible heat setting.
That causes the outside of food to cook more quickly without drying out the inside and giving a crispy, fried-like outer shell to wings, fries and other foods. Most air fryers come standard with a grated rack or perforated basket so the air can travel through and hit the food on all sides. All pod air fryers have removable cooking baskets and most of them are nonstick. When you’re cuisinart air fryer oven cooking chicken thighs with a sauce or even veggies drizzled with oil — a few favorites — there is going to be some inevitable splatter. Air frying mode is intense, with high convection heat circulated at a fast pace. Do this in a toaster oven, which is markedly more difficult to clean, and you’ll be dealing with some serious caked-on gunk after the first few dozen uses.