Also, when you reinsert the basket, the air fryer slides across the counter because it doesn’t have enough weight or grip to stay in place. The Ultrean 4.2 Quart Air Fryer is one of the less expensive models we tested, and it happened to provide one of the least pleasant user experiences. The buttons were noisy and hard to press, and the basket was difficult to shove in without pushing the entire air fryer back on the counter. Its awkward, egg-like shape draws a lot of attention on a countertop, and it takes up too much space.
We also used all of the controls to see how easy they were to navigate and how accurate the cooking guidelines were for preparing common foods such as french fries and chicken nuggets. Additionally, we compared the cooking capacity of each model, and we took note of any egregiously noisy fans or annoying beeps. After testing, we washed all of the fryer components to see how easy they were to clean. A great countertop toaster oven with air fryer function is the best of both worlds. We’ve tested the best air-frying toaster ovens so you can find the perfect one. During use, the dials and the handle stay cool to the touch and the stainless steel top and sides don’t get hot enough to cause burns, however the glass door reaches 259°F, which is dangerously hot.
The toasties’ function allows you to create quick and easy lunches, such as tasty paninis, cheese on toast or perfectly cooked toasted sandwiches. In addition to winning over our testers, it has over 3,600 perfect ratings at Target, with shoppers noting they find it easy to clean, easy to use, and that it has great value and quality for the price. The Black+Decker 2L Purifry Air Fryer HF110SBD was the best budget pod-shaped model we tried back in 2017, but at the time it had the smallest max-fill capacity of all the fryers we tested. In most cases, we were able to successfully cook only about one serving of food at a time.
You may have to figure out the optimal settings for what you’re cooking by trial and error. We found it just as easy to set the time and temperature manually, following the instructions in our recipe or on the food packaging, then adjust the cook time as necessary. It shares some of the features we liked cuisinart choppers in the Philips, such as a large, 5-quart square basket and a streamlined control panel, though it doesn’t cook as evenly. These functions turn the Breville Smart Oven Air into a multi-appliance. It has a dehydrate function (with temperatures as low as 83°F) to make treats like jerky or banana chips.
We have used it to cook salmon, chicken, vegetables, warm up french fries, etc. It is large enough to do your meet and vegetables on the same tray so you don’t have to use multiple ovens or wait for something to cook so you can cook something else. The Hamilton Beach 3.7 Quart/3.5 Liter Digital Air Fryer has a small, 2.5-liter round basket that, unlike our also-great pick, the Instant Mini Vortex, cuisinart toa60 can barely fit a full-size meal. There was almost no crispness to the food that came out of it, and the french fries it cooked in the first round of testing were noticeably inconsistent. If you need even more space to air fry, Philips also offers their Avance XXL air fryer which has a 3-lb/4-qt capacity and prepares up to 6 portions at once and easily handles a whole chicken or 2 bags of fries.
The small yet mighty Ninja Foodi bested all others in my final assessment and placed either first or second in nearly every single test I ran, blending fierce power, consistency and control. The Ninja preheated the fastest and kept its heat consistent throughout. The air fryer function was also best in show and it broiled a salmon filet nicely. It’s also the most compact of these countertop ovens and the only model that flips up via a hinge in the back to rest no more than 7 inches from the wall.
Taking out the tray from the bottom rack position after cooking is tricky. I found pinch mittens worked better, but I had to pay complete attention to not scrape my hand against the hot door. The construction is lightweight and is easy to move around for cleaning inside and around the oven. They often double as the second oven, toaster, dehydrator, and even a dough proofing device. I couldn’t be more pleased with the addition of all these extra features because they reduce the total number of single-function appliances. But I am also wary, as sometimes the appliances do not deliver on the promise of crisp chicken wings or the best air-fried French fries.