Top 5 compared
The best air fryers
Golden fries, crispy wings and roasted vegetables with barely any oil, and no waiting for the big oven to heat.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How this works
The top 5 at a glance
An air fryer is a small, powerful convection oven for the counter: a fan blows very hot air around a basket, so fries, wings and vegetables crisp with a spoonful of oil or none, and it spares heating the big oven. Most have one pull-out basket; dual-zone fryers have two baskets, or one with a divider, so two foods cook at different settings and finish together.
Every fryer here plugs into a standard outlet, and every basket and crisper plate goes in the dishwasher. Both Ninjas cook a main and a side in one go; a single basket is narrower, often cheaper and plenty for most households. Leave the gap behind and above it that the maker asks for.
What matters
- Capacity: 5 to 6 quarts for most households, about 4 for one or two.
- Measure the counter: two-zone fryers take up a lot of it.
- Manual time and temperature settings matter more than the presets.
#1Cosori TurboBlaze Air Fryer (6 qt, CAF-DC601)
$75–$100
Cosori’s TurboBlaze fan runs at up to 3,600 rpm across five speeds, with temperatures from 90 to 450°F, all around a 6-quart square basket with a PFAS-free ceramic coating. It stays under 53 dB even on the top speed, quiet enough to talk over.
What owners say: Owners say it has changed the way they cook: food comes out crisp outside and juicy inside, it heats up quickly, runs quietly and cleans easily, and they like the look of its screen.
A closer look: The square basket takes about 20 wings in one layer on the crisper plate, enough for a game-day plateful. Preheating is optional and off unless you choose it, so most things go straight in. Leave the five inches of space Cosori asks for behind and above it.
- Fan up to 3,600 rpm
- Five fan speeds
- Under 53 dB
- PFAS-free ceramic coating
- Proofs dough and dehydrates
Best for: Fries and wings without the noise
- Drawers
- 1
- Capacity
- 6 qt
- Footprint (D × W)
- 14.4 × 11.8 in
- Holds
- About 20 wings
- Cooks two things at once
- No
- Cooking modes
- 9 functions
- Top heat
- 450°F
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Yes
#2Ninja Foodi DualZone Air Fryer (8 qt, DZ201)
$150–$200
Two baskets that cook separately and finish together, so the chicken and the fries land on the table at the same time. For most weeknight dinners it quietly takes over from the oven.
What owners say: Cooking two foods at once is the big draw for weeknight meals, and its owners find it quicker than the oven for chicken breasts and reheated pizza, with baskets that clean up easily.
Heads up: At almost 16 in wide it takes a good amount of counter space, so measure before buying.
A closer look: Put the fries in one basket and the chicken in the other, give each its own time and temperature, and press Smart Finish so they’re ready together; Match Cook copies one side to the other for a double batch. Together the baskets take up to 4 lb of fries or wings.
- Both baskets finish together
- Copies settings for double batches
- Fan and heater per basket
- Dehydrate setting
Best for: Families cooking a main and a side
- Drawers
- 2 × 4 qt
- Capacity
- 8 qt
- Footprint (D × W)
- 13.9 × 15.6 in
- Holds
- 4 lb fries or wings
- Cooks two things at once
- Yes
- Cooking modes
- 6 functions
- Top heat
- 450°F
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Yes
#3Ninja Foodi DualZone FlexBasket Air Fryer (7 qt MegaZone, DZ071)
$150–$200
One wide 7-quart basket with a removable divider: leave it in to cook two foods two ways and have them finish together, or take it out for a 4 lb pork roast with vegetables. Two fans work together, and Ninja says it cooks a meal 40% faster than a traditional oven.
What owners say: Owners find it a step up from earlier models, with a basket that lifts out easily, parts that go in the dishwasher and room for big family meals. Food comes out evenly done, whether it’s one roast or two dishes at different temperatures.
A closer look: With the divider in, each side takes about 2 lb of food, so wings can go on one side and fries on the other; lift it out for a whole roast. At just over 18 in wide it needs a good stretch of counter, so measure the spot under the cabinets first.
- Two fans work together
- Both sides finish together
- Copies settings for double batches
- Nonstick basket and plates
Best for: Big roasts or two dishes
- Drawers
- 1, splits into 2
- Capacity
- 7 qt
- Footprint (D × W)
- 11.8 × 18.2 in
- Holds
- 4 lb roast and veggies
- Cooks two things at once
- Yes
- Cooking modes
- 6 functions
- Top heat
- 450°F
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Yes
#4Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer (5 qt)
$75–$100
A 5-quart square basket that Cosori says takes a whole 4 lb chicken, a glass touch panel of one-touch presets, and a shake reminder for evenly crisp fries. At under 11 in wide, it fits a small kitchen.
What owners say: It preheats quickly and has meals ready in minutes, owners report, and they find the 5-quart basket right for two or three people and rate it for French fries in particular.
A closer look: Before the first meal, Cosori asks for a 30-minute empty run at 450°F to burn off the factory smell, then a wash of the basket. After that the shake reminder sounds partway through so fries brown evenly, and the recipe book is a good start for anyone new to air frying.
- Shake reminder
- Glass touch panel
- 30-recipe book
- Ceramic-coated basket
Best for: Couples and small kitchens
- Drawers
- 1
- Capacity
- 5 qt
- Footprint (D × W)
- 14.4 × 10.8 in
- Holds
- 4 lb chicken or 1.5 lb fries
- Cooks two things at once
- No
- Cooking modes
- 9 functions
- Top heat
- 450°F
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Yes
#5Cuisinart Basket Air Fryer with Window (4.5 qt, AIR-160)
$50–$75
A 4.5-quart basket behind a window with its own light, so you can watch fries crisp without pulling the drawer and letting the heat out. Four presets cover fries, wings, frozen snacks and vegetables, and it beeps when it’s time to toss the food.
What owners say: Owners reach for it instead of the microwave or the big oven, especially for meatballs and fries, and like how quiet and quick it is, though a few say it doesn’t quite get up to 400°F.
A closer look: The 8-inch-square cooking surface takes about 2 lb of wings or a 3.5 lb chicken, so it suits one or two people, or a side dish for more. When the toss reminder sounds, pull the basket and shake it; the fan pauses while it’s out and starts again when it goes back in.
- Window with its own light
- Toss reminder
- Fan pauses when opened
- PFAS-free ceramic nonstick
- 3-year limited warranty
Best for: Small meals watched through the window
- Drawers
- 1
- Capacity
- 4.5 qt
- Footprint (D × W)
- 10.7 × 15.2 in
- Holds
- 3.5 lb chicken or 2 lb wings
- Cooks two things at once
- No
- Cooking modes
- 4 functions
- Top heat
- 400°F
- Dishwasher-safe parts
- Yes
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Cosori TurboBlaze | #2Ninja DualZone DZ201 | #3Ninja MegaZone DZ071 | #4Cosori Pro LE | #5Cuisinart AIR-160 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best two-basket | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.0 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $150–$200 | $150–$200 | $75–$100 | $50–$75 |
| Drawers | 1 | 2 × 4 qt | 1, splits into 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Capacity | 6 qt | 8 qt | 7 qt | 5 qt | 4.5 qt |
| Footprint (D × W) | 14.4 × 11.8 in | 13.9 × 15.6 in | 11.8 × 18.2 in | 14.4 × 10.8 in | 10.7 × 15.2 in |
| Holds | About 20 wings | 4 lb fries or wings | 4 lb roast and veggies | 4 lb chicken or 1.5 lb fries | 3.5 lb chicken or 2 lb wings |
| Cooks two things at once | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Cooking modes | 9 functions | 6 functions | 6 functions | 9 functions | 4 functions |
| Top heat | 450°F | 450°F | 450°F | 450°F | 400°F |
| Dishwasher-safe parts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Fries and wings without the noise | Families cooking a main and a side | Big roasts or two dishes | Couples and small kitchens | Small meals watched through the window |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
