11 best air fryers for 2022, including Ninja, Instant Pot, and more

GET ready to change the way you look at dinner plans.

Air fryers are taking over the way that many people cook, and for good reason. 

You can easily (and quickly) make fried chicken, fries, veggies, pizza, and much more without using as much oil as a deep fryer, meaning you can serve delicious, healthy dinners in less time. 

Not sure where you should start? Worry not: we’ve rounded up some of the best air fryers you can buy in 2022. 

How does an air fryer work?

When air frying, food goes on a tray or in a basket, and then the machine gets to work.

A heating element provides the heat needed while a fan distributes this around the food, helping it cook quickly and evenly.

The food becomes crispy from the heat and the fan’s drying effect. 

Most of the air fryers on our list include smart settings to easily set the temperature for the most popular foods, but if you want to make something else, you can easily find the right temperature for cooking with an air fryer recipe. 

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1. Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven 

• Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven – $229.99 at Best Buy – buy here

This Air Fryer Toaster Oven can be used as a toaster or an air fryer, making it twice as nice. It comes with a baking pan, a frying basket, and an oven rack. 

The electric convection technology allows you to air fry, bake, broil, steam, or toast. It also has a see-through front and interior light, allowing you to keep an eye on your food. 

It also comes with a toast “shade” setting, allowing you to select how dark you’d like your toast. 

A promising review from a buyer said: “Great appliance. Works well. Air fryer works better than air fryer “only” appliances.” 

2. T-fal Easy Fry XXL Air Fryer & Grill Combo

• T-fal Easy Fry XXL Air Fryer & Grill Combo – $149.99 on Amazon – buy here

T-fal has brought the taste of burgers from the grill indoors with this air fryer and grill combo.

It boasts that it cooks with 99% less fat than traditional frying without sacrificing the crispy goodness and flavors you love. This fryer is built for air frying, grilling, baking, and broiling, which means you can even bake cookies or cakes in it when you’re finished with dinner!

It has pre-set buttons for fries, chops, shrimp, pizza, grilled burgers, fish, chicken, and cake, and the digital thermometer makes it easy to set. 

3.  Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer

• Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer – $349.99 from Best Buy – buy here

There isn’t much that this little air fryer can’t do. It has Element IQ technology, which, according to the brand, means that “smart algorithms steer power to where and when it’s needed to create the ideal cooking environment, for a range of different cooking techniques. With sensing and digital PID temperature control, it eliminates cold spots for precise and even cooking.”

A promising review said: “There are many words that can be said about the Breville Smart Oven with Air Fryer, “Brilliant” would be the first that comes to mind. Never have I run into a single device that can do so much in so little space and time.” 

4.  3.4 QT Momo Easy Fry

• 3.4 QT Momo Easy Fry – $49.99 from Momo –  buy here

If you’re going to be making food for one or two, this little Easy Fry from Momo is just what you’re looking for. It’s small, but it packs a big punch. 

It’s ceramic coated and dishwasher-safe, meaning clean-up is a breeze, and it’s got 12 settings for all kinds of different foods. 

We think this one’s perfect for anyone who lives in a small space, or doesn’t have kiddos. 

5. Ninja Foodi 10 QT XL Dualzone

• Ninja Foodi 10 qt. XL Dualzone – $229.99 from Kohl’s –  buy here

For the perfect meal at the perfect time, you can make your main course and sides at the same time with the Ninja Foodi 10 QT air fryer. 

According to the brand: “DualZone Technology includes the Smart Finish feature for cooking two foods two ways that finish at the same time, and the Match Cook feature, which easily copies settings across zones for full 10-qt. capacity.” 

The Ninja Foodi has six cook settings: air fry, air broil, roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate. The crisper plates are dishwasher-safe, and the frying baskets are easy to clean. 

6. Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6 QT 6-in-1 Air Fryer

• Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6 QT 6-in-1 Air Fryer – $99 from Amazon – buy here

Rated #1 on Amazon, this 4.8 star-reviewed air fryer from Instant Pot is a steal at only $99. It operates with a digital touchscreen, and features a non-stick, dishwasher-safe basket, meaning no messes.

It also has a window so you can check on your food, and a progress bar, telling you how far through the cooking process you are. This Instant Pot Vortex Plus comes with an app with nearly 2,000 recipes, and you can even program it to alert you when (and if) you need to rotate or flip your food. You can also buy the 8 QT, double basket version, which will run you $179.99. 

A promising Amazon review: “OMG! How did I ever function in the kitchen without one of these? Takes up as much space as a larger coffee pot. EASY PEASY TO CLEAN!! Super fast cooking even from a frozen state! Simple to use! Doesn’t heat up the whole kitchen. Quiet! Perfect for small portions!”

7. COSORI WiFi Smart Air Fryer 5.8 QT

• COSORI WiFi Smart Air Fryer 5.8 QT – $118.98 from Walmart – buy here

If you’re a techie, you’ll love the COSORI Smart Air Fryer. 

It’s got an app which will allow you to monitor your food’s progress from anywhere, and it also works with Google Assistant. It features 12 settings, including 10 customizable cooking presets, preheat and keep warm functions. It also has a shake reminder, in case it senses that your food needs to be shaken to ensure it’s done all around.

This air fryer also comes with a bonus pizza pan, which allows you to bake and re-heat in the blink of an eye. It even comes with 100 chef-designed recipes which were designed with air fryers in mind. 

8. DASH Compact Air Fryer 2 QT 

• DASH Compact Air Fryer 2 QT – $49.99 on Amazon – buy here

This mini air fryer comes in several different fun colors (and traditional black or silver), and will brighten up your kitchen. It’s probably best for cooking for one or two people, but the Amazon ratings say it’s notably great at making chicken wings — much healthier than frying in oil! 

A promising Amazon review said: “PERFECT little air fryer for one, maybe two, people! Heats wonderfully and cooks foods super fast. Chicken wings are my favorite to cook in this amazing little contraption and you would swear they were fried! I’m hooked.” 

9. Philips Premium Air Fryer XXL with Fat Removal Technology 7 QT

• Philips Premium Air Fryer XXL with Fat Removal Technology – $249.99 on Amazon – buy here

This air fryer holds a whopping 7 QTs, making it big enough to cook meals for eight people. It also features fat removal technology, exclusive to the Philips brand. 

The device claims that you can reduce the fat from your food by 90 percent, and use little to no oil, and its patented technology that draws out bad fats from your foods. 

You’ll also get access to the Philips Kitchen app, which will help you walk through recipes with ease. 

10. PROSCENIC XL 5.8QT Smart Air Fryer

• PROSCENIC XL 5.8QT Smart Air Fryer – $249 on Amazon – buy here

This smart air fryer allows you to schedule, customize and get notifications about your meal’s progress from your phone. It also comes loaded with hundreds of recipes that you can select, and automatically sync the preferences to your air fryer. It claims to reduce the calories in your meals by as much as 85%, meaning you can get the great taste you love, without the additional fat.

Also, at 5.8 QTs large, you can make a meal your entire family will enjoy. 

11. Chefman 8 QT TurboFry Stainless Steel Air Fryer with Basket Divider

• Chefman 8 QT TurboFry Stainless Steel Air Fryer with Basket Divider- $99 at Walmart – buy here

If you’re looking for a straightforward, affordable air fryer that is large enough to cook a meal for the entire family, then this is the air fryer for you. It features a window so you can keep your food in check, and comes with a reminder halfway through your cook time to shake the basket to avoid any cold spots. The 8 QT basket also comes with a divider so that you can cook two different types of food at one time. 

Are air fryers healthy?

Overall, air frying is healthier than deep-frying in oil, cutting calories by around 70%.

Also, air-fried dishes can be just as healthy as oven-baked meals if you use no oil, and there are lots of healthy from-scratch recipes available.

However, many of the traditionally deep-fried foods you would put in an air fryer are not the healthiest options so you should consider what you’re choosing to eat and ensure it’s part of a balanced diet with plenty of nutrient-rich fruit and vegetables.

Can you put foil in an air fryer?

Aluminum foil can go in the air fryer basket as a base for certain foods but only use a small amount and only in the basket of the air fryer.

It’s not recommended to cover the food or to use a lot of foil as the less foil you use, the more airflow you’ll have.

While foil is a great idea to help with the excess mess, the air fryer can adequately cook without.

What can you cook in an air fryer?

Because air fryers work more like an oven, the types of food that would work best are the ones that you would typically cook in an oven.

Things like french fries and onion rings would be perfect for an air fryer. You can also cook burgers and fillets of fish.

You can also use it to make desserts and snacks, like doughnuts and cookies, and even cakes!

There are lots of recipe books you can turn to, but it can be just as fun to experiment.