Timers with an audible alert or a fryer that can turn off automatically will add to the appliance’s ease of use. These days, there are so many air fryers on the market that the list of additional features can be overwhelming. Sometimes more features mean the device will be more complicated to use, so be sure to look at the interface and controls before making a decision, especially if you are a beginner. In all, this Ninja and the Cosori Pro SE we named our top pick would both be a welcome addition to your kitchen. The Cosori won for its slightly larger capacity and lower price, but the Ninja has extra cooking modes that the Cosori doesn’t. If you plan to use the machine for more than just air frying, the Ninja might well be worth the extra few bucks.
This model took up more counter space than its smaller, 3.7-quart counterpart, and its cooking basket was a bit deeper, but its cooking surface was only about ½ inch wider. Still, this model cooked single batches as well as the smaller version. Despite its 12 customizable presets—steak, chicken, shrimp, seafood, frozen foods, french fries, bacon, vegetables, toast, bake, preheat, and keep warm—we found the machine intuitive to use. It performed nearly as well as the Cosori Pro LE that was our No. 1 pick; it actually overcooked some items and probably could have gone for a minute or so shorter than the recipe called for. The pot holds up to 8 quarts, which is enough room to air fry a whole chicken, and is equipped with 11 cooking functions that are sorted by which lid they require. The pressure-cooking lid can also sauté, slow-cook, steam, and sous-vide, and the air-fryer lid can also warm, roast, bake, broil, and dehydrate.
Check the owner’s manual of your air fryer for which parts, if any, are ok to run through the dishwasher. As a standard air fryer, the instant pot duo nova was able to cook very evenly despite its large capacity, doing a fantastic job with everything we threw at it. The controls are quite user-friendly, but we noted a minor flaw in that the machine uses a tray rather than a basket to hold food. This makes it tougher to shake items while cooking and requires a hot pad to remove afterward. During cooking, no spot on the exterior of this air fryer gets hot enough to cause a burn. The highest temperature that we recorded was 126.6°F on the lower-front side of the machine.
Resembling a tabletop model of the Death Star, this flip-top air fryer was too tall to open fully under our cabinets. Its heating element was contained under its heavy lid, which threatened to crash down and burn our hands if we weren’t careful to engage its locking mechanism when checking on the food. We’ve tested models that automatically preheat and ones that let you get cooking without any preheating. In our tests, we found foods cooked similarly whether we preheated or not. Some air frying guides recommend preheating for better results when air frying meat you want to get a nice sear on, like steak and chicken breasts.
Are you frying a small batch of wings or french fries for the family on burger night? Make sure the fryer you choose can handle the amount of food you want to cook. There are also options that have two baskets that can cook two different foods simultaneously and at different settings.
Speaking of cleanup, all the attachments included (air fryer basket, trays, rotisserie spit parts) are dishwasher-safe. Points to Instant for making my after-dinner routine shorter in that regard. Note that the Instant Vortex Slim doesn’t come with OdorErase, but I didn’t notice any more cooking smells than I’d experience cooking in my conventional oven. For its price and quality, it’s a pretty good value buy – especially for those who want a smaller air fryer without sacrificing performance. There are a few things you lose by opting for this model, though. It doesn’t have a dehydrate setting, there’s no progress or text bar (instead, a small seven-segment screen displays the time, temperature, and cooking stage), and there’s no window nor a light.
We really enjoyed using the digital control dial that enabled us to easily experiment with precise temperatures and timings. We also appreciated the simplicity of its design and attractive finish. All of these are just a guideline, however, and can easily be adjusted with a simple turn of the dial. The temperature goes up in 1°C increments too, which is a useful feature if you’re after a specific finish.
Unlike most pod-style air fryers, you don’t have to open the basket and let heat escape to check if your food is done. On the Instant Vortex Plus, you can just press the light button and look through the window. It combines the visibility of a toaster oven with the efficiency of a pod air fryer. To test the Instant Vortex, I considered factors like portability, versatility, and overall performance. To judge portability, I first assessed the size and weight of the air fryer and the length of the cord (a longer cord will give you more options for where to put a countertop appliance). I looked at how simple and straightforward the machine is to assemble without instructions, and also considered how easy the control panel was to read and use.
This was an interesting experience, given that our french-fry test required more time than the package directions at the recommended temperature. While the jerky’s flavor varies depending on the marinade you use, my top round jerky came out as good as what you can buy in stores and in under 4 hours. Dehydrating is easy to do, even for a first-timer following an online recipe. The crisper plate’s airflow slots trapped debris and needed a firmer scrub. Fortunately, a wash cycle in the dishwasher got the job done, and it only takes up the space of a dinner plate. The rest of the instant pot duo nova lineup is great, but you just might not care about fancy features such as OdorErase, ClearCook or the progress bar.
It’s big enough to fit four chicken thighs and one pound of wings. I thoroughly test each product I review to assess functionality, versatility, portability, and efficiency. My work can be found moosoo air fryer in Food & Wine, Foodnetwork.com, Saveur, Real Simple, and more. The air fryer comes with the basket in place, and the removable non-stick air fryer insert at the top of the styrofoam packaging.