Air fryers are amazing little machines, and home cooks have been buzzing about them for a few years. If you’re just getting caught up on the latest kitchen gear, don’t worry – we’ve devised a complete guide to air fryers including how they work, how much you should pay for an air fryer (spoiler alert: not much more than $100 for a basic model) and what you should make in these mighty and efficient countertop cookers.
Despite the name, air fryers don’t do any actual frying but rather, mimic the results. Air fryers are also faster than just about any other type of convection oven, and most nonstick basket-style air fryers take no more than a minute or two to clean. And most air fryers are relatively inexpensive, providing big value considering all the heavy lifting they can do.
Below I’ve outlined everything you need to know about air fryers before you buy one for your kitchen, dorm or RV.
Read more: Air Fryers Are Perfectly Safe as Long as You Don’t Do This
What is an air fryer and how does it work?
Contrary to the name, an air fryer doesn’t fry at all. Instead, the air fryer works more like a convection oven, circulating hot air with a fan into a compact cooking chamber. The main difference between a regular convection oven and an air fryer is that the air fryer fan blows faster and the compartment in which food is cooked is often (but not always) smaller. All that hot air hits food more rapidly than in a larger oven and thus doesn’t lose as much oomph in transit. Most air fryers come with a grated rack or perforated basket so hot air can travel through and pummel the food from all sides.
I made this whole roast chicken in the air fryer. I may never turn on my big oven again.
This fast, hot roasting or “super convection” will quickly brown chicken, potatoes, frozen snacks, veggies and fish without overcooking the inside. That’s very similar to how deep-frying works, which is where both the comparison and the name come from. While it isn’t the case for everything, I’ve air-fried many foods that taste nearly identical to if they’d been deep-fried. In fact, some things taste better when air-fried since they aren’t coated or saturated in oil which can overpower the flavor of the food.
Is it healthier to use an air fryer?
It all depends on what you’re making in your air fryer, but cooking something in an air fryer is almost universally healthier than deep-frying or pan-frying it in oil. Less oil typically means less fat and fewer calories too.
The Instant Pot Duo Crisp air fryer and multicooker turned out some excellent air-fried chicken.
Some favorites to cook in an air fryer include “fried” chicken with the skin on; just a quick dredging of egg and seasoned flour and then 25 minutes on high. Brussels sprouts, frozen dumplings (with a light coating of oil), and seasoned mushrooms with chopped garlic are a few more easy sides and appetizers to make in an air fryer.
Save your steaks for the grill or skillet.
While not impossible, steaks are also tricky to successfully cook in an air fryer and tend to dry out. I don’t recommend cooking any cuts of beef, especially good ones, in an air fryer. Save that for the grill or cast-iron skillet.
Read more: Air frying vs. oven baking: Which cooking method is best?
Do you need to use oil with an air fryer?
Short answer: No, you don’t need oil. But some foods do well with a light spray or coating of cooking oil. Vegetables, including green beans, broccoli, asparagus and even potatoes, will dry out if you blast them in an air fryer so a light spritz of avocado or olive oil can go a long way.
Remember, you’re still using far less oil than deep-frying or even pan-frying in which food sits in oil or is submerged the entire time it’s cooking. Anything with some inherent oil content, like chicken or salmon, will have plenty of natural oil to baste itself while cooking.
How much do air fryers cost?
There are air fryers large enough to cook a Christmas ham, but I find small- and medium-sized models under 5 quarts net the best results.
If you’re cooking for one or two people a 2- or 3-quart air fryer should be large enough. From there, I would suggest adding a quart of capacity for every person that you’re regularly cooking for. So, if you plan to air fry for five people, spring for a 5-quart model.
Size matters when it comes to air fryer prowess but maybe not in the way you expected. A smaller air fryer means food is going to get blasted faster and more often than inside a larger model where the air has further to travel and more time to lose heat. I’ve found that small and powerful air fryers including the Magic Bullet 2-5-quart model and Instant Pot’s Duo Crisp (which has a small air frying capacity once you load the air fry basket in) works exceptionally well and very quickly.
The smaller air fryers mean less overall capacity so you may have to cook in batches.
Ninja’s basic air fryer oven is one of the best we’ve tested.
The most basic of air fryers looks like a small robot. They are generally just a cylindrical base with a basket to hold the food that pulls in and out. These come as small as two quarts and can be as big as six or seven. These models come with digital controls or manual dials. There are also air fryers with dual compartments so you can make two types of food at different temps simultaneously. Ninja makes a particularly good one with two 4-quart cooking baskets (8 quarts overall).
Solo air fryers are the least expensive too, and they can be had for as little as $30. I’d say if you just want to try air frying but don’t want to commit a lot of money or kitchen space, opt for one of these.
Air frying toaster oven: Bake, broil, roast and toast
The Duo Crisp is a powerful air fryer but it’s also a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker and more.
These are the most advanced and versatile air fryers and they do a whole lot more than air fry. Think Instant Pot but with an air fryer function as well. Ninja’s Foodi multicooker and the Instant Pot Duo Crisp are two popular models, and if you want an air fryer and multicooker or pressure cooker but don’t have a lot of kitchen space to relinquish, one of these is a great option. I’ve used the 6-quart Duo Crisp a bunch and find it works well, turning out some of the most delicious fried chicken ever (with no frying at all.) These models generally retail for about $175 to $250
