The Ultimate Air Fryer Guide: Best Models, Tips, and Features for 2025

The Air Fryer Revolution

Remember when air fryers were all the rage and people thought they were just another kitchen fad? Fast forward to 2025, and these versatile appliances have become kitchen essentials for good reason. If you’re still on the fence about adding an air fryer to your cooking setup—or if you’re looking to upgrade your current model—you’re in the right place. Air fryers have transformed cooking, allowing you to enjoy crispy, deep-fried-style food with up to 80% less oil. They’re no longer limited to just frying—they can roast, bake, reheat, and even dehydrate, making them a multi-functional addition to any kitchen.

In this guide, we’ll explore the best air fryers of 2025, key features to consider, tips for getting the most out of your appliance, and some non-toxic options that can help ensure you’re making healthier choices.

How Do Air Fryers Actually Work?

Before diving into the options, let’s briefly understand how air fryers work.

Air fryers use rapid air circulation, powered by a fan and a heating element, to cook food. This hot air circulates around the food, creating a crispy exterior while maintaining a tender interior. The best part? You only need a tablespoon of oil—or sometimes none at all. Most models offer adjustable temperature settings, with many heating up to 400°F, which ensures your food cooks evenly and crisps up perfectly.

Best Air Fryers of 2025

Why We Love It:
The Ninja DZ201 Foodi 8 Quart 6-in-1 DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer stands out as an exceptional choice for large meals and multitasking in the kitchen. Its innovative DualZone Technology allows you to cook two different dishes at separate temperatures simultaneously, ensuring that both dishes finish cooking at the same time. This feature eliminates the need for back-to-back cooking, which is especially useful when preparing meals for families or entertaining guests.

With an 8-quart capacity, you can cook up to 4 lbs of French fries or chicken wings at once, making it perfect for larger gatherings or meal prepping. The air fryer’s 6-in-1 functionality—Air Fry, Air Broil, Roast, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate—provides all the versatility you need to tackle any cooking task, from crispy snacks to hearty main courses. Its separate heating zones with independent baskets and cyclonic fans ensure even cooking for both baskets, giving you flexibility and consistent results every time.

Cleaning is also a breeze with its dishwasher-safe baskets and crisper plates, allowing you to spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying your meals. If you’re looking for an air fryer that delivers on both size and functionality, the Ninja DZ201 Foodi is an excellent choice.

Why We Love It:
The COSORI Air Fryer 9-in-1 offers an incredible balance of value, performance, and versatility. Equipped with TurboBlaze Technology, it delivers a powerful 3600 rpm fan speed and temperatures up to 450°F, ensuring your meals come out perfectly crispy and juicy every time. The air fryer features 5 adjustable fan speeds and precise temperature control ranging from 90°F to 450°F, offering professional-grade versatility for a wide range of cooking functions, from air frying to baking, roasting, and more.

With a 6-quart square basket, it provides ample space for large family meals while maintaining a compact design that won’t overwhelm your kitchen counter or storage space. Its TurboBlaze Technology speeds up cooking time, making it a fantastic option for busy weekdays when you need a quick, delicious meal. Plus, you’ll enjoy up to 95% less oil, providing a healthier alternative to traditional deep frying without compromising on taste.

What sets the COSORI apart is its whisper-quiet performance—operating at less than 53 dB even on high fan speeds, it ensures a comfortable cooking environment. Whether you’re cooking a quick snack or a full meal, the COSORI Air Fryer 9-in-1 offers exceptional value without sacrificing quality or convenience.

Why We Love It:
The Ninja DT201 Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro Air Fry Digital Countertop Convection Toaster Oven is a powerhouse that combines 10 versatile cooking functions in one appliance. It offers Air Fry, Bake, Roast, Broil, Dehydrate, Reheat, Pizza, Whole Roast, Toast, and Bagel settings, making it perfect for everything from everyday meals to special occasions.

One of the standout features of the Ninja DT201 is its True Surround Convection, which provides up to 10X more convection power than a traditional oven, resulting in faster cooking, crispier textures, and juicier results. Whether you’re cooking a 5-lb. chicken, two 12-inch pizzas, or even a 12-lb. turkey, the XL capacity ensures you can easily feed a crowd or prepare family-sized meals.

With a 90-second preheat time and cooking speeds up to 30% faster than traditional ovens, you can serve up meals quickly without sacrificing quality. The digital display handle is user-friendly, showing optimal oven rack positions based on your selected function. Plus, the air fry function delivers up to 75% less fat compared to traditional deep frying, so you can enjoy crispy meals with less guilt.

If you’re looking for a versatile, efficient, and performance-packed kitchen companion, the Ninja DT201 Food Pro XL is an excellent choice.

Why We Love It:
The Midea Dual Basket Air Fryer Oven is a game-changer for busy cooks looking to prepare multiple dishes at once. With its innovative double-decker design, this air fryer features an upper 6QT basket for air frying and a lower 5QT baking pan for items like pizza and bread, offering a total 11QT capacity in a compact footprint. This means you can cook more in less space, which is perfect for families or meal prepping.

Its 8-in-1 versatility—air fry, grill, dehydrate, bake, roast, broil, reheat, and toast—ensures you have all the tools you need for every meal. The 3 heating tubes located at the top, middle, and bottom of the cavity provide precise temperature control, allowing for even cooking across both baskets.

The Smart Sync Finish feature ensures that both baskets finish cooking at the same time, making it easier than ever to serve up multiple dishes without waiting. With Wi-Fi connectivity and access to the MSmart app, you can control the cooking process remotely and access over 50+ recipes to get inspired.

If you’re looking for an air fryer that offers the flexibility to cook two different dishes simultaneously, the Midea Dual Basket Air Fryer Oven is an excellent choice for your kitchen.

Why We Love It:
The Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker is the ultimate all-in-one kitchen appliance, offering 9 versatile functions in one device. You can pressure cook, slow cook, rice cook, sauté, steam, make yogurt, sterilize, warm, and even cook eggs—all with just the touch of a button. Whether you’re preparing a quick dinner or a complex meal, this Instant Pot has you covered.

With 15 customizable Smart Programs, including settings for ribs, soups, beans, rice, poultry, desserts, and more, cooking is easier than ever. The improved stress-free venting system and easy-release steam switch make pressure cooking safe and hassle-free, while the real-time feedback display lets you monitor your cooking progress every step of the way.

The food-grade stainless-steel inner cooking pot with a tri-ply bottom ensures even cooking, while the anti-spin design keeps the pot secure during sautéing. Plus, with quick one-touch cooking and improved intuitive controls, meal prep has never been so fast or easy.

Ideal for anyone looking to streamline their kitchen, the Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 is your go-to for making a wide range of meals with minimal effort.

Why We Love It:
The Instant Vortex Plus 6QT XL Air Fryer is a must-have for anyone looking for a versatile and easy-to-use appliance. With 6-in-1 functionality, it lets you air fry, broil, roast, dehydrate, bake, and reheat all in one sleek device. Whether you’re craving crispy chicken wings, roasted veggies, or even cinnamon buns, EvenCrisp technology ensures golden, crispy, and tender results every time with little to no oil.

The quick preheating feature means you can go from frozen to golden in minutes, saving time without sacrificing flavor. With a temperature range from 95 to 400°F, you have full control over your cooking, whether you’re preparing a quick snack or a full meal. Plus, one-touch Smart Programs make it easy to cook your favorites like wings, roasted veggies, garlicky potatoes, cookies, and more with just the push of a button.

Thanks to the easy-to-clean, dishwasher-safe air fry basket and tray, cleanup is a breeze, while the compact design and stainless-steel accents make it both stylish and functional. Ideal for anyone looking to create gourmet meals quickly, the Instant Vortex Plus is the perfect addition to your kitchen.

Key Features to Consider When Buying an Air Fryer

Choosing the perfect air fryer can be overwhelming with so many options available. To make your decision easier, here are the top factors to consider before making a purchase:

1. Capacity: Find the Right Size for Your Needs

Air fryer capacity is one of the most important aspects to consider, as it directly affects how much food you can cook at once. Here’s a quick breakdown of capacities and what they’re best for:

• 2-3 Quarts: Ideal for 1-2 people or smaller portions.
• 4-5 Quarts: Great for small meals or couples.
• 6-10 Quarts: Perfect for families, meal prepping, or cooking multiple servings.
• 10+ Quarts: Best for large gatherings, entertaining, or batch cooking.

2. Non-Toxic & Healthy Cooking Options

When looking for non-toxic air fryers, it’s important to focus on brands that prioritize safe, food-grade materials. Below are some reputable brands that offer air fryers made with non-toxic, BPA-free, and PFOA-free materials:

Ninja

• Materials: Ninja air fryers, including the Ninja Foodi series, are known for using non-toxic, BPA-free, and PFOA-free materials in their cooking baskets and trays.
• Notable Models: Ninja Foodi, Ninja Air Fryer, Ninja Foodi Grill.

Instant Pot (Instant Vortex)

• Materials: Instant Pot air fryers (such as the Instant Vortex series) use food-grade stainless steel and BPA-free, PFOA-free, and PTFE-free materials for their cooking surfaces.
• Notable Models: Instant Vortex Plus, Instant Vortex, Instant Vortex Air Fryer Oven.

COSORI

• Materials: COSORI air fryers are made with BPA-free and PFOA-free materials, ensuring non-toxic cooking.
• Notable Models: COSORI Air Fryer Max XL, COSORI Pro II.

Philips

• Materials: Philips air fryers are designed with non-toxic, BPA-free materials and use a non-stick coating free from harmful chemicals.
• Notable Models: Philips Airfryer XXL, Philips Premium Airfryer.

Cuisinart

• Materials: Cuisinart air fryers are free of BPA, PFOA, and PTFE, and their cooking baskets are typically made with non-toxic, food-safe materials.
• Notable Models: Cuisinart AirFryer Toaster Oven, Cuisinart Compact AirFryer.

Breville

• Materials: Breville air fryers, particularly the Breville Smart Oven Air, are made with non-toxic, BPA-free materials and have safe non-stick coatings.
• Notable Models: Breville Smart Oven Air, Breville Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro.

Black+Decker

• Materials: Black+Decker air fryers are BPA-free and use non-toxic, PFOA-free materials in their cooking surfaces.
• Notable Models: Black+Decker Air Fryer, Black+Decker Crisp ‘N Bake Air Fryer.

GoWISE USA

• Materials: GoWISE USA 5.8-Quart Air Fryer, GoWISE USA 8-in-1 Electric Air Fryer.
• Notable Models: GoWISE air fryers feature BPA-free and PFOA-free coatings, and the cooking baskets are typically made with non-toxic materials.

These models not only keep your meals healthy but also provide excellent cooking results, making them a top choice for anyone conscious about food safety.

3. Ease of Cleaning: Save Time with Low-Maintenance Designs

One of the biggest advantages of owning an air fryer is the ease of cleaning. Many models come with features that make cleanup fast and hassle-free. Look for these key cleaning-friendly features:

• Dishwasher-Safe Parts: Most air fryers have removable baskets, trays, and racks that are dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
• Non-stick Surfaces: Air fryers with non-stick baskets help reduce food buildup, making it easy to wipe down and clean.
• Removable & Washable Components: For quick hand cleaning, choose models with trays and baskets that can be easily removed and washed.
• Wipeable Interiors: Look for air fryers with smooth, non-stick interiors that wipe down effortlessly, especially if you want to minimize your cleaning time.
• Cleaning Tools: Some models include brushes or scrapers to help you remove grease and food residue easily.

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Best Air Fryer for You

Choosing the best air fryer ultimately comes down to your specific cooking needs, kitchen space, and the features that matter most to you. Whether you’re cooking for one, a small family, or hosting larger gatherings, there’s an air fryer to match your lifestyle.

If non-toxic materials and healthier cooking are a priority for you, many air fryers offer BPA-free components and non-toxic construction. Opting for models with ceramic or PTFE-free coatings, as well as BPA-free plastic components, ensures that your meals stay free from harmful chemicals while still delivering crispy, delicious results.

When selecting the right air fryer, consider your cooking habits—whether you need a compact option for quick meals or a larger one for family-style cooking. With a variety of non-toxic models available, you can enjoy the convenience and versatility of air frying while ensuring that your food is cooked safely and healthily.

No matter which model you choose, investing in an air fryer can transform the way you cook—allowing you to enjoy healthier meals with less oil and greater peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions About Air Fryers

How does an air fryer work?

Air fryers cook by circulating hot air around the food, producing a crispy layer similar to deep frying but with significantly less oil.

Can I use oil in an air fryer?

Yes, you can use oil in an air fryer. Applying a light spray or brushing food with oil can enhance crispiness and flavor.

What types of foods can I cook in an air fryer?

Air fryers are versatile and can cook a variety of foods, including french fries, chicken wings, vegetables, and even baked goods like cookies and donuts.

Do I need to flip or stir food while cooking in an air fryer?

While not always necessary, flipping or stirring food can promote even cooking, especially for items like chicken pieces or vegetables.

Are air fryers energy-efficient?

Yes, air fryers are generally more energy-efficient than traditional ovens due to shorter cooking times and smaller heating elements.

Can I bake in an air fryer?

Yes, air fryers can bake a variety of items, including cakes, muffins, and pastries, often reducing baking time compared to conventional ovens.

How do I clean my air fryer?

Cleaning methods vary by model, but generally involve removing the basket and tray, washing them with warm, soapy water or placing them in the dishwasher if they’re dishwasher-safe, and wiping down the interior and exterior with a damp cloth.

Can I cook frozen foods in an air fryer?

Yes, air fryers can cook frozen foods effectively, often yielding crispy results without the need for thawing.

What is the best air fryer for large families?

For larger families, consider air fryers with higher capacity, which offer a larger cooking space suitable for bigger meals.

Are air fryers safe to use?

When used according to the manufacturer’s instructions, air fryers are safe. Always operate them on a flat, heat-resistant surface, keep them away from flammable materials, and ensure they are properly cleaned to prevent any safety hazards.

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Prices and availability are accurate as of March 2025.

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