Air Fryer Reviews for Smart Shoppers – Best Air Fryers Buyer Guide

Editor’s Pick

UPDATE: Philips now makes an even larger capacity model. See our detailed review of the Philips XXL Airfryer HD9650.

Big Model from a Big Brand Name!

Philips is the leading manufacturer of air fryers, and the HD9240 is the largest model in their line. If you need extra cooking capacity, take a close look at this one.

This company is known for it’s patented Rapid Air Technology because it is designed to give you the best results possible. With fast, even cooking, foods turn out nicely done inside and crispy on the outside.

This 1,800 Watt unit has an interior capacity of 3.5 quarts, and it gives you all the best features of an air fryer, including:

• digital control panel (touch-screen)
• 60 minute timer and automatic shut-off with an alert sound
• preset functions and adjustable temperature (up to 390°)
• internal cord storage, non-slip “feet”, and dishwasher safe parts

One feature unique to this unit is the Smart Preset button that allows you to memorize a custom setting. That’s very handy for a favorite dish that you cook often. Just program in the time & temp, and your air fryer will “remember” it for next time.

The Philips Avance XL gets high praise from consumers for performance and quality of the construction. Complaints are rare and generally due to user inexperience. Air frying is a new way to cook for most people, so don’t be surprised if you experience a small learning curve.

What are the drawbacks? In a word — size.

The HD9240 isn’t for everyone because it’s a large appliance. Exterior dimensions are 12.4″ wide by 16.7″ deep by 11.9″ high. That can be a bit much for tiny kitchens, and at 19 pounds some people will find it hard to move around.

However, that size is also one of this model’s best features. If you’ll be cooking for a big family or if you enjoy entertaining often, the extra large interior capacity may be exactly what you need.

Click here to read my complete, detailed review of the Philips Avance XL Airfryer HD9240.

Editor’s Pick

The next generation Philips TurboStar HD9641 has earned high marks from consumers.

This is a standard size air fryer (1.8 pound capacity), 1,425 Watts, with a digital display and a new QuickControl dial. It has all the standard features such as:

• adjustable temperature
• timer with automatic shut-off
• keep warm function
• some dishwasher safe parts
• 1 Year Limited Warranty

One new feature is a “Keep Warm” function, which you may find handy when all of your dinner items don’t get done at the same time. (Although, this isn’t usually a problem because air fryers do such a terrific job of reheating foods without degrading quality.)

The manufacturer redesigned the exterior of this unit so that it is now slightly slimmer than its predecessor. It still has the same interior cooking capacity, and it’s still a fairly large appliance, but it will take up a bit less space on your counter.

Another improvement is the basket, which can be disassembled. You can remove the wire mesh bottom for easier cleaning, and the handle can be detached for more compact storage or for use on other parts such as the grill plate (sold separately). If you do buy the grill plate, you’ll find that without the handle it doesn’t take up so much cabinet space.

This model does not include any accessories, but they are available from Philips and also from other manufacturers. Our experience has been that you can find “off” brand accessories that offer excellent quality at a great price. Just be careful to order the correct size to fit your particular air fryer. Please see our detailed review of this model for complete information.

Philips is certainly not the only game in town. You may pay less for other brands, and you may be perfectly happy with them. Personally, Philips and Cosori are my top picks because these are the brands I own, and they have proven to be top quality over and over.

To clarify, I have only owned the Cosori for a little over two years. Though I have less experience with it, I only have good things to say about it. It seems to be built well, is holding up great after extensive use, and shows no signs of quitting any time soon.

The story of my Philips models is much longer. As you might imagine, writing a cookbook involves endless hours of cooking. The Air Fryer Bible has over 200 recipes, and all of the developing and multiple testing was done in two Philips air fryers. My co-author and I literally abused those two air fryers, running them all day long every day, often with barely a pause between dishes. Neither air fryer ever faltered for a second, and both still work like a dream today.

My apologies if this sounds like some cheesy infomercial, but I am just totally sold on Philips. I’m sure it’s possible to get a “lemon”. That happens to the best of manufacturers. I just have not seen evidence of that, and my experience has been 100% positive.

Click here to read my complete, detailed Philips Airfryer Review of the TurboStar Model HD9641.

Editor’s Pick

Cosori may be a lesser known manufacturer to you. It is somewhat new on the scene but is quickly earning a very good reputation for its air fryers and other product such as food dehydrators. I am a devout Philips fan, but now I also own a Cosori Air Fryer and am extremely pleased with it.

Features of this model include:

• 5.8 quart capacity
• digital touch screen controls
• automatic shut-off with ready signal
• 11 cooking presets
• keep warm function
• adjustable temperature up to 400°
• 60 minute timer
• dishwasher safe parts
• 1 Year Limited Warranty

The timer also includes a “shake reminder” feature that you can help you remember to stop and shake the basked when needed for more even cooking.

I’m not a big fan of presets because you can’t always trust them. In fact most owner manuals will tell you they are really just a suggestion. Timing can’t be guaranteed because there are always unknown variables such as quantity and beginning temperature of foods.

That said, many people love to use presets, and if that’s you then you’ll love all the options on this Cosori. The presets are for chicken, steak, shrimp, seafood, bacon, frozen foods, French fries, vegetables, root vegetables, desserts, and bread.

To me one of the outstanding aspects of this model is that you get huge cooking capacity at a very low price – under $125.

The only bad news is that a good number of online reviews are from owners who say their unit either was dead on arrival or that it quit working some time during the first year. In both cases that’s a problem that would be covered under warranty.

Also remember that if you buy from Amazon and receive a dead unit, on many items you have 30 days to send it back to Amazon for at no charge to you. After that, your warranty claim would have to be with the manufacturer, unless you pay extra to purchase one of Amazon’s extended protection plans.

Otherwise, customers are very pleased with the Cosori for quality, performance, ease of use and excellent results. I agree. I purchased my Cosori a little over 2 years ago, have never had any trouble with it, and it is still working perfectly.

To date approximately 90% of Cosori owners have given this model a 4 or 5 star rating. My personal experience is that it does an excellent job cooking all types of foods. If you want a large capacity air fryer without spending a fortune, this one is an exceptional value for the price.

Click here to read my complete Cosori Air Fryer Review.

Bestseller

The Nuwave Air Fryer, also known as Nuwave Brio, may be familiar to you because it’s one of the as seen on TV models. Pictured below is the XL model that has a 6 quart cooking capacity, but the Nuwave is also available in several other smaller and larger sizes.

Like its competitors, the Nuwave has these standard features:

• digital control panel
• adjustable temperature settings (100° to 400°)
• dishwasher safe parts (top rack)
• 100 hour timer*
• 1 Year Limited Warranty**

* Yes, that’s correct. At temperatures of 345° or less, you can actually set the timer for up to 100 hours. And yes, I’m completely baffled by that option too.

** Be aware that if you do have a warranty claim you may be required to pay shipping both ways. (See our complete review for a link to the manufacturer’s warranty page.)

As mentioned in our detailed review, one consumer compared this model to the highly advertised Power Air Fryer XL (the other as seen on TV model). This one man’s opinion is that construction quality of the Power Air Fryer is not as good as that of the Nuwave, and that the Nuwave is somewhat sturdier.

The most common complaint about this Nuwave is the time it takes to preheat, up to 15 minutes. That is a very long time for an air fryer! There are also numerous reports of these units ceasing to work after a short period of time. That and the warranty terms might be good reason to purchase an extended warranty.

Despite these drawbacks, a healthy majority of owners are very happy with the Nuwave. It’s easy to use and to clean and reportedly does a good job on a variety of foods. It also sells for a very reasonable price, especially if you’re in the market for an XL air fryer.

Click here to read my complete review of the Nuwave Brio air fryer.

(The link below will take you to the XL size, but on that same page you’ll see the option to select a smaller or larger size if you prefer.)

Bestseller

Ninja is certainly one of today’s best known and most popular brands for small kitchen appliances. Browse around the web and you’ll see that virtually every product this company makes gets extremely high ratings from customers. This Ninja Air Fryer is no exception.

Features of this model include:

• digital control panel
• 7 one-touch programs (different cooking functions)
• adjustable temperature up to 450°
• nonstick, dishwasher safe basket
• adjustable timer
• power button (turns unit on/off) and start/stop button (controls cooking process)

The seven programs on this Ninja are Max Crisp, Air Fry, Air Roast, Air Broil, Bake, Reheat, and Dehydrate. The MaxCrisp Technology is designed to give you crispier results by cooking foods as much as 30% faster by using 450° super-heated air. Purposes of the other 6 functions are explained in the owner manual.

All of the low ratings I found were for one of two reasons: either the unit had a very strong plastic smell, or it malfunctioned within the first year or shortly after. I could not locate any manufacturer response to either problem.

Those who were unhappy with this air fryer were also very dissatisfied with Ninja customer service. According to reports, it is difficult to get through and then to deal with Ninja support. Be aware that if you make a warranty claim you must pay a service fee of approximately $20 when you return the unit. This has become more and more common these days among a lot of manufacturers.

Also note that when you buy directly from Amazon you have 30 days to return most items, so be sure to try your air fryer as soon as it arrives. If it is DOA or malfunctions right away, you might have the option to return to Amazon instead of having to go through Ninja.

While those are certainly serious problems, keep in mind that the percentage of 1, 2, and 3 star ratings on this model are extremely low. Amazon alone is showing over 15,000 customer ratings, and 94% of those owners gave the Ninja either 4 or 5 stars.

Those who are extremely satisfied with their Ninja Air Fryer give it high praise for being easy to use and simple to clean. Most importantly they report getting excellent results when cooking a wide variety of foods. Some say it takes a few tries to learn which settings work best for your favorite foods, but that will be true with any air fryer.

Overall, the vast majority of owners are very happy with their Ninja and consider it a good value for the money.

The Black & Decker Purifry has been around several years now and continues to earn good ratings. It doesn’t appear to be a top selling model but is still an “Amazon’s Choice” product.

This 1,200 Watt unit has a cooking capacity of 2 liters, and features include:

• adjustable temperature (manual controls)
• 60 minute timer with bell alert and auto shut-off
• some dishwasher safe parts
• 2 year limited warranty

Most of those who complain about this unit are unhappy with taste, and it’s pretty clear that the majority of these people were expecting the exact flavor of deep fried. There are, however, a few who have actually tried other air fryers, and those people feel that compared to some other brands the Black & Decker isn’t quite as reliable for producing consistently good taste.

Another source of discontent is that actual cooking capacity is smaller than expected. For instance, even though the basket will hold 2 liters, you can’t fill it full with French fries or they will not cook evenly. In fact that is an unfair criticism because this is true of any air fryer you choose.

There are also a few complaints about defective units, but customer service gets lots of positive comments. Indications are that if you do have problems you won’t have trouble getting in touch with the company.

If you’re a Black & Decker fan, this model might be worth checking out. It has all the basic features of a good air fryer, sells for a very low price, and carries a longer warranty than even some of the much pricier brands.

The T-fal Actifry has two features that make it completely different from its competitors:

• Set Cooking Temperature: There is no adjustable temperature control on this model. It cooks everything at 338°F, take it or leave it.
• Unique Stirring Paddle: Designed to keep foods constantly stirred while cooking, this paddle is what earns this model its highest praise and also its biggest complaints.

The manufacturer’s explanation of the set temperature is that it will “ensure even and thorough cooking of the food”. This does not seem to be an issue as there aren’t a significant number of complaints about it.

The stirring paddle is quite another matter! Users are split almost equally. Half of them are delighted with the paddle and view it as an extra hand in the kitchen. Whether you’re making French fries, cooking stew, or roasting nuts, the Actifry does the stirring for you while you tend something else.

The other half of owners hate the paddle. They complain that it scrapes off breading, tears up soft foods, and can turn something like tator tots into mush. Worse, small foods can jam the paddle. When that happens you have to stop the unit to clear away food and free the paddle. Otherwise it will burn up the motor.

This 1,450 Watt unit has a 2.2 pound capacity, and features include:

• countdown timer with buzzer alert
• some dishwasher safe parts

The timer on this unit is for convenience only. A buzzer sounds when cooking is finished, but the Actifry does not shut itself off automatically.

Exterior dimensions are 16.7 x 13.6 x 9.4 inches, which makes a big footprint but also gives you a little more cooking capacity than some of the egg shaped air fryers.

There are a lot of pros and cons about this unit, but the people who love it are convinced it is the best ever. It’s one of the most expensive air fryers on the market, and clearly, it’s quite different from your “standard” air fryer. If you’re interested in the T-fal Actifry, you might want to check out my full review for more details.

Click here to read my complete, detailed review of the T-Fal Actifry.

The Big Boss is included in this overview because it’s the one air fryer brand name that is familiar to most people. It has been widely promoted in TV ads and infomercials, and it became very popular before many of its competitors appeared on the scene.

This 1,300 Watt unit has a whopping 16 quart capacity, and it’s one of the least expensive air fryer you’ll find. It also has the largest footprint with exterior dimensions of 16 x 12.5 x 13.5 inches.

Its features include:

• adjustable temperature control
• timer
• some dishwasher safe parts

Over 70% of owners who have reviewed the Big Boss give it 5 stars. They are pleased with the results they get on a variety of foods, and they also love the large cooking capacity and the low price.

Yet plenty of other owners are not happy with this model. There are so many complaints about inconsistent results that it’s hard to chalk them all up to inexperienced users. Rather, it seems that performance may not be this unit’s strong suit.

The biggest problem is that in the past customer service has been virtually non-existent. The warranty on this unit is only 30 days, and making a claim is reported to be extremely difficult. There is a manufacturer’s website with contact information, but reports are that it’s difficult to get in touch and resolve problems.

Still, so many folks like this unit that it has an average overall consumer rating of 4.4, which is very respectable. Clearly there are many who love this model, and you could get lucky and be one of those. Before you buy, you might want to read the long review for all the details:

Click here to read my complete, detailed review of the Big Boss Oil-Less Fryer.