An air fryer doesn't have to be an eyesore — take this one, with its sleek stainless steel design. (Amazon)(Amazon)
If you're looking to eat a little healthier in the new year — but don't want to sacrifice the deliciousness of fried food — let us introduce you to your new BFF: the Cuisinart Air Fryer Oven, on sale for $64. After testing 15 of these countertop gadgets, we named Cuisinart the best air fryer overall, thanks to its sleek, spacious design and easy-to-understand LED touchscreen. Though we tested the 6-quart version, we can confidently recommend each size — and they all happen to be about 20% off!
This winning fryer is currently priced at $64, down from $80, bringing it close to the lowest price it's ever been. Plus, the fact that it came out on top after we tested it alongside brands like Ninja, Breville and Philips — many of which cost more — speaks volumes about its functionality.
Preparing fried foods at home can be messy business, with oil splatters and all that cleanup. Because it uses circulating hot air instead of quarts of oil to crisp up food, an air fryer eliminates almost all of the fuss (and fat). More importantly, you'll still get crunchy, drool-worthy results.
According to our home writer and housewares tester Kristin Granero, the Cuisinart "boasts substantial cooking room, minimal required maintenance and an easy-to-master learning curve, all while looking non-clunky." She noted that the appliance arrived preassembled (no tools needed, hooray!) and that it came with easy-to-follow instructions and a recipe guide. So far, so good.
The Cuisinart air fryer lets you cook with little no to oil, plus it helps you get dinner on the table lickety-split, which is so important if you're trying to eat healthier in the new year. Another standout feature is its LED display, which has five cooking functions to choose from — air fry, roast, bake, broil and warm — as well as five preset options for popular foods like fries, wings, frozen snacks and vegetables. Who doesn't love a kitchen gadget that takes the guesswork out of cooking?
As for results, Granero said, "We assessed the air fry function by making french fries, breaded chicken tenders, chicken wings and crab rangoons ... everything came out right on time in juicy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside fashion. ... While air-frying was the main focus of our test, we also tried our hands at several other functions: Our roasted chicken breasts, baked salmon and broiled steaks cooked to perfection."
Other cool components include an interior light and see-through doors, which allow you to keep an eye on your food while it cooks, as well as a "toss reminder" that'll alert you when it's time to flip your food in the basket. Oh, and speaking of the basket, this one is conveniently dishwasher-safe.
Yahoo staffers aren't the only ones who approve of the Cuisinart Air Fryer Oven — Amazon customers are eating it up too.
"Saves me money by not having to use my oven. It won't heat up my kitchen during the hot summer months and looks really expensive, but isn't. I recommend it," raved one happy home cook.
"I was hesitant to join the air fryer club," admitted a convert. "Boy am I happy I did! ... I can get a healthy, delicious dinner on the table in minutes ... Fried chicken without the mess? Yes, please! ... And I love the window to watch the food without having to open the drawer."
"It is so much better than the one we had that died," said a third shopper. "The food has a better taste and is a lot more crisp. We absolutely love the broiler feature and have broiled hamburgers, beef steaks, pork steaks and salmon. They tasted like they had been grilled. The icing on the cake is that we can put the basket and crisper in the dishwasher!"
"I have used this for about two weeks and it works perfectly," shared a customer. "The only thing is the 'flip-over' reminder doesn’t buzz very loud. But I am happy with the product."
"Such a beautiful and useful kitchen gadget," said a final reviewer. "I make everything in here now! I love the little window and light that lets you peek inside the fryer to see how your food is cooking. Only downside is that when you wash the basket (in the dishwasher or by hand), condensation builds in the window and doesn’t seem to go away until you use the air fryer again."
Want to make cleanup even easier? Check these out:
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The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.