The best air fryers serve up deliciously golden foods fast — giving you more time to relax. (Cuisinart)

Once a novelty, air fryers are now a must-have: Market research firm YouGov estimates that one in three Americans uses an air fryer at least once per week, and it's easy to understand why. Air fryers are typically healthier than deep-frying and quicker to preheat than conventional ovens, allowing you to crisp up everything from nuggets to fancy hors d'oeuvres and even whole chickens. The best air fryers for 2026 are also incredibly easy to use, with convenient presets and toss reminders that let you set it and forget it, plus more cooking modes than ever. That's not to mention the slick baskets and pans that wipe down effortlessly or can be thrown in the dishwasher!

All the sizzlers on this list have been reviewed and recommended by Yahoo staffers who write about and test appliances for a living. Combined, we've evaluated more than 20 air fryers over the past two years, and we recently updated this story to include some new models, like the buzzy Our Place Wonder Oven Pro. Whether you're buying your first air fryer or are due for an upgrade, our top picks are hot commodities. 

Best air fryers for 2026

Factors to consider when choosing an air fryer

• Size: Compact air fryers require less counter space, therefore ideal for cozy or crowded kitchens. Bigger air fryers require more breathing room but typically house larger pieces and quantities of food for feeding families. The sizes mentioned in each write-up in this story represent the exterior dimensions of the air fryer once it is assembled, with capacities reflecting the interior baskets and tray allocations. We didn't count air fryer baskets as accessories because they are core to an air fryer's function.

• Capacity: Lower capacities, obviously, mean smaller portions. We'd recommend at least 2 to 3 quarts of cooking room for individual servings, 4 quarts for two servings and 6 quarts or more for households of four or more (higher capacities are also helpful for entertaining).

• Power: More power typically yields quicker results. Similarly, higher temperatures will allow you to zap certain foods, such as frozen pizzas and slices, at a faster rate for more of a "brick oven" taste. Follow food package and air fryer instructions closely, especially when getting familiar with your air fryer, as a way to learn (and not burn).

• Style:

  • Single-basket air fryers are typically the most straightforward and offer the most depth for containing bulkier, higher batches (think plump chicken tenders, thick french fries and towering nacho piles). That said, they may require you to pause and rotate foods to ensure evenness from time to time.

  • Dual-basket air fryers aren't usually as deep as single-basket air fryers, but they allow you to cook two (still substantial) heaps of food with different specifications in separate spaces, in one go. Removable center inserts offer the flexibility to create an extra-large basket for heartier servings and roasts.

  • Air fryer toasters can typically be stacked with trays for cooking thinner, more delicate foods in shallow rows, such as bread, bagels or hors d'oeuvres (you can use different tray types, but the temp will be the same for all). Generally speaking, toaster hybrids take longer to preheat and get hotter than traditional air fryers.

• Functions: Most air fryers made today offer additional functions, such as roasting, baking, warming, reheating or dehydrating, for more versatility and convenience. The benefit of using a basket-style air fryer to roast or bake versus the oven is that it will usually do so with less preheating and in less time. In our experience, air fryer exteriors remain warm (but not nearly as hot as conventional ovens) and they don't heat the whole kitchen in warmer months.

• Care: Nonstick and dishwasher-safe baskets, bins and trays make for easy cleaning when your meal is done. Be sure to follow instructions carefully, and never put electric appliances in the sink or dishwasher as a general rule of thumb.

How we test air fryers

Our testing group for this guide was made up of Yahoo editors and writers with home, tech and culinary backgrounds. We procured top-rated air fryers and used them to crisp frozen favorites like chicken tenders and french fries, also experimenting with other foods and functions to gauge how well — and how fast! — each model could deliver the (chewy-in-the-middle, crispy-on-the-outside) goods. We also considered and evaluated things like practicality (ease of setup, use and cleaning), durability (materials and design) and safety features to determine which air fryers were worthy of your precious counter space.

Other air fryers we've tested 

They may not have earned a top spot, but there was a lot to appreciate about these honorable mentions:

• Dash Compact 2-Quart Air Fryer: While not as roomy or dynamic as other air fryers we tested, this compact pod was easy to use and yielded delicious air-crisped foods. Streamlined controls make it a good choice for beginners, and the colorful, cool-to-the-touch shell, plus automatic shutoff, make it ideal for those who like to cook with their children (as long as there's adult supervision). The small shape and lightweight frame are also ideal for traveling and storing.

• Ninja 4-Quart Air Fryer: Ninja's 4-Quart comes with four functions: air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate, each of which performed well in our tests. The basket is deep — enough to fit chunkier chicken — and easy to clean. Ideal for three people, it holds less food than the Cuisinart 6-Quart and there isn't a clear panel so you can't see your food (there also isn't a "toss reminder" function, though there is a "pause" button for checking in).

• Cosori TurboBlaze 6-Quart Air Fryer: The TurboBlaze offers four functions — air fry, roast, broil and bake — along with five settings for added convenience (at a lower cost than many air fryers with the same or less range). Executive Editor Nicole Sforza tested the model and says it couldn't be easier to use, tapping it "nonstop for quick kid meals" (such as frozen chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks and fish sticks) and countless family dinners since. One snag: The display is on top, which can be challenging if programming at or below eye level (as with many of the air fryers we evaluated, there's also no window display).

• Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer: Like our top Cuisinart pick, this air fryer from Instant Pot has a 6-quart capacity and features a clear window (with light!) for added visibility. Both appliances can air-fry, roast, bake and broil, with an additional keep-warm or reheat option. The Instant Pot, however, also comes with a dehydrating function. Our tester gave it high scores for cooking food well and being easy to clean, but we ultimately kept Cuisinart in the top spot because we liked that it also has five food presets, plus a toss reminder, and costs slightly less.

• Our Place Wonder Oven: This eye-catching appliance from Our Place is like an air fryer and toaster in one, with added roasting, baking, reheating, broiling and steaming capabilities. We loved how well it crisped up chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, and more delicate (and therefore not tossable) foods like bacon-wrapped jalapenos. It comes with a wire rack, air fry basket and bake pan for different cooking needs. We bumped this from a top spot in favor of the newer, bigger Wonder Oven Pro, given its fancier digital display, additional cooking settings and higher capacity. But the original Wonder Oven is still a solid bet for those with limited counter space — and it's also about half the price of the Pro.

• Philips 3000 Series Air Fryer: Philips launched the first air fryer in 2010, setting the standard and introducing many iterations since. The 3000 Series served up perfectly textured snacks in our tests and it grills, roasts and bakes, among other functions. Its seven cooking presets were useful for heating foods that didn't come with air fryer instructions. Though, we ultimately prioritized the Cuisinart 6-Quart as our top pick for a similar capacity because you can see your food easier and it has a more intuitive display. 

• Breville Joule Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro: Breville's Joule has 13 smart functions and can be connected to an app for guided recipes and food monitoring. Our tester tried the device's air-frying prowess with foods of the frozen (chicken tenders and nuggets) and fresh (chicken, fish and vegetables) vairety. "I've also used it to bake, broil, air fry and toast both breads and bagels," he says. "It's idiot-proof and each function works as you'd want it to." He cautions the Joule's exterior gets hot and that "it can take 10-plus minutes to reach the desired temp, so you'll have to allow time to preheat." 

• Instant Vortex Plus XL 8-Quart Air Fryer: At 8 quarts, the capacity of this dual-basket air fryer from Instant is slightly higher than the Ninja Foodi FlexBasket, and all of its functions — from air frying to roasting — worked and worked well. We also appreciated the clear basket panels for watching our food come along. Aside from not having the removable insert the Foodi offered, Yahoo Senior Tech Writer Rick Broida struggled with the Vortex's "terse instructional manual, which might leave you guessing at how best to cook various items."

• Ninja Digital Air Fry Pro Countertop Oven: This multitasking device from Ninja boasts eight cooking modes — among them the ability to air fry, air roast, bake, broil and toast, and has enough space to fit six pieces of bread or a 2-pound roast, plus a 13-inch pizza! Among minor criticisms: The toaster exterior gets pretty hot and the width requires ample counter space. Says Broida, "While pizza, chopped veggies and other flat-ish foods fit just fine, the height can't accommodate taller foods like whole chickens, bread loaves and high-piled sandwiches," which can also pose a problem now and then.

• Ninja Speedi Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer: The Ninja Speedi combines the functions of an air fryer and rapid cooker, plus ten other devices. It does an adequate job as an air fryer, but Broida notes it more closely resembles a pressure cooker (even though that's the one thing it isn't). It's a little clunky and pricey for a 6-quart air fryer if you don't plan to use the other functions and, unlike other air fryer hybrids on this list, doesn't have a handle. "You can't easily give this a shake during cooking — you have to open and stir instead — and you'll definitely need a pair of oven mitts to lift it out when the food is ready," explains Broida in his review.

• Typhur Dome Air Fryer Oven: Typhur's Dome Air Fryer is one of the coolest-looking we've seen (Broida likened it to something you might see in outer space). It has a large, shallow basket stretching wide enough to fit a 12-inch pizza, 10 strips of bacon or 32 chicken wings — and spread out so you don't need to pause and rotate anything. There are five cooking options: air fry, roast, broil, toast and dehydrate, plus presets, and you can connect the fryer to the Typhur app to control and monitor it from your phone. There's even a self-cleaning mode. The catch? In his review, Broida notes the app can be "naggy" with the basket removed and that, for a device with such a high price tag, the presets are limited.

Air fryer FAQs

How does an air fryer work?

An air fryer works like a convection oven, circulating hot air around food. This means you don't have to worry about flipping, say, chicken nuggets, as long as they're not overlapping. The main difference between an air fryer and a convection oven is that air fryers blow air more rapidly and in a smaller space, therefore speeding up the cooking process.

How do I cook in an air fryer?

To cook in an air fryer, simply choose the temperature, time and function, and then press "start" (with little to no preheating). Place your food in the fryer, allowing space for the hot air to reach it from all angles. For larger portions, you may need to pause and rotate food here and there. While an air fryer doesn't require a lot of oil like traditional frying, drizzling or spraying a light amount of cooking oil on interior baskets, trays and foods can keep items from sticking and help achieve that golden veil.

What cannot be cooked in an air fryer?

Foods that don't cook well in an air fryer include fried foods with wet batters, like beer-battered fish and corn dogs, as well as foods that require a lot of liquid, such as soups and stews. Foods with gooey fillings, such as mozzarella sticks, should be watched more closely and paired with a tray as available, to avoid overcooking (aka having them spontaneously combust) and making a mess. It's always a good idea to refer to the specific instructions for your air fryer model, as results may vary.

Stick to cooking small, slim and scattered foods for faster and crispier results. Avoid using aluminum foil or parchment paper, as they can block airflow. Some air fryers can also roast or bake, allowing the use of foil or parchment paper.

How do you clean an air fryer?

When cleaning an air fryer, as with any appliance, avoid touching hot surfaces and keep electrical components away from water. Once your device has cooled, simply hand-wash or dish-wash pans and bins. When wiping down the air fryer shell and counter surface, a dry or slightly damp towel should do the trick.

Why are people getting rid of air fryers?

You may have seen articles about the potential safety risks of air fryers, including recalls by certain brands related to these appliances overheating and becoming fire hazards. While this has affected a small segment of the market, you should use all air fryers with caution. Ensure that you clean them thoroughly to prevent grease and oil from accumulating in the interior. Another reason people may get rid of their countertop air fryer is that many newer ovens and toaster ovens also have air-frying functions. 

Update, June 23, 2026: We checked all product prices and availability and added testing notes for the Our Place Wonder Oven Pro and Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart Air Fryer. Our No. 1 pick for the best air fryer remains unchanged, but we replaced the original Our Place Wonder Oven with the Pro version as the best air fryer toaster oven combo.

We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.