People who have weaker hand muscles or grip-strength issues may struggle with maneuvering this basket. We used to recommend an identical version that didn’t come with the splatter-proof lid and was more widely available, but that’s been discontinued. We noted if any parts were dishwasher safe and if that came with any restrictions. We noted if there were initial use cleaning instructions, and followed them if provided. Today through June 27, Wayfair is hosting a fun “Days of Deals” promo. Every day the retailer will unveil a new item that’s majorly marked down, but only for 24 hours.
Because their fans are so powerful and the interior is so cramped, they tend to cook unevenly, and they aren’t good for recipes that need a more delicate touch, such as cakes. Also, the preprogrammed settings, which may look enticing for new cooks, are generally inaccurate, so you’ll likely need to adjust the time or temperature a bit when using them. This can require a little trial and error, but if you spend the time to get to know your machine and how it tends to cook, this issue may not bother you. Finally, compared with washing a baking pan, some air fryer baskets are a pain to clean.
However, it’s best to leave anything wet-breaded to other small kitchen appliances that are more suited to the unique cooking needs [of breaded foods],” Klein explains. The problem with cooking breaded foods like shrimp tempura or beer-battered fish in the air fryer is the risk of dripping, which can complicate cleanup or potentially damage your machine. The air fryers in this guide have some advantages over other options but also a number of downsides. They’re a good choice if you have a smaller household, both in terms of space and people. If you live in a dorm room, an apartment with limited counter space, or a retirement home, an air fryer will most likely fit wherever you can make it fit. If you live by yourself, or generally don’t have many mouths to feed at one time, it’s a good option for cooking one or two servings of food.
This is one of the most common air-fryer mistakes that many people fall victim to. It takes only a few minutes and will save your food majorly in the long run. The Black+Decker 2L Purifry Air Fryer HF110SBD was the best budget hamilton beach pod-shaped model we tried back in 2017, but at the time it had the smallest max-fill capacity of all the fryers we tested. In most cases, we were able to successfully cook only about one serving of food at a time.
Unfortunately, the tray falls out when you turn food out of the basket, which could potentially cause burns. This model runs quite hot—which we discovered when it burned our brussels sprouts during testing—so you have to be vigilant about adjusting the temperature. If you’re looking for a compact kitchen appliance to bridge that gap between a microwave and a conventional oven, a pod-shaped air fryer might do the trick. I’m sure the Hamilton Beach Sure-Crisp Air Fry Toaster Oven would work just beautifully on frozen chicken tenders too. I have been known to buy a bag (or three) of those at the grocery store, and brought them home to cook for quick kid meals.
Or, keep the house cool by leaving the oven off and instead making air-fryer meat loaf or air-fryer chicken breasts. The Instant Vortex Plus Dual Basket Air Fryer features two 4-quart baskets that can cook two separate portions of food at the same time. When we tried cooking chicken nuggets in both baskets, neither basket got as hot as it needed to be—the nuggets in both came out soggy on the inside, with crumbly breading on the outside.
Senior staff writer Michael Sullivan conducted research and testing for the previous version of this guide. Michael also served as a knowledgeable consultant for the latest round of testing, researching, and writing of this guide. The popular Breville Smart Oven Air got an even smarter upgrade with the ability to connect to an app. Breville leveraged its partnership with ChefSteps, the brand that first introduced the Joule sous vide, to make an app loaded with air fryer recipes and videos. However, you won’t get the stellar performance and extra features that you find on the more expensive models.
It also comes with a recipe booklet, which is helpful if you’re new to air frying. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention how good looking this model is—the entire exterior has a sleek matte finish, and it features a brightly lit control panel that’s easily visible even in a dark room. Several co-workers who walked into the test kitchen immediately gravitated to the Cosori out of all of the other air fryers on the counter because it looks so chic. That said, the Philips Premium Airfryer is not our favorite appliance for air frying. If you have the space and budget, we recommend an air fryer toaster oven, which is more versatile and cooks more evenly than its pod-shaped counterparts. But we have learned over the years that many people prefer the pod-shaped style for a few reasons.