We put this season’s bestsellers through real dinners — wings, fries, a whole chicken — and price-checked each one this morning. Here are the five worth your counter space.
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By Alex RivardAVESYS Shopping desk · independent picks
7 min readUpdated June 30, 2026 at 9:15 AM EDT
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Selling fast
Photo: manufacturer
Air fryers stopped being a fad somewhere around the third winter everyone spent at home — and the category has only gotten better since. The 2026 models are quieter, easier to clean, and big enough to feed a family without three rounds in the basket.
We cook on the bestsellers every season so a round-up isn’t just a list of star ratings. Below are the five that crisped best, cleaned up fastest, and held a fair price when we checked this morning. Prices move — each pick shows when we last looked.
Why we picked itThe one we’d buy for most kitchens: roomy enough for a family dinner, genuinely quiet, and the basket wipes clean in seconds. Crisp results without babysitting the timer.
Big enough for a family of fourOne of the quietest we’ve testedNon-stick basket cleans up fast
Price checked automatically. Final price shown at the merchant.
We’ve put the Cosori Pro II through two years of weeknight dinners, and the 2026 refresh only widened its lead: a roomier 5.5-litre basket, a noticeably quieter fan, and a non-stick coating that has shrugged off everything from sticky teriyaki wings to a dropped slice of cheese. At its current sale price it undercuts machines that cook no better.
It is not the cheapest air fryer on this list, but it is the one we hand to friends who just want a single appliance that works on the first try. If you cook for two to four people and want to stop thinking about it, start here.
The full ranking
If the Cosori is sold out — and lately it often is — these four are the picks we reach for next, in order. Every one earned its place in a real kitchen, not a spec sheet.
Trending
1
Best value
Instant Vortex Plus 6-Qt
View on Best Buy
4.5(12,190 reviews)
$99.99$129.99Save 23% offas of Jun 30
The smart-money pick. Larger basket than the Cosori, near-identical crisp, and it routinely dips under a hundred dollars. The display is basic, but the cooking is not.
Feeding a hungry house? The Ninja Foodi DualZone is the one pick here that cooks two foods two ways at once — fries crisping in one basket while salmon roasts in the other, both finishing on the same minute. It is bulky, but for family dinners it quietly removes the juggling act.
2
Ninja Foodi DualZone 8-Qt
View on Amazon
4.5(9,240 reviews)
Two baskets, two foods, done at the same time — the family-dinner problem-solver. Worth it only if you’ll use both zones.
Short on counter space? The Philips Essential 3000 is the small-kitchen workhorse — compact, near-indestructible and dead simple to use. You give up batch size, but you gain a fryer that disappears into a cupboard and lasts for years.
3
Philips Essential 3000
View on Canadian Tire
4.0(3,155 reviews)
The reliable small-kitchen pick. Compact, fuss-free, and built to last — just don’t expect to fit a whole chicken.
Ready to spend once and be done? The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is really a countertop oven that air-fries beautifully — it toasts, bakes, roasts and dehydrates, replacing three appliances if your counter can host it. Overkill for fries alone; perfect for a kitchen that wants one do-everything box.
4
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
View on Best Buy
4.5(2,048 reviews)
The splurge that replaces three appliances — air fryer, toaster oven and dehydrator in one. Overkill for fries; perfect if it earns its counter space.
Replaces several appliancesEven, oven-grade results
Every air fryer here was cooked on, not just unboxed. We ran the same three test dishes through each one, cleaned every basket by hand and in the dishwasher, and lived with the noise on a normal weeknight.
Crispiness on wings and fries, side by side
Real usable capacity, not the marketing number
Cleanup time, by hand and dishwasher
Price stability over the last 30 days
Prices and availability change fast in this category, so the price on each pick shows the date we last checked. The link takes you to the merchant, where the live price always wins.
What to look for in an air fryer
Capacity is the spec most people get wrong. A “5-litre” basket rarely holds five litres of food — you want roughly one litre per person for a full meal, so a couple is well served by 4 litres while a family of four should look at 5.5 litres or more. Wattage matters too: 1500 watts and up preheats faster and crisps more evenly.
After that, the details that make an air fryer a joy or a chore are a dishwasher-safe basket, a quiet fan, and a clear, tactile control panel. Presets are nice but rarely essential — most cooking happens at one of three temperatures once you find your rhythm.
Frequently asked
What size air fryer do I need?
Plan for about one litre of capacity per person. A 4-litre model suits singles and couples; a family of four is happier with 5.5 litres or more, which fits a small chicken or a full batch of fries in one go.
Are air fryers actually worth it?
For most kitchens, yes. They preheat in a minute or two, crisp leftovers far better than a microwave, and use a fraction of the oil of deep-frying. If you cook fries, wings, vegetables or reheats more than twice a week, one earns its counter space quickly.
How do I clean an air fryer?
Let the basket cool, then wash it with warm soapy water or run it through the dishwasher if it is rated for it. Wipe the heating element with a damp cloth every few uses. Avoid metal scourers, which strip the non-stick coating.
How to get the best price
These links go straight to the merchant, where the live price always wins. Prime members usually see free, faster delivery; if you’re not a member, a free trial covers a one-off order.
