Equipment Review: Air Fryers



Air fryers are all the rage, and for good reason. The best models cook food quickly and efficiently, and because they’re essentially countertop convection ovens, they can be used in place of a toaster oven or wall oven.

Buy our winning air fryer:
Read the review:

ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America’s Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.

If you like us, follow us:

source

Similar Posts

32 Comments

  1. I bought the Instant Vortex Plus based on your recommendation. All the points you tested were true, however there was no mention of the plastic fumes smell that was so bad I had to return it. It would be helpful if you tell your audience about the smell with this Air Fryer. Thank you.

  2. I bough the InstantPot Air fryer based on this review and have no regrets. I'm usually cooking for 2 people and it really has changed my food game. I cook much more food at home and it never disappoints with how much it can do.

  3. Purchased the Instant Vortex plus air fryer based on your review. I wanted to like it had everything I wanted. But unfortunately the burning plastic smell would not go away and was strong. I tried everything possible to rid the smell but no luck. After researching this Instant air fryer seems to be an issue so I returned it.

  4. Does the Teflon interior concern anybody, Also why are these rubber/silicone bumpers on the insert tray are they supposed to come off are they just for shipping Are they supposed to be there so you don't chip the Teflon

  5. Funny. The only reason I searched for air fryer reviews in the first place, was because I have this one they recommend and I hate it. The separate “crumb tray” is a complete pain in the arse. Avoid two piece baskets.

  6. Brilliant! Just what I needed to hear. Thanks for the excellent review. I was very sceptical about air fryers, but since times are changing for the worse where we have to cut down on heating and electricity, I thought it’d be best to purchase an air fryer, as it uses way less power than ovens or stoves.

  7. I did a lot of research, thought the Vortex looked great, but chose the Ninja XL because it is the only air fryer with a ceramic rather than a teflon coating. I feel the ceramic is safer. The Vortex indicates that it is PFOA free, but does not address PFTE which is what teflon is made of. It may be quite safe if not overheated but I feel more comfortable with the Ninja and it performs really well, really enjoying it. (Because the basket is rounded it has a slightly smaller cooking space but is plenty big enough for at least 2 people).

  8. no mention of the horrible smell this air fryer gives off when in use, which permeates anything being prepared? Would have been nice to have that warning before the purchase. How about testing ways of getting rid of said smell? It seems to be a problem with many new small appliances that involve heating.

  9. I have the Instant Vortex 4qt size. Best kitchen gadget I've ever used and kept! Bit of a learning curve to not overcook things. I recommend using a food thermometer for meats. This is the second one I've owned. I prefer the square basket design over the round. Great to use during our long TX summers!

  10. Interesting. Every single thing that you said was desirable is reflected in the airfryer that I got, though it is bulky and overly large. It also looks exactly like a larger version of your budget selection except it's branded differently (but the controls are identical). Makes me feel like I've basically gotten, for a change, an old model of a winner. And since it was $60 on clearance and is a 9 qt drawer model I am not complaining.

Leave a Reply