Who doesn't love a crispy batch of french fries or chicken tenders? While most people agree that fried comfort foods can be satisfying sometimes, they're not the healthiest option due to the heavy oils involved to fry the food. Luckily, these top air fryers can serve healthier versions of some of your favorite fried foods without all the fats that can affect your heart health. This guide brings you the best air fryer based on what you're in search of.

Before diving in, it's helpful to know how air fryers work. The best air fryer eliminates the need to submerge foods in oil. Instead, it uses hot air circulation to "fry" the food. An air fryer features a chamber that heats food from a heating element close by. While the heating element cooks the food, a fan circulates the hot air produced. All the hot, circulating air has another positive effect -- foods tend to cook faster and more evenly.

Air fryers will take up counter space due to their size and design. They're electric -- you'll need to place yours near a wall outlet. Air fryers come in a variety of design styles and sizes. Some may look more like a toaster oven, while others are shaped like a pod. Some manufacturers may even offer the appliance in several colors to go with nearly any kitchen decor. We identified six of the best air fryers available now to help you on your path to eating healthier.  

COSORI Air Fryer

Best air fryer overall

COSORI

Power: 1.500WCapacity: 3.7 QuartPresets: 11 plus preheat and warmDimensions: 13.3" x 10.7" x 12.2"Weight: 11lbsColor: Black, red or white

The Cosori air fryer is our top choice for the best air fryer due to its advanced features in a sleek, simple interface. The design won a Red Dot Award for stylish functionality in 2019. It's equipped with a tempered glass LED touch screen display for easier programming. The smooth display is also low maintenance -- there are no buttons, nooks, or crannies that collect food deposits, making it easy to wipe down and clean after use. The nonstick basket is also easy to clean and dishwasher safe.

While this review focuses on the standard air fryer, the model also comes Wi-Fi enabled, ideal when you want to program and manage the cook settings remotely, for an extra$30. The Cosori air fryer is extremely flexible, featuring 11 one-touch cooking presets or the ability to set your own time and temperature for custom recipes. Plus, it will remind you when it's time to shake your food to prevent burning. 

Pros

• Stylish design
• 11 presets (including pre-heat and warm) plus custom temperature and time settings
• Shake reminder
• The cooking function automatically shuts off when you pull out the baskets

Cons

• Stainless finish reduces the presets to 9

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Ninja AF101 Air Fryer

Best starter air fryer

Ninja

Power: 1.500WCapacity: 4 QuartPresets: 4Dimensions: 8.5" x 12.1" x 11"Weight: 10.58lbsColor: Black/grey

When all you need is a simple air fryer that works, Ninja's AF101 steps up. It focuses on only four functions: roast, air fry, reheat and dehydrate. It may be a pared-down or no-frills version of an air fryer, but it does the job with little hassle. The non-stick basket, rack, and crisper plate are easy to clean up since food doesn't stick. For more stubborn stains, you could always throw them into the dishwasher safely. 

Although there are only four functions, you'll have a temperature range of 105 degrees to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to work with. The lowest setting is mostly used for the dehydrate function, which gently and slowly removes moisture from foods to create items such as fruit or vegetable crisps.

Pros

• Dehydrate function included
• Generous four-quart interior
• Dishwasher-safe basket, rack, and crisper plate included
• Simple, one-touch control panel

Cons

• No preheat setting -- you'll need to let the appliance run for a few minutes first to warm up
• A higher price point for fewer functions

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Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Oven Air Fryer

Best triple-duty air fryer

Cuisinart

Power: 1.800WCapacity: 0.6 cubic foot interiorPresets: 7 functionsDimensions: 15.50" x 16" x 14"Weight: 21lbsColor: Stainless steel, black stainless steel, black, navy or white

Cuisinart's oven design has a professional-grade feel that could work well in nearly all kitchen designs. The black stainless steel version is the latest introduction and a popular finish that's more forgiving of fingerprints than the original stainless steel look. Cuisinart's model is the most powerful at 1,800W, making it possible to roast a chicken or cook a pizza in less time than using a traditional oven. 

The oven's capacity is generous. You could fit up to six slices of bread for toast, air fry three pounds of chicken wings at a time in the included air fry basket, roast a four-pound chicken, or bake a twelve-inch pizza. Instead of pushing a button, there are four knobs to help you adjust the thermostat, choose the cooking function you'd like, or set the timer (for up to 60 minutes). 

Pros

• Professional-grade oven design
• Versatile -- toast, bake, fry, and more
• Large, flexible capacity includes a four-pound chicken for roasting, three pounds of chicken wings for air frying, six slices of bread for toasting, or a 12-pizza
• Fashionable finishes include navy, copper, and black stainless steel

Cons

• The dial isn't as precise, with complaints that the heat setting isn't as accurate or the timer doesn't always run for the time required

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Instant Vortex 4-in-1 Air Fryer

Best compact air fryer

Amazon

Power: 1,700WCapacity: 2 QuartsPresets: 4 functionsDimensions: 13.1" x 12.9" x 10.9"Weight: 8.38lbsColor: Aqua, black, red or white

Most air fryers are sized to handle nearly four quarts of food or more. While this is great when you're preparing a meal for a group, it's nice to know there's an air fryer that can work efficiently in smaller batches. Instant's Vortex air fryer holds two quarts, ideal when you want to fry only half a dozen chicken wings. The compact air fryer's flat touchscreen is your control center. You can select from the four cooking functions of air fry, reheat, roast, and broil. You can also enter your own temperature, starting at 95