TL;DR
- Best overall: Ninja Foodi 10 QT DualZone Smart XL. Two zones, family capacity, and it finishes both baskets at the same moment.
- Best for one or two: Ninja AF101 4 QT. Cheap, fast, and small enough to leave out.
- Best all rounder under 6 quarts: Cosori TurboBlaze 6 QT.
- Best air fryer oven: Chefman 14 QT 6-in-1 if you want one box to replace three.
- Skip the extras. Preset count is marketing. Capacity, fan strength and how easily it washes decide whether you keep using it.
Table of Contents
We buy every model on this page, run them through the same tests, and score them on the same scale. Nobody pays to be here. Our full method is written up in how we test air fryers, and every model below has a longer review behind it.
Rankings shift as we test more, so the order here matches the live scores on our reviews index rather than a frozen snapshot.
The current top 8
| # | Model | Type | Capacity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ninja Foodi DZ550 | Dual basket | 10 qt | Best overall |
| 2 | Ninja Air Crisp 5 QT | Basket | 5 qt | Everyday crisping |
| 3 | Ninja Foodi DZ201 | Dual basket | 8 qt | Two zones, less bulk |
| 4 | Cosori TurboBlaze | Basket | 6 qt | Best single basket |
| 5 | Ninja AF181 MaxCrisp | Basket | 6.5 qt | Frozen food |
| 6 | Cuisinart ClearView AFC-9 | Basket | 9 qt | Watching it cook |
| 7 | Cosori CAF-P583S | Basket | 6.8 qt | Preset variety |
| 8 | Ninja DoubleStack SL201 | Stacked dual | 8 qt | Narrow counters |
Best overall: Ninja Foodi 10 QT DualZone Smart XL
Two drawers, each with its own fan and element, and a sync setting that staggers the start times so both finish together. Cooking a main and a side without one going cold is the problem most air fryers never solved, and the DZ550 solves it.
Crisping stays sharp because each drawer is still small and deep, so you are not trading crunch for capacity. It is a big unit and it needs the counter space, which is the only real argument against it. If that puts you off, the DoubleStack SL201 stacks the same idea vertically.
Best for one or two people: Ninja AF101
Four quarts, few buttons, and a price that makes it an easy first air fryer. The AF101 is fast to preheat and takes seconds to wash, which is why it gets used rather than shelved. Good for chips, wings and reheating almost anything.
Cooking for three or more means batches. Read our size guide before you commit to 4 quarts.
Best single basket: Cosori TurboBlaze 6 QT
Six quarts is the sweet spot for a lot of households, and the TurboBlaze pairs it with a strong fan and a genuinely useful set of presets. Enough room for a tray of roast potatoes or four chicken thighs in one layer.
Best air fryer oven: Chefman 14 QT 6-in-1
Pick an oven when you want it to replace things rather than join them. The Chefman 14 QT toasts, bakes, grills, dehydrates and air fries, and the glass door means you can watch food brown instead of guessing.
Ovens preheat slower and have more parts to wash. The oven vs basket guide lays out that trade in full.
What actually matters when you choose
| Spec | How much it matters | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | High | Cooking in shifts is the top reason people abandon an air fryer. |
| Fan strength | High | Drives browning. Weak fans steam food instead of crisping it. |
| Ease of cleaning | High | Decides whether you reach for it on a Tuesday. |
| Two zones | Medium | Worth a lot for families, worth little for one person. |
| Max temperature | Medium | Anything reaching 200C or 400F covers nearly every recipe. |
| Preset count | Low | A preset is a time and a temperature. Our chart does the same job. |
| Smart app | Low | You stand next to the machine anyway. |
| Digital vs dial | Low | Preference, not performance. |
Buy on capacity first. Almost every air fryer sold today crisps well enough. The one you regret is the one that is too small, because no feature list fixes cooking dinner in three rounds.
Where to go next
Line the shortlist up side by side with our comparison tool, or browse all 44 air fryer reviews. Once yours arrives, the cooking times chart and our air fryer recipes will get you started, and running costs shows what it adds to the bill.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best air fryer right now?
The Ninja Foodi 10 QT DualZone Smart XL leads our rankings. Two independent zones let you cook a main and a side at different temperatures and have both finish together, which is the problem single basket models never solved. For one or two people the Ninja AF101 is the better buy, because a 10 quart machine is a lot of counter for one portion of chips.
How much should I spend on an air fryer?
Enough to get the right capacity, and no more. The jump from a budget basket to a mid range one buys you a stronger fan and better build. The jump from mid range to premium mostly buys presets and an app. Put the money into size and two zones rather than a feature list.
Are expensive air fryers actually better?
Sometimes, in narrow ways. Pricier models tend to have stronger fans, sturdier baskets and better coatings, which shows up in browning and in how long the machine lasts. What they do not buy you is a meaningful crisping advantage over a good mid range basket. Several models in our top 8 cost well under the flagship price.
Is a dual basket air fryer worth it?
For two or more people, yes. Two zones mean a main and a side finish at the same moment instead of one sitting cold while the other cooks. For a single person it is mostly wasted counter space. Note that neither drawer is deep enough for a whole chicken.
How many presets do I need?
None, in practice. A preset is a saved time and temperature, and you can set both yourself in about three seconds. Manufacturers count presets because the number looks good on a box. Our cooking times chart replaces all of them.
Which air fryer brand is most reliable?
Across the models we have tested, Ninja and Cosori have been the most consistent on build quality and fan strength, with Cuisinart strong on the oven and toaster oven side. Chefman covers the value end well. Reliability varies more by model than by badge, so read the individual review rather than buying on brand alone.
How often do you update these rankings?
Whenever we finish testing a new model, which is roughly monthly. The order on this page is pulled from the same live scores as our reviews index, so it will not drift out of date between updates.