My least favorite display was on the Oster, which had one-dimensional backset buttons and a wonky digital screen that offers very little information. The hamilton beach buttons would often not react and required a forceful push, sometimes two. Manual dials are difficult to set accurately both for temperature and time.
Air frying gives you the crunchy texture of fried foods without the extra grease and fat. Most fryers are easy to clean, have dishwasher-safe containers and occupy less space than convection ovens. An Air fryer can function like convection ovens, deep-fat fryers, and multi-cookers; they combine benefits of multiple appliances. At Target we have a wide range of Airfryers with different functions and styles. Whether it is a toaster-oven, convection oven or a traditional pot style cooker, you can find one at Target.
Some smart models, like the Cosori Pro Smart Air Fryer, even come with apps that pair with your phone to make the appliance accessible via voice controls (video), though we haven’t tested those features yet. An Air fryer is a kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around food. They do a fantastic job cooking up frozen foods that are meant to taste deep-fried. You can air fry french fries, crispy chicken wings, mozzarella sticks and more.
This article has been reviewed since its original publish date for accuracy, pricing and availability. Our best overall air fryer was updated in 2022 to the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. While the Hamilton Beach Air Fryer Sure Crisp Toaster Oven has a contemporary brushed chrome housing, it pretty much has the same design as toaster ovens from decades ago.
Its large, square-shaped 5-quart basket fits more food than the Philips Premium Airfryer HD9741/56, but it doesn’t cook as quickly or evenly. The Pro LE’s many preprogrammed settings also weren’t as accurate as those of the Premium Airfryer—we hamilton beach toaster oven preferred using the manual controls for selecting the time and temperature. But considering its relatively low price, and the fact that most air fryers of this style don’t cook very evenly, we think the results were good enough.
To help you find the right one for your needs, we’ve pulled together this list of the best air fryer toaster ovens. The Pro LE has seven preprogrammed settings, which is a bit overkill, especially since some of them aren’t that accurate (a common drawback with most air fryers). You may have to figure out the optimal settings for what you’re cooking by trial and error. We found it just as easy to set the time and temperature manually, following the instructions in our recipe or on the food packaging, then adjust the cook time as necessary. First, we toasted bread at every setting available and recorded how long it took and toasting progression between levels. Next, we tested the air fry function using 1 pound of frozen shoestring fries.
Check out our favorite air-fried recipes like air fryer salmon flatbreads. And if you are looking for more multi-purpose kitchen appliances, we have a round-up of the best breakfast stations too. Even when filled to capacity, the Mini Vortex managed to cook food evenly. We were able to fit four large or five small wings in the basket, while larger models—like the Cosori Pro LE, which has a larger footprint and is visibly bulkier—can hold only two more. For example, when we reheated pizza, the Mini Vortex fit a large slice more comfortably than an air fryer with a deep basket, such as the Dreo Aircrisp Pro. The basket is easy to take out and put in, and the Mini Vortex was also the quietest of our three picks.
There are exceptions for a few recipes, like this air-fryer meatball recipe, but many foods follow this halfway mark rule. Here are more details on what is an air fryer and how it really works. Try these recipes for brussels sprouts, chicken wings, french fries, broccoli, or green beans from NYT Cooking. In our tests, the Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven air fried crispy, even wings and fries. At the top of the pile are super tech-heavy toaster ovens also known as “smart ovens.” These are the priciest of the bunch, and models from names such as Tovala and Brava can cost over $1,200.