Air fryers have taken over our kitchens, but which wins the crown for the crispiest cooking? Our expert peeled 5kg of potatoes to find out. Air fryers inspire the sort of feelings that microwaves did in the 1980s. I vividly remember those new-fangled boxes being spoken about often, either dismissively or with delight. A rash of cookbooks followed, dinner changed across the land. Fast-forward a few decades and air fryers have become the same kind of kitchen “disruptors”, offering time-saving convenience and healthier cooking, but with the added allure of easily achieved, mouth-watering crispiness.
College students, solo dwellers, or anybody who’s a tad tight on counter space—the Cosori Lite CAF-LI211 is for you. This measured 1.7-quart air fryer is packed with appealing features such as a dishwasher-safe basket, programmed settings, and a digital display. But with a footprint of just 9×10 inches, it comes in a small, 5-pound package (and at a fairly small price, too). What’s more, this model was a standout in our tests, receiving high marks for being easy to use and clean, and remaining at low volume while cooking. The Cosori Lite comes with a two-year warranty.
Top Pick: Cosori Lite CAF-LI211
The Cosori Lite CAF-LI211 is the best small air fryer we’ve tested. Despite its compact design, you have a good amount of room to spread out ingredients in a single layer in its 1.7-quart square basket. It doesn’t air fry quite as evenly as larger models, so you risk having a bigger proportion of food over or undercooked by the time it’s done cooking. Still, it produces good results. It also preheats and cooks very quickly, making it a good option for quick snacks. Once preheated, it returns to temperature very soon after you open the drawer to add food and maintains a very stable temperature for the rest of the cooking. Like our top pick, its crisper tray has a ceramic non-stick coating instead of the more common PTFE.
I got this air fryer for my mother-in-law, and decided to test it first against mine, which isn’t Cosori brand, and is far more expensive. Oh boy wasn’t I surprised… I tested both with the same dishes (whole chicken, pork belly, rissoles, bacon) at the same settings and to my surprise – you couldn’t tell a difference when they were cooked. Save yourself some $$ and don’t overpay for the appliances that will give you the same result. The only downside is that the basket isn’t dishwasher safe. But saying that, it’s only a couple pieces that need to be washed. Check it on Amazon.
Runner-Up: Ninja Pro AF141
The Ninja Pro AF141 is another solid choice. It’s got a 5-quart square basket, but I found that it was capable of meal-prepping for four without any trouble thanks to the improved shape and design of this air fryer when compared to Ninja’s earlier models. When testing, this air fryer crisped up french fries in under 10 minutes, although it could use a ‘remind to turn’ alarm as I did note it cooks faster at the sides of the basket. When roasting vegetables, I was able to cook slow and low on the Roast setting and achieved some good charring on zucchini and peppers. And it did a great job of cooking tender chicken fillets, with the nonstick and dishwasher safe cleaning those dried-on juices like a total dream.
The Ninja’s control panel is simple and intuitive. There are a handful of presets and cooking modes beyond just flicking on the air fryer, including bake and reheat, that are perfect for warming bread or reviving leftover pizza without burning it. One thing to note is the Ninja lacks a special cooking mode for vegetables. Check it on Amazon.
Budget Pick: Dash Tasti-Crisp Ceramic DCAF26CM
For those who may be turned off by the thought of eating food from heated plastic, Dash Tasti-Crisp Ceramic DCAF26CM might be a good bet. Despite its lack of a nonstick Teflon coating, it aces our tests for ease of cleaning and earns top marks for noise. However, it receives a middling score for the usability of its controls, which looks at how clear and legible their markings are and how many steps it takes to set temperature and cooking modes and start cooking.
This makes it a breeze to figure out upon first opening and efficient to operate going forward (I find I gravitate towards just setting these two controls on any air fryer as it is, as opposed to using presets). The machine is small, but that gives it a sleeker profile on the countertop than some others I’ve tested. And it perfectly fits one-person portions. For this reason, I especially like it for vegetables, like the broccoli below, though it does fit proteins like a filet of fish, or a handful of meatballs.
Instant Pot Vortex Mini: Compact and Colorful
Arguably the biggest caveat to the Vortex Mini is also its biggest strength. It’s so compact that cooking more than one thing, or a lot of one thing, won’t be easy. But I was able to cook a whole block of tofu cut into cubes (with a bit of overlap) and reheat (and re-crisp) leftovers in it for myself and my fiancé with no problems. Overall, this compact air fryer will be hard to beat for those with tight budgets and tiny kitchens.
This was another small model that performed fine, but had some temperature fluctuations that kept it from being a top pick. That said, it comes in some fun colors and is still a good option for those looking for something truly tiny. Check it on Amazon.
Beautiful 6qt Digital: Style Meets Function
While most air fryers are only available in black and stainless steel variations, the Beautiful 6qt Digital comes in various pastel colors with gold accents. It doesn’t perform quite as well as the Ninja Pro AF141 and isn’t as versatile as the COSORI TurboBlaze, but it still produces good-quality air-fried food, so it’s a good option if you want an air fryer that matches your kitchen.
We’re always a little skeptical about products sporting a celebrity’s name. However, we wholeheartedly recommend the Beautiful 6 Quart Touchscreen Air Fryer by Drew Barrymore as the best budget air fryer. It might be one of the cheapest air fryers we tested, but it delivered a top-notch performance. The controls are intuitive. First, you press the power button, which illuminates the presets. Once you select a preset, you can adjust the time and temp, and the flashing start button begins the cook. The unit is attractive and comes in 10 colors: white icing, cornflower blue, black sesame, and more. Wings came out of the Beautiful air fryer juicy and evenly cooked. Check it on Amazon.
What Makes a Small Air Fryer Worth It?
Small air fryers turn out crispy food just as well as their larger counterparts—and they’ll save you some counter space, too. If you live in a small household, or even just have a small kitchen, a compact air fryer model could be the right option for you. But one of the trickiest parts of shopping for an air fryer is figuring out just how much food one can handle. You can’t simply rely on the overall dimensions of the machine. Plus, CR’s engineers have found that the baskets and trays have a smaller capacity than advertised.
Air fryers are like contained, super efficient countertop ovens. Compared to an oven, an air fryer is small and has a compact cooking chamber. This means it heats up quickly and efficiently. The best air fryers are equipped with large baskets, make well-browned, crispy food, have handles that stay cool to the touch, and have intuitive controls. Other qualities that were helpful, but not 100% necessary: a knob that allowed you to easily adjust the time and temperature and the ability to change the temperature in five-degree increments.
FAQ
Are small air fryers loud?
Nah, most aren’t too bad. The Dash Tasti-Crisp scored high for being super quiet. Some, like the Cosori, hum a bit but won’t wake the neighbors.
Can I cook for a family with these?
Not really. These are best for one or two people. Ninja Pro AF141 might stretch to four if you’re clever with portions, but don’t expect to feed a crowd.
Do they clean easily?
Totally! Most, like the Cosori Lite and Ninja, have dishwasher-safe baskets. Dash is a breeze to wipe down even without a dishwasher.
Are they worth the price?
Yup, if you’re tight on space. Beautiful 6qt is dirt cheap and still crisps like a champ. Cosori’s pricier but lasts forever.
Can they do more than fry?
For sure. Ninja’s got bake and reheat modes. Cosori can dehydrate. They’re not just for fries!