If you haven’t heard of the latest trend, you are truly missing out!
I’m talking about an air fryer cooker!
Air fryers are incredible kitchen appliance that allows you to cook foods of all types without using unhealthy oils or grease! This makes an oil air fryer perfect for use in your kitchen. If you’ve come here looking for the best air fryer in 2018 or simply want information on air fryers you have come to the right place.
There are so many foods you can cook by this method. For example, in an air fryer I often cook chicken, shrimp, potatoes (even french fries), steaks, pork, and more! The thing is, you can cook anything in an air fryer that you’d normally cook in the oven and it cooks your food in a health conscious way!
How To Choose The Right Air Fryer
When looking for an air fryer cooker, you will want to be sure to value all of your options. There are many different sizes, shapes, control features, and accessories to consider when purchasing the perfect air fryer for your family.
When choosing the right product and spending your hard-earned money, it is always important view many different options as to find the best deal for the needs that you have.
1) Size
The first feature to consider when purchasing an air fryer is the size of the basket!
You will have the ability to choose an air fryer with the holding capacity of just a few quarts all the way up to 16 or more quarts.
When choosing the size of your air fryer, you need to be considerate of how many people you will be cooking for. If you have a small family of 3 people, then choose a smaller sized air fryer! On the other hand, if you have a large family and have a lot of mouths to feed, then your best bet is to choose an air fryer that has a large holding capacity so nobody goes hungry!
For a small family, you most likely will only need around a 2-4 quart sized air fryer.
For a medium to large family, it is a safe bet to choose an air fryer of around 6 quarts or more.
If you are looking to use your air fryer for big events such as holiday dinners, for sporting event parties, etc. Then, you will want to choose an air fryer well above 6 quarts.
For example, some people love cooking BBQ or hot wings in their air fryer. If you want to cook something like this for a party, you want to ensure that you have plenty of room!
2) Design
The design part of your fryer depends on what foods you think you’ll make most often.
The most common type of design for an air fryer is a model that is built like a basket. You pull out the basket and put your food right in.
However, there are other models as well. For example, one design is very similar looking to an oven in the idea that it has a door that you pull down with the ability to put racks inside. It really does look just like a mini oven.
Personally, I love the basket style because it has so many different uses!
3) Control Features
When choosing the type of control features you want on your air fryer, all that matter is you pick one that you’re comfortable with.
By control features, I mean whether your appliance has a spin dial, touch screen, large fonts, easy to read controls, etc.
There is no right or wrong choice here, except for picking something that will be suitable to you and your family members needs.
For example, some people find it difficult to set the correct temperature or time by using a spin dial. They prefer a simple touch screen display. However, others find that a spin dial is the easiest to use because it makes adjustments super easy. If you absolutely love having a turn dial, then choose the one with the turn dial!
Lastly, if you struggle with reading small letters or numerals, pick an option that has large font and has a larger design.
The right choice is the product that is easy enough to use that you avoid burning your chicken!
4) Accessories and Functions
This last category is seemingly less important to some than others.
Each air fryer unit will come with different accessories and include various functions.
For example, some air fryers come with insert able racks, tongs, cook books, etc. If accessories are something you require when looking for a suitable air fryer, then be sure to research what comes in the box!
Also, considering the functions, some air fryers have multiple features such as bake, fry, cook, etc. You may even find an air fryer that has little pictures built in.
By this I mean, if you want to cook a chicken, you press the chicken picture. If you want to cook potatoes, you press the potato picture. These preset functions will help you when cooking different types of foods!
Hopefully these tips will help you find the perfect air fryer cooker for your needs!
5) Cabinet Space
How much cabinet space do you have?
You need to choose something that you will be able to easily stowe away, or, something you can keep right on your counter top.
Be sure to check the dimensions of your units. The size of food your air fryer prepares will not judge how big the entirety of your air fryer will be. Some come in many different shapes and sizes.
Personally, I did not check into dimensions with my air fryer and when I am not using it, I have to take it all the way downstairs and put it on a shelf. It just isn’t small enough to fit in my cabinets or on the counter top.
If you are spending the money, it’s important to be smart and do your research as to avoid inconveniences such as this.
2018’s Top Air Fryers
1) Air Fryer XL by Cozyna
First things first, let’s take a look at Amazon’s best-selling air fryer.
Why is there so much hype around it?
Well, it has a really cool built in feature that is sure to make your life easier. This air fryer has a basket divider!
Unfortunately, my air fryer does not include this feature. I really wish it did. This is so helpful because when I use my air fryer and want to cook red potatoes and chicken, I have to cook one of them first and then reheat it up once the second food item finishes.
Having a basket divider will save you a lot of time and ensure your meals are hot and ready to go!
What would a divided air fryer be if it was small? Pointless! This air fryer comes with an XL basket which should make sure there is enough food for your entire family. When you use an air fryer, you want it to be efficient enough to feed everybody. This product is supposed to be convenient, not take up MORE of your time.
Another useful thing about this unit is that you have multiple cooking options. You can fry, grill, bake, and roast. They thrive on the idea that their product is both a fryer, grill, and oven all in one.
Like I said, this air fryer is amazons best seller and I can definitely see why. This would be a great option for you to try.
Pros: 
-Basket Divider
-XL Basket
-Fry, Grill, Bake, and Roast Options
-Uses 70% Or Less Fat
-Recipe Book
Cons:
-Durable, yet easily scratched
-Some Claim Product Coating Melted
(Check Price Above)
2) Power Air Fryer Oven
The Power Air Fryer Oven is another great option that comes with a few different features.
Although this option is a little more expensive than the first, it comes with more bang for your buck!
With this option, you can choose either the 6qt or the family sized 8qt. If you have a small family, you have the option to pick something smaller whereas if you have a larger family that eats a lot, you cannot go wrong with the 8qt size.
Personally, I would choose the 8qt size because it can be so useful when cooking for parties or large groups of people. This way you’re sure not to waste time cooking many batches.
What makes this air fryer a great option, is all the accessories it comes with. All-included, you will receive 3 cooking racks, 10 stainless skewers, a rotating mesh basket, rotating rotisserie spit, and oil drip tray, and three recipe books.
It also has built in smart modes in the form of little pictures. All you do, is choose the picture of what you’re going to cook and the smart mode will do the rest.
There are so many ways to use this versatile unit and if you’re one that could use the added accessories, then this is perfect for you.
If you wouldn’t use all the added on features, then you could probably choose a cheaper option! Otherwise, this is a choice.
Pros:
-6qt or 8qt
-3 air flow racks
-10 Stainless Skewers
-XL rotating Mesh Basket
-Rotating Rotisserie Spit
-Oil Drip Tray
-Recipe Books
-Smart Cook Features
Cons:
-Price (If you want to use all the features, it’s a great choice)
-Reports of a few faulty machines (60 day warranty)
(Check Price Above)
3) Avalon Bay Air Fryer
The Avalon Bay air fryer is one of my top choices for those on budget.
This option is about half the price of the other air fryers we have looked at so far.
Let me tell you about some of the features!
This unit is 3.7 quarts in size. This size is not great for a bigger family, but would work great for individuals or just for a few people. Of course, if you have a bigger family, yet cannot afford a more expensive air fryer, you could make do with this size by cooking multiple batches.
This model features a turning spin dial in order to set your cooking time and temperature. It is quite a simple machine, yet with over 1,000 reviews, it is durable and works great. People are very satisfied with this choice.
Accessories that you will find in box are a non-stick baking dish, multi-use rack, and a huge air fryer cook book. The book is 52 pages long and will be sure to help you spice up your healthy cooking with many delicious options.
Again, this is a great air fryer for those on a budget.
Pros:
-Price
-Multi-Use Rack
-Non-Stick Baking Dish
-52- Page Cookbook
Cons:
-Size- 3.7qt
-Less Features Than Others
(Check Price Above)
4) The Phillips Air Fryer XXL
The Phillips Air Fryer XXL is a BEAST of an air fryer. It is one of the worlds top selling air fryers on the market.
If you noticed, in the name of this air fryer it says says XXL. That’s because you can fit an entire chicken, or two entire bags of french fries in the air fryer at one time! It holds up to 3lbs!
The size is incredible for people with a larger family who seek to use their machine often.
Without using an oil, you can cook so many delicious healthy meals. It can be used to cook chicken, fish, pork, beef, potatoes, and so much more.
A key feature for this product is, well, of course the size. Also, there is no preheat time needed. Your air fryer is ready to go in seconds of you wanting to use it. Most air fryers definitely need a little time to heat up and be ready to go.
If you have a large family or you regularly need to cook a lot of food for a large group of people, this is an incredible unit that can handle the task. The only downfall, is the expense. This is a little more expensive than the other brands we’ve looked at. However, as the saying goes, “You get what you pay for!”
Pros:
-XXL Basket (3 pounds/1 chicken/2 bags of fries)
-No Preheat Necessary
-Simple Clean Up
Cons:
-Price
-Not For Individuals or Small Families
(Check Price Above)
5) GoWISE USA Air Fryer
This air fryer is one of our other more inexpensive models for those who are looking to avoid spending a lot of money.
I personally use this product multiple times a week. It is perfect for daily use as it allows you to fry, bake, grill, and roast all while avoiding the use of unhealthy oils.
This is an XL 5.8qt unit. It is perfect for feeding families of 4-6 depending on how much food you need. My family uses it for crisping refrigerated pizza, grilling chicken, potatoes, beef, pork, and more. The uses are just about endless with an air fryer, which is what you’ll discover.
What I absolutely love, is that you don’t need to use any oils what-so-ever.
Key features that I regularly use are the touch screen smart cook options. You can use the touch screen to choose the picture of whatever you will be cooking. Your machine will then set the time and cooking temperature recommended based on what item you’re cooking.
It is also very easy to clean up. I’ll give you a hint. Spread a tin foiled sheet in the bottom of the air fryer to avoid having to wash it every single use!
For the price you cannot go wrong choosing this air fryer.
Pros:
-Price
– Bake, Grill, Fry, or Roast
-XL 5.8 Qt Size
-Detatchable Basket
-Recipe Book
-Easy to Clean
-Reminder Alarms To Flip Food
Cons:
-Some Claim Spend More For Quality (But so many folks claim this works great for the price!)
-Some Had Issues With Customer Service
(Check Price Above)
6) Pryta Air Fryer
The Pryta Air Fryer is a very affordable appliance geared towards those who cook for two, or for individuals.
It is for individuals or for those with very small families because it only holds 2.75 qts. However, if you’re cooking for yourself or just a few people, then this air fryer is geared towards you.
There is no point in spending hundreds of dollars when your needs can be satisfied with a smaller, space-saving, and more elegant designed machine.
This air fryer also has a touch screen design that allows you to simply start cooking with just a few touches. Cooking should be easy, not difficult. This model surely meets simplicity while also looking great on your counter top.
It does not come with any accessories besides a cookbook, however, if you’re like me, I simply use my air fryer to quickly cook some healthy chicken and potatoes. I definitely don’t need a ton of fancy gadgets.
If simplicity is what you need, this product will work great for you.
Pros: 
-Touch Screen Display
-Price
-Simple To Use
-Dishwasher Safe
Cons:
-Small Sized (Individual use or small family use)
-No accessories
(Check Price Above)
7) Vanaheim Air Fryer
Check Price Here
The Vanaheim air fryer is perfect for a medium-sized family. It can feed at least four or more people depending upon how much people eat (of course).
This device has 6 built in programs for easy cooking. The goal when cooking, as with everything else in life, is to work smarter not harder. It also has a modernized touch screen design.
With this unit you will be able to bake, fry, and grill–all in one. Use it for cooking chicken, pizza, pork, beef, potatoes and more. The possibilities are endless and everything can be cooked oil free. This is what makes air fryers such a healthy choice.
There is no doubt this option is great for those with medium-sized families.
If you have a medium-sized family and are looking for an air fryer in the medium price range, give this one a try. It is great quality and through almost 50 reviews has 5.5/6 stars. Remember, quality lasts, whereas most inexpensive items don’t.
Pros: 
-Made For Medium Sized Families (4.2 qts)
-If Machine Breaks Within 1 Year, Get A Free Replacement
-Price (Medium Range)
-Stainless Steel Quality
Cons:
-Must Read Directions Well
-Some Had Quality Issues (1 year replacement)
(Check Price Above)
8) OMORC Air Fryer
This next air fryer is of upmost quality. The OMORC air fryer has 5 stars in over 100 reviews.
Let’s discover what makes this air fryer so special.
First, it is extremely easy to use. It has 7 cooking presets including ribs, fries, shrimp, cake, chicken, steak, and fish.
These top dishes will automatically have a time and recommended temperature for cooking. This saves you a lot of time in figuring out how long and what temperature you should bake on. I actually use presets like this all the time when I cook.
It also has a high quality LCD touch screen and knob for controlling your machine. Setting time, temperature, or finding the correct preset food item is effortless.
What really sticks out to me about this product, is it has a heat preservation button.
This feature is incredible.
How often have you had to reheat foods because some other part of the meal that you are cooking just wasn’t ready? This has happened to me so many times. For up to 120 minutes, you can press the heat preservation button to keep your food warm and ready to go.
Lastly, it holds up to 5.8 qts of food items. This is efficient for a family or 4-6 people depending upon how much everyone eats. I would imagine it would be perfect for a bigger family to use.
What really separates this air fryer from the rest is the heat preservation button. Give this air fryer a go!
Pros:
-Heat Preservation Button
-5 Stars Through 100 Reviews
-Touch Screen and Knob Control
-Size is 5.8 qts
-Price Is Average
Cons:
-Some had issues mixing up food
(Check Price Above)
9) AAOBOSI Air Fryer
The AAOBOSI air fryer sticks out to me due to one of its accessories.
This air fryer comes with a pizza pan for making homemade pizzas! There are a ton of healthy homemade pizza ideas out there. Personally, I buy a protein crust that is only 110 calories (not including the sauce, cheese, and protein). I make this all the time because it seems like I’m eating a cheat meal, but I’M NOT!
I wish my current air fryer came with a pizza tray because I would use it constantly.
It also is sized 5.6 qt which is perfect for those with a medium to large sized family. Even if you have a smaller family, it is better to go big than to be too small.
Like other air fryers we’ve looked at today, this too has 6 built in smart presets that allows for easy cooking. All you do is select the icon of whatever you are going to cook and it will give a recommended time and cooking temperature.
This is a great option for those who can spend just a little more money than average.
Pros: 
-Basket and Pizza Tray Accessories
– Size is 5.6qt (Great for medium to large families)
-Built in Smart Cooking Presets
Cons:
-Price (Above Most We’ve Looked At)
-Some Had Machine Issues (Most Reviews Were Great!)
(Check Price Above)
10) Big Boss Air Fryer
Lastly, I want to take some time to mention this unique Big Boss air fryer.
It is unique because it doesn’t look like the ordinary air fryers we have considered today. It’s different.
But what is also different, is that it holds a whopping 16 qts.
Do you know how large 16 qts is?
Let’s put this into perspective. With a 16 qt sized air fryer like this one, you can cook a full sized turkey.
This is a huge reason why I want to recommend this product. For those of you that cook for large groups of people, this is going to be the perfect option for you.
It is also unique in the sense that you can cook two foods at once due to the raised up and separated basket.
By using little to no oil, this is a great option if you are in the market for a lower cost large sized air fryer.
Pros:
-16 qt Capacity
-Cook Two Items At Once
-High Power
-Price (Below Average!)
Cons:
-Some Reported Faulty Product (Read the Reviews!)
(Check Price Above)
Which Will You Choose?
All in all, I hope that by now you have noticed the ridiculous amount of health benefits to cooking your food in a little to no oil air fryer.
I personally use my air fryer multiple times a week in cooking clean, healthy chicken and red potatoes. This is especially important for those looking to cut weight or lose fat because avoiding all the unnecessary oils will cut a lot of calories.
The important thing to consider when choosing the perfect air fryer for you, is to choose one that is within your means.
By this, I mean choose an air fryer that is in your cost range, is a perfect size for you and your family, and is simple for you to use on an almost daily basis.
If you choose one of these air fryers or have one already, comment below and share your favorite air fryer or air fryer recipes!
Russell Parmentier
Founder of myshakercup.com
Oh Wow! I had not heard of an air fryer before. But it is definitely something I am interested in. We don’t cook with oil or fry foods anyway, but this opens up the door to enjoy fried food without the “fry” . I absolutely love it. I am going to go thru the different options you have provided again, and see which one I like the best. Thanks for the great information!
Hi Russell,
Thank you for writing this article. I just recently heard of air fryers and knew very little about them prior to reading this. I am constantly on the lookout for ways to cook healthier (and easier). Quick question, do you notice any difference in the taste with something cooked in an air fryer compared to the oven?
That’s a great question,
Normally with different veggies the only taste difference I notice is that I didn’t use any added oils. So, that alone can make a difference. Otherwise, it truly depends on the food and brand of foods you buy. This is something you’ll have to test for yourself to see what you like!
Thanks for reaching out!
Russell
This is a good breakdown of fryers available. I really need to consider getting one for my household. Because on top of normal frying being unhealthy, it’s also a fire hazard
Thank you so much for laying out everything about air fryers here.
I have been in the thought process/consideration stage in purchasing an air fryer for quite some time.
I love chicken wings and baking them just doesn’t cut it. And air fryers are a lot more health conscious!
It was great to read about and learn all of the different types and models that have come out to help me make my decision process.
Thanks!
Insane! I had this same problem. Always as I wanted to fry two foods at the same time it was so extremely annoying to do them in turns. So, I usually ended up making just one of them and going for an alternative for the other one.
The Amazon best seller it is.
Thank you for all the great info, I sincerely appreciate it!
Matiss
I have to say that I love air fryer cooking so much that I have 2 of them. I use them every day, quite often more than once and I only use my traditional over for anything that won’t fit in the air fryer.
Meat is so juicy and tender after air frying it’s also great for frozen chips, roast potatoes, toasted sandwiches and so much more. It’s one of my favourite kitchen appliances that I wouldn’t be without and I highly recommend it to everyone.