You might think that air fryers are unnecessary and feel no need to take advantage of any air fryer Black Friday deals this weekend. We’ll just let you in on a secret: Air fryers are basically just miniature convection ovens, or in layman’s terms, an oven with a fan inside it to circulate the warm air. For a vast majority of these appliances, the name air fryer does little to fully demonstrate the full capabilities these small-yet-efficient gadgets have to offer. In fact, if you get one of the countertop oven models, you might come to find that you use it far more often than the full-sized oven beneath your range. These things use less electricity, heat up faster, and generally require less cooking time than a full-sized oven, which makes them incredibly handy for all kinds of cooking tasks. They can also reheat food, toast, broil, dehydrate, or simply keep things warm. Need to quickly toast some nuts? Do it in here. Want to revive some day-old home fries? No problem. Want to bake exactly enough cookies just for you to eat in one sitting? Bam.
Of course, not all air fryers were created equally. For this reason, we decided to highlight the best air fryers we’ve tested over the years from retailers across the internet. Not only are these the best Black Friday air fryer deals we’ve found, many happen to be (in our opinion) the best air fryers money can buy.
Skip straight to the best air fryer Black Friday deals:
More Black Friday deals on Bon Appétit
Air fryer–toaster ovens
We’re starting the list off with air fryer toaster ovens because if you have the counter space, these babies are worth it. They’re the most versatile option in the air fryer universe, capable of doing everything a basket-style model can do (more on those below), as well as most of the things a full-sized oven can do—like baking a tray of cookies, making your morning toast, or cooking a (quarter) sheet pan dinner. These types of models are handy for everyday cooking tasks, but they’re especially useful during the holiday season or for dinner parties because they essentially grant you another pan’s worth of oven space.
Breville makes the best air fryer–toaster ovens we’ve ever used, and this is the very appliance that turned BA contributor Alex Beggs into an “air fryer person.” This large-capacity, stainless-steel air fryer can do (almost) everything your full-size oven can do, plus more. It has 11 cooking functions—including toast, broil, bake, roast, reheat, slow cook, and air fry—and uses smart technology to control things like temperature, convection, and cooking times, so your food always comes out perfectly. It can fit up to six slices of toast or a whole chicken, so it’s a great option if you’ve got a family to feed and counter space to spare.
The same brand that makes one of our favorite all-purpose pans and a perfect pot that might make you break up with your Dutch oven recently started making appliances, and that’s a good thing. The Our Place Wonder Oven might be serving Easy-Bake Oven vibes, but this thing is not a toy—it performs like a full-sized oven in miniature. The air fryer setting works (sorry) wonders on everything from frozen pizza rolls to chicken wings and french fries. This is the first time it’s ever gone on sale, so snap one up at a discounted price while you can. And if you’re after more deals from Our Place (maybe you want a pan to match your Wonder Oven), head right this way.
If we had to pick our favorite Breville air fryer–toaster oven, it’d be the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. It’s basically a bigger, souped-up version of the model mentioned above. This one can fit nine slices of toast, an entire 14-lb. turkey, a 5-qt. Dutch oven, or a 9×13″ pan. It also comes with two more presets: proof and dehydrate. The size and price are rather hefty, but like we said above, you’ll probably find yourself using this countertop convection oven more often than your regular oven. It preheats quickly, uses less energy, and can do just about anything a full-size oven can (and probably do it better, to be honest).
If you’re thinking “all that sounds great, but I have no intention of replacing my full-size oven” or you’d simply prefer something that takes up less space, go for the Breville Compact Smart Toaster Oven—it’s a smaller version of the convection ovens above. It can fit four slices of toast, has eight cooking functions, and is on sale for 24% off this Black Friday.
We know Instant Pot for its electric pressure cookers, but the brand’s also made a foray into air fryers with its Instant Vortex. It has rotisserie and proofing functions and comes with a nonstick drip pan, two perforated cooking trays, and a few other dishwasher-safe accessories.
Basket-style air fryers
When you think of an air fryer, you probably envision a basket-style appliance. These models are ideal for making foods that need to be tossed around frequently to ensure even browning—things like fries, tots, or roasted veggies. They also come in a range of capacities, from tiny 2-quarters perfect for one person households to XXL models that can fit a whole chicken and then some.
Philips made the first-ever air fryer, so it’s no surprise it still makes some of the best models on the market. In testing, our Epicurious colleagues found that the Philips Premium Digital Air Fryer provided the most even cooking and was the easiest to use. Another standout factor? When Philips says XXL, they mean it. This appliance has a 7-qt. capacity (much larger than other basket-style air fryers), and it’s big enough to fit a whole chicken. While it may be tempting to go for the smallest possible air fryer, we’ve learned that the large-capacity ones tend to work better. That’s because of the simple fact that more space equals more room for air to circulate around food, reaching every surface and making it crispy.
Want something smaller? Opt for the 3-quart XL version. Like the air fryer above, it’s equipped with a digital touchscreen and seven presets.
The Ninja Max XL is another one of our favorite basket-style air fryers. With a 5.5-quart capacity, (the standard size for basket-style air fryers), it can fit up to 3 pounds of french fries and it’s an ideal size for serving two or three people. It’s equipped with an easy-to-use control panel with options to air-fry, air-roast, air-broil, bake, and reheat—but what really sets it apart is the max crisp feature. While most air fryers are capable of going up to 400°F, the max crisp button turns the temperature up to 450°F, allowing food to get crunchier, faster.
Ninja also offers a smaller model with a modest 4-quart capacity that fits 2 pounds of french fries and is relatively easy to clean. While it doesn’t include the max crisp feature, BA editors say it’s still proven to churn out extra-crunchy chicken wings and mozzarella sticks.
You probably know Instant Pot for their, well, Instant Pots… but the brand makes some pretty great air fryers too. So great, in fact, that this 4-quart model won best budget pick in Epicurious’s product test. It’s got handy presets and an easy-to-use interface, reminders for preheating and flipping, and a detachable basket that’s a breeze to clean. Oh, and it’s 45% off right now—the best price we’ve seen maybe ever.
Associate food editor Rachel Gurjar used a Cosori Max XL to develop all her air fryer recipes, including these sesame-coconut chicken tenders. Its capacity is just shy of 6 quarts, and it comes with 12 preset functions. It feels a lot bigger than standard basket-style air fryers thanks to the fact that it’s square instead of circular—the extra corners seem to provide more room.
Somewhere between basket-style air fryers and air fryer–toaster ovens, there’s the Ninja Foodi DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer. It’s equipped with two independent baskets and uses smart DualZone technology that allows you to cook two dishes at once, using different temperatures and cook times. It’s the best of both worlds.
This mini model from Cosori was the top compact air fryer pick over at Epicurious. It’s quiet, lightweight, easy to store on the counter or tucked away in a cupboard, and—most importantly—it works really well. This is the ideal option for studio apartment or dorm room-dwellers, or for people who typically cook one serving at a time. With a 2.1-quart capacity, it can handle a single serving a French fries or veggies, and just barely fits two veggie burger patties nestled side by side.
Dash has cornered the market for remarkably inexpensive, delightfully mini versions of popular kitchen appliances. While we haven’t tried this wee air fryer, it’s on sale for the low, low price of 25 bucks, which makes the risk pretty minimal. And we really stand by Dash’s mini waffle maker, see-through toaster, and egg cooking machine. Like the Cosori mini, this model has a small capacity and footprint that would make it a great gift for a family member who’s about to head off to college.
Instant Pots that air fry
So we’ve established that Instant Pot makes air fryers now. But did you know they also make Instant Pots that air fry? If you’re looking for an appliance that is truly an all-in-one kitchen workhorse, these are the models for you. The Duo Crisp 11-in-1 has two different lids that you’ll need to swap out depending on what you’re using it for, whereas the Duo Crisp 13-in-1 has an “ultimate lid” that can be used for both air frying and pressure cooking, a plus if you’re tight on space.
More air fryer Black Friday sales:
We’ll be honest. There are a million versions of this kitchen gadget, and we haven’t gotten to try
t\hem all yet—though we have tested many, many air fryers. Here are a few more options, including the Ninja Foodi models, which are popular and well-reviewed, and a deal for over half off of a Bella air fryer.
Which air fryer is right for me?
If you’re just cooking for one or two, a compact, basket-style air fryer like the Cosori or 3-qt. Philips will take up less space than a toaster-oven-style fryer but still get the job done—just make sure anything you’re cooking in it doesn’t get overcrowded because that will prevent it from getting crispy. If you need a model that can handle multiple racks of food, dehydrate apple slices, toast bread, and serve as an extra oven for holiday pie marathoning, go with the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro, which a few food stylists we know swear by as secondary ovens. That thing can do it all. Want the most aesthetic air fryer on the market? That would be the Our Place Wonder Oven.
What is an air fryer anyway?
Are you familiar with a convection oven? Then you’re familiar with an air fryer. It’s essentially the same thing, but “air frying” just sounds so much lighter, doesn’t it? Instead of surrounding food in hot oil like a deep fryer, an air fryer uses a fan to help circulate hot air around your food so that it cooks more evenly and efficiently than in a normal oven. It preheats in minutes and makes weeknight cooking convenient, mostly hands-off, and so, so crispy.
What should I cook in my air fryer?
It’s important that you have clear expectations going into your air fryer journey. If you think of the air fryer as a fryer, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. The air fryer will do a good job of crisping frozen chicken fingers, or re-crisping fried takeout from yesterday, but when it comes to making foods with a wet batter (like fried chicken or batter-coated vegetables), it falls pretty short. There is a workaround: Dredge those traditionally wet-brined foods with crispy dry ingredients, like breadcrumbs or cornstarch.
But don’t feel disheartened. The air fryer is still a magical crisping machine. It can achieve textures on brussels sprouts and potato wedges that you’d never get in your regular oven. And the crispy chickpeas will be absolutely transcendent. Vegetables that are prone to mushiness, like zucchini and eggplant, can get jammy interiors and crisp exteriors using the power of the air fryer. And weeknight dinner will be so much easier, because you can use this multifunctional and fast machine rather than your full oven to heat up leftovers or make separate meals for kids. They’re also a godsend in the summer months, when the temperature gets so high the thought of turning on the big oven makes you want to quit cooking altogether.
More of the best Black Friday deals right this way:
The best deals on the best stand mixers from Amazon, Target, and Best Buy.
Upgrade your kitchen with shiny new refrigerators, microwaves that air fry, and more.
Source link
