Do you need to spend hundreds of dollars to get an air fryer that cooks evenly, fits a decent amount of food, and is easy to use and clean? Or are the less expensive options just as good?
To answer that question and find out which air fryer is truly the best, I tested seven of the highest-rated models on the market: the Ninja Air Fryer Pro, Instant Vortex Plus, Cosori TurboBlaze, Typhur Dome 2, Chefman Multifunctional, Ninja Crispi, and the Ninja DoubleStack XL. Prices ranged from $100 to $350, and performance varied significantly.
In this review, I’ll break down how each air fryer performed. You’ll see which ones stood out, which ones disappointed, and what actually matters when choosing one.
Key Takeaways
The Ninja Air Fryer Pro cooks food quickly and has simple physical buttons, but it’s loud and the crisper plate falls out when you tilt the basket.
The Chefman Multifunctional has a large capacity and includes a rotisserie, but it tips forward dangerously when opened and the racks are sharp and hard to clean.
The COSORI TurboBlaze is compact, quiet, and the crisper plate stays in place, but small foods can fall through the oversized holes in the center of the plate.
The Instant Vortex Plus performs well and includes helpful features like automatic preheat and a flip reminder, but it has a strong plastic smell during the first few uses.
The Ninja Crispi lets you see your food through glass containers and avoids non-stick coating issues, but the glass container gets dangerously hot and the lid is awkward to handle.
The Ninja DoubleStack XL has two baskets with four total cooking layers, but it’s bulky, the baskets are small, and it cooks slower than the others.
The Typhur Dome 2 was the best overall, with even cooking, quiet operation, and the largest cooking surface. However, it takes up a lot of space and is the most expensive.
Read more reviews and compare prices on Amazon: Ninja Air Fryer Pro, Chefman Multifunctional, COSORI TurboBlaze, Instant Pot Vortex Plus, Ninja Crispi, Ninja DoubleStack XL, Typhur Dome 2.
Use the links below to navigate the comparison:
- Comparison Chart
- Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1
- Chefman Multifunctional
- Cosori TurboBlaze
- Instant Vortex Plus
- Ninja Crispi
- Ninja DoubleStack XL
- Typhur Dome 2
- Final Verdict: Which Air Fryer Is the Best?
Comparison Chart
Swipe to view the entire chart on mobile.
| Ninja Pro | Chefman | COSORI TurboBlaze | Instant Pot Vortex Plus | Ninja Crispi | Ninja DoubleStack XL | Typhur Dome 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $$ (Amazon) | $$ (Amazon) | $$ (Amazon) | $$$ (Amazon) | $$$$ (Amazon) | $$$$ (Amazon) | $$$$$ (Amazon) |
| Capacity (qt) | 5 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 4 / 1.5 | 10 | 5.6 |
| Footprint w/ Handle (sq in) | 179 | 150 | 170 | 202 | 112 | 181 | 310 |
| Cooking Surface (sq in) | 71 | 79.9 | 77 | 88 | 64 / 33 | 57 | 144 |
| Cord Length (in) | 31 | 39 | 40 | 32 | 36 | 30 | 46 |
| Height (in) | 10.25 | 14.5 | 11.75 | 12.75 | 11.25 | 15 | 10.25 |
| Noise (dBA) | 63 | 56 | 58 | 55 | 62 | 66 | 51 |
| Interior Coating | Ceramic non-stick | PTFE tray | Ceramic non-stick | PTFE | Ceramic non-stick plate (glass base) | PTFE drawers, ceramic crisper plate | Ceramic non-stick |
| Wing Time (min) | 15 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 18 |
| Pause When Opened | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Dishwasher Safe? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Top Reason to Buy | Fast cooking, simple physical buttons | Huge capacity | Sleek design, solid performance | Even cooking and sleek design | Transparent glass | Cook 4 layers of food at once | Quiet, even cooking |
| Top Reason to Skip | Loud, crisper plate falls out | Tips when opening door | Large holes in plate let food fall underneath | Chemical smell | No temp control, hot glass | Bulky, cooks slowly | Large, expensive, shallow basket |
Test Methods
To find out which air fryer truly performs best, I designed a series of hands-on tests that focused on real-world cooking, ease of use, and long-term durability. Every model was tested under the same conditions to ensure a fair comparison across the board.
I cooked the same four foods in each air fryer using identical temperature and time settings:
- French fries at 360°F for 10 minutes
- Cookies at 325°F for 10 minutes
- Squash at 390°F for 30 minutes
- Chicken wings at 380°F until fully cooked (actual times ranged from 15 to 25 minutes depending on the model)
Each model went through dozens of cleaning cycles. I removed the crisper plate 100 times to test for coating wear, bumper damage, and whether the plate stayed secure when shaking the basket. Some fell out with minimal force. Others remained firmly in place.
In addition to cooking performance, I measured noise level, total footprint, cooking surface area, height, interior depth, weight, and cord length.
I also evaluated convenience features such as whether the unit pauses automatically when opened, how intuitive the controls are, and whether extras like dual baskets, rotisserie, or self-cleaning modes actually improve the user experience.
Ninja Air Fryer Pro 4-in-1
The Ninja Air Fryer Pro has a 5-quart capacity, but the usable space is more limited than that number suggests. The square cooking surface measures 8.4 by 8.4 inches, giving you about 71 square inches to work with. In practical terms, it fits around 4 slices of bread or 11 chicken wings without crowding.
This was one of the fastest air fryers I tested. It fully cooked chicken wings in just 15 minutes, which was the quickest time among all the models I reviewed. The wings came out crispy and evenly browned.
French fries were done in 10 minutes with a crunchy texture and golden color. The squash cooked evenly, and while the cookies turned out a little too brown on top, they were still fully baked with no raw centers.
One of the biggest drawbacks is the crisper plate. It falls out immediately when you tilt the basket, even though the rubber bumpers aren’t damaged. That can be dangerous when the plate is hot, so I recommend holding it down with a utensil while serving.
On the usability side, this model has physical buttons instead of a touchscreen, which makes it easier to operate with greasy or wet hands.
It also displays the countdown in both minutes and seconds, which helps with precision. However, the timer doesn’t pause automatically when you remove the basket. If you pull it out for more than a few seconds, your cook time may be off.
Lastly, it’s the loudest air fryer I tested. At 63 decibels, it sounds more like a loud dishwasher and is noticeably noisier than the others in the group.
Chefman Multifunctional Digital Air Fryer
The Chefman Multifunctional Digital Air Fryer is closer to a countertop convection oven than a traditional basket-style air fryer. Instead of a pull-out drawer, it has a glass door that swings forward and three removable wire racks. It also includes a built-in light so you can monitor your food while it cooks.
This model has one of the largest capacities of the group. You can fit up to 12 slices of bread or 27 chicken wings if you use all three racks. It’s a good option if you want to cook multiple items at the same time, and it even includes a built-in rotisserie function.
In testing, it performed well across most categories. Chicken wings were fully cooked in 25 minutes and came out crispy with even browning. The fries had a golden, crunchy texture, and the squash cooked evenly. Cookies were nicely baked, although the tops turned a bit darker than the bottoms.
One thing I noticed was that the top rack cooks faster than the lower ones. For best results, you’ll need to rotate the trays halfway through the cooking process. Otherwise, food on the top may overcook while the bottom stays underdone.
Despite the solid cooking performance, there are some serious usability flaws. The unit tips forward when you open the door unless you hold it in place with your other hand, which is a safety concern.
The racks are another issue. They are thin, poorly finished, and have sharp edges. Food sticks to them, they’re hard to clean, and they can tear up your sponge. Since the entire cooking chamber is fixed, you can’t just pull out a drawer and bring it to the sink. You have to wait for everything to cool down and then clean the interior by hand.
The touchscreen is also frustrating to use. The buttons are unresponsive unless you press them precisely, and when you scroll past the maximum or minimum temperature, it jumps to the opposite end of the range instead of stopping. This makes setting an exact temperature more difficult than it should be.
Cosori TurboBlaze
The COSORI TurboBlaze is a 6-quart air fryer with a compact footprint and a clean, modern design. Despite its smaller size, it offers a usable cooking surface of 8.8 by 8.8 inches, which equals about 77 square inches. That’s enough space to fit around 5 slices of bread or 14 chicken wings.
It has a 40-inch cord, which is the second longest among the models I tested. This gives you more flexibility when deciding where to place it on your countertop. The touchscreen controls are located on the top of the unit, giving the front a minimal, uncluttered appearance.
This was the only air fryer I tested with a safety latch built into the handle. You have to press down on the latch before pulling the basket out. This feature helps prevent the drawer from sliding out accidentally if the unit tips forward. The crisper plate fits securely and stayed in place throughout all tests. Even after 100 removals and several hard shakes, it never fell out.
In terms of performance, the COSORI held up well. Chicken wings were fully cooked in 25 minutes and came out crispy with even browning. The squash roasted evenly, and the cookies were just slightly darker on top than on the bottom. Fries came out fine. They weren’t quite as crispy as the best performers, but still tasted good.
It was also one of the quieter models I tested. At 58 decibels while running at 400°F, it produced less noise than most, though not as little as the Chefman.
One drawback is the design of the crisper plate. The holes in the center are unusually large, which allows smaller foods like fries or sliced vegetables to fall through and get stuck underneath.
Instant Pot Vortex Plus
The Instant Vortex Plus is a 6-quart air fryer that has received top marks from both Serious Eats and America’s Test Kitchen. With that kind of recognition, I had high expectations going into testing.
It has the same stated capacity as the COSORI TurboBlaze, but the design is slightly different. The basket is wider and not as tall, which provides a bit more usable cooking space. The interior surface measures 9.5 by 9.25 inches, giving you about 88 square inches to work with. That’s enough room to fit around 16 chicken wings without overcrowding.
The stainless steel front gives it a more polished, appliance-like appearance that blends in well with most kitchens.
This was the only air fryer I tested that includes an automatic preheat function. I timed the preheat and it took exactly 2 minutes and 39 seconds to reach 400°F. Most of the time, I placed food inside immediately without waiting and still got solid results. It also has a unique halfway reminder beep that prompts you to shake or flip your food. Some people find this annoying, but I found it helpful.
In terms of cooking performance, the Instant Vortex Plus delivered consistent results. Wings took 25 minutes and came out crispy and juicy. Fries were evenly browned. The squash was well roasted. Cookies had a perfectly golden top, but the bottoms were slightly underdone.
It was also one of the quieter air fryers in the group, measuring 55 decibels during operation.
The crisper plate stayed in place when I tilted the basket, but it did fall out when I shook the basket forcefully. One of the rubber bumpers started to come loose, although it was easy to press back in and didn’t affect performance.
A common complaint in user reviews is a lingering chemical or plastic smell during the first few uses. I experienced this as well. However, after a few cycles and cleanings, the odor went away completely.
Ninja Crispi
The Ninja Crispi is the most unconventional air fryer I tested. Instead of using a typical basket, it includes two borosilicate glass containers, a lid with a built-in heating element and fan, and crisper plates that elevate food to allow airflow underneath. It also comes with regular lids so you can store leftovers and reheat them later in the same containers.
In terms of capacity, it’s on the smaller side. The larger container holds about 11 chicken wings or 4 overlapping slices of bread. The smaller container fits just 6 wings or roughly 1.5 slices of bread. The total usable cooking surface is about 64 square inches for the large container and 33 square inches for the small one.
One feature I liked was being able to see the food as it cooked through the clear glass. There’s also no concern about a non-stick coating wearing down or flaking off.
However, the tradeoff is a very limited feature set. You cannot set an exact temperature. Instead, you choose from four preset cooking modes—Air Fry, Max Crisp, Bake, and Recrisp—and can only adjust the time. This makes it harder to follow recipes that rely on specific temperatures.
Even with the basic controls, performance was solid. Wings finished in 23 minutes and were crispy and evenly browned. Fries browned well, and the squash came out soft in the middle with a crisp exterior. Cookies were another story. They browned too much on top, stayed completely undercooked on the bottom, and stuck to the glass, requiring a spatula to remove them.
The biggest concern is safety. The glass gets extremely hot. I measured the exterior five minutes after cooking, and it was still over 120°F.
The lid is heavy and awkward to lift, and when removed, the heating element on the underside remains dangerously hot. Once placed on a counter, the lid sits only a couple of inches above the surface. If it’s set on a heat-sensitive or flammable material, it could be a serious hazard.
Cleaning is also a challenge. There is a narrow gap between the glass container and the attached plastic base and handles.
Water and food residue can get trapped in that space, but it’s not accessible with a sponge or towel, making it hard to dry completely.
Ninja DoubleStack XL
The Ninja DoubleStack XL is a two-basket, 10-quart air fryer with a vertical design that resembles a compact computer tower. It was the heaviest unit I tested, weighing 22.5 pounds. It also had the shortest cord, measuring just 29 inches, which may limit where you can place it on the counter.
Instead of top-mounted heating, this model uses rear-mounted fans with ventilation holes in the back of each basket. While this helps with airflow, it creates cleaning challenges. Oil and grease can collect in the rear vents or spray through to the heating element, which is harder to access and clean thoroughly.
Each of the two baskets includes a ceramic-coated crisper plate and a metal rack that lets you cook in two layers per basket. This gives you four total cooking surfaces. While that sounds like a lot of capacity, each surface is small. You can fit around 3 slices of bread or 10 wings per layer. The actual usable surface in each basket is 6.9 by 8.25 inches, or about 57 square inches.
In terms of performance, it was slower and less consistent than the others. Wings took 25 minutes to cook and were safe to eat, but not as crisp as other models. Fries were slightly soft.
The squash had less browning and texture compared to the top performers. Cookies were the least cooked on top out of all the models I tested. The top basket runs slightly hotter than the bottom, but neither performed as well as expected.
One positive note is that the crisper plates stayed secure. Even after 100 removals and a series of shake tests, they didn’t come loose. However, like the smaller Ninja Air Fryer Pro, this model does not pause the timer when you remove the basket. If you take time to check or flip your food, you may need to adjust the cooking time manually.
Typhur Dome 2
The Typhur Dome 2 is the largest and most expensive air fryer I tested. It has a wide and deep design that takes up more space on the counter than any other model in the group. While it offers a spacious footprint, the interior height is limited. That means you can’t cook tall items like thick bread or a full chicken without running into clearance issues.
Despite the shallow interior, it has the largest cooking surface by far. The square cooking area measures 12 by 12 inches, giving you 144 square inches of usable space. That’s enough room to fit about 7 slices of bread or 25 wings without overlap.
The standout feature on this model is its dual heating system. It has one heating element on the top and another on the bottom. Most air fryers only heat from above.
In my testing, this made a real difference. Wings were done in just 18 minutes, making it the second fastest air fryer overall, and the cookies were the best of the group. They baked evenly on the top and bottom, which was not the case with most other models. Fries and squash also came out crisp and browned on all sides.
And because the Typhur is the only one large enough to fit a full pizza—and it heats from both the top and bottom—it was the only model that cooked the crust and toppings evenly.
Typhur advertises this model as quieter than other air fryers, and based on my measurements, that’s accurate. At 51 decibels during cooking, it was the quietest model I tested.
The crisper plate stayed secure when tilting the basket but did fall out during aggressive shaking. It fits snugly in place under normal use, so I wouldn’t consider it a major issue.
One feature that sets this model apart is its app connectivity. You can pair it with your phone to get alerts when your food is ready or to activate the self-cleaning mode. I haven’t needed the self-cleaning feature yet, but setup was quick and the app works well. It’s not essential, but it’s a nice extra for those who like smart kitchen features.
Final Verdict: Which Air Fryer Is the Best?
Now that you’ve seen the pros and cons of each air fryer, the question is: which ones are actually worth buying, and which ones should you avoid?
If you’re looking for the best performance and don’t mind the size or price, the top pick is the Typhur Dome 2. It has the largest cooking surface, so you can spread food out without crowding. The dual heating elements produce more even results than any other model I tested, and it was also the quietest, measuring just 51 decibels. It’s large and expensive, but if those aren’t dealbreakers, this is the best-performing air fryer in the group.
If you’re working with a smaller budget or limited counter space, I recommend the Instant Vortex Plus. It strikes the best balance for most people. It has enough room to cook for four or five people, a sleek stainless steel design, and helpful features like an automatic preheat and a flip reminder. It also performed consistently well across all food types.
The COSORI TurboBlaze and Ninja Air Fryer Pro are solid alternatives. They both cook well and are more compact, but each has a few trade-offs. The COSORI has large holes in the crisper plate that can trap food underneath, while the Ninja Pro is the loudest model I tested and doesn’t pause the timer when you remove the basket.
As for models to avoid, I would skip the Chefman, Ninja DoubleStack XL, and Ninja Crispi. The Chefman tips forward when you open the door, which is a safety hazard. The Ninja Crispi gets dangerously hot and has a heating element that rests just inches from your countertop when removed. The DoubleStack sounds appealing with its dual-zone design, but each basket is small, it’s bulky overall, and it cooked slower than every other model I tested.
Read more reviews and compare prices on Amazon: Ninja Air Fryer Pro, Chefman Multifunctional, COSORI TurboBlaze, Instant Pot Vortex Plus, Ninja Crispi, Ninja DoubleStack XL, Typhur Dome 2.
