The best air fryers on sale now

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Whether you’re planning to make bacon-wrapped dates for an Easter feast or just want to learn how to make perfectly crisp (and healthier!) french fries at home, it’s hard to go wrong with an air fryer. The relatively new kitchen gadget cooks snacks and fried foods with less oil in just minutes.

Many popular air fryer models are on sale now, including the No. 1 best-selling air fryer on Amazon.


Top products in this article:

Cosori air fryer oven combo (5.8 quart), $109 with coupon (regularly $119)

Cosori Dual Blaze smart air fryer (6.8 quart), $150 (regularly $180)

Instant Pot Crisp multi-cooker and air fryer (8 quart), $99 (regularly $149)


Air fryers are the secret to making healthier crispy chicken tenders and chicken wings (even from frozen); crisp french fries and potato skins; juicy meatballs and more. Best of all, because of the way air fryers work to recirculate air, you can make these foods with less oil than traditional methods of preparation.

If you don’t own an air fryer yet, you’re missing out: The handy countertop kitchen gadget that makes healthier fried foods is now a staple in millions of American kitchens. In 2020, nearly 40 percent of U.S. households owned one, with sales surging over the pandemic as more people explored cooking at home with new air fryer recipes. 

The good news is that air fryers are affordable — we’ve found a number of deals on air fryers you can score right now, and paired them with some great air fryer recipes to try.

Cosori air fryer oven combo (5.8 quart)

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Amazon


The No. 1 best-selling Amazon air fryer is on sale right now. The Cosori air fryer features 13 different cooking functions that prepare your food at the best temperature and time for the most crisp and crunch. Cooking for more than one or two? According to the brand, the 5.8-quart basket can fit a whole five-pound chicken. The non-stick air fryer basket is removable and dishwasher safe. The top-rated air fryer comes in black, red and white. 

“This thing is so easy to clean and use,” enthused an Amazon customer who purchased the Cosori air fryer. “It has made cooking bacon the easiest thing ever, it’s great for reheating items or using it as a mini oven. It becomes a must-have item after you’ve gotten used to adding it to your cooking accessories. I’ll always have an air fryer from now on in my kitchen.”

Cosori air fryer oven combo (5.8 quart), $109 with coupon (regularly $119)


Cosori Dual Blaze smart air fryer (6.8 quart)

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Amazon


This even larger Cosori air fryer features 12 different cooking functions. According to the brand, the air fryer’s aluminum basket conducts heat three times faster and stores heat more effectively than other air fryers. The kitchen gadget uses dual heating elements and Cosori’s 360 ThermoIQ technology to make real-time temperature adjustments during cooking, so you’ll get evenly cooked and crisped food, without having to shake or flip whatever’s in your basket. The non-stick basket is dishwasher safe.

Unlike the less expensive model above, the Cosori Dual Blaze air fryer connects to your phone so you can scan the barcode of your favorite frozen foods to get the ideal temperature and time settings. This smart air fryer can also be operated by voice command. 

“I love how easy it is to cook many different types of food in my new air fryer. No heavy greasy foods to deal with and the foods retain their natural flavors. Extremely fast cooking speeds and the model I chose makes shaking and turning foods over a thing of the past. The foods come out tender crisp and browned perfectly,” raved an Amazon customer who purchased the Cosori Dual Blaze 6.8 quart smart air fryer.

Cosori Dual Blaze smart air fryer (6.8 quart), $150 (regularly $180)


Philips Essential Airfryer Compact (4.3 quart)

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Philips/Amazon


Here’s a good air fryer for people with smaller kitchens. An updated and compact version of the original gadget introduced in 2010, this Philips Essential Airfryer grills, roasts, bakes, reheats and air fries — it’s ready to take on a multitude of air fryer recipes. It features a digital touchscreen with seven presets for simplified cooking. Measures 4.1 liters (more than 4.3 quarts).

Philips Essential Airfryer Compact (4.3 quart), $110 (reduced from $180)


Emeril Lagasse power air fryer

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Emeril Lagasse/Amazon


Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse’s countertop convection oven offers many of the same functions as other countertop air fryers, but manages to “kick it up a notch,” in his signature fashion, by adding a rotisserie to the mix. It offers 12 functions on its LCD digital display — air fry, bake, rotisserie, dehydrate, toast, reheat, roast, broil, bagel, pizza, slow cook and warm/reheat — and comes with a crisper tray, rotisserie spit, pizza rack, baking pan, drip tray and cookbook filled with Lagasse’s recipes. 

Emeril Lagasse power air fryer, $180 (reduced from $250)


Instant Pot Crisp multi-cooker and air fryer (8 quart)

Instant Pot 8-quart crisp multi-cooker and air fryer

Instant Pot via Walmart


This nine-in-one Instant Pot device can air fry, pressure cook, steam, slow cook, sauté, bake, broil, roast and keep food warm as well as make rice and oatmeal. The pressure-cooking lid and cooking pot insert are both dishwasher safe.

(You can see more deals on Instant Pots here.)

Instant Pot Crisp multi-cooker and air fryer (8 quart), $99 (regularly $149)


NuWave Brio air fryer

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NuWave/Amazon


Another air fryer that’s popular with Amazon shoppers, the NuWave Brio comes in 6- and 15-quart sizes. It air frys, broils, roasts, grills, bakes, reheats and dehydrates. The device features an easy interface, with a menu of 100 preprogrammed recipes.

Don’t forget to apply the coupon available at Amazon before you purchase — you’ll save an extra 15%.

NuWave Brio air fryer, $85 with coupon (regularly $100)


Cuisinart air fryer, convection and toaster oven

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Cuisinart/Amazon


Shaped more like a small, countertop toaster oven, Cuisinart’s entry-level model works as an air fryer, convection and toaster oven. It is 2.9 cubic feet in size, and can hold 2.5 pounds of food. We’ve seen this model available at multiple retailers, but smart Kohl’s shoppers can get the best deal.

Apply the coupon code SAVE to drop the price down to $75. 

Cuisinart air fryer, convection and toaster oven, $75 (reduced from $140)


Ninja Foodi 12-in-1 extra large air fryer

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Ninja/Amazon


Ninja Foodi’s multicooking air fryer gadgets dominate the high-end market. One of the brand’s highest-rated models, this family-friendly, 12-in-1, extra-large air fryer offers an 8-quart pot that holds up to a 7-pound chicken or eight breasts. It can pressure- and slow cook, air fry and crisp, steam, slow cook, bake, sous vide, keep warm, sear, sauté, roast, broil, dehydrate and make yogurt. 

Ninja Foodi 12-in-1 extra large air fryer, $199 (reduced from $270)


More air fryers

If you’re going to spend full price on an air fryer, you might as well get one of the best. We’ve found the top-rated air fryers you can buy online right now. 

Instant Pot Omni Plus toaster oven 240 (plus air fryer)

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Instant/Amazon


Best known for its Instant Pot pressure cookers, Instant also offers multi-cookers with air-fryer functionality, such as its Omni Plus toaster oven. The sleek-looking gadget boasts 10-in-1 functionality (air fry, broil, bake, roast, dehydrate, reheat, rotisserie, toast, warm and convection oven) with enough space for a large chicken or 12-inch pizza, perfect for large groups. Amazon reviewers rate it 4.5 stars, giving it high marks for its easy-to-operate digital interface and stainless steel exterior. 

Instant Pot Omni Plus 240 toaster oven, $250


Instant Vortex Plus (6 quart)

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Instant Pot via Amazon


Yes, it’s another Instant Pot device but this one specifically air frys. Unlike many air fryers, the Instant Vortex Plus has an easy view window. Instead of opening the air fryer every 10 minutes to see if your food is crisping, watch it get that delicious crunch while it cooks without letting all the heat out of your device. 

The Instant Vortex Plus can also roast, broil, bake, reheat and dehydrate food. 

Instant Vortex Plus (6 quart), $110


Chefman digital air fryer (10.6 quart)

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Chefman via Walmart


The Chefman digital air fryer does more than just get chicken fingers nice and crispy. This 10-liter appliance (10.6 quart) can be used as a rotisserie spit, oven and a dehydrator. It comes with cooking accessories that include removable racks, a rotisserie basket, rotisserie spit, drip tray and retrieval tool.

Chefman digital air fryer (10.6 quart), $119


What other recipes can you make in an air fryer?

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Air fryers are commonly used to cook fresh or frozen foods, including chicken wings, chicken breasts, chicken nuggets, french fries, pork chops, salmon, chicken tenders, bacon, potatoes, baked potato and chicken thighs. Some people even use air fryers to make cakes and other desserts.

Air fryer recipes are wildly popular on Pinterest, and cookbooks serve as much-needed companions to air fryers. In addition to diet-specific air fryer cookbooks and general recipes, Ninja, Cuisinart and Instant Pot all have cookbooks catering to their models.

Here are some popular air-fryer cookbooks you can buy on Amazon.

“America’s Test Kitchen Air Fryer Perfection,” $13 (reduced from $25)

Air Fryer Cookbook, $11

The Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook, $14 (reduced from $22)

The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook, $10 (reduced from $17)


What is an air fryer?

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Similar to a countertop convection oven, an air fryer is a portable cooking device with a variety of functions. However, unlike a convection oven, an air fryer offers an alternative approach to deep frying. Instead of engulfing food in a pool of fat, it circulates hot air to achieve a similar result, using only the oils on the food’s surface.

How does an air fryer work?

Most air fryers feature a fan and heating mechanism, responsible for circulating air and cooking food. While every model varies, most of them feature adjustable timers and temperatures with suggestions for popular foods. Many air fryers require preheating prior to cooking. 

Food is generally placed in some sort of basket at the bottom of the appliance, usually resembling a fryer basket. The hot air begins circulating and heating the existing (or added) oils on food, resulting in a crisping effect. Depending on the recipe, you might need to flip food sometime during the cooking process. 

What types of air fryers are there? 

Over the course of the decade, the air fryer market has rapidly expanded with nearly every major appliance brand (including Ninja, Instant Pot, Cuisinart, Cosori, NuWave, Chefman and Philips) offering their own version. Many consumers opt for hybrid air fryers, which combine various cooking functions into one gadget, saving counter space and the need for multiple machines. Air fryer toaster ovens, air fryer pressure cookers, air fryer microwave ovens, air fryer countertop ovens and even full-size ovens that double as air fryers are some of the most popular options. 


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