written by: Angela Parkinson, taken from http://www.toptenreviews.com. All research was conducted and credited to http://www.toptenreviews.com
We’ve spent 40 hours researching air fryers, including 20 hours in our laboratory’s kitchen cooking up multiple batches of chicken wings and fries. Air fryers won’t replace the taste of deep-fat-fried food – that became evident in our tests. But air fryers still make good-tasting food. All of the ones we tried prepared foods fast and with very little oil, but the one that stood out for convenience and consistent results was the NuWave Brio. The Brio churned out multiple batches of chicken and fries that were cooked to the same level of crispy deliciousness from one side of the basket to the other. It was also remarkably easy to use.
- This fryer offered consistently crispy results during our testing.
- The built-in cord wrap keeps things safe and uncluttered on your counters.
- This one stays cool to the touch on the outside.
- It’s difficult to clean. We had to soak it before cleaning.
- This one is noisy compared to the others.
- It has a small frying capacity compared
- The budget-friendly price is nice
- This is one of the easier ones to clean.
- The designer color options are a fun way to get an air fryer that fits into your décor.
- There were some overcooked spots in some batches of chicken
- An integrated cord wrap would add convenience to this model.
- It has a somewhat small capacity.
- The results were very consistent and crispy.
- The controls are easy to understand and use.
- The outside stays cool to the touch while cooking.
- The Phillips XL is among the worst ones to clean.
- It creates a lot of smoke as it cooks.
- You lose a fair amount of counter space to this one.
Why Trust Us
We began our research by reading reviews – lots of them. We read opinions from professional review sites and lots of user reviews to identify 10 well-regarded models that we could test. We also talked to people who use air fryers about the most important features and aspects. Utah mom Annjanae Redford uses her air fryer all the time.
“I love that I can cook convenience foods in it and have them come out crispy. My food isn’t soggy like when I microwave it,” wrote Redford in an email. “It’s also really great for cooking uncooked frozen foods quickly such as homemade freezer fries and taquitos.”
We also contacted Isabel Maples, MEd, RDN, who is a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, to talk about potential nutritional benefits of using one of these machines. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics does not endorse any products, but Maples did indicate there can be nutritional benefits to using these machines.”Little or no oil is used, depending on what’s being cooked. In general, hot air dryers use about three-quarters less oil. The biggest health benefit is the calorie reduction,” according to Maples. “Enjoying food with fewer calories is important, since two out of three Americans are overweight or obese.”