Basket-Style Air FryersĪir fryers come in basket-style units or a toaster oven-esque ones-and each comes with pros and cons. Air fryers preheat in minutes and makes weeknight cooking convenient, mostly hands-off, and so, so crispy. If you've ever cooked food in a convection oven, you know that overall cooking times get reduced-this is even more true in an air fryer, since it's both smaller and circulates air better than a regular oven.

But first thing's first: what even is an air fryer? How Air Fryers WorkĪir-frying is a rebrand of the stodgy old term “convection.” It’s essentially the same thing, but “air-frying” just sounds so much lighter, doesn’t it? An air fryer is essentially a mini countertop convection oven, which means it uses a fan to help circulate hot air around your food so that it cooks more evenly than in a normal oven.

With that in mind, we created this shopping guide to help you navigate the wonderful world of air fryers. Looking for the best air fryers can be a slightly daunting task because there are so many models and styles to choose from-and the reality is that's what's best for one person isn't what's necessarily best for another.