Best air fryers 2026 — 5 Models Put to the Test

A good air fryer should do more than cook food quickly. What matters is whether it can deliver an evenly crisp exterior without drying everything out, whether its advertised capacity is actually useful, and whether using it for a weekday dinner feels easier than simply turning on the oven.

Those differences became particularly clear when comparing the latest models. Huge dual-basket air fryers give us much more flexibility, but they also occupy a surprising amount of counter space. Smaller models are easier to live with, but capacity quickly becomes a limitation. After comparing cooking performance, capacity, controls, cleaning and everyday usability, these are the five models that stand out.

Tested and written by  Amanda Westberg
Translated by Lucía Bima

Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket — Best overall

Capacity: 9 liters
Temperature: 40–200°C
Baskets: 6 + 3 liters

The two differently sized baskets are what make the Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket so useful. Instead of splitting the capacity evenly, Philips gives us a large 6-liter basket for the main dish and a smaller 3-liter one for sides. Each can run independently, while the Sync function adjusts the timing so both finish together.

Cooking performance is strong where it matters most. Fries, nuggets and vegetables come out mostly crisp and evenly cooked, and the larger basket provides enough usable surface area to avoid piling everything on top of itself. The difference between the two baskets is noticeable, though. The smaller one cooks considerably more slowly, and overall heating isn’t particularly fast compared with the quickest competitors.

That keeps the Philips from being perfect, but it doesn’t stop it from being our favorite all-rounder. For a family regularly cooking a main dish and side at the same time, the combination of capacity, consistent results and genuinely useful dual-zone cooking works extremely well.

Want a closer look? Read our full Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer review.

Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer AF500EU — Best for large families

Power: 2,470 W
Capacity: 10.4 liters
Cooking zones: One large zone or two independent zones

The Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer solves one of the problems we have with conventional dual-basket air fryers: sometimes we simply don’t want two small compartments. Remove the divider and the AF500EU becomes one enormous 10.4-liter MegaZone. Put it back in and we can cook two foods at different temperatures and have them finish at the same time.

It’s a powerful air fryer, too. Foods that benefit from intense heat develop a properly crisp exterior, and having independent settings for each side makes complete meals much easier to coordinate. The huge basket doesn’t eliminate the basics, though. Fries and other small ingredients still need to be shaken or turned if we want them to brown evenly.

Its biggest drawback becomes apparent before we even start cooking. The FlexDrawer is huge. For one or two people, 10.4 liters feels excessive, and finding a permanent place for it can be difficult in a smaller kitchen. For a family, however, few air fryers give us this much freedom.

Philips Airfryer 3000 Series NA342/00 — Best single-basket air fryer

Power: 2,000 W
Capacity: 7.2 liters
Temperature: 40–200°C

Not everyone needs two baskets, and the Philips NA342/00 makes a good argument for keeping things simple. Its 7.2-liter basket gives us plenty of room for larger portions without having to work out how to divide dinner between two smaller compartments. When everything is cooking at roughly the same temperature, that simplicity is welcome.

The viewing window is more useful than it initially sounds. We can check the color of fries, chicken or baked food without pulling out the basket, while Philips’ RapidAir Plus system provides strong circulation around the food. Cleaning is straightforward as well, with removable parts that can go in the dishwasher.

The compromise is obvious: there’s only one cooking zone. If the main dish and side need different temperatures, they still have to be cooked separately. A full basket also needs some attention if we want everything to brown evenly. We’d choose the NA342/00 for its straightforward design and generous capacity rather than for maximum flexibility.

Ninja Double Stack XL SL400EU — Best for narrow counter spaces

Power: 2,470 W
Capacity: 9.5 liters
Baskets: 2 × 4.75 liters

Ninja stacks the two cooking baskets vertically instead of placing them side by side. It sounds like a small design change, but it makes a noticeable difference in a cramped kitchen. We still get 9.5 liters of total capacity and two independently controlled zones, without the enormous width of many other dual-basket models.

Cooking performance is generally strong. Fries crisp nicely and chicken develops good color, while the two independently controlled baskets make it easy to cook foods with different requirements at the same time. The included racks also let us split each basket into two levels, theoretically cooking four different components at once. That works best with food that can remain relatively still; once everything needs turning or shaking, four layers become much less convenient.

“Space-saving” also needs some context. The Double Stack is narrow, but it’s still deep and tall, so it doesn’t suddenly become a tiny appliance. Heating isn’t especially quick either. We’d choose it over the FlexDrawer when width is the main constraint, not because it’s the faster or more versatile Ninja.

Cosori TurboBlaze 6L — Best for experimenting beyond air frying

Capacity: 6 liters
Temperature: 30–230°C
Cooking functions: 9

The Cosori TurboBlaze takes a slightly different approach. Its temperature range stretches from 30 to 230°C, while a DC motor provides several fan speeds. That gives us more control than we get from many basic air fryers and makes the TurboBlaze useful for baking, roasting, proofing and dehydrating as well as conventional air frying.

When it gets things right, the results are excellent. Chicken develops a crisp exterior without becoming excessively dry, cooking is quick, and another pleasant surprise is how quiet the TurboBlaze can be. Results aren’t quite as predictable across every type of food, though. We found more variation with foods such as fries and vegetables, meaning we sometimes needed to adjust the time or temperature rather than blindly trust a preset.

That inconsistency is why the TurboBlaze doesn’t challenge our overall winner. But it’s arguably more interesting for someone who enjoys experimenting. Six liters also feels like a sensible middle ground: enough space for everyday family cooking without turning the appliance into another huge object on the counter.

Which air fryer should you buy?

The Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket is our best air fryer overall because it combines generous capacity with two genuinely useful cooking zones and, most importantly, consistently good results. The slower small basket is frustrating, but it’s a compromise we’d accept for the flexibility the overall design provides.

For larger families, we’d move straight to the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer AF500EU. Being able to turn two separate zones into one 10.4-liter cooking space gives it an advantage that conventional dual-basket models can’t match. The Philips NA342/00 is the simpler alternative if you’d rather have one large basket and don’t need to cook foods at different temperatures simultaneously.

The Ninja Double Stack XL is the cleverest choice when a wide dual-zone air fryer won’t fit on your counter. The Cosori TurboBlaze finishes slightly lower because its results require more adjustment, but its wider temperature range and greater control make it an interesting choice if you want to use your air fryer for more than quick, crispy weeknight meals.