Why must the best tasting foods be so bad for our health? If you’re a lover of fried foods, you may be putting yourself at risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. You don’t have to give up fried foods forever, there is an alternative to deep frying called air frying. This is done using hot air and oil droplets to cook food and form a crispy and golden brown exterior. There are countless foods you can cook using an air fryer, including air fried chicken. Air frying dramatically reduces fat and calories. In fact, an air fried chicken breast has 184 calories and 4 grams of fat compared to a deep-fried chicken breast with 368 calories and 11 grams of fat. It’s obvious that air fryers are a wise investment, but not all air fryers are created equal. Which ones are worth purchasing? We’ve put together a list of the best air fryers on the market.
Best High-End Air Fryer: Philips XL Air Fryer — $299.99
The Philips XL Air Fryer is basically the king of all air fryers! You’ve probably seen many reviews of this air fryer floating around the internet and for good reason–it is the best-reviewed air fryer on the market. A feature that consumers rave about is its power. With 2,100 watts this air fryer can easily cook a basket full of food the first time. Therefore, there is no need to use a food thermometer to check to see if your chicken wings are done. Additionally, the basket can hold up to 2.65 pounds of food. That is enough to fry two bags of french fries. Go ahead french fry addicts, rejoice.
While the Philips XL model is technically an air fryer, it does so much more. There are no preset settings so you can adjust the temperature up to 390 degrees. Since you have more control over settings means that you can cook a wider variety of foods. You can even use it to bake and broil–if you adjust the temperature correctly. A unique feature of the Philips XL Air Fryer is its Rapid Air Technology that enables it to cook food with the highest speeds and best results. There’s no wonder everyone loves this air fryer!
Best Affordable Air Fryer: GoWISE 8 in 1 Air Fryer — $91.00
The GoWISE 8 in 1 is comparable to more pricey air fryers like the Philips XL air fryers. One of the reasons is its pre-programmed settings. If you’re just starting out with air frying is especially beneficial because you don’t have to waste time reading the instructional booklet and struggle with manually setting the temperature for the food you want to cook. If you would like more precision you also have the option to manually adjust the thermostat. You can adjust the temperature from 176 to 392 degrees.
Another perk to this air fryer is its capacity. Its 5.8-quart basket allows you to cook more food, this is an attractive feature if you’re feeding a large family or have a large appetite. Along with its ability to cook large amounts of food at a time, the GoWise 8 in 1 air fryer can thoroughly cook a full tray of food with ease with its power output of 1,500 watts.
The only drawback to this air fryer is that the timer can only be set up to 30 minutes. Although 30 minutes is more than enough time to cook most foods, in some cases more time may be needed. Considering all of the amazing features of this fryer, this minor flaw is overshadowed.
Best Air Fryer for the Value: T-Fal Actifry–$149.99
The T-Fal Actifry is another air fryer that has great features. First, it has an interior capacity of 2.9 liters and can cook up to 2 pounds of food at once. Like the other air fryers mentioned, it is ideal for cooking for a family of 4. Its capacity is even comparable to the Philips XL. Additionally, the Actifry is more convenient than most air fryers. To explain, its small stature does take up counter space, and because all of its parts are dishwasher safe, unlike the GoWise, cleaning the Actifry is a breeze. The Actifry also comes with a timer that can be set for up to 99 minutes, which allows the user to cook foods slowly and carefully. Also, there are no temperature controls, making it great for air frying beginners: just put your food in the basket, press a button, and walk away. Another added bonus to this air fryer is that it comes with a cookbook full of 38 recipes, so you’ll never run out of meal ideas.
