The Best Cheap Air Fryers

Above-average ratings, below-average prices, no fake reviews.

From a statistical perspective, these are the best air fryers for the money. Several were priced under $50 in the past year.

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There are around 300 air fryers for sale online, but approximately 95% of them are poorly rated, selling for a premium price, or suspiciously reviewed. The worst offenders are air fryer “ovens,” which are little more than convection ovens that were rushed to market and rebranded to capitalize on a trend. I know this because I analyzed all the air fryers listed on Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Best Buy, Wayfair and Overstock.com.

Nevertheless, there are hidden gems. The following air fryers are legitimately-rated at four stars or better and have sold for $100 or less in the past 12-months. Some models have sold for as little as $30 while on sale:

1. GoWISE USA GW22821-S Air Fryer
2. Cuisinart AFR-25 Air Fryer, Toaster Oven
3. BELLA 14538 2.6 Quart Air Fryer
4. Secura Max YJ-702A Air Fryer
5. Chefman TurboFry RJ38-V3–35T Air Fryer
6. Ninja AF101 4-Quart Air Fryer
7. Insignia NS-AF53MSS0 Air Fryer
8. BLACK+DECKER Purify HF100WD Air Fryer
9. Secura TXG-DS12A Air Fryer
10. GoWISE GW22639 Air Fryer
11. Dash DCAF150GBBK02 Compact Air Fryer
12. Avalon Bay AB-Airfryer100B
13. Chefman TurboFry 3.6 Quart Air Fryer
14. Insignia NS-AF32DBK9 Air Fryer

Each of these products is unique and no two customers will have an identical experience, however, many customers have similar experiences. I’ve attempted to summarize all of the important pros and cons (found in thousands of customer reviews) into descriptions that are around 100 words.

I’ve also included a simple price guide beneath each photo to help you avoid overpaying. “Good value” is the average price an air fryer has sold for over the past 12 months; the “great deal” price is the lowest price that I’ve seen a particular fryer sell for. Any price that falls in between is a legitimate discount.

If you’d like to learn more about the basics of air fryers, or to read more about my methodology for selecting products, scroll to the bottom of this buying guide for more information.

1. GoWISE USA 5.0-Quart 1500-Watt Digital Air Fryer

5.0-Quart 1500-Watt Digital Air Fryer (GW22821-S) — Image Credit: GoWISE USA

Good Value: $75 | Great Deal: $50

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This digital air fryer makes great food and is easy to clean, according to several online customers. Some reviewers say this unit has non-intuitive controls; others say the included recipes are disappointing.

2. Cuisinart AFR-25, Combination Air Fryer, Toaster Oven

AFR-25, Combination Air Fryer, Toaster Oven — Image Credit: Cuisinart

Good Value: $100 | Great Deal: $60

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Cuisinart’s air fryer oven is a quick way to cook crispy foods and it also brings leftovers back to life, according to several online customers. Many reviewers caution that this unit cooks so hot and fast that the time and temperature in many recipes must be halved; others wish that this unit had an interior light.

3. BELLA (14538) 2.6 Quart Air Fryer, Black

BELLA (14538) 2.6 Quart Air Fryer, Black — Image Credit: Sensio

Good Value: $52 | Great Deal: $30

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Bella’s two-person air fryer cooks fast, cleans easily and is painless to set up, according to several online customers. Many reviewers say that the screws in the basket handle are loose (and must be tightened, lest they fall out). Others say that this air fryer is loud and that the basket takes some finagling to secure.

Note: This item was heavily discounted on Amazon Prime Day.

4. Secura Max 6.3Qt Air Fryer, 1700W

YJ-702A Max 6.3Qt Air Fryer, 1700W — Image Credit: Secura

Good Value: $84 | Great Deal: $77

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Secura’s air fryer is large enough for a family and it has a convenient digital display, according to several online customers. Some reviewers don’t trust the preset cook times; others say this is unit noisy.

5. Chefman TurboFry 3.6 Quart Air Fryer (RJ38-V3–35T)

TurboFry 3.6 Quart Air Fryer (RJ38-V3–35T) — Image Credit: Chefman

Good Value: $66 | Great Deal: $55

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Chefman’s air fryer makes enough food for three people without taking up too much counter space, according to several online customers. Many reviewers warn that the cooking rack’s nonstick coating peels off; others say that it is difficult to flip food during the cooking cycle (but doing so is the best way to make crispy foods).

6. Ninja AF101 4-Quart Air Fryer

Ninja AF101 4-Quart Air Fryer — Image Credit: SharkNinja

Good Value: $100 | Great Deal: $60

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This Ninja air fryer is reliable, intuitive and easy to clean, according to several online customers. Some reviewers warn that this unit produces a foul smell when its first plugged in; others say that it runs loud.

7. Insignia 5-qt. Analog Stainless Steel Air Fryer

Insignia 5-qt. Analog Stainless Steel Air Fryer (NS-AF53MSS0) — Image Credit: Best Buy

Good Value: $70 | Great Deal: $40

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Best Buy’s analog air fryer is easy to use and has a large capacity at a reasonable price, according to several online customers. Some reviewers say this unit has hard-to-clean nooks; others wish that it had better air circulation (to crisp the bottom of foods). Many customers warn that this air fryer takes up a lot of space.

8. BLACK+DECKER Purify 2-Liter Air Fryer (HF100WD)

Purify 2-Liter Air Fryer (HF100WD) — Image Credit: Black+Decker

Good Value: $64 | Great Deal: $38

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Black+Decker’s compact air fryer is small, yet effective, according to several online customers. Many reviewers complain that the dial markings are hard to read; others warn that the timer isn’t reliable.

9. Secura 1500 Watt Large Capacity (3.2 Liter) Digital Hot Air Fryer

Secura 1500 Watt Large Capacity Air Fryer (TXG-DS12A) — Image Credit: Secura

Good Value: $70 | Great Deal: $45

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This Secura air fryer has lots of rave reviews along with photos of delicious looking food to back them up. Several reviewers say that the analog timer knob feels chintzy; others noticed a plastic smell while cooking.

10. GoWISE USA 3.7-Quart Programmable Air Fryer

GoWISE USA 3.7-Quarts 8-in-1 Air Fryer (GW22639) — Image Credit: GoWISE USA

Good Value: $65 | Great Deal: $50

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The 3.7 quart GoWISE air fryer is easy to use and to clean according to many reviewers. Some say that the included recipe book isn’t very helpful and that the machine beeps loudly when you press its buttons.

11. Dash Compact Air Fryer (1.2 L)

Dash Compact Air Fryer 1.2 L (DCAF150GBBK02) — Image Credit: Dash

Good Value: $50 | Great Deal: $36

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This Dash air fryer mostly has glowing reviews, but some reviewers complained that the unit shut off while cooking (possibly from overheating). This machine is designed for single-servings; it will not feed a family.

12. Avalon Bay Air Fryer (3.7 Quart Capacity)

Avalon Bay Air Fryer (AB-Airfryer100B) — Image Credit: Avalon Bay

Good Value: $88 | Great Deal: $46

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Avalon makes a point to declare that its air fryer is made with BPA-free plastic (an important selling point for certain people). This model is priced similarly to the GoWISE 3.7 quart model and has similar reviews.

13. Chefman TurboFry 3.6 Quart Air Fryer Oven

TurboFry 3.6 Quart Air Fryer Oven — Image Credit: Chefman

Good Value: $56 | Great Deal: $30

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This affordable air fryer is quick, compact and it makes delicious food with little to no oil, according to several online customers. Some reviewers say the non-stick coating on the cooking rack flakes off; others wish that the mechanical timer was more accurate. Most customers agree that this unit is easy to store and clean.

14. Insignia 3.4-qt. Digital Air Fryer

Insignia 3.4-qt. Digital Air Fryer (NS-AF32DBK9) — Image Credit: Best Buy

Good Value: $70 | Great Deal: $35

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Best Buy’s digital air fryer is easy to use and clean, according to several customers. Some reviewers wish that this unit had a larger capacity; others warn that the included recipes and presets tend to overcook the food.

Note: This item was heavily discounted on Cyber Monday.

What Is an Air Fryer?

The air fryer is a new appliance that’s based on an old one: the convection oven. Invented by Fred van der Weij, an air fryer uses rapidly circulating hot air (and a bit of oil) to crisp food while cooking it. Many people use air fryers to make snack foods that are typically fried, e.g. french fries, chicken fingers, churros, donuts, empanadas, chicken wings, chips, etc.

An air fryer is safer, easier-to-clean and potentially healthier than a deep fryer, but it isn’t a microwave replacement nor an Instant Pot alternative. However, some multicookers like the Ninja OP101 have an air fryer setting that helps to preserve precious counter space. (The cooking capacity of a standalone air fryer is small relative to the size of its footprint.)

Buying an Air Fryer Cookbook Is Money Well Spent

Many air fryers have poor instruction manuals and unreliable preset cook times. Nevertheless, these shortcomings can be overcome with a good cookbook. Air Fryer Perfection by America’s Test Kitchen is highly-recommended by online reviewers who grew tired of the frustration (and expense) of cooking by trial and error.

How Much Does a Good Air Fryer Cost?

A good air fryer (with verified, above-average reviews) costs approximately $69, according to a 12-month analysis of price trends. Those same air fryers cost around $43 while on sale: an average discount of 38%.

Methodology for Selecting Products

I use data science to discover above-average products that are selling for below-average prices. To find air fryers with below-average prices, I first assemble a list of candidates, then organize those products by their 12-month average sale price, determine the median value and then exclude any appliances with a price above the mid-point.

To find air fryers with above-average reviews, I measure the relationship between 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 star ratings and flag outliers that fall outside of a normal statistical distribution. I also discount paid, sponsored and unverified reviews as well as unhelpful review behaviors from verified customers. Fryers with an average adjusted rating of less than 3.9 out of 5 are excluded; in the end, fewer than 10% of the products remain.

About the Author: John DeFeo specializes in the analysis of online customer reviews. He was formerly the head of editorial insights for Tom’s Guide.