7 Best Healthy Air Fryers of 2026

If you’re looking to dominate dinner prep for a crowd, the Emeril Lagasse French Door Air Fryer Toaster Oven is a powerhouse that blends commercial-grade capacity with precision French-door elegance. With a massive 26-quart interior, this unit can handle a 6-pound whole chicken on rotisserie or a full 12-inch pizza—perfect for families or weekend entertaining. Its dual-speed fan system ensures 360º superheated air circulation, delivering crisp, golden textures without hot spots, while the stainless steel finish and interior light elevate both functionality and kitchen aesthetics.

In real-world use, this combo shines when multitasking—roasting vegetables while air frying chicken tenders, or baking cookies with even browning across the rack. The digital controls offer 24 preset cooking functions, eliminating guesswork, and the auto-shutoff toast feature prevents burnt breakfasts—a small but meaningful touch for busy households. However, its sheer size means it’s not ideal for compact kitchens, and preheating can take longer than standalone air fryers. It performs best on countertops with ample clearance, and while it handles large batches with ease, single servings feel underwhelming in such a cavernous chamber.

Compared to the Cosori TurboBlaze or Ninja AF101, this isn’t a speed demon—it’s a strategic kitchen command center for those who prioritize versatility and volume over countertop convenience. It’s the go-to for hosts, large families, or anyone replacing multiple appliances with one multi-functional oven powerhouse. While it lacks the agility of compact models, it outclasses them in raw cooking real estate and roasting finesse, making it a smarter long-term investment than smaller, limited-capacity units.

The Cosori TurboBlaze 6-Quart Air Fryer doesn’t just raise the bar—it obliterates it with a 3600 rpm turbofan and ultra-precise 5-fan-speed system that guarantees crispy, juicy results in nearly every bite. Engineered for families and health-conscious cooks, it delivers up to 95% less oil than deep frying without sacrificing texture, making it a guilt-free gateway to fried favorites. Its ceramic nonstick coating is a game-changer—durable, PFAS-free, and incredibly easy to clean, solving the number-one pain point of sticky residue in budget models.

During testing, the TurboBlaze proved exceptionally consistent, whether air frying wings, baking salmon, or dehydrating banana chips. The square basket design maximizes space, allowing full batches of fries to lie flat instead of piling up, while even heat distribution eliminated cold spots common in round-basket rivals. It operates below 53dB, making it one of the quietest high-power air fryers on the market—ideal for open-concept homes. The only hiccup? The lack of a viewing window means you’ll need to pause and pull the basket to check progress, interrupting the cooking cycle slightly.

Stacked against the Chefman 10L or Nutrichef models, the Cosori strikes the perfect balance between performance, noise control, and user experience. It’s not the largest, but it’s the most refined all-rounder, ideal for families of 3–4 who want restaurant-quality results without oil or noise pollution. With customizable preheat settings and dishwasher-safe parts, it outperforms similarly priced units in long-term usability and culinary precision, offering a richer feature set than the Ninja AF101 at the same price point.

For those drowning in cluttered countertops, the bella 4Qt Slim Air Fryer is a space-saving revelation—its Fits-anywhere™ design slides neatly beside coffee makers or under cabinets, saving up to 50% more space than traditional models. Despite its slim profile, it packs a 1300-watt punch and a 3.3 lb XL basket, making it surprisingly capable for family-sized portions of fries, chicken, or salmon. The EverGood™ ceramic coating delivers a healthy, nonstick surface free of PFAS and PFOA, addressing growing consumer concerns about chemical safety in cookware.

In daily use, the bella excels at quick, consistent meals—frozen tater tots come out uniformly crisp, and roasted veggies brown evenly thanks to circular heat technology. The 6 digital presets (air fry, bake, roast, broil, reheat, dehydrate) simplify cooking, though the dehydrate function lacks the low-temp precision of dedicated models. It’s loud on high fan—noticeably more than the Cosori—but still within acceptable range. The real win is its aesthetic appeal: the soft matte Oatmilk finish and subtle fluting make it a stylish addition, not an eyesore.

When compared to the CHEFMAN 2 Qt mini model, the bella offers twice the capacity with minimal footprint increase, making it a smarter pick for couples or small families. While it doesn’t match the power or features of premium units, it outclasses most budget fryers in build and design, delivering premium looks and solid performance at a mid-tier price. It’s the ideal entry-level upgrade from microwave meals—proving you don’t need bulk to enjoy fast, healthy cooking.

The CHEFMAN 2 Qt Mini Air Fryer is the ultimate solo diner’s sidekick, engineered for ultra-compact living where every inch counts. With a square 2-quart basket and a narrow footprint, it fits easily in dorms, RVs, or studio kitchens, yet still cooks meals up to three times faster than a conventional oven. Its 900-watt heating element reaches 400°F quickly, making crispy mozzarella sticks or single-serve sweet potato fries in under 15 minutes—perfect for quick, healthy bites without bulk.

In real-world testing, the mini fryer delivers solid results for 1–2 people, though overcrowding leads to uneven crisping—portion control is key. The shake reminder is a standout feature, pinging you mid-cycle to agitate food for optimal crunch, mimicking the manual flipping you’d do in an oven. The nonstick basket is dishwasher-safe, and the auto shutoff adds peace of mind when you’re multitasking. However, its small capacity means reheating leftovers often requires batch cooking, and the plastic exterior feels less premium than metal-clad rivals.

Compared to the bella 4Qt or Ninja AF101, this isn’t meant to feed families—it’s a targeted solution for minimalists. While the Nutrichef or Cosori offer more versatility, this model wins on pure space efficiency and simplicity. It’s the most affordable entry point into healthy air frying, ideal for students or singles who want fast, oil-free meals without appliance clutter. For its size, it offers exceptional functionality, outperforming many larger models in speed-to-space ratio.

The CHEFMAN 10L Multifunctional Air Fryer+ is a family-sized beast disguised as a countertop appliance, offering rotisserie, dehydrate, bake, and convection oven capabilities in one XL 10-liter chamber. With 1700 watts of power and a 17-presets touch screen, it effortlessly handles everything from whole roasted chickens to jerky batches, making it a meal-prep titan for large households. The extra-large viewing window and interior light let you monitor progress without opening the door—a rare and welcome feature in this category.

In practice, the rotisserie function produces golden, evenly browned poultry with minimal effort, while the dehydrate mode excels at fruit leather and beef jerky thanks to precise low-temperature control. The three-tier rack system allows multi-level cooking—ideal for preparing entire meals at once. However, the fan noise is pronounced at full blast, and the digital interface can feel cluttered with so many options. It also requires significant clearance due to its 14.6-inch height, so under-cabinet placement is off the table.

Next to the Emeril Lagasse or Cosori, this model trades French-door elegance for raw functional volume. It’s not as sleek, but it out-cooks most in capacity and preset diversity, making it the best choice for parents, meal preppers, or anyone cooking for 5+. While the Cosori TurboBlaze is quieter and more refined, this one delivers greater throughput and rotisserie performance, offering more appliance value per square inch despite its bulk.

The Ninja AF101 is the gold standard in compact air frying, packing 4-in-1 versatility—Air Fry, Roast, Reheat, and Dehydrate—into a sleek, space-conscious design that fits effortlessly on any countertop. With a 105°F to 400°F temperature range, it handles everything from gentle dehydration of herbs to high-heat crisping of wings, making it one of the most flexible small fryers on the market. The ceramic-coated 4-quart basket holds 2 lbs of fries and resists scratching better than standard nonstick coatings.

In daily use, the Ninja shines at reheating leftovers—pizza emerges crispy, not soggy—while its dehydrate function produces excellent banana chips and kale crisps, outperforming many larger models. The convection heat ensures even cooking, though shaking is required for uniform browning. It’s louder than the Cosori, but not excessively so. The inclusion of 20 healthy recipes helps new users explore its full potential, turning novices into confident cooks.

Against the bella 4Qt or CHEFMAN mini, the Ninja offers superior temperature control and build quality, while beating the Nutrichef in dehydrate precision. It’s not the largest, but it’s the most balanced compact performer, ideal for couples or small families who want maximum function in minimal space. With better durability and more cooking range than budget rivals, it’s a long-term workhorse that justifies its price over cheaper, single-purpose models.

The Nutrichef 5.8 Quart Air Fryer stands out with its transparent fry bowl and LED touchscreen, offering a real-time window into your cooking—a feature almost unheard of in this price range. This see-through design eliminates guesswork, allowing you to monitor browning and doneness without interrupting the 360° hot air circulation, which ensures even, fast cooking across all foods. With 1200 watts of power and a temperature range up to 390°F, it delivers crispy fries, juicy chicken, and flaky fish with consistent results.

In testing, the transparency proved invaluable—watching wings crisp without opening the basket preserved heat and shortened cook time. The 8 preset modes cover air fry, roast, bake, reheat, and defrost, though some lack fine-tuning. The compact design saves space, but the handle can get hot during extended use, requiring an oven mitt. It’s also slightly louder than average, but not disruptive. The dishwasher-safe basket makes cleanup easy, and the auto shut-off adds safety during busy cooking sessions.

Compared to the Cosori TurboBlaze, it trades fan speed and noise control for visual feedback and modern aesthetics. While the Cosori offers more power and quieter operation, the Nutrichef wins on user experience and engagement, especially for visual cooks. It’s the best choice for those who value transparency and precise monitoring, offering a unique blend of form and function that stands apart from button-heavy rivals.