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The best air fryers under $100
Has your food turned out bland… again?
If you’ve been searching for a cooking technique that produces tasty food that’s also healthy, air frying is the ultimate solution!
It involves cooking food in a tiny amount of oil. This results in food that’s crispy and crunchy on the outside (similar to what you’d get from deep-frying) and super juicy on the inside. But since you’ll be using a smaller amount or no oil at all, the food has less fat and calories; hence healthier.
The best thing is that you can find a quality air fryer for under 100 bucks. Here’s a detailed review of top-rated air fryers available at this price range.
Best overall
Instant Vortex Plus 4QT Air Fryer
Instant Vortex Plus 4QT Air Fryer
Overall, the Instant Vortex Plus is the best air fryer you can get for the price. It has a capacity of 4 quarts, giving you a decent space to prepare a meal for a family of 4. Plus, this appliance is one of the easiest to use. It comes with 6 presets, enabling you to use it even if you have minimal experience with air fryers.
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Low-priced air fryers usually fall short in certain features. But the Instant Vortex truly stands out as it comes with all the bells and whistles.
If you’re keen on the design of your kitchen appliances, you’ll be impressed with this unit. It has a brushed stainless steel exterior, which looks so much better than models that have black exteriors.
Aesthetics aside, this air fryer has a 4-quart capacity. Instant claims that this gives you enough room for a bag of fries or a 12-ounce box of chicken tenders.
New to air fryers? No worries as the Vortex Plus comes with six preset functions. Apart from air-frying, it can roast, broil, bake, reheat and dehydrate.
While still affordable, the Instant Vortex Plus is on the higher end of the price spectrum compared to other air fryers under $100.
Best for family
CROWNFUL 7 Quart Air Fryer
CROWNFUL 7 Quart Air Fryer
Preparing meals for large families can be overwhelming, but not so with the Crownful air fryer. This appliance gives you 7 quarts of capacity to work with, enabling you to cook big batches of food simultaneously. This air fryer is also relatively easy to clean as it’s fitted with a non-stick pan, and a detachable filter basket.
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It’s hard to imagine that you can get a large air fryer for under $100. But the Crownful Oilless Electric Cooker proves otherwise.
It offers a massive capacity of 7 quarts, equivalent to 5.68 liters. This allows you to air-fry big batches of food in one go; making it the most suited for a family. And with 12 presets, you’ll have an opportunity to prepare your favorite meals without following any recipe.
Another feature you’re sure to love about the Crownful air fryer entails its rapid air technology. This cooks food in such a way that they end up with crunchy exteriors while remaining tender on the inside.
The only downside is the fact that the instructions aren’t easy to understand. If you’re planning to rely on the manual, you’ll be disappointed.
Best compact
Ultrean 4.2 Quart Compact Air Fryer
Ultrean 4.2 Quart Compact Air Fryer
The biggest selling point of the Ultrean air fryer entails its small size. This makes it an excellent addition for kitchen owners limited on space. Interestingly, its compact structure doesn’t come at a cost. You’ll still get a ton of functions, such as grilling, and baking. And you get a bonus recipe guide too.
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While they provide a healthier way of cooking, air fryers are also bulky appliances that occupy a chunk of space.
If you’re looking for a model that’s a little more compact, then the Ultrean Air Fryer is exactly what you need. Despite its compact structure, it doesn’t compromise on capacity, offering a volume of 4.2 quarts.
Preparing meals with this appliance will be a piece of cake. This is because it comes with an LCD display that’s fairly easy to navigate. There’s even a recipe book included in the package to help you get started.
That said, the non-stick surface of the Ultrean fryer has a tendency to peel off after a few uses. But if you’re looking for a small-sized air fryer, don’t shy away from giving Ultrean a chance!
Best with touchscreen
GoWISE USA 7-Quart Electric Air Fryer
GoWISE USA 7-Quart Electric Air Fryer
You’ll be impressed by how much value you’ll get from the GoWise GW22956. It’s fairly-priced yet it has a nice selection of features that include a 7-quart capacity and 8 preset cooking functions. This air fryer also includes 3 stackable racks, accessories that you’re rarely find in air fryers priced under $100.
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For the tech-savvy homeowner, an air fryer with touchscreen technology like the GoWise GW22956 is a fantastic option.
In addition to the touch screen operation, this fryer offers you up to 7 quarts of capacity. This makes it perfectly suited for larger families. It’s also available in a 2- and 5-quart capacity in case you prefer a smaller one.
Versatility is another area where the GoWise air fryer truly shines. You get 8 presets to pick from, including roasting, grilling, dehydrating, baking, and reheating.
To add to this, the air fryer comes with three stackable racks, enabling you to prepare different dishes in one go.
Best space-saving
Dreo Smart 4QT Air Fryer
Dreo Smart 4QT Air Fryer
Dreo air fryer’s compact structure is one of its biggest selling points. Its space-saving design means it will fit on even the smallest kitchen counters. You’ll also love its extensive temperature range that lets you cook an array of foods; be it entrées or desserts.
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Dreo doesn’t enjoy the fame that other household brands like Instant and Ninja do. But this doesn’t make it any less superior.
With its cutting-edge features that come in a compact design, the Dreo air fryer makes for a pretty strong contender.
It has a 4-quart capacity, which is just enough to prepare meals for a 4-member household. More importantly though, it gives you an extensive temperature range to work with 100℉ to 450℉.
Operating this air fryer will be a piece of cake thanks to the one-touch preheat button and 8 preset functions. Apart from air-frying, you can also bake, dehydrate, unfreeze, reheat among others.
The one drawback that we noticed was the fact that it was made primarily out of plastic. This compromises its durability to an extent.
Best affordable
Instant 2Qt Vortex Air Fryer
Instant 2Qt Vortex Air Fryer
The Instant Vortex fair pricing is its biggest highlight. This air fryer costs twice as less as our top pick, making it suitable for buyers on a budget. It also has a compact design, and it comes in different colors.
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The air fryers in this review are generally cheap. But if you’re working with a shoestring budget, the Instant Vortex 4-in-1 that comes in at under $50 is the perfect choice.
Right off the bat, you’ll notice that it has a really classy design. You’ll have the freedom to choose from four different colors: aqua, red, black and white.
Looks aside, this air fryer produces some stellar results. By employing its Evencrisp technology, it allows food to crisp up on the outside whilst retaining their juicy interior. And you get to choose from 4 cooking functions: air fry, bake, reheat and roast.
Furthermore, the Instant Vortex comes in a fairly compact size that can fit on even small counters. That said, it has a rather small capacity of just 2 quarts, making it better suited for couples or small families.
Best large capacity
Instant Vortex 5.7QT Large Air Fryer
Instant Vortex 5.7QT Large Air Fryer
The 5.7 quart capacity of this air fryer is the biggest draw. It means you can prepare a large amount of food in one go. The ease of setting up the Instant Vortex is another reason why we choose it. Simply plug it in, choose your settings and get started cooking.
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If you’re the kind of person who’s always hosting large family gatherings and dinner parties for colleagues and friends, then you’ll love this Instant Vortex Air Fryer.
It has a generous capacity of 5.7 quarts. But, it’s not so big that it wouldn’t fit on a standard-size counter.
This air fryer looks vaguely similar to other Instant Vortex models we’ve looked at. What makes it different is the ease of setting it up.
All you need to do is plug it in, choose your preferred settings and you’re all set. Better yet, it requires little to zero time to preheat, which means your meals will be ready within a short time. We also love that its touchscreen display shows every stage of cooking, minimizing the risk of burning your food.
Best lightweight
Dash 2.6qt Tasti Crisp Air Fryer
Dash 2.6qt Tasti Crisp Air Fryer
The most attractive feature of Dash Tasti Crisp is its lightweight design. This makes it a great choice for camper/RV traveling or college dorm life. With a 2.6-quart capacity, it’s also a pretty compact machine. And the redesigned Crisper Basket allows it to hold enough food.
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Do you like taking your air fryer with you whenever you travel? If you do, the Dash DCAF200GBGY02 Tasti Crisp is the most suitable option due to its lightweight profile.
In addition to being light, this fryer is very compact. So you don’t have to worry about it occupying too much space on your kitchen counter.
Taking its size into consideration, it is no wonder the Tasti Crisp has a small capacity of 2.6 quarts. To make up for this, the manufacturer has redesigned the crisper basket to allow for a bigger surface area that can hold a decent amount of food.
Another downside is the lack of preset functions. This means that you’ll need to figure out the precise temperature and timer settings to use for each of your recipes.
Best dishwasher safe
New House Kitchen Digital 3.6 Quart Air Fryer
New House Kitchen Digital 3.6 Quart Air Fryer
The most impressive feature of the New House Kitchen Digital Air Fryer is the fact that it’s dishwasher safe. This makes it particularly suited for homeowners who are pressed for time. Similarly, if you’d rather spend more time cooking than cleaning, this air fryer is for you.
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With more people preferring to dine from their homes, it can be overwhelming to keep your kitchen clean. One thing you can do is invest in easy-to-clean appliances like the New House Kitchen Digital Air Fryer.
This air fryer comes with a dishwasher safe basket, which makes for easy cleaning. The fact that it’s also non-stick means you’ll never find food stuck on the bottom of the basket; hence, contributing to the ease of cleaning.
And while it’s not the biggest in the group, its 3.5-quart capacity is a decent offering. The one area where the New House air fryer falls short is its limited functionality. While other models have up to 8 preset functions, this one only has three: frying, roasting and baking.
Best oven air fryer
Instant Vortex Plus 10 Quart Air Fryer
Instant Vortex Plus 10 Quart Air Fryer
There’s a lot to love about the NuWave Brio air fryer. But the most impressive of these features is its versatility. This appliance not only offers you different cooking functions but also 100 pre-programmed settings to work with. And it’s spacious too, giving you plenty of space to cook a 6-pound chicken.
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Have you been hunting for an air fryer that can do most if not all the cooking functions, then NuWave Brio is the perfect option.
In addition to air frying, this fryer lets you roast, grill, bake, broil, reheat and dehydrate. There’s also a preheat function, which ensures that the frying chamber is at the correct temperature before you start cooking.
The icing on the cake is 100 preprogrammed recipes that you’ll have at your disposal. This gives you the freedom to experiment cooking as many foods as you want.
You also get a very roomy cooking chamber that is 7.25 quarts. According to NuWave, this gives you enough space to roast, grill or bake a 6-pound chicken.
The only disadvantage is that like the Instant Vortex Plus, it’s pricier than other models. Thankfully, it’s still under the $100 mark.
What to look for in a good air fryer under $100
If you’re looking to buy an air fryer for under $100, there are a few points that you should keep in mind:
Type of air fryer
There are two main air fryer designs that you’ll have to choose from. These are:
Tray air fryers
This fryer looks fairly similar to a microwave or a toaster oven, in the sense that it has mesh trays. What this means is that the food is placed on a flat receptacle to air fry.
The number of racks present in each air fryer differs significantly between brands. A couple of them also include accessories that allow you to rotisserie, dehydrate or grill.
The upside to this design is the fact that it allows you to monitor your food while it cooks. Much like an oven, it has a viewing window, so you’re able to glimpse and monitor the cooking process.
And for air fryers that come with multiple racks, these allow you to prepare multiple dishes at once. In fact, you can air fry veggies, meats and sides all at once.
Basket air fryers
Of the two designs, basket air fryers are the most popular.
For these appliances, they have a basket-like chamber, which holds food while it cooks. The basket usually has a handle that allows you to lock this air-frying unit into place.
Capacity
This is one of the most crucial factors to check as it will determine just how much food you can cook in one batch.
Generally, air fryer capacities range from 2 to 7 quarts. If you’re used to cooking for a 2-person household, then a 2-quart air fryer will suffice. For medium-sized families, consider choosing something that’s slightly bigger, such as a 4-quart fryer.
On the other hand, if you have a bigger family or are very fond of holding large gatherings, then go for the biggest size you can find on that budget.
Size
Once you’ve figured out the capacity that would work for, the next factor you should account for is size.
Oftentimes, you’ll find that air fryers are not only big, but they also have irregular shapes. This can be a problem if you have limited space on your countertop.
So before making any purchase, determine just how much space you’re willing to set aside on your countertop. While you’re at it, don’t forget to estimate the clearance you’ll need between the counter surface and the bottom of the cabinets.
Type of controls
Most air fryers will have either one of two controls: dial and digital.
With a dial control, you’ll likely have to turn a mechanical timer, which will ring once the set duration elapses. The process of turning the dial can often lead to less precision.
If you prefer a high accuracy level, consider one that has digital controls. Although it may take you a while to understand how they work, these controls offer the best precision.
Better yet, some fryers come with special settings for different types of food. So you’ll never have to do any guesswork when preparing these dishes.
Functionality
Do you like to experiment with different cooking techniques? If you do, then you may also want to check whether the fryer offers additional functions.
For instance, can it bake, roast and grill as well? Does it have an option for preheating? Or can it keep your food warm till it’s ready for consumption?
FAQ
How does an air fryer work?
This kitchen appliance has a fairly straightforward working mechanism. Essentially, it rotates hot air around the food item, a process that causes the exterior to crisp up and the interior to remain succulent.
The biggest advantage that stems from air-frying foods is that it requires little to no oil. This is contrary to deep-frying, which involves submerging food in a ton of oil. As a result, air fried foods are way healthier than their deep-fried counterparts.
Should you use oil in an air fryer?
The whole point of using an air fryer is so that you can avoid cooking your foods with oil. However, there are a couple of dishes that could benefit from a light spritz or coating with oil.
For instance, if you’re air-frying vegetables such as green beans, asparagus or broccoli, you can’t just stuff them in the pot as they’re dry out. Adding a light spray of olive or avocado oil will go a long way in helping the food cook nicely.
Besides, you’ll be using a lot less oil than if you were deep-frying or stir-frying on a pan. In both instances, the food remains submerged in oil for the most part of the cooking process.
For meats like chicken and salmon that have a bit of oil content, you won’t need to add any oil. The natural oil they contain is enough to baste the meat while it cooks.
Are air fryers safe?
Compared to deep fryers, air fryers are safer but only to a certain extent.
Ultimately, an air fryer is a cooking appliance that reaches very high temperatures. So you have to be careful when handling it. Here are a couple of things you should adhere to:
– Avoid using cooking sprays that contain chemical-based non-stick compounds – overtime, these can cause the non-stick surface of the basket or tray to wear out.
– Unplug your air fryer when it’s not in use – never leave your air fryer plugged if it’s not being used. You may accidentally bump on it and switch on one of the controls.
– Don’t fill it with oil – as mentioned earlier, an air fryer is designed to cook food with very little to no oil at all. Adding an excessive amount of oil increases the risk of a fire hazard, and endangers you as well.
Final verdict
Buying an air fryer is one of the best decisions you can make. The tricky part comes in finding one that’s within your budget range.
Sometimes, low-priced cooking appliances don’t always offer the best functionality or durability. This is why we scoured the web, and compiled a list of affordable and quality air fryers that cost $100 or less. If you’re looking to narrow down your options, ensure you look at other factors such as capacity, size, types of controls and the cooking functions offered.
