One important note: Not all Instant Vortex air fryers are created equal. We also tried the Instant Vortex Mini Air Fryer, the Instant Vortex Plus 4-qt. Air Fryer, and the Instant Vortex Mini 2-qt. Air Fryer, and none impressed as much as this Instant Vortex Slim 6-qt. air fryer.
What we didn’t like: While the “slim” nature of this model makes it a bit easier to store, this isn’t a small appliance. It still takes up a decent amount of counter space. Other than that, we found nothing else to complain about with this model.
Best for: Those who prefer a basket-style air fryer over a convection toaster oven.
The best oven-style air fryer: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
Pros:
- Most versatile cooking functions
- Large capacity
Cons:
- Large footprint
- High price point
Capacity: 1 cubic foot | Wattage: 1800 | 13 Cooking functions: Toast, bagel, broil, bake, roast, warm, pizza, proof, air-fry, reheat, cookies, slow-cook, and dehydrate | Color: Stainless steel | Weight: 38.9 lb. | Dimensions: 21.25 x 17 x 12.75″ | Warranty: 2 years
If you want a versatile air fryer and have some counter space to spare, spring for the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. A countertop convection oven, or air fryer–toaster oven, combines all the crisping power of the basket-style air fryers you know and love with the functionality you get from an actual oven, making it a bona fide do-it-all kitchen appliance. Breville makes a few different models (which can be found in the home kitchens of many of our editors), but this one is our top pick for most home cooks based on function, performance, and value.
What we liked: This midrange model is also the top pick for award-winning cookbook author Nik Sharma, who’s developed some of BA’s favorite air fryer recipes. “I prefer toaster-oven-style to basket-style air fryers, because they’re easier to use for more common tasks like baking, toasting bread, and roasting more efficiently,” Sharma says. Though it does indeed look like an oversized toaster oven, this countertop cooker can also bake, broil, roast, slow-cook, dehydrate, and, of course, air-fry. The air fryer function is one of 13 presets on the digital control panel, and each one employs the right combination of heating elements for perfect toast, bagels, cookies, pizza, slow-cooking, and more. (A smarter, pricier model allows you to use Breville’s companion app for more advanced presets, including an impressive rotisserie-style chicken).
In our testing, we put the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro through its paces and found that it delivered consistently great results test after test. It worked particularly well for foods that need to be laid in a flat, even layer across the crisper tray (think veggie burgers or salmon fillets), but did a good job handling frozen sweet potato fries, tots, and French fries too.
What we didn’t like: As with any oven-style air fryer, it’s worth noting that the Breville’s design makes it notably harder to toss small food items around midway through cooking when compared to a basket-style machine, where a quick shake of the basket does the trick. We also found that, in general, food benefited from a higher cooking temperature (and often slightly longer cook time) relative to the basket-style winners.
Best for: If you want an air fryer oven with a large capacity, a variety of functions, and don’t mind that it will always sit on your countertop.
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact
Pros:
- Versatile cooking functions
- Compact size
Cons:
- Still takes up more horizontal space than most basket-style models
- Higher price point than basket-style picks
Capacity: .5 cubic feet | Wattage: 1800 | 5 Cooking functions: Toast, bagel, broil, pizza, bake/roast | 5 Air frying functions: Air fry, fries, wings, bacon, crispy reheat | Color: Stainless steel | Weight: 15.8 lb. | Dimensions: 15.7″ x 16.9″ x 10″ | Warranty: 2 years
If you like the idea of going the air fryer toaster oven route but A) don’t have the space for the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro or B) don’t want to shell out $400 in pursuit of crispiness, here’s some good news: Breville recently came out with the Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact, which is essentially a smaller, cheaper version of our top pick.
What we liked: As with most Breville products, the Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact feels well-designed. Like its larger, pricier sibling, it’s got luxe stainless steel finishes and a host of different cooking functions. Unlike that sibling, it lacks some more niche modes like dehydrate and proof, but has four different air frying-specific settings in addition to just “air fry.”
In testing, we found the Compact intuitive to use, and appreciated the addition of those air frying-specific presets. A handy guide on the inside of the oven’s door outlines which inserts to use for which functions, and where to place them. We also liked the addition of a “bit more” button, a function we’ve seen on the brand’s slot toasters that tacks on a bit of extra cooking time if your fries are looking just a touch underdone.
This model performed pretty comparably to the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro in most of our tests, producing juicy chicken, evenly-browned cubes of tofu, and crispy veggies. We still prefer the larger model for its bigger capacity and additional functionality, but this little oven would make a worthy addition to any smaller kitchen.
What we’d leave: While the Compact did well in most tests, it struggled a bit with frozen sweet potato fries. This largely came down to capacity and overcrowding: While we tried to fit an entire bag’s worth on a single tray, the unevenness with which the fries browned is a testament to the fact that, unlike a basket fryer, countertop oven-style air fryers are best used to cook things in a single layer.
As mentioned, there’s a guide to oven inserts and placement on the inside of the oven’s door, but this was easy to miss, and these suggestions did not appear in full in the manual. Because of this, we accidentally cooked chicken with no tray underneath the wire basket to catch the drippings—which resulted in a smoking hot mess, to say the least.
It’s also worth noting that one of the major benefits of opting for an oven-style air fryer tends to be capacity, but the Compact wasn’t able to fit more food than our top basket-style pick.
Best for: Those who want an oven-style air fryer with a relatively small footprint.
The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Compact (L) is much smaller than the Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (R).
Alaina Chou
Another great basket-style air fryer: Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart ClearCook Air Fryer
Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart ClearCook Air Fryer
Pros:
- Moderately priced
- Large capacity
- User-friendly interface
- Helpful basket window
- Easy-to-clean
Cons:
Capacity: 6 qt. | Wattage: 1700 | 6 Cooking functions: Air-fry, bake, reheat, roast, broil, dehydrate | Color: Black | Weight: 11.35 lb. | Dimensions: 14.9 x 11.8 x 13.0″ | Warranty: 1 year
If a basket-style air fryer is what you’re after and counter space isn’t a pressing concern (i.e., an extra couple of inches in width is NBD), the Instant Pot Vortex Plus ClearCook is definitely worth considering.
