How to Choose an Air Fryer: Basket, Dual Zone, Oven or Glass

Start with where it will live and what you cook. A basket air fryer is the familiar single-drawer shape. A dual zone model cooks two foods at once. Oven styles hold flat trays, and toaster oven combos also toast bread. Glass models let you watch food and store leftovers in the same container.

The five main types of air fryer

Basket air fryers

This is the classic shape: a pull-out drawer with a perforated crisper plate inside. The Cosori Pro LE is a typical example at 5.0 quarts. Common add-ons for basket models range from liners to racks and pans.

Dual zone air fryers

Two drawers, each with its own heating element and fan. Ninja says this means you can cook different foods in each zone without cross contamination. The cost is counter space and power: the Ninja DZ201 is about 15.6 inches long, 13.9 inches wide and 12.4 inches tall, and draws 1690 watts.

Oven style air fryers

These have a door and shelves instead of a drawer. The Instant Vortex Plus 10 comes with two cooking trays, a drip pan and a rotisserie basket and spit. It measures about 13.2 by 13.2 by 14.4 inches.

Glass air fryers

Glass models replace the nonstick basket with a glass container. In the Ninja Crispi Pro, the containers are borosilicate glass and the crisper plates are aluminum with a nano-ceramic coating; Ninja says all food contact surfaces are designed without PFAS and PTFE. Our glass air fryers guide compares models on published specs.

Toaster oven combos

A countertop oven with a fan and an air fry basket. Cuisinart says its TOA-70 can air fry up to 3 pounds of wings, toast 6 bagel halves, bake a 3-pound chicken or make a 12-inch pizza. See air fryer toaster ovens for how they compare with basket models.

How to decide on capacity

Where manufacturers do tie capacity to household size, use that guidance:

• Cosori labels the 5.0-quart Pro LE as serving 3 to 5 people.
• Ninja says the 6-quart Crispi Pro container is intended for family-sized cooking, meal prep or a whole chicken, the 2.5-quart one for everyday cooking and reheating, and the 4-quart one for loads in between.

Quart ratings are not directly comparable across shapes. A square basket, a round glass bowl and an oven cavity of the same quart rating hold food differently.

What size for holiday cooking?

For a big meal, the useful number is the largest single item a maker says its machine takes, not the quart figure. These are the statements we found:

None of these is a whole-turkey claim. A turkey breast is the realistic holiday roast for a basket model, and our air fryer turkey breast page lists the published times and what each maker says fits. For side dishes, a second drawer does more than extra quarts: a dual zone model cooks two vegetables at two settings at once.

Height limits all of them. Food has to sit below the heating element with room for air to move, so check the basket depth as well as the width.

Basket air fryers: new and refurbished

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Check your space and your outlet

Air fryers need breathing room. Cosori asks for 5 inches of space behind and above the Pro LE. Ninja asks for at least 6 inches above and on all sides of the Crispi Pro.

Power matters too. Ninja says the DZ201 must be plugged into an outlet on a 15-amp circuit and should be the only appliance on that outlet. A 10-amp breaker will trip.

Features that change day-to-day use

• Preheat. Cosori recommends preheating the Pro LE. Ninja says the Crispi Pro needs no preheating.
• Temperature range. The Cosori Pro LE runs from 170°F to 450°F. Ninja’s Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven runs 250°F to 450°F on its Air Roast and Bake settings.
• Dishwasher-safe parts. Cosori lists the Pro LE basket and crisper plate as dishwasher safe, and Ninja says the same for its AF100 basket and Crispi Pro glass containers. Ninja’s oven guide recommends hand washing its accessories for longest use.

Dual zone air fryers: new and refurbished

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Buying refurbished: how to check the grade and warranty

The whole-unit listings on this site include new, new other (unused) and refurbished units. Refurbished condition varies, so check two things on every listing.

The grade. eBay’s Refurbished program uses four grades:

eBay says these warranties are serviced by Allstate, registered automatically and included at no extra cost, and that program items come with 30 days for free returns, with limited exceptions.

The seller’s terms. A listing marked seller refurbished is not one of those four program grades. Read the item description for who did the work, what warranty applies and the return window before you buy.

Glass air fryers: new and refurbished

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Plan for accessories and parts

Whatever you choose, the basket and crisper plate wear out first. Ninja’s warranty treats the removable basket, crisper plate, racks and pans as wearable parts that are not covered for normal wear. Check that replacements exist for your model; our basket replacement guide explains how to find the right part. For add-ons, start with our air fryer accessories guide.