If you do not want to give up the potatoes with the hamburger, but you do not want to go up in size, a good option to make them is the air fryers . With them, you will not have to do without what you like and you will take better care of yourself. That’s why we present you the best oil-free air fryers that, as you will see, have improved a lot from the beginning and incorporate smart technologies.
And in case you don’t know the concept or that frying without oil seems a bit strange, we explain the most important things you need to know on the subject. Thus, you will choose what best suits you from the options we offer you.
What are air fryers and how do they work
Air fryers allow food to be cooked without oil (or with very little) and that it remains as if it were fried.
With this, we achieve the desired texture of crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside , but without absorbing a ton of unhealthy fat that multiplies calories and chances of heart attack.
To achieve this, they circulate very hot air throughout the food thanks to powerful fans. That is why they are called air fryers, since exposure to it achieves a frying effect.
Actually, technically, they are a small air furnace at full speed.
The truth is that they give the hit and you get a healthier meal, by removing many calories from vegetable oils for frying, which are not recommended.
What to consider when buying one
Air fryers have evolved a lot since I bought the first one so long ago and suffered the consequences of being an early adopter . That was the trick sometimes, but I didn’t even know when it was finished, it wasn’t programmable, and generally the technology was in its infancy.
Today, that has changed a lot and this is what you have to take into account when choosing an air fryer.
Air fryer capacity
What it can hold is measured in liters and depends on how many of you are at home and what you eat.
The rule is relatively easy, the number of people is approximately that of liters .
That is, a 1.5 liter is ideal for one. One of 2 or 2 liters and little can be used for two, etc.
The power
It is measured in watts and the more the better in theory , because it will allow more range of high and low temperature preparations.
The frying system
In reality, almost all fryers mimic the Philips Airfryer system, a pioneer in having a drawer or rack in which you put what you want to fry and you can easily remove it by pulling the handle.
However, Tefal, its great rival with the Actifry model, has another system in which a paddle turns the food, to prevent it from sticking due to the lack of oil. Its advantage is its drawback, because for certain preparations, the shoulder can break the croquette if it is homemade and not frozen, or any other sensitive preparation.
Others, as we will see, also use an alternate rotary method.
Built-in technology
This is where we look at The Output.
The fryers that we are going to see are chosen to be the most comfortable and effective in each situation. Many will have a screen that allows us to see how everything is going in temperature, time, etc.
They also incorporate a multitude of frying and baking programs, a mobile app and even, in some cases, integration with Alexa and Google Home.
The best air fryers
Being already experts on the subject, we are going to see the best air fryers on the market , so that you can confidently choose the one that best suits you.
As always, we’ve wanted to do most of the work and we’ve ranked them according to the best air fryer option for the most common situations.
Xiaomi Mi Smart Air Fryer: best option in quality-price
If you want an air fryer that does it all, and everything is everything, but you don’t want to spend too much, the Mi Smart Air Fryer is the best option in the 100 euro range .
For that price, you have a power of 1500 W for about 3.5 L of capacity. That can give for 4 people, although a bit fair if we take into account the rule that we have seen. However, the combo of power and capacity is ideal for everything to be perfect and uniform.
It makes you everything, fries, thaws and ferments, which can be used, for example, to make yogurt. With temperatures ranging from 40 degrees to 200 degrees, the range of recipes is endless.
Of course, an app to control it from your mobile, a small OLED screen for temperature, time, etc. and integration with Alexa and Google Home .
What are we going to do, Xiaomi is the expert in putting everything at the lowest possible price.
5.5L Cosori Airfryer – Best Family Choice
Cosori is an expert air fryer brand that is having enormous success in sales . Not surprising, because they are good and this 5.5L model is the ideal choice for a family of up to 5 or 6 people.
For about 120 euros , you have the same power as the Xiaomi and 13 programmable functions from its large front screen. It defrosts you, makes your steak to the point, baked chicken and, of course, whatever you have to fry, from potatoes to bacon .
It comes with an app , although it is not as advanced as the Xiaomi.
Mellerware Crunchy: best for those who live alone
If all the options seem too much for you, and you don’t want to spend a lot, the Mellerware Crunchy has a capacity of 1.4 L and power of 1230 W , more than enough for that size.
Don’t worry, if a visitor comes, there is room for potatoes for her too.
In the range of 50 euros you get the cheap and surprisingly good option, which fits anywhere.
It has a predefined screen and menus, so, although it is not the most technologically advanced, it does not complicate you either.
Uten: for those who also want an oven (small)
As we have told you, in reality, an air fryer is an oven in essence. Therefore, if you do not have an oven or it is very expensive, you can replace it with this Uten air fryer that can fit no less than 10 liters .
That means that it fries you what you need and that it can fit everything you want to bake.
What’s more, you can carve a chicken, put it in and let the fryer spin it so that it is perfect all over. This same system allows you to put the potatoes or croquettes in a cylinder with a metal grid and use the same technique so that they are perfectly done on all sides.
And all that, in the range of 120 euros . Unthinkable just a few years ago.
Plus, an LED display for easy programming and a glass window on the oven door to see how things are going.
Tefal Actifry Genius +: to be carefree in the kitchen
Tefal is Philips’ great competitor in the higher quality segment. Its Actifry Genius Plus allows you to worry about everything, thanks to its rotating shaker arm accessory.
Nothing to get up in the middle to remove the basket, programs and you forget, knowing that it will be perfect . For that, you also have its 9 automatic menus.
It can hold up to a kilo of potatoes , so don’t worry about the capacity.
You usually find it around 220 euros and, for that price, it is true that it does not have high technology and its app is only about recipes (and not very good, we are not going to lie to you).
The truth is that it does not need all that either, because it is committed to quality and to get the potatoes that are most similar to those in an oil fryer .
Philips Avance Collection Airfryer XXL: no budget hassles
If you want a fryer that makes the perfect croquettes for you and is also capable of roasting a whole chicken, with the Collection Airfryer XXL you have it.
Its huge bucket is capable of frying up to a kilo and a half of potatoes and turns, so that you guarantee that everything is perfect and uniform.
With this fryer you have practically solved the oven issue, again. The same is good for deep frying as for baking a sponge cake . It comes with a screen that allows you to program the different modes and a recipe app , but, technologically, it is not the one with the most features.
It seems somewhat expensive to us because it jumps a lot from 300 euros , but it is true that it achieves the perfect texture almost always in everything. So if money is no problem, this is the best air fryer.
As you can see, when it comes to the best oil-free fryers, there is something for all tastes and pockets.