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Air fryers can be some of the best gadgets to have at your disposal in a kitchen. Many do more than just cook up crispy French fries without oil; they can also bake, dehydrate, and sauté many different types of food. One of the best versions on the market today is the 5-quart Ninja Foodi, which has 12-in-one functions and usually retails for $250—but you don't have to spend so much to get a top-quality gadget. We’ve rounded up 10 of the most versatile air fryers for under $100, so you can get all the bang of a great air fryer but spend fewer bucks.
1. BELLA Manual Air Fryer; $36
In addition to air frying, the Bella gadget can broil, roast, reheat, and bake up to 2.5 pounds of food for two to four people. The detachable basket is dishwasher-safe and comes with a recipe book. However, if you lack storage space, you might want to look elsewhere, as this device is almost 15 inches in all directions.
Buy it: Amazon
2. CHEFMAN Small, Compact Air Fryer; $37
As one of the smallest and most affordable air fryers on our list, this model from Chefman still has many great features, including a 2-quart capacity, less space than the Bella, a dishwasher-safe frying basket, and controls for temperatures between 200°F and 400°F. You can also set a timer for up to 60 minutes, in case you need to do a chore while you're cooking. At less than 13 inches tall, it’s also small enough that it’s an excellent option if you don’t have much counter or storage space.
Buy it: Amazon
3. Ultrean Air Fryer; $56
At 4.2 quarts, the Ultrean air fryer has more than twice the capacity of the Chefman option. However, it’s also $19 more and much heavier, as it weighs almost 10 pounds. The timer on this kitchen gadget only goes up to 30 minutes, which is another key difference from the Chefman. Nevertheless, with more space comes more food storage capacity, making this ideal if you have many mouths to feed but want to stay within a budget.
Buy it: Amazon
4. GoWISE USA Digital Air Fryer with Recipe Book; $67
For $10 more than you'd spend on the Ultrean air fryer, you can get 1.6 quarts worth of additional space and plenty of great features, which makes the GoWise USA version worth the extra expense. This gadget offers eight preset options based on what you want to cook, including fries, pork, pizza, and cake, to name a few. Like all the other options so far, it only goes up to a temperature of 400°F. However, it has built-in alarm increments of five, 10, and 15 minutes to remind you to shake the ingredients so they’re cooked evenly. You can also use GoWise USA's app to access 50 starter recipes, which can help you get more comfortable with the device.
Buy it: Amazon
5. Dreo Air Fryer; $70
Much like the GoWise USA air fryer, the Dreo comes with 50 recipes (in a recipe book, not an app) and offers eight preset functions, including unfreeze, dehydrate, and bake, so it's similar to the Bella. However, unlike either option, the Dreo air fryer only has a capacity of 4 quarts. In its favor, though, is that it’s one of the only air fryers on this list that goes up to 450°F.
Buy it: Amazon
6. Dash Deluxe Electric Air Fryer and Oven Cooker; $80
This 6-quart air fryer has many of the same functions as the other models, including the ability to cook many types of foods, such as fish, baked goods, and vegetables. However, besides the larger capacity, the most significant difference is that it’s one of the most stylish, with a sleek design in multiple fun colors, including aqua, yellow, and red. It also has an auto-shutoff mode, which kicks in after 30 minutes.
Buy it: Amazon
7. PowerXL Air Fryer Maxx Classic; $90
Besides air frying, the PowerXL can broil, bake, roast, and reheat. It comes with seven preset programs and can reach a temperature of 400°F. Unlike many of the others at this price level, this gadget only has a 4-quart capacity, which is smaller than other ones like the GoWise USA model. However, the company does claim that in a basket of this size, you can still fit a pound of French fries or 13 chicken wings, so although it’s small at only 12.5-inches tall, it uses every bit of space. If you want to pay a little more, you can get the 7-quart version for $120.
Buy it: Amazon
8. Cuisinart AFR-25 Air Fryer; $95
The sleek design of the Cuisinart AFR-25 air fryer is unlike the others because it looks more like a toaster oven than anything else. Due to this shape, the device itself weighs 16 pounds (it claims to fit 2.5 pounds of food, too). However, what it lacks in lightness, it makes up for with its heat range, as this model can go up to 450°F. It's the only option here under $100 with a viewing window so you can see your food cook.
Buy it: Amazon
9. Cosori Air Fryer; $98
Though the Cosori air fryer only has a capacity of 3.7-quarts, it truly pulls out all the stops, boasting more features than any other option so far. This device comes with 100 original recipes and 13 present functions, including preheat, shake, and a keep warm button, in addition to food-specific ones. It’s even made with a fingerprint-resistant surface, so your gadget will look lovely no matter what grubby hands touch it.
Buy it: Amazon
10. Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer; $100
Instant Pot devotees will be happy to know that the brand has expanded into the air-frying world and produced the Vortex Plus. This 4-quart air fryer can perform other functions too, like reheat, dehydrate, and broil with its six preset buttons. The biggest advantage to getting this air fryer over any of the others is that it offers access to the brand’s free app, which includes more than 1500 recipes with step-by-step instructions to make delicious meals using all your Instant Pot devices.
Buy it: Amazon
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