So it could be a disappointment if you like your toast only lightly browned. It has a special bagel toasting setting and it browns bagel halves very uniformly. The Ninja Air Fry Oven can accommodate nine slices of packaged bread without squishing them. When used to toast two slices, it gives impressive results, browning exceptionally evenly. The manufacturer encourages using the large sheet pan to make sheet pan dinners and includes a formula and some recipes for them. Forget about using the microwave anymore, that leaves these soft and limp.
No more batch cooking necessary, which means you can get dinner on the table for your whole family faster. The Cuisinart also has two convection speeds, regular and high. If you want to use this oven as an air fryer (because pod-shaped air fryers are simply tiny convection ovens), we’ve found that the high setting works better, since it cooks food a little faster. Some toaster ovens (ones with convection technology, like our larger pick) can even work with air frying recipes, though that may require some adjustments. But if you’re looking to do a lot of air frying in your toaster oven, you may want to check out our separate guide to air fryer toaster ovens.
From there, you’ll find preset programs for various foods such as wings, fries, fish, veggies and even baked goods. There are simple and inexpensive pod-shaped air fryers, including tiny models, all the way up to massive dual-basket ovens to cook for large groups and families. There are also air-frying toaster ovens, which are typically heavier, more stationary and more expensive. There are even air-frying Instant Pots and microwave-air fryer combos to consider.
In this test, some ovens struggled to brown the outside of the sprouts but most got there eventually. A larger version of the star performer Ninja 4-quart, I own this model at home and truly find great results for the basic functions we use it for. It was touch-and-go cuisinart toa60 on Brussels sprouts in our tests but we can forgive it for the excellent fries, shrimp, and wings. A wire connection in the air fryers can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards. We also tested the Cuisinart TOA-60 model and found its performance underwhelming.
Additionally, as a Japanese appliance, the Panasonic FlashXpress is designed around degrees Celsius for temperature input. There’s a converted-to-Fahrenheit selector on the temperature indicator, but the markings are oddly spaced. You can get either 425 °F or 390 °F, but nothing in between (we chose 390 °F). But this idiosyncrasy didn’t negatively impact any of the items we cooked—most toaster ovens heat at least 10 to 15 degrees over or under the set temperature anyway. Beyond performance, there are other features that set the Panasonic FlashXpress apart from the competition. Hooks on the door help eject the toaster’s wire rack, so you don’t have to reach your hand as far into the oven cavity to retrieve your food.
Most air fryers come standard with a grated rack or perforated basket so the air can travel through and hit the food on all sides. First, we preheated the air fryer 400 Fahrenheit and cooked them for 25 minutes in the basket with the included tray and checked on them and turned them every 8 minutes. Most of the air fryers we tested had a solid showing in the wing test although some, including the powerful Ninja and Cosori Lite models, got the wings a bit crispier in that amount of time.
While there’s generally no or very little oil used, the results can be similar to that of traditional frying in that food comes out crispy on the outside and (ideally) moist on the inside. Air fryers heat up fast, cook quickly and make healthier versions of traditionally fatty fried foods, so what’s not to love? You don’t need to thaw them first and it’s just easier to cook them frozen straight from the freezer. But if they happen to be thawed, cook them for half the recommended cooking time. Check on the corn dogs and add addition 1-2 minutes of air frying time until they are cooked to your preferred doneness. Sarah Holden, culinary producer for Food Network Kitchen, breaks down three of our top picks, above.