The Only Air Fryer You'll Ever Need, According to a Food Editor

It's the perfect tool for those stressful mornings packing school lunch.

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After resisting for many years, I bought an air fryer. I do admit that it was an impulse purchase provoked by Labor Day sales ads. I had been mulling over the pros—the promise of perfect fries, super-quick cooking, and no more deep-frying—but was deterred by the downsides, like the tiny cooking surface (I have a family of five) and the bulky, un-chic design that takes up a lot of counter space.

It's been two years since I've owned an air fryer, and I am fully convinced that it is an essential kitchen gadget.

I have a Ninja air fryer and mostly use it to make school lunches for the kids and reheat leftovers. It’s so easy to use even without reading the instruction manual. This air fryer has a surprisingly large basket—I can fit two boxes of Trader Joe's samosas at once—so I don't have to cook things in batches as much as I thought I would have to. Since it doesn't require preheating—hot air blasts the moment I turn it on—it saves me so much time. It's also compact enough to store inside a cabinet on the rare occasions I need my counter completely cleared. I've tried a handful of other brands while working in test kitchens, and I'm still convinced I bought the best one.

Read More: How to Use an Air Fryer: A First-Timer's Guide

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Simply Recipes / Myo Quinn

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Here are the two reasons I am glad I got the Ninja air fryer. If you’re on the fence, it’s time. Go for it.

The Air Fryer = Stress-Free Mornings

This air fryer is an essential back-to-school buy. My weekday morning alarm clock is set to 6:30 a.m.. That gives me one hour to stumble through coffee, breakfast, and packed lunches before stuffing our three kids in the car for school. Often, the first thing I do is preheat the oven for Trader Joe’s samosas, pastry-wrapped mini hot dogs, or mini chicken tacos, our kids’ favorite lunches. My oven takes about 15 minutes to preheat. Guess what? The air fryer doesn’t need preheating. 

As soon as you hit the start button, it blasts superheated air—mine goes up to 400°F—crisping up foods much faster than it would in the oven. Frozen samosas take about 35 minutes to cook in the oven, including preheating time. It takes NINE MINUTES in the air fryer. Even if I have to cook the samosas in two batches in the air fryer because of its limited cooking capacity, that’s still just 18 minutes total. My mornings are less stressful, and that alone makes this air fryer worth it.

This Air Fryer Reheats Food Like It’s Just Cooked

“Yay! Leftovers!” said no one ever. But wait until you try reheating leftovers in this air fryer. Nothing else—not the oven, not the stove top, or even the microwave—can crisp soggy day-old leftovers like they’ve just been made.

I often roast a large batch of broccoli or cauliflower to reheat as sides for dinner during the week, and this air fryer is able to reheat them until the florets get those crunchy, almost-burnt edges that make them so delicious. I’ve also reheated tostones, spring rolls, a loaf of stale bread, and even a chocolate chip cookie. Each time, they emerged out of the pull-out basket as if just cooked—crispy around the edges and tender inside.

It’s worth noting that you’ll want to continue reheating wet foods, like casseroles, soups, rice, and pastas in the microwave or stove top. But anything with a crunchy texture can be reheated in an air fryer.

BUY IT NOW: Ninja Air Fryer (now $89.99, was $129.99)

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