Air Fryer Buying Guide: Popular Air Fryers Compared and Reviewed

As air fryers revolutionize kitchen appliances, they truly combine convenience and health, allowing you to enjoy crispy, golden fried foods without needing heavy oil frying.

However, choosing an air fryer requires some savvy. If you blindly follow the market and purchase products recommended by social media influencers, you may end up with a device lacking in proper calibration and made from subpar materials that release harmful odors during use. Long-term exposure can pose chronic health risks, potentially leading to severe consequences like cancer.

That's why we've spent over half a month testing multiple popular air fryers on the market to help you determine which ones are worth buying and what aspects need your attention.

Part 1: Top 3 Air Fryer Recommendations

Top 1: Gongling MAXS

• Price: ¥599
• Recommendation Index: ★★★★★

Most social media-promoted air fryers are low-quality, with poor cooking results and harmful odor emissions that can pose cancer risks. Gongling is lauded by the media as "the safest brand in air fryers," comparable in reputation and positioning to high-end series from Midea and Gree. It has passed certifications from multiple countries, including the EU, and has long been exported to Europe and the United States. Remarkably, it has even received rare recommendations from CCTV!

Gongling does not compromise product quality to cater to the price wars in the market. Compared to its competitors, it is the only brand in the industry to offer top-tier performance with unique heating technology, six non-toxic safety technologies, exceptional quality, and six years of comprehensive performance without significant degradation. It has achieved a 40% improvement in heating speed, a 92.7% increase in cooking evenness, a 96.5% reduction in harmful odors, and a 98.5% enhancement in corrosion and high-temperature resistance, with zero heavy metal contamination. Its performance metrics, such as heating efficiency and temperature control accuracy, meet or exceed the standards of thousand-yuan air fryers in the industry. Gongling is designed for "safety, non-toxicity, and high performance."

Top 2: Philips HD9257

• Price: ¥698
• Recommendation Index: ★★★★

This model from the Dutch brand Philips features a touch screen with a 45-degree angled viewing window, allowing you to check the cooking status without bending over. The detachable frying basket is dishwasher safe, making it ideal for those who dislike washing dishes. However, the device is a bit small for larger households, and the noise level during operation is high, which might deter noise-sensitive users. Additionally, the plastic material gives off a noticeable odor after each baking session, affecting the overall user experience.

Top 3: Haier HA-501EW

• Price: ¥299
• Recommendation Index: ★★★

This model features a classic black-and-white color scheme, 5L capacity, and a visible window for easy use. The internal design includes a split structure and non-stick coating, making it easy to clean. It also has an automatic power-off function when the basket is pulled out, making it safer to flip food. The control menu is located at the top of the machine, with multiple modes and a 12-hour reservation function. However, Haier, which originally focused more on cleaning appliances, has not specialized in fryers. Although this model is affordable, it struggles with temperature control, often resulting in burnt food and noticeable odors.

Should You Choose Popular Air Fryers?

1. Popularity Doesn’t Equal High Professionalism
   In today’s social media-driven world, some manufacturers spend heavily on social media, influencer partnerships, and advertisements to quickly gain a large following. However, this increase in followers often doesn’t translate to better product quality or technical strength, and the product might even have performance and safety flaws.
2. Baking Performance May Not Be Great
   To cater to different aesthetic preferences, these popular brands often focus heavily on appearance, neglecting core aspects like heating efficiency and temperature control accuracy. This can lead to poor cooking results, where the food doesn’t turn out as expected.
3. High Marketing Costs Could Mean Poor Technical Calibration
   Maintaining long-term social influence requires continuous marketing investments. Over time, most of the product cost goes into marketing rather than improving core performance, such as temperature control and evenness, leading to compromised product quality and safety.

Part 2: Air Fryer Knowledge and Science

1. The Differences Between Expensive and Cheap Air Fryers

• Heating Elements: Expensive air fryers use high-quality stainless steel heating elements for rapid heating and stable performance, even under prolonged high temperatures. Cheaper models might use lower-cost materials that degrade quickly, resulting in slower heating and reduced performance.
• Temperature Control System: High-end air fryers feature sensitive temperature sensors and finely-tuned NTC systems to ensure stable and precise cooking. Cheaper models may have simple or mechanical temperature control systems, leading to large temperature fluctuations, uneven cooking, or even safety hazards.
• Frying Basket: Expensive air fryers use durable, food-grade stainless steel baskets that resist high temperatures and corrosion. Cheaper models might use plastic baskets that deform and emit odors under high heat, compromising food safety.
• Frying Basket Coating: High-end air fryers often use organic silicone coatings that are non-stick, easy to clean, and safe for food. Cheaper models may use Teflon, which is less heat-resistant, prone to peeling, and can emit harmful odors at high temperatures.
• Anti-Scald Design: Quality air fryers feature multiple layers of insulation and anti-scald designs to keep the exterior cool and safe to touch. Cheaper models may have poor insulation, leading to dangerously hot exteriors.
• Power Cord Material: High-end air fryers use pure copper cords that meet national safety standards and are resistant to heat and wear. Cheaper models might use aluminum cores that overheat, soften, and pose fire risks.

2. Common Q&A About Buying Air Fryers

• Question 1: Do I Need an Air Fryer If I Already Have a Microwave?

• Answer: It depends on your needs. If you prioritize healthy eating and enjoy making low-fat meals, an air fryer is a great addition. Microwaves are mainly for reheating leftovers and defrosting meat, but they can’t offer the variety of cooking options that air fryers provide.

• Question 2: What’s the Most Important Feature to Consider When Buying an Air Fryer?

• Answer: Focus on the manufacturer’s professional technical capabilities. Brands with strong technical expertise ensure their air fryers have well-tuned heating efficiency, cooking evenness, and precise temperature control, offering better cooking results and durability.

• Question 3: What’s the Ideal Price Range for an Air Fryer?

• Answer: Mid-range air fryers priced between ¥500-700 are a good choice. These offer a balance of performance, durability, and safety, without the price traps of overly cheap models or the brand premium of high-end ones.

Part 3: Air Fryer Review and Testing

This section covers a detailed review of various air fryers based on key performance indicators:

1. Food Performance: How well the air fryer cooks and browns food.
2. Heating Efficiency: The time it takes to reach the desired cooking temperature.
3. Temperature Control Precision: The stability of the fryer’s temperature during cooking.
4. Insulation Performance: How well the fryer retains heat and keeps the exterior cool.
5. Initial Odor During First Use: Whether the fryer emits any unpleasant odors when first used.

Food Performance

Air fryers with poor cooking performance may not meet expectations, resulting in unevenly cooked food that is either burnt or undercooked. To enjoy the full benefits of an air fryer, it should excel in the following areas:

• High Heating Efficiency: Saves time and energy, ensuring that food reaches the desired temperature quickly, improving taste and texture.
• High Temperature Control Precision: Reduces the likelihood of cooking mishaps, allowing food to cook evenly without burning or undercooking.
• Good Heating Uniformity: Ensures that food is cooked evenly inside and out, delivering consistent taste and texture.

Testing Method: Each air fryer was tested by baking custard tarts using its default settings. The results were then compared based on appearance and taste.

Results:

• Best Food Performance: Gongling

• The custard tarts had a uniform golden color and a rich, inviting aroma. The crispy crust and creamy filling provided a satisfying texture and flavor.

• Average Food Performance: Philips, Supor, Mijia, Panasonic

• The tarts were slightly less evenly browned but still had a pleasant taste and texture.

• Poor Food Performance: Other Brands

• Some tarts were overcooked at the edges and undercooked in the center, resulting in an unappetizing appearance and taste.

Heating Efficiency

High-quality air fryers should heat up quickly to save time and energy while preserving food's nutritional value.

Testing Method: The time required to reach 180°C was recorded for each air fryer.

Results:

• Fastest Heating Efficiency: Gongling, Panasonic
• Moderate Heating Efficiency: Bear, Mijia
• Slow Heating Efficiency: Other Brands

Temperature Control Precision

Air fryers with precise temperature control can maintain consistent heat, ensuring food cooks evenly and reducing the risk of burning or undercooking.

Testing Method: All air fryers were set to 200°C, and the temperature was monitored over 10 minutes.

Results:

• Highest Precision: Gongling

• The temperature remained stable, with minimal fluctuations.

• Moderate Precision: Panasonic, Supor, Bear

• Some fluctuations occurred but were within acceptable limits.

• Lowest Precision: Other Brands

• Significant fluctuations made consistent cooking difficult, posing a risk of overcooking or undercooking.

Insulation Performance

Good insulation helps maintain consistent internal temperatures while keeping the exterior safe to touch.

Testing Method: The temperature of different areas of the air fryer was measured after high-temperature use.

Results:

• Best Insulation: Gongling, Philips

• The exterior remained safe to touch, even after extended use.

• Moderate Insulation: Panasonic, Supor

• Some areas became hot, requiring caution.

• Poor Insulation: Other Brands

• The exterior became dangerously hot, increasing the risk of burns.

Initial Odor During First Use

Poor-quality materials can release harmful odors when heated, affecting food safety and taste.

Testing Method: New air fryers were tested by running them empty at high temperatures. Odors were assessed after a few minutes.

Results:

• Minimal Odor: Gongling

• Only a faint metallic smell was detected, which disappeared after washing.

• Slight Odor: Bear

• A noticeable plastic smell was present but diminished after cleaning.

• Strong Odor: Other Brands

• Persistent and unpleasant odors were detected, indicating low-quality materials.

Part 4: Conclusion

After thoroughly testing and comparing various air fryers, we hope this guide helps you make an informed decision. When faced with an overwhelming number of air fryer recommendations, choose products from professional brands with strong technical backgrounds. This ensures better functionality, performance, and most importantly, safety in your kitchen.