Of course, not all air fryers are created equal ,and we don’t recommend just finding any old air fryer on the internet and clicking “add to cart.” Research is a must. But we also know not everyone has time for that, so we did the work for you. From budget-friendly fryers to splurges, each one of these eight best air fryers of 2021 are known to cook chicken wings to absolute perfection.
Brava Oven Starter Set, $1,095Beautiful 6-Quart Touchscreen Air Fryer, $89Instant Vortex, $99. 95Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 2-Basket Air Fryer, $179. 99Cosori Air Fryer Max XL, $119. 99PowerXL Air Fryer Pro, $115Dash Compact 2-Quart Air Fryer, $48. 39
8 Best Air Fryers for Chicken Wings
Brava Oven Starter Set
The Brava Oven has three purchasing options—the Brava Oven Starter Set, Bake and Breakfast, and the really souped-up Chef’s Choice. The Brava Oven Starter Set is the one we recommend here because it’s definitely the cheapest of the three Brava options (though it’s the most expensive on this list). The good news is you have the possibility to finance it for about $45 per month. And the even better news? It’s so worth the money. The Brava Oven comes with an app that allows you to control the oven from your smartphone and recipes that you can save in the app, then pull up on the air fryer itself. It also features a camera—yes, a camera—so you can access an interior view of your food as it cooks. (It’s like a security camera for your chicken wings.) The Brava isn’t just an air fryer, either—it’s part air fryer, of course, but at its core, it’s more like an Easy Bake Oven for adults! It cooks with light, making it an eco-friendly option that actually works anywhere from two to four times faster than your standard convection or toaster oven. Also, there’s no need to preheat. This baby climbs to 500 degrees Fahrenheit in one impressive second.
Oh, and because we ranked the Brava based on its ability to air fry chicken wings, here are some of our favorite Brava recipes for them to get you started: Korean Fried Chicken Wings, Buffalo Chicken Wings and traditional chicken wings.
Buy at Brava.
Beautiful 6-Quart Touchscreen Air Fryer
If you didn’t know Drew Barrymore launched a kitchenware collection, let us introduce you to her affordable line called Beautiful. Prepare to be obsessed! There are lots of cute items in the line, but the Beautiful 6-Quart Touchscreen Air Fryer is pretty—like, really pretty. But beyond aesthetics, this touch screen air fryer preheats food with a 1,700-watt system up to 50 percent faster than traditional ovens. With little-to-no oil necessary, you can deliciously air fry, roast, reheat or dehydrate for perfectly crispy chicken wings. With 4.6 stars out of a possible five and 112 ratings on Walmart.com, it’s safe to say reviewers love it. One Walmart.com reviewer even wrote, “This is my first air fryer. I was very impressed how it cooked chicken and fries so crispy. Very easy to use. Happy I finally got this Beautiful fryer.”
Buy at Walmart.
Instant Vortex
The square basket in the Instant Vortex air fryer means a larger cooking surface so that your chicken wings (and your french fries and your Buffalo cauliflower and everything else) can turn out as crispy as possible—like restaurant quality crispy. It features four built-in Smart Programs to air fry, roast, bake and reheat for that quintessential deep-fried flavor but with a healthier twist. The Instant Vortex’s air fry basket is big enough to fit a 4-pound chicken (or a 2-pound bag of fries). One Macys.com reviewer summed it up perfectly: “Cooks food great & no mess. Will try different meats in it. The chicken wings were good.”
Buy at Macy’s.
Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 2-Basket Air Fryer
Cosori Air Fryer Max XL
PowerXL Air Fryer Pro
With both a rotating basket and individual racks for your air-frying pleasure, the PowerXL Air Fryer Pro produces evenly golden chicken wings worthy of Instagram. We do recommend using the racks for chicken wings and rotating the racks while cooking. That’s how you get the most even air frying for your wings! This air fryer ranks pretty mess-free compared to others, thanks to its dishwasher safe drip tray. The doors come off as well for easy and convenient cleaning after each air fry. It also features eight digital preset programs with one-touch digital control. You can roast, air fry, bake, steam, grill and sauté, too! And if you’re in the mood for a rotisserie chicken—rather than, you know, individual wings—the PowerXL Air Fryer Pro can do that, too, easily. Roast an entire chicken in just about an hour.
Dash Compact 2-Quart Air Fryer
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