March is a great month for air fryer deals: The best air fryers on sale now
Whether you're looking to cook up some March Madness appetizers or just want to start eating healthier, it's hard to go wrong with an air fryer. The relatively new kitchen gadget cooks snacks and fried foods with less oil in just minutes.
Many popular air fryer models are on sale now, including the No. 1 best-selling air fryer on Amazon.
Top products in this article:
- Best Instant Pot air fryer deal: Instant Pot 8-quart crisp multi-cooker and air fryer, $99 (regularly $149)
- Most popular air fryer on Amazon: Cosori air fryer, $85 (reduced from $100)
- Best toaster over/air fryer deal: Instant Pot Omni Plus 240 toaster oven, $215 (regularly $250)
Air fryers are the secret to making healthier crispy chicken tenders and chicken wings (even from frozen); crisp french fries and potato skins; juicy meatballs and more. Best of all, because of the way air fryers work to recirculate air, you can make these foods with less oil than traditional methods of preparation.
If you don't own an air fryer yet, you're missing out: The handy countertop kitchen gadget that makes healthier fried foods is now a staple in millions of American kitchens. In 2020, nearly 40 percent of U.S. households owned one, with sales surging over the pandemic as more people explored cooking at home with new air fryer recipes.
The good news is that air fryers are affordable -- we've found a number of deals on air fryers you can score right now, and paired them with some great air fryer recipes to try.
Cosori air fryer: $85 at Amazon
With a 4.7-star rating on Amazon based on more than 5,800 reviews, the lightweight Cosori is Amazon's No. 1 best-selling air fryer. It's available in four colors and in 3.7- and 5.8-quart sizes, with 11 one-touch presets and 13 cooking functions.
Cosori air fryer, $85 (reduced from $100)
Air fryer recipe to try:
- Crispy Brussels sprouts with roasted garlic aioli (from Jeanette Donnarumma)
Chefman digital air fryer: $91 at Walmart
The Chefman digital air fryer does more than just get chicken fingers nice and crispy. This 10-liter appliance (10.6 quart) can be used as a rotisserie spit, oven and a dehydrator. It comes with cooking accessories that include removable racks, a rotisserie basket, rotisserie spit, drip tray and retrieval tool.
Chefman digital air fryer, $91 (regularly $130)
Instant Pot Crisp multi-cooker and air fryer: $99 at Walmart
This nine-in-one Instant Pot device can air fry, pressure cook, steam, slow cook, sauté, bake, broil, roast and keep food warm as well as make rice and oatmeal. The pressure-cooking lid and cooking pot insert are both dishwasher safe.
(You can see more deals on Instant Pots here.)
Instant Pot 8-quart crisp multi-cooker and air fryer, $99 (regularly $149)
Instant Vortex Plus: $96 at Amazon
Yes, it's another Instant Pot device but this one specifically air frys. Unlike many air fryers, the Instant Vortex Plus has an easy view window. Instead of opening the air fryer every 10 minutes to see if your food is crisping, watch it get that delicious crunch while it cooks without letting all the heat out of your device.
The Instant Vortex Plus can also roast, broil, bake, reheat and dehydrate food.
Instant Vortex Plus, $96 (regularly $130)
NuWave Brio air fryer: $100 at Amazon
Another air fryer that's popular with Amazon shoppers, the NuWave Brio comes in 6- and 15-quart sizes. It air frys, broils, roasts, grills, bakes, reheats and dehydrates. The device features an easy interface, with a menu of 100 preprogrammed recipes.
Don't forget to apply the coupon available at Amazon before you purchase -- you'll save an extra 15%.
NuWave Brio air fryer, $85 after coupon (reduced from $160)
Air fryer recipe to try:
- French fries (from Bob Harper)
Philips Essential Airfryer Compact: $150 at Amazon
Here's a good air fryer for people with smaller kitchens. An updated and compact version of the original gadget introduced in 2010, this Philips Essential Airfryer grills, roasts, bakes, reheats and air fries -- it's ready to take on a multitude of air fryer recipes. It features a digital touchscreen with seven presets for simplified cooking.
Philips Essential Airfryer Compact, $150 (reduced from $180)
Air fryer recipe to try:
- Chicken tenders (by Everyday Family Cooking)
Emeril Lagasse power air fryer: $176 at Amazon
Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse's countertop convection oven offers many of the same functions as other countertop air fryers, but manages to "kick it up a notch," in his signature fashion, by adding a rotisserie to the mix. It offers 12 functions on its LCD digital display -- air fry, bake, rotisserie, dehydrate, toast, reheat, roast, broil, bagel, pizza, slow cook and warm/reheat -- and comes with a crisper tray, rotisserie spit, pizza rack, baking pan, drip tray and cookbook filled with Lagasse's recipes.
Emeril Lagasse power air fryer, $166 (reduced from $250)
Air fryer recipe to try:
- Chicken wings (by Fabulessly Frugal)
Instant Pot Omni Plus toaster oven 240 (plus air fryer): $215 at Amazon
Best known for its Instant Pot pressure cookers, Instant also offers multi-cookers with air-fryer functionality, such as its Omni Plus toaster oven. The sleek-looking gadget boasts 10-in-1 functionality (air fry, broil, bake, roast, dehydrate, reheat, rotisserie, toast, warm and convection oven) with enough space for a large chicken or 12-inch pizza, perfect for large groups. Amazon reviewers rate it 4.5 stars, giving it high marks for its easy-to-operate digital interface and stainless steel exterior.
Instant Pot Omni Plus 240 toaster oven, $215 (regularly $250)
Air fryer recipe to try:
- Pigs in a blanket (from Pink When)
Cuisinart air fryer, convection and toaster oven: $85 at Kohl's
Shaped more like a small, countertop toaster oven, Cuisinart's entry-level model works as an air fryer, convection and toaster oven. It is 2.9 cubic feet in size, and can hold 2.5 pounds of food. We've seen this model available at multiple retailers, but smart Kohl's shoppers can get the best deal.
Apply the coupon code ENJOY15 to drop the price down to $85. You'll also earn $10 worth of Kohl's Cash to spend between March 21 and 27.
Cuisinart air fryer, convection and toaster oven, $85 (reduced from $140)
Air fryer recipe to try:
- Buffalo chicken egg rolls (from Skinny Taste)
Ninja Foodi 12-in-1 extra large air fryer: $199 at Target
Ninja Foodi's multicooking air fryer gadgets dominate the high-end market. One of the brand's highest-rated models, this family-friendly, 12-in-1, extra-large air fryer offers an 8-quart pot that holds up to a 7-pound chicken or eight breasts. It can pressure- and slow cook, air fry and crisp, steam, slow cook, bake, sous vide, keep warm, sear, sauté, roast, broil, dehydrate and make yogurt.
Ninja Foodi 12-in-1 extra large air fryer, $199 (reduced from $270)
Air fryer recipe to try:
- Onion rings (from Spend With Pennies)
What other recipes can you make in an air fryer?
Air fryers are commonly used to cook fresh or frozen foods, including chicken wings, chicken breasts, chicken nuggets, french fries, pork chops, salmon, chicken tenders, bacon, potatoes, baked potato and chicken thighs. Some people even use air fryers to make cakes and other desserts.
Air fryer recipes are wildly popular on Pinterest, and cookbooks serve as much-needed companions to air fryers. In addition to diet-specific air fryer cookbooks and general recipes, Ninja, Cuisinart and Instant Pot all have cookbooks catering to their models.
Here are some popular air-fryer cookbooks you can buy on Amazon.
"America's Test Kitchen Air Fryer Perfection," $13 (reduced from $25)
The Skinnytaste Air Fryer Cookbook, $14 (reduced from $22)
The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook, $10 (reduced from $17)
What is an air fryer?
Similar to a countertop convection oven, an air fryer is a portable cooking device with a variety of functions. However, unlike a convection oven, an air fryer offers an alternative approach to deep frying. Instead of engulfing food in a pool of fat, it circulates hot air to achieve a similar result, using only the oils on the food's surface.
How does an air fryer work?
Most air fryers feature a fan and heating mechanism, responsible for circulating air and cooking food. While every model varies, most of them feature adjustable timers and temperatures with suggestions for popular foods. Many air fryers require preheating prior to cooking.
Food is generally placed in some sort of basket at the bottom of the appliance, usually resembling a fryer basket. The hot air begins circulating and heating the existing (or added) oils on food, resulting in a crisping effect. Depending on the recipe, you might need to flip food sometime during the cooking process.
What types of air fryers are there?
Over the course of the decade, the air fryer market has rapidly expanded with nearly every major appliance brand (including Ninja, Instant Pot, Cuisinart, Cosori, NuWave, Chefman and Philips) offering their own version. Many consumers opt for hybrid air fryers, which combine various cooking functions into one gadget, saving counter space and the need for multiple machines. Air fryer toaster ovens, air fryer pressure cookers, air fryer microwave ovens, air fryer countertop ovens and even full-size ovens that double as air fryers are some of the most popular options.
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