It is true that in many ways using an air fryer is better than traditional frying. But this improvement has only been made possible with innovative breakthroughs in the food preparation industry. So doesn’t that mean that these air fryers are invariably expensive? Actually, that’s not true at all.
After putting in 32 hours to do research and interview experts over the past 3 month, we think the Della Electric Air Fryer scored high above the rest of the best air fryer under $100 we tested and is our top pick. It’ll be effective, durable, and suitable for your needs.
These things aren’t all that complicated it use either. The most basic ones allow you to set the temperature and the timer manually, and then you’re notified when the time’s up. Generally, it also goes into standby mode so it doesn’t overcook the food. Even teens and tweens can use it safely.
Cleanup is also not an issue with these air fryers, and that’s mainly because it doesn’t use much cooking at all.
However, the main reason why air fryers are enjoying its current heights of popularity among the masses is because it offers a much healthier alternative to traditional frying methods. Nowadays people are much more aware of calorie counts and cholesterol levels, and the use of the air fryer is just better for weight loss and cholesterol.
Our Picks of 8 Best Air Fryers under $100:
1. Avalon Bay AirFryer with Rapid Air Circulation Technology
This is one excellent example of a reasonably-priced air fryer that offers lots of extra features. With this, you have a nonstick baking dish for easy cleanup, and there’s also a metal roasting rack so you can cook two different food items at the same time.
Features:
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- It has a 3.2-quart food capacity.
- With the baking pan and rack, you’ve got lots of cooking options.
- The 30-minute timer automatically switches to standby mode.
- The non-slip feet keep it secure on your countertop.
- The temperature ranges from 200 to 400 degrees.
- The fan does a great job in removing the oils and fats from your food.
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2. GoWISE USA GW22639 8-in-1 Electric Air Fryer
In many ways this is a nifty air fryer that anyone can really appreciate. It’s even ETL-certified, which means that it complies with all the North American product safety standards.
Features:
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- This looks nice, and it’s available in black, white, and red colors.
- The food capacity is 3.7 quarts.
- The temperature can go from 176 to 392 degrees.
- The safety features include the auto standby mode, auto shutoff, and overheat protection.
- There are actually 8 presets to choose from, so you can just push a button for chicken, shrimp, or even cake.
- The basket is detachable.
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3. Power Air Fryer XL, 3.4 QT, Black
This is quite a versatile appliance, as it can do lots more things than just air fry. You can also roast, grill, and sauté your food. If you want, you can even steam veggies or bake. Then there are also different buttons on the screen that you can press for different types of food.
Features:
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- It looks great in either black or red.
- It’s very easy to use, since you can just put in food and then press the button for that type of food.
- You can also manually set the timer and the temperature.
- The heat can go up to 400 degrees.
- It has a digital timer with auto shutoff.
- The food basket has nonstick coating.
- The handle is easy to grip, and it helps that it’s always cool to the touch.
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4. GoWISE USA GW22643 4th Generation 1400W Electric Air Fryer
This egg-shaped air fryer is available in black, red, or plum, and it’s quite compact. It measures 12 inches high with a base that’s 8 inches wide. It’s easy to use and easy to clean too.
Features:
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- The food capacity is 3.7 quarts.
- It has 7 built-in programs, so you can just push a button when you’re cooking fish, shrimp, steak, chicken, or chips.
- You can also manually adjust the temperature, which goes from 175 to 400 degrees.
- The 30-minute timer out the air fryer into standby mode afterwards.
- It’s ETL-certified.
- The basket is detachable.
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5. GoWISE USA 8-in-1. Electric Air Fryer Digital Programmable Cooking Settings
This comes with an LED screen along with 8 different buttons in addition to the controls for temperature and timer. These buttons are warm-up (for leftovers, probably), chip, chicken, steak, shrimp, meat, cake, and fish. That pretty much covers most foods that you can fry.
Features:
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- The food capacity is 3.7 quarts.
- The temperature ranges from 176 to 392 degrees.
- The pan and basket are removable, so they’re easy to clean and it’s much easier to serve the food.
- The auto shutoff function activates when the timer goes off or when you remove the pan.
- The timer goes up to 30 minutes.
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6. Della Electric Multipurpose Classic Rapid Air Fryer
This looks a lot heftier, and that’s because its food capacity is 5.8 quarts. It’s quite powerful with its 1800 watts. The brand is quite as well-known as the others, but then it’s gaining a higher profile due to the quality of its air fryers.
Features:
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- This can cook a meal for a large family.
- It can really produce crispy chicken that’s juicy on the inside.
- It uses old fashioned mechanical dials for the temperature and the timer.
- The temperature can go from 180 to 390 degrees.
- It’s ETL-certified.
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7. Della Electric Air Fryer
This also features knobs for adjusting the temperature and the timer, and for some this may be more reliable than their electronic counterparts. The fryer pan capacity is 4.4 quarts, while in the mesh basket it is 2.8 quarts. It can cook your food quickly as it doesn’t need a long preheating time.
Features:
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- The 30 minute timer goes into standby mode.
- The temperature ranges from 175 to 192 degrees.
- There’s a power indicator light as well as a ready light when preheating is done.
- There’s a safety feature that prevents you from dropping the food basket holder accidentally.
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8. Elite Platinum EAF-1506D Electric Digital Air Fryer
Now this 1400W air fryer offers 3.5 quarts in food basket capacity. It actually has a rather memorable design as it looks like a black globe, but it sure can hold 2.5 pounds of food in the basket. The pan can accommodate 4.75 quarts, or 3.5 pounds of food.
Features:
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- It uses a vapor system that makes your food crispier and tastier.
- It offers 6 menu functions, including for bake, cheese, meat, and veggies.
- The thermostat control goes from 175 to 395 degrees.
- The timer goes up to 60 minutes, and afterwards it sets to standby mode.
- The basket and the pan are removable, so you can just stick them into the dishwasher to clean them.
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Watch Video:
Is The Air Fryer Really Healthy?
Here are some reasons why the answer to this question is “yes”:
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- It reduces your risk of heart disease. That’s because cooking oils contain trans fats that will raise your LDL cholesterol. However, when you use an air fryer you can reduce your use of cooking oil by as much as 80%.
- Your chances of getting a stroke are reduced as well. Again, you can blame the trans fats in the cooking oil for increasing the risk of stroke, since the fat increases your cholesterol.
- You can also reduce your calorie consumption when you use an air fryer instead. Another problem caused by fats is that they add lots more calories to your food, which then leads to being overweight and obese. Nowadays, just about everyone knows that obesity is the slippery slope that leads to all kinds of serious health conditions.
- An air fryer also helps in adding variety to your meals. Why do so many specialized diet plans fail? It’s because you’re often forced to eat only a limited number of foods day in and day out. Eventually, you can get tired eating the same things over and over again, so you’re much more easily tempted to quit your diet and begin binge-eating.
An air fryer, on the other hand, can prepare many types of food, such as meat, poultry, fish, and even veggies. You can find hundreds of different recipes for all types of food that are geared for air fryers. Variety is the spice of life, and that’s what you get with an air fryer. - The foods you can produce from an air fryer are also often really tasty. This means you can easily stick to your diet because they’re not quite as tasteless as your typical “healthy” food. You can enjoy the crunchiness of the outside, and then inside you get tender meat.
- It’s also healthier for you because you don’t get burned. Frying burns are the bane of the traditional frying method. Sometimes the cooking oil just explodes and hits you with burning hot oil. It’s almost dangerous, when you think about it.
With an air fryer, however, that’s not a problem because at the most you’re only using a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil. Besides, the food is fried inside the food chamber so there’s really no chance of getting hit by burning hot oil. - Cooking food with an air fryer is also easy and quick, and that can do a lot for your stress levels. It can be a bit stressful in the kitchen when you’re trying to juggle too many cooking tasks at the same time. It doesn’t help when you get burned either.
With an air fryer, all you need to do is to put the food inside, set the temperature level, and set the timer. Then when the timer’s done, the air fryer goes into standby mode and you have tasty food ready to eat. No more worries whether you cooked the food right and even cleanup is simple.It’s just a stress-free way to cook.
You may want to avoid too much stress if you can. Chronic stress can increase the wear and tear on your body. It’s not really all that good for your cardiovascular system.
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Buying Guide – How To Choose The Best Air Fryer Under $100:
Obviously you’re going to have to check the price of the air fryer to see if it does fall under $100. But that’s not the only feature you need to check:
1. Size
This actually is two parts: the dimensions of the unit and the food capacity. You’ll want something that can fit on your countertop or cabinet. As for food capacity, it should be able to cook enough food to feed you and your family without doing it in batches.
2. Ease of use
3. Versatility
You can really save some money if you’re not limited to just frying your food with your air fryer. Some units can also steam, bake, and grill.
4. Speed
With so many of us too busy these days, you probably want to get an air fryer who can cook food without too many delays such as a length preheat step.
You should also check for the highest temperature setting, since obviously you can cook faster if you can get the heat high enough.
5. Cleanup convenience
It’s always good if you can find food baskets with nonstick coating so you don’t have to waste too much time dealing with stick food on the basket. This basket and all the accessories that touch the food should also be detachable and dishwasher-ready for maximum convenience.
Durability
An air fryer isn’t really cheap if you only have a short time to use it before it breaks down. Unfortunately, the only reliable way to find out about durability is to check lots of customer reviews. A long warranty may also be indicative of durability, though there are lots of exceptions to this rule.
Final Verdict
With so many options, you’re the best judge as to which of these is the top air fryers under $100 for you. That really depends on your particular needs and preferences. You’re assured, however, that these are inherently reasonably priced since they are durable too.
It’s also great that there are buttons for “cheese” and “veggies”, which aren’t typical for air fryers at all. Try it (or any of the others for that matter), and enjoy tasty food that’s actually healthier for you—without paying too much for your air fryer.
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