Air fryer shopping is confusing in a very specific way. The listing leads with a quart number, then a function count, then a photo of food that looks nothing like what came out of your first attempt. Six models are in this roundup, and they are not interchangeable: two are basket-style air fryers, one is a dual-basket machine built to cook two foods at once, one adds a pizza stone, one is a 13-quart oven-style unit with a rotisserie, and one is a renewed steam and convection oven. The best air fryers for your kitchen are the ones whose form factor, capacity, and cleaning routine match how you actually cook, so this guide compares those specifics directly instead of repeating marketing language.
Related: Air Fryer Basket vs Oven Style: Which One Fits Your Counter
Quick answer
The Instant Pot VORTEX Plus 6QT XL Air Fryer, 6-in-1 Air Fryer, Stainless Steel is the strongest fit for most households because it pairs a 6-quart basket, a 6-in-1 function set, and a stainless steel body in a single-basket design that covers everyday air frying without the counter depth of an oven-style unit. Choose the Ninja DZ090 Foodi 6 Quart 5-in-1 DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer instead when you routinely cook two different foods at the same time and want independent baskets with Match Cook and Smart Finish.
Air fryers worth comparing
Four things separate the models in this group: form factor, capacity, the function list, and how much of the machine has to be washed by hand.
Form factor is the first fork in the road. Basket-style air fryers such as the Instant Pot VORTEX Plus and the Chefman Compact pull out a drawer, which keeps the machine shallow and makes loading and shaking straightforward. Oven-style units such as the Cosori Air Fryer Oven and the Cuisinart Steam and Convection Oven open with a door, which trades counter depth for a flat rack that holds more food and, in the Cosori's case, a rotisserie.
Capacity is the second fork, and the numbers here run from 3.5 quarts to 13 quarts. A quart rating describes interior volume, not usable cooking surface, so a 6-quart single basket and a 6-quart dual-basket machine are not the same purchase. The Behome unit sits between them at 6.5 quarts with a pizza stone included.
Function count is the third. The Chefman Compact covers four functions, the Ninja DZ090 covers five, the Instant Pot VORTEX Plus covers six, and the Cosori Air Fryer Oven covers eleven. Extra functions usually mean more ways to use the same heating element and fan, so they only matter if you will actually use them.
Cleaning is the fourth, and it is the one people underestimate. A basket that is dishwasher safe gets used on a weeknight. A basket that needs careful hand washing gets used on weekends. Only one model in this group states dishwasher-safe parts in its own product name, and that difference shows up in daily use more than any preset.
Instant Pot VORTEX Plus 6QT XL Air Fryer, 6-in-1 Air Fryer, Stainless Steel
A 6-quart basket-style air fryer with a 6-in-1 function set and a stainless steel finish. It lands in the middle of this group on capacity, which is where most two-to-four-person kitchens live, and it uses a pull-out basket rather than an oven door.
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Ninja DZ090 Foodi 6 Quart 5-in-1 DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer with 2 Independent Frying Baskets, Match Cook & Smart Finish to Roast, Bake, Dehydrate & More for Quick Snacks & Small Meals, Black
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A 6-quart, 5-in-1 machine that splits its capacity across two independent frying baskets. Match Cook runs both baskets on one program and Smart Finish times them to end together, which is the whole reason to buy this over a single-basket unit.
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Cosori Air Fryer Oven, 13QT, 11-in-1, Rotisserie, Max 450°F, 6 Accessories
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An oven-style air fryer with 13 quarts of capacity, 11 cooking functions, a rotisserie, a maximum temperature of 450°F, and six included accessories. It is the largest and the most function-heavy model in this roundup, and the only one with a rotisserie.
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Behome Indoor Pizza Oven & Air Fryer, 6.5QT Family Size with Pizza Stone
A 6.5-quart indoor pizza oven and air fryer with a pizza stone included in the box. It is the pick here for round foods and family-size portions, and the stone gives it a job the other basket-style machines in this group do not have.
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Chefman Compact Air Fryer 3.5 QT - Slim Design Fits Small Kitchens, 4-in-1 Air Fry, Bake, Dehydrate, Frozen, 450°F Max Temp, Narrow Footprint Saves Counter Space, Nonstick Ceramic, Dishwasher-Safe
A 3.5-quart compact air fryer with a narrow, slim footprint, four functions covering air fry, bake, dehydrate, and frozen, a 450°F maximum temperature, and a nonstick ceramic basket that is dishwasher safe. The smallest machine here, and the easiest one to wash.
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Cuisinart Convection, Stainless Steel Steam & Convection Oven, 20x15 (Renewed)
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A renewed stainless steel steam and convection oven with a 20x15 footprint. Steam plus convection is a different cooking method than basket air frying, and the renewed condition is worth noting at checkout so you know what you are buying.
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How these products were compared
This guide compares form factor and counter footprint, capacity in quarts, cooking functions and included accessories, cleaning and dishwasher guidance, and the practical difference between basket-style and oven-style cooking. Product names, images, and retailer links are matched so that every card points to the product shown.
Those criteria come from published manufacturer specifications and the product records in this roundup, not from a lab test or a measured cook. Nothing here is a claim about how a particular model performed under a temperature probe or a stopwatch; where a number appears, it is a number the manufacturer publishes, such as quart capacity, function count, or maximum temperature. Prices move constantly, so use the link on each card to confirm current price, availability, and return terms before you order.
How to choose the right air fryer
Decide on form factor first, because it is the hardest thing to live with if you get it wrong. If counter space is your constraint, the Chefman Compact's narrow, slim footprint at 3.5 quarts is the smallest machine in this group, and it is the only one that states a dishwasher-safe nonstick ceramic basket in its own product description. If you want to cook more at once and you have the depth to give up, the Cosori Air Fryer Oven's 13-quart oven format holds a flat rack, includes six accessories, and adds a rotisserie that no basket-style unit can match.
Then do the capacity math honestly. A quart rating describes interior volume, not the flat surface you can actually load, so a single deep basket and two smaller baskets of the same total rating behave differently in practice. If you usually cook one food for everyone, one basket is simpler and faster to manage. If you usually cook a protein plus a vegetable, or two proteins with different cook times, the Ninja DZ090's two independent frying baskets with Match Cook and Smart Finish remove the timing guesswork entirely. If you want a clearer breakdown of how to read those ratings, see our guide to air fryer capacity ratings.
Look at the accessory list before the function list. The Behome unit ships with a pizza stone, which changes what you can cook, while the Cosori Air Fryer Oven ships with six accessories and a rotisserie. A function you will never press is not a feature, it is a label. The Cuisinart Steam and Convection Oven is the outlier here because steam plus convection is a genuinely different cooking method rather than another preset on the same element, and it is sold as a renewed unit, which means you should read the condition and warranty terms carefully rather than assuming they match a new machine.
Finally, weigh cleaning as a real cost. A dishwasher-safe basket you can drop in the rack after dinner is a different ownership experience than a basket that needs soaking and hand washing. Check the manual for the exact model you are considering, because dishwasher guidance varies even within the same brand.
Instant Pot VORTEX Plus 6QT XL Air Fryer
This is a 6-quart basket-style air fryer with a 6-in-1 function set and a stainless steel body. It sits between the 3.5-quart Chefman Compact and the 13-quart Cosori Air Fryer Oven on capacity, which is the range where most two-to-four-person kitchens actually cook. One basket, one pull, and a function count that covers the everyday jobs without turning the control panel into a second cookbook.
The trade-off is exactly what you would expect from a single-basket design. You cook one thing at a time, or you cook two things that share a temperature and a finish time, so it is not the machine for a protein and a vegetable that need separate programs. It also does not include a rotisserie or a pizza stone, so if either of those is the reason you are shopping, the Cosori Air Fryer Oven and the Behome unit are the better fits. Before ordering, measure the space you are giving up, including the clearance above the machine and the room the basket needs to pull out.
Alternatives to consider
The Ninja DZ090 Foodi 6 Quart 5-in-1 DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer is better suited to households that cook two different foods on the same schedule, since its two independent frying baskets can run together with Match Cook or finish together with Smart Finish. The Cosori Air Fryer Oven is a stronger fit when capacity and range matter most, thanks to 13 quarts, 11 functions, a rotisserie, a 450°F maximum, and six included accessories.
The Behome Indoor Pizza Oven & Air Fryer, the Chefman Compact Air Fryer 3.5 QT, and the Cuisinart Steam & Convection Oven cover the remaining cases. The Behome unit brings a 6.5-quart family-size capacity and a pizza stone for round foods. The Chefman is the space-saver, with a 3.5-quart basket, four functions, a 450°F maximum, and a dishwasher-safe nonstick ceramic basket. The Cuisinart is the one to look at if steam cooking plus convection is what you want, with the renewed condition factored into your decision.
Day-to-day use and maintenance
Let every part cool before you clean it, and follow the manual for the specific model rather than a general rule from the internet. The Chefman Compact states a dishwasher-safe nonstick ceramic basket, so its cleaning routine is the simplest here; for the others, check the manual before putting anything in the dishwasher, because coatings and plastic handles vary.
Keep metal utensils and abrasive scrubbers out of any nonstick basket, since a scratched coating is a coating you will eventually replace. Do not block the air paths around the basket or the rack, because airflow is what makes an air fryer crisp rather than steam. Wipe the exterior with a damp cloth only after unplugging the machine, and keep vents and cords clear of the wall. If you buy the renewed Cuisinart Steam and Convection Oven, confirm the warranty and return terms before you rely on it, and register the unit if the seller requires it for coverage.
Buying checklist
- Measure the counter footprint you can give up, including clearance above the machine and room for the basket or door to open.
- Choose basket capacity based on your normal meals rather than the largest thing you might cook once a year.
- Confirm that the exact model includes the accessories you want, such as a rotisserie or a pizza stone.
- Read the cleaning and maintenance instructions, and check whether the basket is dishwasher safe.
- Verify current retailer price, availability, and return terms before ordering.
Final recommendation
Choose the Instant Pot VORTEX Plus 6QT XL Air Fryer, 6-in-1 Air Fryer, Stainless Steel when you want one basket, six functions, and a 6-quart capacity that handles everyday cooking without a large oven-style footprint. Choose the Ninja DZ090 Foodi 6 Quart 5-in-1 DualZone 2-Basket Air Fryer when two independent baskets with Match Cook and Smart Finish matter more than a single deep one. If capacity, a rotisserie, a pizza stone, or steam cooking is the priority, the Cosori Air Fryer Oven, the Behome unit, and the Cuisinart Steam and Convection Oven are the models that change what you can cook rather than just how much.