The 6 Best Stainless Steel Air Fryers of 2026, Ranked & Reviewed

Our verdict: Brushed stainless, 13 cooking functions and super convection for faster cooking.

Breville's Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro packs 13 cooking functions covering roasting, air frying and dehydrating into a brushed stainless body. Its super convection system, according to Breville, cuts cooking time by up to 30 percent. A stronger fan moves hot air faster across the food, which is why oven-style air fryers crisp more evenly than weak basket units.

It leads because it replaces a toaster oven, an air fryer and a dehydrator in one footprint, which no basket model can do. The Cuisinart 6-Quart does less but costs far less, in the $50 to $100 bucket against Breville's $200 to $500.

Buy it as the one stainless appliance for everything. The caveat is size and price: it has the largest counter footprint here, and it is overkill if you only air fry frozen snacks.

Type

Air fryer oven

Functions

13

Finish

Brushed stainless

Convection

Super convection

Our verdict: A stainless 6-quart basket, five presets and 1800W that holds a 4-lb chicken.

Cuisinart's 6-Quart is a basket fryer with a stainless housing, bake, broil, air fry and keep warm modes, and five air-fry presets. The 1800W output holds a 4-lb chicken, which tells you the basket is deep enough for a whole bird. Six quarts is the sweet spot where a small family gets dinner in one batch.

It ranks below the Breville because it cooks in a basket only and has far fewer functions. It beats the 4-quart Cuisinart on capacity, since six quarts feeds a family rather than a couple.

Buy it for simple air frying with minimal fuss. The caveat is that it cannot dehydrate, and it takes more room than a 4-quart. Skip it if you want an appliance to replace the toaster oven.

Type

Basket air fryer

Capacity

6 quart

Power

1800W

Presets

5 air-fry presets

Our verdict: Eight modes, 1800W and an interior that takes up to six slices of toast.

The Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven is a box with eight cooking modes, including air fry, convection, broil and warm, driven by 1800W. The interior takes up to six slices of bread, which is the benchmark for a real toaster oven instead of a gimmick. It replaces two appliances on a counter.

It ranks third because the Breville offers 13 functions and a faster convection system. It wins against the basket fryers for flexibility, since it toasts, bakes and broils too, in the $100 to $200 bucket.

Pick it if you want toast, baking and air frying in one place. The caveat is that it is bigger than a basket unit and preheats more slowly. Skip it if counter space is tight.

Type

Air fryer toaster oven

Modes

8 cooking modes

Power

1800W

Capacity

Up to six slices

Our verdict: Flips up and away to save about half the counter space, with eight cooking functions.

The Ninja Flip folds up against the wall when you are done, which Ninja says saves roughly half the counter space. It has eight cooking functions and a stainless steel finish. Flipping removes the penalty that oven-style air fryers usually carry in a small kitchen.

That design is why it ranks fourth: no other model here solves the counter problem. It trades some capacity and function count against the Cuisinart oven and the Breville, so it suits smaller households. It sits in the same $100 to $200 bucket as the Cuisinart oven.

Pick it for a small kitchen or apartment. The caveat is clearance. It needs wall space to flip, and the smaller interior is a poor match for families of four or more.

Type

Flip toaster oven air fryer

Functions

8

Finish

Stainless steel

Storage

Flips up and away

Our verdict: Stainless exterior, a PFAS-free borosilicate glass basket and a ClearView window.

The Cuisinart 4-Quart pairs a stainless exterior with a PFAS-free borosilicate glass basket and a ClearView window. Glass is chemically inert, so there is no non-stick coating to flake, and the window lets you watch food brown without opening the drawer and dumping heat. It offers five functions.

It ranks fifth because four quarts is small for a family, and the function list is the shortest here. Against the 6-quart Cuisinart, it gives up capacity and presets for a coating-free cooking surface, at a higher $100 to $200 price.

Buy it for one or two people who avoid coatings. The caveat is handling: glass needs more careful treatment than a metal basket. Skip it if you cook for a crowd.

Type

Basket air fryer

Capacity

4 quart

Basket

Borosilicate glass

Window

ClearView

Our verdict: A 26-quart French door oven that fits a full roast in one go.

The Emeril Lagasse oven has a 26-quart interior with French doors, combining air fryer and multi-cooker functions. French doors open wide with one pull, so you can load a full roast without wrestling a single heavy door. The size fits a roast that a basket air fryer cannot.

It ranks last because it takes the most counter space and is heavy to move, and a large box heats slowly for small jobs. Against the Breville, it offers capacity rather than precision, though its $100 to $200 price is lower.

Buy it for a large family or a host who cooks big. The caveat is footprint: skip it if counter space is limited or if you mostly cook small side dishes.

Type

French door oven

Capacity

26 quart

Doors

French door

Role

Air fryer plus multi-cooker