Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Few culinary pleasures inspire such widespread enthusiasm as perfectly cooked chicken wings, and their immense popularity makes them an especially fitting test subject for any air fryer. The essential objective when preparing wings in an air fryer is to achieve that delicate balance of textures—the exterior should crisp beautifully while the chicken underneath remains moist and tender. To evaluate the performance of each countertop oven, I selected three frozen wings for each trial and cooked them at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes using the air-fry setting, pausing to rotate them at ten-minute intervals. Importantly, I allowed every appliance to fully preheat prior to inserting the wings, ensuring standardized conditions. After cooking, I photographed the finished wings immediately before sampling them once they had cooled enough for safe tasting.

The success of this process fundamentally relies on two factors: the intensity of heat generated and the efficiency of the fan in circulating that hot air. Together, these create a convection-like environment that expedites cooking while simultaneously promoting more consistent crisping of the exterior. Rapid cooking prevents the meat inside from drying out since the skin crisps before the juices have a chance to dissipate. Among all the contenders, the Ninja Foodi delivered the most impressive showing: the wings emerged after thirty minutes with a flawlessly crunchy surface, succulent flesh, and no visible scorching. Closely following was the Cuisinart, though its wings required slightly less time and even bordered on overdone after only twenty-five minutes, with minimal but noticeable char. The Breville and Crux ovens also performed commendably, producing appetizing browning and satisfying crispness. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the KitchenAid and Calphalon trailed behind, with results that lacked the deep browning and pronounced crunch that many wing-lovers crave.

Air Fryer French Fries
As a complement to the wing test, I next turned to one of the other quintessential air fryer foods: French fries. Here, the task was not only about achieving that golden brown exterior that instantly signals perfect doneness but also about assessing the raw power, speed, and consistency of each oven’s air-fry system. To keep the conditions uniform, I placed a modest portion of frozen fries—the style reminiscent of those served at McDonald’s—into each unit at 450 degrees Fahrenheit and tracked how swiftly they could transform pale frozen strips into crisp, golden beauties. Because efficiency is one of the main characteristics that makes countertop air fryers so appealing, ovens that reached the desired outcome faster naturally earned higher marks.

Every oven, except the Cuisinart, eventually cooked the fries evenly enough, though some were markedly faster. The Breville emerged victorious with fries that reached textbook perfection within just six minutes. The Ninja, which I set to its manufacturer-recommended temperature of 390 degrees Fahrenheit rather than 450, still produced excellent results in only eight minutes; had it been set higher, it likely would have matched or surpassed the Breville. KitchenAid required eight minutes at 450, while the Crux needed about nine, and the Calphalon a comparatively sluggish twelve. Interestingly, the Cuisinart technically finished in the fastest time—an astonishing three minutes—but the result was far from ideal: burnt edges and uneven coloration suggested an overly aggressive air-fry system.

Broiled Salmon
To explore the ovens’ broiling abilities, I prepared a four-ounce fillet of salmon brushed with a glaze of mustard, olive oil, and brown sugar. After preheating the broiler, I positioned the fish about two inches from the heating element and allowed it to cook undisturbed for four minutes. The goal of this test was to measure each oven’s capacity for imparting a caramelized, slightly crisp crust while keeping the interior tender.

The Ninja and Breville ovens excelled, producing appealing surface coloration and the beginnings of that much-coveted crust. Both appliances shared the top distinction. The Crux and KitchenAid displayed moderate browning and occupied respectable middle positions. At the lower end were Calphalon and Cuisinart, whose minimal browning demonstrated a disappointing lack of caramelization in comparison.

Toast
Though seemingly mundane, toasting a slice of bread is a simple way to reveal an oven’s precision in its preset settings and timing. For this evaluation, I placed one slice of bread in each toaster oven, selected the medium preset level, and closely observed both the uniformity of browning and the time taken to complete the cycle. Because toast can be adjusted by changing settings, this test carried somewhat less weight overall, but it still provided helpful insights into usability.

The range of results proved surprisingly broad. The Calphalon required over six minutes to achieve its definition of “medium,” whereas the Ninja completed the same task in only three and a half minutes. Both ultimately produced evenly toasted slices that matched their preset descriptions, though the Ninja’s superior efficiency earned it first place. Conversely, Breville, KitchenAid, and Crux barely toasted the bread under their medium settings, suggesting that users would need to adjust to darker settings for satisfactory results. The Cuisinart, by contrast, went too far and over-toasted the bread.

Baked Cookies
Cookies provide an excellent lens through which to judge temperature precision and stability. To standardize this test, I shaped a one-tablespoon ball of Toll House cookie dough, positioned it on parchment in the middle rack, and baked each sample at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes.

Here, the results were neck and neck, with both the Ninja and Breville producing cookies that were nearly flawless in texture and appearance: crisp at the edges, chewy in the center, and evenly colored. In comparison, the Cuisinart and Crux veered slightly overbaked, while KitchenAid underperformed slightly, leaving its cookie underdone in the center.

Preheat Test
One of the practical benefits of a countertop oven is its ability to preheat more rapidly than a conventional full-sized oven. To gauge this advantage during the cookie trials, I measured the time each appliance required to reach 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The Ninja stood out dramatically, preheating in an astonishing 50 seconds, far ahead of its competitors. The majority of others averaged around three and a half minutes, while the larger Breville took the longest, at five minutes. Though I didn’t measure air fryer preheating in a controlled way, it was apparent that the Calphalon lagged significantly in reaching its air fry temperature of 450.

Temperature Accuracy and Consistency
Perhaps the most understated but crucial function of an oven is its ability to maintain a steady, accurate temperature throughout cooking. Without this reliability, recipes become guesswork, and results vary wildly. To scrutinize accuracy, I used thermocouples inside each oven while set to bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes, recording both the average temperature and fluctuations throughout the cycle.

The KitchenAid was impressively precise, averaging exactly 350 degrees with minimal wavering. The Ninja, Cuisinart, and Breville also demonstrated dependable stability, though Breville initially spiked higher before correcting itself. At the lower end, the Crux consistently ran hot at 365 degrees, whereas the Calphalon trailed cool at 337 degrees. These two also fluctuated far more dramatically during operation, rendering them the least reliable.

Cleaning and Care
Day-to-day practicality extends beyond performance into how easily an oven can be maintained. With the exception of the Ninja, most ovens in this group offer standard stainless-steel interiors and removable crumb trays that catch debris, allowing for straightforward cleaning. Periodic scrubbing or wiping down is necessary to prevent grease buildup.

The Ninja, however, introduces a thoughtful innovation. Owing to its relatively compact space, splatters from greasy or fatty foods occur more readily, but the oven compensates with a cleverly designed bottom panel that folds outward, granting direct access to the interior for thorough wiping. This feature significantly simplifies the cleaning process—though its need will be frequent given the oven’s propensity to collect splatter. Users sensitive to the extra maintenance should consider this factor when weighing their purchase.

In sum, this extended evaluation across wings, fries, salmon, toast, cookies, preheating, temperature stability, and ease of cleaning demonstrates just how much variance exists between models. Each oven displayed unique strengths and weaknesses, underscoring that the best choice depends as much on personal cooking priorities as on absolute performance.

Sourse: https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/best-countertop-oven-and-air-fryer/#ftag=CAD590a51e