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The best stainless steel air fryers are functional, affordable, and maintain a sleek appearance that matches other kitchen appliances. They’re extremely popular kitchen must-haves, but if you’ve never used a stainless steel air fryer before, it can be a little overwhelming to choose one.
There are so many different types and sizes, all at a variety of price points! I love using my favorite model, the Instant Pot Vortex 10-Quart Air Fryer Toaster Oven, because it heats up fast and makes delicious, crunchy, crispy food.
Based on my own experience with them and also researching what other users think, I’ve made this list of the best stainless steel air fryers on the market right now. Keep reading to find more details about the ones I love from top-tier brands like Cuisinart, Ninja, and Bella! (And, don’t worry — I’ve also linked some of my favorite air fryer recipes so you can get started using yours right away!)
Check out more of our favorite Kitchen Tools.
My Top Picks:
- In My Kitchen: Instant Pot Vortex 10-Quart Air Fryer Toaster Oven – $149.95 at Amazon
- Best Budget Stainless Steel Air Fryer: Bella Pro Slim Digital Air Fryer – $49.99 at Best Buy
- Best Small Stainless Steel Air Fryer: Cuisinart Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven – $106.99 at Amazon
- Best Air Fryer With Stainless Steel Basket: Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Oven & Toaster – $169.99 at Amazon
- Best Digital Air Fryer: Instant Pot Vortex 6-Quart Air Fryer – $129.95 at Amazon
Reviews of The Best Stainless Steel Air Fryers
1. In My Kitchen: Instant Pot 10-Quart Air Fryer Toaster Oven
I’ve owned my Instant Pot Air Fryer for 4 years (and counting) and there’s a TON to love about it: It’s a breeze to clean and the 10-quart capacity is awesome because you can cook more food than in a classic basket-style air fryer. It’s perfect for making some of my favorite, easy recipes, like, Air Fryer Boneless Pork Chops. The shelves and the trays are dishwasher-safe, plus it cooks things super fast.
There are seven different modes, allowing you to choose between air fry, roast, dehydrate, broil, bake, reheat, and rotisserie. It even comes with everything you need to get started as soon as it comes in — from two cooking trays to a rotisserie basket, I love this stainless steel air fryer and wish I had bought it sooner!
My Tips: If you’re new to air frying and need recipe ideas, check out my air fryer recipes for beginners!
The Specs:
- Dimensions: 13.23 x 13.23 x 14.37 inches
- Wattage: 1500
- Weight: 19 pounds
- Number of functions: 7
- Capacity: 10 quarts
- Basket Material: Stainless steel (rotisserie basket)
The Pros:
- Preheats very fast
- Can cook a rotisserie chicken
- Comes with accessories
- Dishwasher-safe basket and trays
- Large capacity
The Cons:
- Some users report a strong smell
- Some reviews say the beeping can be annoying
What Others Are Saying
Food & Wine and People both named this as the best large-capacity air fryer. It also has a 4.6-star rating from more than 65,000 Amazon buyers.
Buy the Instant Pot 10-Quart Air Fryer Toaster Oven:
2. Best Budget Stainless Steel Air Fryer: Bella Pro Slim Digital Air Fryer
The Bella Pro Slim Digital Air Fryer is an awesome option if you prefer a classic basket-style air fryer (instead of a toaster oven combo). Whether you’re gifting it to a new renter in their first apartment or you have limited kitchen space, this stainless steel air fryer is one of the best. At just 10- by 13-inches, it still has a 4-quart capacity with a nonstick, dishwasher-safe crisping tray. (Bonus: It’s rated PFOA-free, which means it’s one of the best nontoxic stainless steel air fryers!)
If you’re really pressed for space and aren’t necessarily looking for a stainless steel finish, you can try out the Bella 3-quart air fryer, which I featured on my list of the best cheap air fryers.
The Specs:
- Dimensions: 10.62 x 13.85 x 8.18 inches
- Wattage: 1300
- Weight: 12.34 pounds
- Number of functions: 5
- Capacity: 4 quarts
- Basket Material: Ceramic-coated stainless steel
The Pros:
- Affordable
- Nontoxic, nonstick, and dishwasher-safe tray
- 60-minute auto power shutoff
- PFOA-free
The Cons:
- Only 4-quart capacity
- Basket is not pure stainless steel
What Others Are Saying
The Bella Pro Slim Digital Air Fryer has a 4.8 rating on Best Buy.
Buy the Bella Pro Slim Digital Air Fryer:
3. Best Small Stainless Steel Air Fryer: Cuisinart Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven
Cuisinart has been a trusted kitchenware brand since the 1970s, so you can rarely go wrong with one of the company’s products. If you don’t have a lot of counter space, this compact model is one of the best stainless steel air fryers for a smaller space. And even though it’s on the smaller side with a 2.5-pound capacity, it’s just as powerful as larger models (the temperature maximum is 450 degrees!).
Beyond the temperature range, there are easy-to-use dials with a ton of different functions like air fry, bake, broil, and warm. I think this is an awesome pick for small families or one-person households, but I especially love the idea of using it for cooking up yummy snacks like my Air Fryer Pizza Rolls!
The Specs:
- Dimensions: 13 x 18 x 15 inches
- Wattage: 1800
- Weight: 15 pounds
- Number of functions: 6
- Capacity: 2.5 pounds
- Basket Material: Stainless steel
The Pros:
- Also a toaster oven
- Small size
- Max temp of 450 degrees
- Comes with accessories (a basket, baking pan/drip tray, and an oven rack)
The Cons:
- Some users think the fan is too loud
- Doesn’t have an auto-shutoff feature
What Others Are Saying
The Cuisinart Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven has a 4.5-star rating from more than 6,000 Amazon reviews.
Buy the Cuisinart Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven:
4. Best Air Fryer with Stainless Steel Basket: Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Oven & Toaster
This is one of the most unique stainless steel air fryers I’ve ever seen. This Ninja Foodi model can be flipped up on its end to stow away against your backsplash and keep space free when you’re not using it. So fun and cool!
When it comes to functionality, it’s definitely a shining star — there are eight different functions (air fry, air roast, air broil, bake, bagel, toast, dehydrate, and keep warm). The fry basket is also made of nontoxic stainless steel, so you won’t have any worries about unhealthy materials in your air fryer.
Just bear in mind that it is on the short side, so won’t be able to fit a whole chicken for roasting, for example, although it will fit lots of pieces of meat side by side on the tray. It can fit up to a 13-inch pizza or six chicken breasts, and it’s also a great candidate for my juicy Air Fryer Cube Steak recipe!
The Specs:
- Dimensions: 15 x 7.6 x 19.7 inches
- Wattage: 1800
- Weight: 18.56 pounds
- Number of functions: 8
- Capacity: Up to a 13-inch pizza, 9 pieces of toast, or 6 chicken breasts
- Basket Material: Stainless steel
The Pros:
- Flips up for storage
- Quiet
- Excels at roasting
- Tray and basket are dishwasher safe
The Cons:
- Short height
- Some reviews say it does not cook evenly
What Others Are Saying
Reviewed.com loved the design and ease of use of the Ninja Foodi Air Fryer, Forbes named it the best for small kitchens, and it has a 4.6-star rating from more than 27,800 Amazon buyers.
Buy the Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Oven & Toaster:
5. Best Digital Air Fryer: Instant Pot Vortex 6-Quart Air Fryer
I personally have the 10-quart model, because as you know, I have a lot of mouths to feed! If you don’t need an extra larger air fryer, I suggest snagging this 6-quart option that was also featured in my roundup of the best cheap air fryers. It’s the perfect size for a traditional basket-style air fryer!
Like my top pick from Instant Pot, this stainless steel air fryer is super easy to use, making it a good choice if it’s your first air fryer. The controls are simple to figure out thanks to the six different smart functions, like air fry, broil, roast, and bake. If you don’t want to use one of the programs, you can also adjust the temperature and time with the dial.
The Specs:
- Dimensions: 12.36 x 14.92 x 12.83 inches
- Wattage: 1500
- Weight: 15.98 pounds
- Number of functions: 6
- Capacity: 6 quarts
- Basket Material: Nonstick coated stainless steel
The Pros:
- Customizable one-touch programs
- Basket and tray are dishwasher safe
- Overheat protection and auto shutoff safety features
The Cons:
- Some users report a plastic-like smell during the first uses
What Others Are Saying
The Instant Pot Vortex has a 4.6-star Amazon rating from more than 65,000 shoppers. It’s also a top pick for both Food & Wine and The Food Network.
Buy the Instant Pot Vortex 6-Quart Air Fryer:
Other Stainless Steel Air Fryers I’ve Researched
The Breville brand is one of the very best and their air fryers are some of the highest reviewed on the market. If you have the budget to try this smart oven fryer, it would be a great choice. It has great functions and looks super sleek, but it’s close to $400, which is why it didn’t end up on my main list. The Breville Smart Oven Fryer is available on Amazon for $349.95.
Instant Omni Plus Air Fryer/Toaster Oven Combo
I’ve already told you how much I love my Instant Pot Vortex Air Fryer — so much so that I recommend both the 6- and 10-quart sizes. The Omni Plus model is another of the best stainless steel air fryers out there, but it’s huge (it’s 30 pounds with a 19-quart capacity!). It has 10 functions, so can really be used for almost anything, but it may be too overwhelming or too large for some. The Instant Omni Plus Air Fryer/Toaster Oven Combo is available on Amazon for $189.95.
The Gourmia brand is well-rated in general, although this air fryer doesn’t turn up on any of the big “best of” lists. From what I can tell, it seems to be an all-around decent model. It has a pretty big capacity of 7 quarts, decent power, 10 functions, and dishwasher-safe accessories. However, the basket itself isn’t stainless steel, and the preheat function may take a while, which can defeat the purpose of using an air fryer altogether. The Gourmia Air Fryer Oven is available on Amazon for $89.95.
Why You Can Trust Me
Hi! My name is Carrie and I’m the founder of Eating on a Dime. I develop all the recipes, style the food, and even take all the photos! My mission is to help other busy families like mine cook delicious meals on a budget without spending all of their time in the kitchen
I’ve been using my stainless steel air fryer for four years and find that it takes all the time-consuming mess out of delivering crispy snacks and yummy dinners to my 8 kids. In fact, I have two air fryers that I use all the time! I’ve used them so much that I’ve made about 70 different air fryer recipes to share with you, including my Boneless Pork Chops and chicken quesadillas.
To come up with my list of the best stainless steel air fryers, I considered my own experience, along with customer ratings, reviewers, and other editorial and food sites. I considered capacity, power, budget, and functionality, ultimately narrowing down my picks to five of the very best to shop.
What to Know About Stainless Steel Air Fryers
There are a lot of different factors to think about when buying a stainless steel air fryer. Before you make a purchase, it helps to think about what is important to you and how you will be using your air fryer.
Capacity
If you’re like me and cook for a large family, you’ll probably want a bigger air fryer than someone cooking for just themselves or one other person. Or maybe it’s more important to you to save counter space than to be able to roast a whole chicken in your air fryer. Sizes can go from around 2 quarts all the way up to 26 quarts, so make sure you are making the right choice for your lifestyle.
Type
Some air fryers have a jug-style basket that pulls out and others are more like a traditional toaster oven. Some basket models can only cook one type of food at once, but many oven-style air fryers have more than one tray (this means that you can cook protein and veggies at the same time).
If you want to pour a pile of fries or chicken nuggets in at once and just shake them to turn, go for a basket style (Hard Boiled Eggs is another one of my favorite recipes to make in a basket-style air fryer!). If you want to be able to toast and bake as well as air fry, the toaster oven style is perfect, but you will only be able to cook things like fries and nuggets in a single layer.
Storage
Think about whether you want to leave your air fryer out on the counter all the time, or if you expect to use it only once in a while and put it away in a cabinet. Mini models can be very lightweight, but larger air fryer ovens can get pretty heavy, around 30 pounds. You may find it easier to find space to store a basket-style air fryer than an oven-style one, but it’s ultimately dependent on your storage options.
Cleanup
Many air fryers have accessories that can go right in the dishwasher, so if that is important to you, make sure you look into that. Any parts that can not be washed in your dishwasher can usually be cleaned fairly easily with mild soap and hot water. Just make sure to wipe your air fryer down after each use!
Basket Material
If you are using a basket-style air fryer, some baskets are made from entirely stainless steel (or other chrome-plated steel) while others contain a nonstick coating.
How Much Does an Air Fryer Cost?
The cost of an air fryer varies a lot depending on the brand and how many bells and whistles you want. You can find a great budget air fryer for less than $40, if you want to (and in that case, I recommend checking out my list of the 5 Best Cheap Air Fryers).
On the other hand, there are plenty of more expensive options, some costing several hundred dollars. By paying more, you’ll often get a larger capacity, more functions, and fancier controls. Some of the most expensive ones even come with Smart features and work with apps, but you don’t need those to make yummy recipes! Remember, you don’t have to pay top dollar to get a good air fryer, especially if a smaller model will work for you.
Are Stainless Steel Air Fryers Better?
There are some great reasons to choose a stainless steel air fryer in addition to matching it with your other stainless steel kitchen appliances. Stainless steel can help make sure your food is cooked through evenly. They are also very sturdy. Additionally, stainless steel is nontoxic, so you can rest assured that it is safe for your family. Many top air fryer brands, such as Ninja, have models that are stainless steel as well as others that are aluminum or ceramic.
How to Clean a Stainless Steel Air Fryer
There may be accessories for your air fryer that can go in the dishwasher, so make sure you read the instructions to find out! Any other parts should be safe to clean with warm soapy water.
If you have a metal rack that is stubborn to clean, you can use a bristle brush on it, but don’t use it on any other parts of your air fryer that might scratch easily. Make sure to empty the crumb tray if it has one! If you want to make sure clean-up isn’t a tough chore, try to at least quickly wipe down the inside and outside of your stainless steel air fryer after each use.
Are Stainless Steel Air Fryers Safe?
Stainless steel is safe and non-toxic to cook with. If you are looking for the best nontoxic air fryer, then stainless steel is a great choice. Also, if you are wondering if you can use stainless steel cookware in an air fryer, yes, you can. Any oven-safe metal, such as stainless steel, aluminum, and cast iron, is safe to use while cooking with an air fryer.
Some fry baskets also come with a nonstick coating, which is convenient and easy to clean. There are concerns, though, about whether Teflon and other nonstick coatings are unhealthy to cook with. If you are worried about that, you may be able to order a stainless steel fry basket separately to use with your air fryer.
This varies from brand to brand, though, so you’ll need to do additional research to find out if a replacement basket is available and will fit in your air fryer.
Some of My Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
Now that you’ve decided on the best stainless steel air fryer, check out some of my favorite recipes below!
Prices were accurate at the time of publication.
