The average U.S. household uses their air fryer 4.2 times per week—a figure that has surged 400% since 2020. This shift is not just about convenience; it’s about power.

Here is the surprising statistic: The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that widespread air fryer adoption could slash household cooking energy consumption by up to 50%, effectively replacing traditional ovens for more than a third of cooking occasions.

This means the air fryer is no longer just a trend for making healthier fries; it is rapidly becoming the single most energy-efficient and important cooking appliance in the modern home.

But with hundreds of models flooding the market—from huge dual-basket units to sleek, smart ovens—how can you be sure the air fryer you buy delivers on the promise of both efficiency and exceptional cooking performance? Will it truly save you time and energy, or will it just collect dust on the counter?

That’s the question we set out to answer. We put the top 5 air fryers of 2025 through a brutal, side-by-side Torture Test—analyzing everything from power draw and heat-up speed to actual results on family-sized batches of chicken wings and frozen chips.