Best Air Fryers in Canada 2023: Crispy Delights with Healthier Cooking

How to Choose an Air Fryer for Canadians

There are so many air fryers available in Canada. Where do you start? Whether you want to upgrade your old air fryer or you are shopping for your first air fryer, it’s important to keep the following features and options in mind. 

Style

There are two main styles available for air fryers. The style you choose depends on your available space and any additional functions you want to use your fryer for.

• Basket. Basket-style air fryers are the most common option. The basket slides in and out of the fryer like a drawer, and locks into place while cooking. Digital models display temperature and cooking time and allow you more control in general. Manual options are less expensive, but they are less accurate when it comes to temperature and time. Basket air fryers can come in two different basket shapes, which each have benefits. We’ll talk about them below.
• Oven. Oven or tray-style air fryers include racks and other accessories to perform many functions. You can use them like a toaster oven, as well as use multiple trays to make more food at once. The oven-style fryer includes a clear front panel so you can see what you’re cooking. They’re larger and can be used as a rotisserie, too.

Each type of air fryer has different benefits and drawbacks. You should evaluate how often you will use your air fryer, as well as which foods you will be frying before you make a decision. Choose the option that works best for you, your lifestyle, and the size of your kitchen.

Basket Shape

Basket shape can have a lot to do with how your food cooks, as well as how much food you can cook at once. Basket-style air fryers can come with either a round basket or a square basket. Round baskets are the most common and often less expensive. Food heats evenly because of the round design.

However, square baskets allow for more space at the corners of the basket. If you think a round basket might be too small for your needs, a square basket might be the right option for you. Square-basket air fryers take up more counter space, too. While the shape of the basket might not be the first thing you look for, you should consider these factors before you choose an air fryer.

Capacity

The capacity of the air fryer can be a huge factor in determining if it’s the right option for you. Capacity refers to the space inside the fryer, usually measured in volume based on the measurements of the interior cooking space. A larger capacity is better if you want to cook more food, and an air fryer with 10 quarts or more will be best for larger families.

Air fryers with square baskets usually have a larger capacity than options with round baskets, while oven-style fryers have the largest capacity. Keep in mind that oven-style air fryers might have space for multiple racks, which can increase their capacity.

Overall, choose the capacity that feels right to you. The standard capacity for an air fryer is around 5 quarts.

Power

Power, measured in watts, can often tell you how well an air fryer will work. This is especially important if you plan on using your air fryer often. You should also consider this when using your air fryer, and trying to use other appliances at the same time might cause power problems.

While each air fryer varies in power, you can expect to find options ranging from 1500 watts to 1700 watts. Larger appliances don’t always have more power, so pay close attention to this number. If you want fast, efficient cooking, a more powerful air fryer is always best.

Functions

Functions are preprogrammed options that set the time and temperature for you. These are usually set based on different types of food. For instance, you might find function buttons for fries, fish, chicken, and more. Functions don’t end at food cooking options, though these are the most common options.

Functions also include different cooking methods that your air fryer may be capable of. These may include bake, broil, roast, and toast options, as well as the dehydrate function. The number and description of these functions vary by air fryer.

If you plan on using your air fryer often and for different purposes, go with a machine that has a lot of functions. Some of the best air fryers in Canada have more than 10 functions to choose from. However, they aren’t necessary, especially if you want a simpler air fryer experience. If you just want to make french fries occasionally, you may not need a larger machine with multiple functions. Consider how you’ll use the air fryer before you decide on a purchase.

Cooking Assist Options

Cooking assist options are a different type of function. Options like Keep Warm, Preheat, Thaw, and Timer can help your cooking feel effortless. Even though the functions give you the proper times and temperatures for different foods, these options can help you with convenience more than anything.

The preheat function, for instance, often allows food to come out of the fryer crispy and juicy. Without this function, you have to figure out preheat times. Keep Warm allows you to keep the air fryer at a consistent temperature so that your food remains warm even after cooking. If you are cooking multiple sides and entrees for a meal, Keep Warm can ensure that everything comes out at the same time.

Cooking assist options vary based on the machine, but most are extremely helpful for every home cook.

Size and Footprint

Size is important when it comes to your air fryer, and not just when it comes to interior capacity. As a kitchen appliance, your air fryer should fit between your counter and the bottom of your kitchen cabinets. The more space your fryer has, the better! If your kitchen cabinets are very low or you have limited counter space, the size and footprint size will help you determine if the air fryer will be right for you.

Smaller kitchens should choose a round basket air fryer, as they tend to be shorter and smaller than a square basket or oven-style air fryer. Keep an eye on the product dimensions, which should tell you the height, depth, and width of the fryer. Measure the space you have in your kitchen and choose a fryer that will fit.

Temperature Range

The temperature range on your air fryer is one of the only ways to determine what it can and can’t do. A larger temperature range allows you to cook, bake, roast, and fry a larger variety of foods, while a narrow temperature range makes it easy to prioritize a certain type of cooking.

All air fryers vary a bit in their temperature range. The lowest we’ve seen is 90°F (32°C) in air fryers that have a dehydrate function. The highest temperature hovers at around 400°F (204°C). This is a great range, but not necessary if you don’t plan on using the dehydrate feature.

Without dehydrating, a great temperature range is from about 150°F to 400°F (204°C). This should allow you to cook just about anything you want and use any presets with ease.

Warranty

A warranty is a guarantee from the company. Usually, the length of the warranty is about how long they expect the air fryer to work well. During this warranty (and if you are using your air fryer normally), you can expect your unit to be refunded or replaced if it doesn’t work correctly.

Longer warranties are better for this reason. A fryer with a long warranty should last longer, according to the company. Make sure to check out all of the warranty terms and conditions before making your choice, as some companies can be very specific about meeting their warranty terms.

Keep in mind that not all defects are covered by the warranty. This is why checking the warranty information is important, as you want to make sure that any manufacturing issues will be covered going forward.

Certifications and Safety Features

You want your air fryer to be safe. Since they heat up rapidly, it’s reasonable to want some sort of overheating protection to keep your home secure. When you’re looking at air fryers, look for options that include auto-off switches, overheat protection, and other sensors to keep the machine from heating up too much, or too fast.

Certifications can help with this, but there are other types of certifications as well. Sometimes, you’ll see that an air fryer is certified to be BPA-free, or else the structure and design are certified to be as safe as possible. While these certifications may seem like they don’t matter, it can be beneficial to keep an eye out for them. The more certifications an air fryer has, the more quality control and analysis have gone into producing it.

Keep an eye out for legitimate certifications. It isn’t enough for an air fryer to simply state that it is certified in one area or another.  You should see seals or other documentation numbers to verify certification.