Three Air Fryers Under $150, Tested on the Same Five Meals
Basket design and even cooking mattered more than wattage across three budget air fryers.
Air fryer marketing leans heavily on wattage numbers, but our testing found basket shape and airflow design mattered more for even cooking. We cooked the same five meals — frozen fries, chicken thighs, roasted vegetables, reheated pizza, and a small cake — across three air fryers under $150.
The model with a wider, shallower basket cooked fries and vegetables more evenly, with less need to shake the basket halfway through. A deeper, narrower basket from a competing model required shaking twice per batch to avoid unevenly cooked edges, despite having a higher wattage rating.
Cleanup varied more than expected: one basket's non-stick coating showed wear after about three weeks of regular use, while another held up with no visible change. For most households, basket shape and coating durability are better predictors of satisfaction than the wattage printed on the box.
