4 Best Air Fryer Toaster Ovens of 2026, Lab-Tested and Reviewed
These standouts do the work of both appliances with great results
When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.
Toaster ovens not only toast but also bake, reheat, broil, and, increasingly, air-fry for crispier results, often in less time than baking. In Consumer Reports’ ratings, 60 models have this designated function. Here’s what makes these multitaskers so appealing and which models come out on top, according to our rigorous tests.
Is an Air Fryer Toaster Oven Worth It?
If you’re in the market for a new toaster oven and tend to like your food crispy, getting a model with an air-fry mode may be a smart move. While the feature often comes at an additional cost, there’s a wide range of options—and prices—to choose from. The most expensive air fryer toaster oven in our ratings costs around $500, but the least expensive models cost a fraction of that.
Our tests show that regardless of price, the air-fry mode on these appliances tends to deliver pleasing results. What’s more, buying a top-performing model can save you more than $100 compared with purchasing a top-rated conventional toaster oven and an air fryer separately. Plus, you’ll save counter space, and that’s a key consideration in most kitchens.
Best Air Fryer Toaster Ovens
The top models in our ratings and all toaster ovens that we test, for that matter, go through a series of evaluations. We assess each model’s toasting performance, reheating evenness, baking results, ease of cleaning, and ease of use. Results from those tests can help you choose the right air fryer toaster oven. Four of the top models from our ratings are listed alphabetically below.
Air Fryer vs. Toaster Oven
Toaster ovens with an air fryer mode are equipped with a fan to circulate hot air, just like a dedicated air fryer. The result? Food cooks up fast and emerges “fried” with little or no oil. But our evaluations have found that you’ll probably get crisper results from a dedicated air fryer.
The difference lies in the dedicated air fryer’s smaller size compared with that of a toaster oven. In fact, the four toaster ovens featured in this article have larger capacities than even the largest air fryer we tested. Food in an air fryer gets a more concentrated blast of heat, allowing it to crisp more evenly and faster (up to about 40 percent quicker, depending on the food, according to a staffer who has cooked with both in her kitchen). So you can expect your air-fried french fries to have an undeniable crispness.
Which Is Better: Convection Mode or Air Fryer Mode?
Some toaster ovens have a convection function in addition to an air-frying feature. While similar, they’re best used for different things, so the optimal setting depends on what you’re cooking and what you want the results to be.
A toaster oven’s convection mode uses heating elements at the top and bottom of the oven, which work with a fan at the back of the cavity. This fan helps provide a uniform temperature within the oven and allows food to cook faster than in a conventional oven. Bakers especially appreciate convection mode because it allows multiple racks of, say, cookies, to achieve the same results. But it’s also a handy way to roast meats or cook casseroles more efficiently.
Air-frying is a type of convection cooking, but the fan runs at a higher speed, directing a hot airstream onto the food. To run a toaster oven on air-fry mode, you place the food in a dedicated mesh basket (which is typically included with the unit, along with a drip tray) instead of a pan, so that the air can circulate all around the food—top, bottom, and sides—creating a completely crisped surface.
BEST TIME TO BUY:
