7 Best Air Fryers Under $50 [2020]

In this article, I will try to help you to choose the best air fryer under 50 dollars that will give you a great air frying experience. First, I will discuss my method of choosing the top list. Afterward, I will present the review of the top 7 budget air fryers. Finally, I will end up with a comprehensive buying guide.

An air fryer has become an integral part of the modern kitchen. If you have no budget constraint, then you have a lot of good options to select the best air fryer for you. But what if you are in a budget? This is a challenge to pick the right appliance if you wish to go for an inexpensive one because you have very limited options to choose from.

Best Air Fryers Below 50 Dollars

Price range of an air fryer is too high. Good news is that you do not need to compromise quality even if your budget is too low. Let us find the list of top 7 air fryers that cost only 50 bucks or less. First, I will show you a comprehenive comparison among the models. After that, I will share my openion about each of these models.

Chefman TurboFry 2-Quart

Chefman is a renowned brand for its exquisite kitchen appliances. They have varieties of products on their list such as coffee makers, meat grinders, kitchen organizers, and so on. We had no confusion to choose Chefman TurboFry air fryer 2 qt as one of the top options for under 50 range. Find the details below.

Features – Chefman TurboFry

Temperature Range – You will have the flexibility to control the temperature from a range of 200°F to 400°F. Comparing with other best options in the same range, the temperature range is average.

Size and dimension- This is a 2 quarts air fryer. This is adequate to cook food for 2 persons.

Ease of cleaning – The basket is dishwasher safe and non-stick. Therefore, you need a limited effort to clean it. You do not require adding cooking spray or oil to protect the food sticking on the cooking chamber.

Control panel – Chefman TurboFry air fryer is integrated with two separate analog dials to adjust time temperature and time. The timer can set the time within a 30 minutes range. The system will be turned off automatically when the preset time is up.

Additional feature – Chefman TurboFry air fryer consumes 80% less oil than that of a traditional air fryer. The basket has been designed specially to allow a flatter surface.

Dash Compact Air Fryer 2-Quart

Dash is a popular name in the kitchen appliance industry. It supplies different sizes of air fryers to cater to different customer segments. After completing our study on their compact air fryer, I found it to be a perfect choice to place in my top list.

Features – Dash air fryer

Temperature Range – Dash air fryer can cook at temperature up to 400°F which is sufficient to prepare the maximum of the recipes that are cooked in an air fryer.

Size and dimension – This 2-quart air fryer is appropriate to cook for 2 people in a single batch. However, you can cook in batches to serve more people.

Ease of cleaning – Dash air fryer has a basket that is non-sticky. Therefore, you will not have to give much effort during cleaning. The basket is dishwasher safe as well.

Control panel – There are two different control panels for time and temperature settings. The timer can be set between 0 to 30 minutes. Both of the panels are analog dial.

Additional feature – Dash compact air fryer 2 qt has a distinguishing feature that they call ‘air crisp’ technology. This feature ensures 70% less oil consumption than that of the traditional air fryer.

Elite Platinum EAF-8061

This air fryer fulfills the criteria that we considered to shortlist the best air fryers under 50. It has some unique features that differentiated from the competitors. Below is the detail.

Features – Elite Platinum

Temperature Range – Elite Platinum EAF-8061 air fryer can cook at 180°F in the lowest range and 395°F in the highest range. I think this is comparatively a wider range of temperature to cook at.

Size and dimension – The volume of the food basket of this unit it 2.1 quarts. This is an average basket size compared to other air fryers in this range. It can accommodate at most 1.5 lbs of food in a single batch.

Ease of cleaning – Elite Platinum EAF-8061 air fryer will provide you a basket that is dishwasher safe. It also provides a non-stick food basket that is made of high-quality food-grade material.

Control panel – Like other inexpensive air fryers, it has two separate control dial – one for the temperature and other for setting the time. It also has some preset options for those who have less knowledge about the required temperature.

Additional feature – Frying, roasting, and backing can be performed with this single small machine.

Utopia Kitchen Air-Fryer

Although not that renowned brand, but this air fryer has some really worthwhile features. After grading as per our scale, it ranked in our top 7 air fryer list. Below are the features.

Features – Utopian Kitchen air fryer

Temperature range – Utopian Kitchen air fryer can cook at a temperature ranging from 180°F to 390°F maximum. Comparing other similar models, I think the temperature range is quite wider.

Size and dimension – This is a 3.2-quart air fryer which means a lot of space. You can cook for 3 persons in a single batch.

Ease of cleaning – The metal that has been used to build the basket and food tray is not of good quality. Therefore, it can be corrosive. You need to clean it with a soft detergent and dry up before storing it.

Control panel – Like other models that we have reviewed, this air fryer also has two manual dials – one for controlling the temperature and the other one for the timer.

Additional feature – Utopian Kitchen air fryer in integrated with dual fan convection technology. This technology makes cooking quicker and provides crispier food by ensuring an even air blowing.

Imarku Air Fryer

As a renowned brand for kitchen appliances, Imarku supplies different items other than air fryers. Their small budget air fryer can be one of the best options for a family of 2 persons for some unique features. Find the details below.

Features – Imarku Air Fryer

Temperature range – It can cook up to 390°F. Although the minimum temperature that is can produce is 175°F, as there is not a temperature controlling panel, you can not set the temperature on your own.

Size and dimension – This is a 2.6-quart air fryer which is good enough for a family consisting of 2 persons.

Ease of cleaning – The basket of this unit is dishwasher friendly and non-sticky. Therefore, it is durable and easy to clean.

Control panel – A single dial of this unit can be used for controlling time. There is no option to control the temperature. There is a sensor inside the machine which changes the temperature automatically. It has no other

Additional feature – Imarku Air Fryer is integrated with ‘rapid air technology’ which produces fast hot air blowing that is very important for the crispiness of the food. It also has a temperature sensor that changes the inside temperature as per the condition of the food without needing manual controlling.

AMAGARM Compact Air Fryer

We have chosen this air fryer for a multiple of good features. Comparing with other similar products, this one has ranked among the top 7 budget air fryer for the following good reasons.

Features – AMAGARM Air Fryer

Temperature range – AMAGARM Compact Air Fryer can cook at a constant temperature of 392°F. There is no option to lower the temperature. Therefore, foods that should be cooked at a lower temperature may not be prepared perfectly. Dehydration process, which requires a temperature below 200°F, will not be possible with this unit. Only some preset modes will allow you to cook at a lower temperature.

Size and dimension – This is a 1.6-quart air fryer. Therefore, this is suitable for preparing food for a single person in a batch.

Ease of cleaning – The basket is dishwasher safe. Therefore, you have the flexibility to choose the cleansing liquid as per your wish.

Control panel – There is a single analog dial to set the timer. There is no option to change the temperature. Although you will find some preset options that will allow some recipes to cook at lower temperatures.

Additional feature – Automatic shut off option prevents overcooking. The design of this unit is unique and patented in the USA.

Magic Chef Air fryer

Although this is not a popular name for the kitchen appliances, we have chosen their low-cost air fryer for the below reasons.

Features – Magic Chef air fryer

Temperature range – Magic Chef air fryer has the option to control the temperature within a range of 170°F to 400°F. This wider range will allow you to cook different food items as per your wish. The lower range temperature is good for food dehydration. Although below 150°F is better for this process, still if you want to dehydrate food with an air fryer, you will not find a machine in this range which will allow any below temperature.

Size and dimension – The capacity of this unit is 2.6 quarts. A family of 2 persons can conveniently cook food with this much of basket space.

Ease of cleaning – The food basket is non-sticky and dishwasher safe. The quality of the metal is good to withstand corrosion.

Control panel – Magic Chef air fryer has dual manual control dials – one for temperature and other for setting the timer. You can set the timer up to 30 minutes.

Additional feature – Other than the common features that I have already mentioned, the Magic Chef air fryer does not have any special feature to mention.

How did we select the top 5 air fryer under $50?

To find out the best air fryers below $50, we researched all available options we had. From a list of about 30 products, we have shortlisted the best 7 air fryers based on the following criteria-

Price

All our shortlisted air fryers priced between $40 to $50. However, due to the change in demand and supply dynamics, the price may change anytime. Because we had a budget constraint, we found it difficult to match so many options.

Users’ rating

Users make the purchase and they can tell you the most about the appliance. When making our list, we gave a close eye to the rating of the users’. From a scale of 100, we chose a product that had at least an 85% positive rating.

Users’ review

Consumers are the best reviewers. Therefore, we read both the positive and negative comments from the users of different platforms. Not all the reviews are justified. We made our judgment whether the review was worthwhile or not. We also cross-matched the negative or positive comments to verify the validity.

Common attributes and specifications

I also gave importance to the common features that a good air fryer should have. Therefore, I studied the features and specifications carefully when making my shortlist.

Features of an air fryer under 50 dollars

Temperature Range

Within which temperature range can your air fryer work? A budget air fryer might not give you enough flexibility. For example, if you want to dehydrate your favorite fruit then you must need a temperature below 150°F. But an air fryer below 50 might not have this option. A budget air fryer sometimes does not even have a flexible temperature range. It might work at a fixed temperature. Therefore, when you are going to get your air fryer at a minimum cost, you should expect a temperature ranging from 175°F to 400°F at most.

Size and dimension

What size air fryer do I need for my family? This is a commonly asked question from the consumers. If you are going to curb your budget, then you should not expect a large machine. An air fryer under $50 can be sized at most around 3 quarts but most commonly the size ranges between 2-2.5 quarts. This much volume is sufficient for cooking food for 2 persons. However, the tiniest size of an air fryer can be around 1.5 quarts. It will be appropriate for cooking food for a single person.

The dimension of a low-cost air fryer is small and compact. Most of the cases, it is as small as a coffee maker. Therefore, you need not think much about the space that is required to place in on your countertop. It is highly portable, weighing at most 10 lbs. If you do not have enough space in your kitchen, you can move it back and forth as well.

Ease of cleaning

The best air fryer under $50 is easy to clean. The basket will be dishwasher friendly and the tray will be removable. It will also be non-sticky. Therefore, the food will not stick at the wall of the basket. Therefore, although the cost is not much, you can still expect the ease of cleaning features from it.

Control panel

Almost all of the air fryers under 50 are included with a basic control panel. Two features that are very common – controlling the temperature and controlling the time. However, you can find a few models which have preset cooking options. In the majority of the cases, you will find an analog dial but a digital control panel is not uncommon.

Additional feature

Apart from the common features that I have discussed above, you may expect some additional features in an air fryer below 50. For example, some air fryers might have an integrated sensor that senses the food condition and changes the inside temperature automatically. Another example can be the dual blower fan technology.

Buying guide – what to look for when purchasing an air fryer below $50?

Basket size

The basket size will be equivalent to the size of your family. For example, if you have a family of 2 members, an air fryer of 2 to 3 quarts should be sufficient for you. Therefore, when choosing a budget air fryer, check the basket size. Although an air fryer under 50 will not cover for a but family, you have an option to choose between 1.5 quarts to 3 quarts.

Lowest temperature

Some users want to utilize the air fryer for multiple purposes. For example, if you want to dehydrate apples with an air fryer, then you will need a lower-level temperature of around 150°F. Although there is no air fryer under 50 that will allow you to the temperature that low. But still, few models will go down to 170°F.

What is your purpose?

Some air fryers are good for only air frying. But would you like to do other things such as grilling, baking, or even roasting? Within the range of $50, you may find some options that are good for multiple purposes. Therefore, know your purpose and choose the machine accordingly.

Who will be the user?

All the functions of an inexpensive air fryer are not friendly for all types of users. For example, for elderly people, an air fryer with a single dial and automatic temperature control system will be the best choice. On the other hand, if you are tech-savvy, you might not like the manual dial. Therefore, for you, a digital air fryer will be perfect that might cost you a few more bucks.

Basket material

Is the food basket dishwasher friendly? This will be a decision-maker because if you cannot wash the basket in a casual manner using any washing liquid you want, your life will be difficult. Also, you need to check whether the basket is non-sticky or not.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about air fryers under $50

Can I bake or grill with my budget air fryer?

It depends. If your air fryer has the option then you can do it. If not mentioned anything, you can still bake or grill with any air fryer but few models are built specially to perform these jobs.

Does a budget air fryer cook for a big family?

An air fryer under 50 can only cook foods for 2 persons in a single batch. Therefore, if you have a bigger family, you may need a higher capacity. However, if you think that you will cook in multiple batches then it is up to you. But keep in mind that it will kill so much of your time.

Are the manual control dials inferior?

In practice, digital and manual control panels are the same. The digital panel will show the status vividly and manual dials are like old school stuff. That’s the only difference. If you like a digital control panel then you may spend a bit more and get and an upgraded version. Air fryers with manual dial are inexpensive and good for senior citizens.

Can I dehydrate food with my air fryer?

The dehydration process needs low temperature and long-term heating. There are two hurdles if you want to dehydrate with your air fryer – temperature needs to be lower than 200°F and you need to run the machine for hours. Most of the air fryers will not go below 200°F. There is no air fryer below $50 which will cook for more than 30 minutes. Therefore, it is not practical trying to dehydrate food with a budget air fryer. However, you can try cooking fruit chips that may be cooked at a higher temperature within a few minutes.

Final words

I think now you know the ins and outs of an air fryer under 50. All the models I have picked on my list may look similar but each of these has distinguishing features. I think the detailed review will help you make the right decision. I refer you to the buying guide to know what to look for in a budget air fryer.

Thanks for the read. If you find it useful, you may share it so that others may also get benefited from it. I also encourage you to share any of your kitchen experiences with us through the comment section. Happy cooking!