Best 26 Quart Air Fryer to consider (January 2024)
Buying guide for Best 26 Quart Air Fryer
Capacity – One of the biggest advantages of a 26 quart air fryer is its spacious interior which measures around 6-7 quarts. This size allows you to cook a 2 lb chicken or 3-4 servings of fries, chicken wings or other foods at once without overcrowding the basket. The large capacity makes batch cooking quick and easy.
Temperature Range – An air fryer with adjustable temperature ranging from 175°F to 400°F gives you flexibility to cook a wide variety of recipes. Being able to lower the temperature helps cook foods more gently while higher heat is good for crisping or browning. Look for a model with digital controls and temperature presets for common foods.
Smart Programs – Many premium air fryers now offer smart programs for common foods like fries, chicken, seafood etc. These programs automatically adjust time and temperature settings for optimal results every time with minimal effort from you. This makes achieving great results effortless.
Non-stick Basket – The removable non-stick air fryer basket should be sturdy yet easy to clean. Look for a basket with a comfortable handle and that is dishwasher safe. A non-stick surface prevents food from sticking and makes cleanup quick.
User-friendly Controls – Digital controls are best for their ease of use. Consider controls that are clearly labeled and programmed with presets. An audible alert and auto-shutoff are also useful features for carefree cooking.
Our Top Air Fryer Toaster Oven Picks
- Best Overall: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
- Another Top Pick: Cuisinart TOA-65 Air Fryer Toaster Oven
- Best Value: Cosori 12-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo
- Best Budget: Galanz 26 qt. Air Fry Digital Toaster Oven
- Good for Rotisserie Chicken: Kalorik MAXX 26-qt. Digital Air Fryer Toaster Oven
How we tested
As air fryers become more popular, there are now combo air fryer toaster ovens that can do more than one thing. Air fryers are basically small, strong convection heaters that move hot air around food to make it golden brown and crispy without using heavy fat.
Should You Buy an Air Fryer Toaster Oven?
Air fryer toaster ovens tend to look like larger versions of your classic toaster oven, but come with all the functionality of a toaster oven, air fryer and even roaster combined. If your countertop already houses a toaster oven and you’re wishing you had space for an air fryer, consider this the ideal more-than-2-for-1 upgrade.
For one thing, the shape is sleek and angular, meaning it will fit more easily into a corner and sit flush against your backsplash. And most of these combo machines are stainless steel making them very durable, while many solo air fryers are shiny plastic that can feel like it’s a bit of a cheaper design. Another pro? The air fryer-toaster ovens are designed to hold more food.
Many of these models can fit a 12-inch pizza, four-plus slices of bread and a whole chicken. No more batch cooking necessary, which means you can get dinner on the table for your whole family faster.
$449.95
Pros:
- All-in-one cooking appliance
- Crispy results without oil
- Intuitive touchscreen controls
Cons:
- Large size, small capacity
- Higher initial cost
The basic Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is a more average-sized machine that costs less. However, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is worth the extra money and room it takes up. With 13 pre-set features, such as air fry, slow cook, roast, broil, bake, cookies, pizza, toast, bagel, reheat, proof, dehydrate, and warm, the digital screen makes it easy to use. It’s easy to use because the rack settings are written right on the door. For most settings, this model has an extra step called a “preheat cycle.” It takes a few minutes longer and adds a level of precision to the cooking that you don’t see in many other machines.
This did everything correctly and quickly. It comes with a door that opens with a spring, which is strange at first but useful after a while. Like the first Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer, it comes with a 13-inch nonstick pizza tray, a wire rack, a broiling rack, a 9-by-13-inch enamel roasting pan, an air fry basket, and a crumb tray. You can also buy a bamboo cutting board, a pizza stone, and a pizza cooler pan as extras. The oven can also hold a 9×13 baking dish and a quarter sheet pan, so it can cook a lot of different things. You could also use a regular Dutch pot that holds 5 quarts in this machine. Also, it comes in a number of styles, so you can really buy one that matches your kitchen and style.
$299.95
Pros:
- Easy to use controls
- Large capacity fits big foods
- Air fries with little to no oil
Cons:
- Small viewing window
- Loud operation
- Plastic parts feel cheap
As a multicooker, the TOA-65 is the epitome of smart ease and flexibility. It’s easy to use, the pre-programmed choices make sense, and most of the features work well, so you don’t need to buy separate pieces of equipment for each one. Also, like many of our other top picks, the digital screen makes it easy to set to exact degrees, which makes cooking more accurate. This model made toast that was golden brown and had a good texture, and it made a half-bag of frozen fries in minutes. Remember that the air fry basket can be hard to take off, and wear oven mitts when you reach for your food. Following the directions on the package, the bone-in skin-on chicken breasts came out with juicy meat and crunchy skin after 45 minutes. The store-bought sugar cookie dough also baked well. This model doesn’t have as many setups as the Breville, but it should work fine for people who want to try different air-frying recipes without giving up the toaster oven features.
$199.99
Pros:
- Includes multiple cooking functions
- Large 5 quart capacity fits family meals
- Easy to use digital touchscreen
Cons:
- Plastic parts feel low quality
- Small viewing window
- Loud noisy operation
The Cosori Air Fryer Toaster Oven is a medium to large-sized appliance with a digital display that can do 12 different tasks, such as toast, bake, roast, air fry, grill, dry, ferment, pop, and warm. It has a big, clear window, and the door has rack levels for the most popular foods written right on it. This oven makes it easy to see what’s going on inside. This is a great deal for a big gadget that will live on the bar. It takes a little longer to get used to these settings than others, but they’re not hard; you just need to pay attention and read the instructions. This oven is big enough to fit baking dishes and quarter-sheet pans in addition to the pans that come with it. This gives you a lot of options for how to cook. This oven was good at everything it was used for.
Out of Stock
Pros:
- Extra large capacity fits full turkey/chicken
- Precision digital controls
- convection for even cooking
Cons:
- Very large takes up space
- Plastic parts feel cheap
- Loud noisy fan
There are 8 ways to cook on the Galanz air fryer toaster oven: air fry, grill, bake, toast, warm, pizza, dry, and convection. You can air fry, bake, and cook this in the oven well. When the toast feature was set to the darkest setting, the toast was badly burned. Some of the best players have a few more features than this one, but it still has a good range of features. It can take up to 6 minutes for the oven to heat up, which means that some foods may take a little longer to cook after that. Also, this one is a little smaller than some of the others, so it can fit better on the table. However, it doesn’t have room for a regular baking pan or a quarter-sheet pan, which makes it a little less useful.
$229
Pros:
- Large 26 quart capacity for parties
- Easy digital touchscreen controls
- Separate oven and air fry functions
Cons:
- Very big bulky countertop size
- Plastic exterior feels cheap
- Loud fan noise during operation
This was the only French door type that was checked out. It has 8 cooking modes that can be controlled by hand, such as air fry, grill, bake, toast, warm, pizza, dry, and convection. It also comes with parts for the rotisserie. The oven has rack heights that are clearly marked, and it comes with a manual that goes over how to use and take care of it, as well as a basic cooking guide, a quick start pamphlet, and a recipe book. It’s a little less accurate than digital types when setting the time and temperature because it has a manual input. It seems a bit more basic than some digital ovens, but it cooked everything the same way every time and was very simple to use.
FAQs:
Is a 26 quart too big?
No, it provides enough space for family meals and batches of food. Its size makes entertaining easy.
How messy is an air fryer to clean?
A 26 quart may involve more cleanup but non-stick baskets wipe clean easily and are often dishwasher safe.
Is air frying healthy?
Yes, it requires little to no oil so food is crispy on the outside yet tender inside. It’s a lower fat alternative to frying.
What foods can be air fried?
Almost anything! Vegetables, meats, seafood, snacks all cook up nicely with rich flavor thanks to circulating heat.
Do large air fryers use more power?
Power consumption may be slightly higher but modern models are energy efficient. Air frying also cooks faster than conventional ovens.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a 26 quart air fryer provides the capacity needed for feeding families and effortless entertaining. Its generous size allows making multiple servings of foods simultaneously yet the best models maintain all the benefits of air frying through intuitive design and functions.
For over 30 years, Nicolas Fonte has explored the great outdoors and tested all manner of gear. Through tireless adventures hiking the most remote trails and climbing the biggest walls, he has become the expert on rugged, reliable equipment. Now in his late 50s, Nicolas’ gear reviews are the most trusted resource for outdoor enthusiasts everywhere.
