Author

Stephen V.

Editor, Preheat Club

I write Preheat Club as an enthusiast — someone genuinely interested in kitchen gear, not a chef with a test kitchen or an engineer with a lab. That's the honest framing, and I keep to it deliberately.

What I actually do is the unglamorous part everyone else skips: read the manuals, compile the manufacturers' published specifications, check what each machine is really made of, and — the thing that started this site — work out what an air fryer costs to run, in cents, from its wattage and the national electricity rate. I'd rather show you a reproducible calculation than tell you I "tested" twenty machines I haven't.

You won't see me claim a credential I don't hold — no food scientist, no engineer, no test lab — because inventing one would be both dishonest and the easiest thing in the world for a competitor to disprove. The method is on the how we review page, in full, so you can check my work rather than take my word.

Recent work

The best air fryers of 2026, ranked honestlySeven picks from compact to 8-quart family, ranked on capacity, materials and running cost — with the one to buy first and the one to skip.
The best non-toxic air fryers, chosen by what touches your foodSix coating-free picks — glass, PFAS-free ceramic and stainless — ranked on the material claim, capacity and value, led by a true glass model.
The best air fryers for beginners, ranked by how hard they are to get wrongFive forgiving, easy-to-use picks ranked on simplicity first — from the simplest budget dial-model to a see-through basket that teaches you timing.
Air fryer deals, and how to spot a fake oneLive prices on seven air fryers worth buying, plus the part deal blogs skip: what a fair price is per size, and how to tell a real discount from an inflated list price.
The best small air fryers for one, two, and very little counterSix compact picks for one or two people, ranked on footprint versus usable capacity — including the smallest one we'd still recommend.
The best large air fryers for feeding four or moreSix family-sized machines across three formats, with the capacity math that stops you buying the wrong shape of 10 quarts.
The best budget air fryers, and the corners not worth cuttingSix inexpensive machines ranked by what they give up to get there — plus the one saving that always turns out to be a false economy.
The best dual-basket air fryers, ranked by what the second zone gets youSix two-zone machines ranked on the number that matters — the size of each individual basket — plus a coating-free option and one that converts to a single space.
The quietest air fryers, and how to tell before you buySix picks ranked on the mechanical facts that decide noise — motor type, fan speed control and format — instead of unverifiable decibel claims.
The best air fryers with a windowSeven see-through picks ranked on window size, interior lighting and whether the view survives a greasy cook — with live prices and honest cons.
The best air fryers to give as a giftSeven gift picks from a sub-$60 first air fryer to a buy-it-once splurge, chosen on setup, footprint and the odds it gets kept — with live prices.
The air fryer accessories actually worth buyingSeven accessories that solve a real air fryer problem, ranked — plus the honest warning about liners blocking the airflow your machine depends on.