The 3 Best Air Fryers for College Students
Is an Air Fryer Good for College Students?
There is one thing that most college students are missing from home, and that is a great home-cooked meal. Studying, having fun and being constantly on the go makes the task of cooking meals really, really hard to tackle. An air fryer in a college dorm might just be the easiest and safest way to quickly whip up a decent meal!
The best part about using an air fryer in your dorm is that it cooks food fast, so you can get back to studying or hanging out with your friends. The other benefit of an air fryer is that it’s pretty easy to clean. You don’t have to worry about scrubbing down pots and pans after every use, which saves lots of time.
What should you look for in a dorm room air fryer?
First off, I recommend you make sure that it has easy to use controls. This will allow it to be set too cook and then forget about it. All our recommended air fryers today have auto-off features for safety and convenience.
Next you need to consider size, and make sure you don't go too big! Choosing an air fryer that is best for students will have a max capacity of around 3qt. Anything more is great, but probably won't be needed with every use. Compact size is your best choice here.
Are air fryers allowed in college dorms?
Most colleges have limitations on small appliances in their dormitories, so it is important to check with your college first. As a rule of thumb, an air fryer can be considered the same as a coffee maker by most colleges and universities. As long as they are used as intended there shouldn't be any issue.
Following safe use and setup, air fryers are not only safe to use in dorms or any small spaces (air frying in an RV for example!), they're also very convenient for students.
Durable Quality Built
All our recommended college dorm air fryers are top-quality cookers. All 3 of them have 1000s of great reviews and are well-designed appliances. You want a fryer that will last your students time in college!
Compact Size
Choosing an air fryer around the 3-4qt capacity is our recommended size for a college student. Enough space for cooking for themselves and a couple others and still fits on a shelf.
Easy to Use
If its clunky or confusing, you just know a student won't like using it. Sleek, digital and easy-to-use features are paramount here. We kept this top-of-mind in our 3 best air fryers for college students.
Our Top 3 Air Fryers for College Students
The #1 spot for best air fryers for college students goes to the Cosori 4qt Smart Air Fryer. This is one of the best all-around air fryers new in fall of 2022. Its design, features and product quality put it way out in front.
The brand new design is sleek and easy to use. 7 one-touch buttons for easy set it and forget it cooking. It comes available in white, sage green and truffle gray colors.
The coolest new features are what sets this apart from other comparable air fryers. New Amazon Alexa integration allows you to control your Cosori air fryer with voice commands. Setup your device, and make turning it on or off super simple.
Scan-to-cook takes it to another level. Simply scan the barcode of most of your favorite foods, and the app will tell you how to cook it for perfect results. Literally the best for busy students!
This is not the first time we've chosen a Cosori air fryer for top spot, as we love and use them in our own kitchens all the time. We think this new mid-size, full-featured Cosori smart air fryer is the best available for students today.
-> Smartphone & Amazon Alexa integration
-> Top-trusted Brand on Amazon reviews
-> Easy to clean non-stick
-> New sleek design in 3 color options
-> Scan-to-cook feature
-> 1500 watts cooking power
Recent Amazon reviewer: "I Love it! Easy to use, cooks great, easy cleanup. Love the app and Alexa functions. Best purchase ever!!"
Our runner-up is the Ninja AF101 4qt air fryer. Its a powerful, easy to use air fryer with a very slim profile. Cooking capacity of 4qt is perfect for dorm rooms, enough space to cook most meals. Basket will fit up to 2lbs of french fries easily feeds 2-3 people.
Ceramic coated nonstick components make it super simple to clean after use. Four different cooking modes enable you to air fry, roast, reheat or dehydrate foods. Pretty versatile option for busy students on the go.
-> Ceramic coated nonstick easy clean
-> 4 cooking modes
-> Very slim profile with great capacity
-> 40,000+ 4.8 star reviews on Amazon!
-> 1550 watts power supply
Happy reviewer wrote: "this was definitely a game changer. I actually look forward to making meals! Super easy to use and comes with a great recipe book. I highly recommend really for anyone."
Our third top pick is the Instant Vortex 2qt Mini Air Fryer. One of the best budget-friendly small air fryers available it is by far the cheapest on the list.
Featuring all the things a college student would need, like easy clean, one touch cooking modes and capacity for 1-2 people. It is a great choice as its slim design will literally fit into any dorm room.
We know that some students don't need that extra cooking capacity, and this is a very well-made and versatile option. Choose from 4 different colors.
-> Super slim design fits easily in dorm
-> Perfect for 1-2 people
-> Nonstick easy to clean
-> One touch programmable cooking modes
-> 15K+ 4.7 star reviews on Amazon!
-> 1300 watts of power supply
Happy reviewer wrote: " Smooth basket insert/withdraw, Quick Preheat, Fast and even cooking equivalent to full size premium fryers.
Basket is easy to clean Great size for 1-2 ppl "
Conclusion
Finally, an air fryer can make cooking easier for students who can't spend a lot of time or money on food each day. Each of these top 3 air fryers are compact enough to fit almost anywhere in a dorm room and they're extremely easy to use.
Our top pick going to the Cosori 4qt Smart Air Fryer. This was a pretty easy choice since we are partial to Cosori products, know and trust their build quality. Its important to have a sturdy appliance that can take the potential light abuse it might see in a dorm atmosphere. The Cosori 4qt smart air fryer gives the added bonus of incredible integrated smart and mobile features. Guaranteed to be a hit.
The Ninja AF101 4qt air fryer only lacks in the features, but is quite comparable in performance and cooking ability. Really it could come down to which one is on sale? Or if you really need the cutting-edge features, definitely go with the Cosori.
If budget is paramount, our third pick is one of the best mini air fryers you can buy. Considering its price at nearly half the first two fryers, the Instant Vortex 2qt Mini Air Fryer is really an incredible bargain.
I hope this helped you find the absolute perfect air fryer for your dorm. Do you still need help finding what air fryer is best for you? You should head over to our other air fryer reviews, recipes, and tips today! Cheers!
