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Starting with the iPhone 15, Apple moved from Lightning to USB-C charging, so some people still have iPhones with a Lightning connector while others have iPhones equipped with USB-C. I’ve included a lot of different types of batteries and power banks on this list, including several that offer wireless charging, which continues to evolve. The latest iPhones have not only MagSafe wireless charging but Qi2 wireless charging. Pricier MagSafe-certified and Qi2-certified wireless chargers provide 15-watt fast-charging that’s twice the speed of standard magnetic wireless chargers. The iPhone 16 series supports 25W MagSafe charging, but no power banks on the market today do.

Read more: Best iPhone Chargers

What’s the best overall iPhone power bank?

There are a lot of great power banks on this list. The one I currently have at the top is the Baseus 5K Qi2 Picogo Power Bank with Kickstand because it’s a slim MagSafe-enabled battery that sticks onto the back of your phone and wirelessly charges your MagSafe-enabled iPhone at fast 15W charging speeds (the Baseus Picogo Power Bank 5K is half the price but only charges at 7.5W because it isn’t equipped with Qi2). The new Anker Nano Power Bank 5K Magnetic Charger costs a little more than the list-topping Baseus power bank but is also a good option for those looking for faster 15-watt wireless charging in a slim power bank.

What We Updated: August 2025

We added the Baseus 5K Qi2 Picogo Power Bank with kickstand, Anker Nano Power Bank 5K Magnetic Charger, Baseus Picogo Power Bank 5K, Sharge IceMag 2, Baseus Picogo Qi2 Magsafe 10K Portable Charger, Mophie Power Station Mini (Gen 3), Belkin Portable Charger 10K with integrated Lightning & USB-C cables and the Anker Soundcore P41i earbuds with built-in power bank. We also moved several older models to the other power banks we tested section and added additional details and specs to each product on the list.

Best power banks for iPhone for 2025

Factors to consider when choosing iPhone power banks

Lightning vs. USB-C

Every iPhone from the iPhone 5 in 2012 to the iPhone 14 series in 2022 used Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector for charging. With the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series, Apple has made the jump to USB-C. The differences between these two connectors matter only if you’re seeking out a power bank with an integrated cord. Otherwise, you’ll want a model with USB-C or USB-A output that can be used to charge your iPhone (or nearly any small electronic device) with the cable that came in the box.

Wireless charging: MagSafe vs. Qi

Most iPhones since the iPhone 8 and iPhone X models introduced in 2017 offer inductive wireless charging. Apple’s standard for these phones is called MagSafe, and power banks that are fully MagSafe compatible — like Apple’s own MagSafe Battery Pack — will charge iPhones at a fast 15-watt level when the power bank magnetically adheres to the rear of the iPhone. Many other more affordable models will still attach to iPhones magnetically, but charge them at half speed (7.5 watts). In all cases, you’ll need to make sure the iPhone has a MagSafe-compatible case. The iPhone 16 series supports 25W MagSafe charging with Apple’s MagSafe wireless charging puck. But no power banks on the market today do.

Wireless charging: MagSafe vs. Qi2

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series iPhones are compatible with the new Qi2 standard, which allows for faster wireless charging — up to 15 watts. But Qi2 portable wireless chargers that are capable of charging at 15-watt speeds tend to cost quite a bit more than wireless batteries that charge at 7.5-watt speeds. They also tend to heat up more than 7.5-watt magnetic wireless chargers. Again, the iPhone 16 series supports 25W MagSafe charging with Apple’s MagSafe wireless charging puck. But no power banks on the market today do.

Power capacity vs. weight

Most baseline power banks now start at a 5,000-mAh capacity, which should give you close to one full charge for an iPhone (Pro Max models have bigger batteries). Chargers with 10,000 mAh or more are available, but they’re larger and weigh more. That’s of particular note if you plan on traveling with the charger in a purse, backpack or pocket. 

A few more things to keep in mind when shopping for an external battery pack or power bank:

• A higher power output rating (mAh, short for milliamp hours) means more charges — but also a heavier portable charger weight. 
• For the latest iPhones (everything after the iPhone 7) you should buy a battery with at least a 5,000-mAh capacity, which should give you at least one full charge for a device. All of the models featured above hit that mark. 
• These best portable chargers for iPhone all use lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, and should thus always be stored in carry-on luggage when flying. Airlines and regulatory agencies are increasingly banning li-ion batteries in checked baggage.
• If you want maximum power output, opt for chargers with USB-C PD (power delivery) models, which should charge nearly every device smaller than a laptop, such as a tablet or Nintendo Switch.
• Multiple integrated charge cables or USB-out ports will allow you to charge more than one device at a time, such as an iPad or another iPhone. Just don’t expect to charge a laptop unless you get a power bank with 65 watts of output power or more, which is comparatively rare.

How we test power banks for iPhones

At the current time, we do anecdotal testing on these models. Each is fully charged and used on a recent iPhone model for at least a week in real-world conditions. We verify that charging speeds and recharge times are within expected parameters and — for models with integrated stands or cables — confirm that the connections and build quality are sturdy and free of any notable annoyances or caveats. 

Other iPhone power banks we’ve tested

Ugreen Qi2 magnetic power bank: Less well-known battery companies, like Ugreen and Baseus, are trying to take on Anker on Amazon with value power banks like this Qi2 magnetic wireless charger ($35). It’s fairly slim for a 10,000-mAh battery and offers up 15-watt wireless charging and 20W wireless charging if you plug the battery into a 20W or higher power adapter. This power bank can charge an iPhone 16 almost twice and is one of the more affordable Qi2-certified power banks.

Mophie Powerstation Plus Mini: If you have one of the newer iPhones with USB-C charging, or an Android smartphone with USB-C, the Mophie Powerstation Plus Mini ($50) is a relatively compact power bank with an integrated USB-C cable that offers 20-watt fast charging. The mini version has a 5,000-mAh battery that will fully recharge most smartphones at once. Mophie also makes a larger, 10,000mAh version that offers double the charging capacity, but it’s a little bulky and costs more. Note that while you’re charging the battery, you can also charge your device (the battery has pass-through charging).

Mophie Powerstation Plus: If you’re still using Apple devices with Lightning connectors but also want a power bank that can charge USB-C equipped devices, the Mophie Powerstation Plus ($80), while fairly price, is a nice option with its dual UBC-C/Lightning cable design. It’s a 10,000-mAh battery, so it can charge an iPhone 16 almost twice, and it delivers 30 watts of power from its USB-C port, so it can also provide some juice to a MacBook Air in a pinch. The smaller Mini version costs about $30 less and has only a single USB-C cable (it’s a 5,000-mAH battery), while the Mophie Powerstation Plus ($100) also has dual cables but adds retractable prongs so you can charge it in any power outlet.

Anker MagGo Power Bank 6.6K: The Anker MagGo Power Bank 6.6K has a 6,600-mAh battery and a foldable design with customizable viewing angles. It’s Qi2-certified, which means it offers 15-watt fast-charging capabilities and is fully MagSafe compatible, offering twice the speed of standard 7.5-watt wireless chargers for MagSafe-enabled iPhone 13, 14, 15 and 16 models and Android smartphones that support 15-watt wireless charging. Though it comes with a USB-C cable, you’ll need a USB-C charger with more than 15-watt output to hit those 15-watt charging speeds. You can take the power bank on the go or leave it plugged in to use as a wireless charging stand when at home. Its only drawback is that it’s a little bulky for on-the-go use.

Nimble Champ: Nimble’s updated Champ portable charger uses recycled plastic in its construction. You have to pay a bit more for going green, but it’s a nice, compact 10,000-mAh charger that features 20-watt PD fast-charging with dual USB-C ports (one on either side of the power bank) that allow you to charge two devices at the same time. If you are charging two devices, your charging speeds will be limited to 10 watts per device.

MyCharge Superhero MagLock: MyCharge calls its line of magnetic power banks Superhero MagLock, implying that they’re real saviors. I was impressed by their design. Not only do the batteries, which come in various capacities and colors, have strong magnets and stick really well to the back of any MagSafe-enabled iPhone, but they have raised coils, which are supposed to help reduce heat levels while charging. It does seem to work. All the MagLock batteries charge Qi-enabled iPhones at 5 watts, although you can get faster charging if you go wired and use a USB-C-to-Lightning cable. I also liked how there’s a chime when the charging starts and your phone tells you how much juice is left in the battery pack

Anker 523 PowerCore Slim 10K PD: The Anker 523 PowerCore Slim 10K PD ($28) is impressively slim for a 10,000-mAh portable phone charger and has a fast 20-watt USB-C out charging port (it’s also a USB-C input to charge its battery), plus a 12-watt USB-A out port. While the Anker 313 PowerCore Slim 10K is cheaper, this offers fast USB-C outcharging, which makes spending the extra dough a big plus if you have a USB-C-to-Lightning cable.

Mophie Powerstation 10K Stand with MagSafe: Mophie’s Powerstation Wireless Stand with MagSafe isn’t cheap but is a versatile 10,000-mAh battery with both a stand and MagSafe charger built-in and also has a threaded tripod mount at the bottom. Since this is an official MagSafe charger, the battery does charge at 15 watts, making this among the fastest wireless external battery chargers out there and will also charge the AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro models with MagSafe. If you use a USB-C-to-Lightning cable (not included) with it, you can charge at 20-watt speeds. You can also charge two devices at the same time.

Anker PowerCore III 10K Portable Charger: The Anker PowerCore III 10K portable charger has fast USB-C out charging (18 watts) as well as a USB-A port and up to 10-watt wireless charging. It’s not magnetic, so your phone won’t stick to it but it will wirelessly charge any Qi-enabled devices.

Mophie Snap Plus Juice Pack Mini: Mophie’s magnetic power bank is similar to Anker’s but is slightly slimmer (it’s suitable for a 5,000-mAh battery) and doesn’t have an integrated flap that converts into a stand. It’s designed to adhere to the back of MagSafe-enabled iPhone or MagSafe cases, it comes with a “snap adapter” ring to stick onto the back of Android devices so they’ll be magnet-friendly. 

Anker PowerCore Fusion Portable Charger (Currently Unavailable): This Anker model is effectively an oversized wall charger with a built-in 5,000-mAh battery. It’s got two standard USB charging ports for simultaneously juicing up your phone and a secondary gadget (or two phones). A little LED indicator on the side lets you check the charge level at the press of a button.

iPhone power bank FAQ

Adapting the infamously complex Watchmen graphic novel hasn’t exactly been all smiles. But HBO has stepped up with a TV series sequel of sorts that promises to be true to the original while breaking new ground. The show presents a cast of new characters plus several characters from the graphic novel in an intriguing new take on the superhero genre.

Let’s unpack what we know about HBO’s nine-episode Watchmen TV series, which premiered Oct. 20 on HBO and airs every Sunday. Based on reviews, the show looks like it’ll be a keeper — read CNET's review here, which delves into how the show is influenced by history and westerns as well as superhero comics.

Angela Abar: Regina King leads the cast as Angela Abar, a former detective of the Tulsa Police Force and mother of three. The police force must wear masks to protect themselves from the vigilantes raiding their homes, but Abar must also wear a metaphorical mask while looking after her children. By night, she takes on the role of Sister Night, a black-clad asskicker with an armory of cool superhero toys and her own Batmobile-style car.

Silk Spectre: Jean Smart, star of Fargo and Legion, takes over the role of Silk Spectre, the yellow-and-black suited hero played by Malin Akerman in Zack Snyder’s movie adaptation. Showrunner Damon Lindelof reportedly confirmed the character’s superhero identity at the 2019 Television Critics Association summer press tour. Smart’s character had been named as FBI agent Laurie Blake née Juspeczyk — the surname of the original Spectre, aka Sally Jupiter/Juspeczyk.

Ozymandias: Next on the prestigious cast list, Jeremy Irons takes on the role of “the aging and imperious Lord of a British Manor,” who looks a lot like an older Adrian Alexander Veidt, the comic’s superhero-turned-villain Ozymandias. In this alternate history, the billionaire genius masterminded world peace in the 1980s, but he killed 3 million people to do it — something the series will explore.

Also in the cast are:

Andrew Howard, Jacob Ming-Trent, Dylan Schombing and James Wolk also have parts.

For the best look at the new series so far, go no further than the official HBO trailer. There seems to be a female buddy cop duo forming between King and Smart’s characters, which we’re very down for. And did anyone see that weird tree hologram? The surprises keep on coming.

Just peeping out of Marvel's massive shadow, HBO made its mark at San Diego Comic-Con this year with a full Watchmen trailer. It offers a deeper look into plot details, including an explanation of why the police of this world wear yellow masks — to protect their identities from vigilante attacks. One of the most exciting clips is a shot of a blue hand picking up a blue mask. Is the space-traveling Dr. Manhattan ready to set up life back from Mars?

Our first look at HBO’s eight-episode adaptation revealed there’s not just one Rorschach mask-wearing vigilante out there, but a whole underground community: the racist group known as the 7th Kavalry. Their speaker, featured at the very beginning of the trailer, says, “We are no one, we are everyone and we are invisible.” The ominous chanting of “ticktock, ticktock” certainly sends a chill.

The trailers establish a war between an uprising of Rorschach mask-wearing vigilantes, reportedly known as the 7th Kavalry, and the Tulsa Police Force, who also don masks to protect their own identities.

The setting in Tulsa, Oklahoma, sets Lindelof’s adaptation on a different tone to the New York-set comic, although Dr. Manhattan nips off to Mars. With this story taking place after the events of the book and Zack Snyder’s 2009 movie, characters like the Comedian are likely to remain dead in the TV show’s timeline. But this doesn’t mean Lindelof can’t still dip into the graphic novel’s cast of characters who haven’t been portrayed on screen yet.

Lindelof likened his take to Noah Hawley’s Fargo TV series, which became “its own thing” from the Coen brothers’ original 1996 film, he told Syfy in April, 2018. “I wouldn’t call Noah Hawley’s version of Fargo an adaptation because the film exists inside of his world, and so everything that happened in the film Fargo, it does precede the television show Fargo.”

In a five-page open letter to fans he shared in 2018, Lindelof, a lifelong fan of the graphic novel, detailed his intentions not to adapt the “sacred ground” but to remix it. He flashed words like “original”, “contemporary” and “new faces” but also stressed that he wouldn’t “erase what came before.”

All the way back in 2009, before Snyder’s Watchmen came out, Lindelof described to CBR how the story had influenced his writing: “From the flashbacks to the non-linear storytelling to the deeply flawed heroes, these are all elements that I try to put into everything I write.”

Original writer Alan Moore hasn’t had anything to do with the show — he generally shuns adaptations of his work — but artist Dave Gibbons appears to approve of the series. “I found Damon’s approach to be really refreshing and exciting and unexpected,” he told Entertainment Weekly in September, 2018. “While it’s very reverential and true to the source material (by which I mean the Watchmen graphic novel that Alan and I did), it’s not retreading the same ground, it’s not a reinterpretation of it. It approaches it in a completely unexpected way.”

The ninety-minute first episode premiered on Oct. 20 and new episodes will air Sunday on HBO. In the UK you can see the show on Sky Atlantic and Now TV.

For the uninitiated, HBO is a subscription service that offers both cable and streaming with HBO Now so you don’t even need a TV. Bonus: You can stream HBO Now for free for 30 days.

Soundtrack fans, note that composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of The Social Network are on board.

Nicole Kassell, a HBO veteran from Westworld and Lindelof’s The Leftovers, directs the pilot. Lindelof praised Kassell for her work, posting on Instagram in June, 2018: “Yesterday, she called wrap on the pilot of Watchmen… and let there be no doubt — she WAS the pilot, navigating our owlship flawlessly from takeoff to landing.”

Like all good superheroes, Watchmen’s history hasn’t been all smiles. Zack Snyder’s 2009 film adaptation came off the back of two decades of development hell. Twelve Monkeys’ director Terry Gilliam flirted with the project before deeming the comic (gathered into a graphic novel in 1987) “unfilmable.” Others like Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) and Paul Greengrass (The Bourne series) entertained taking it on, before Snyder stepped up in 2005.

His final cut spanned 2 hours and 43 minutes, with an “Ultimate Cut” at 3 hours and 35 minutes. With an R-rating, six main characters and a world set in a complicated alternative timeline, response was split. But at the very least Snyder can claim to have given it a red-hot shot.

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This story was originally published Oct. 19, 2018 and is updated as news comes out.

If you’re aiming to eat healthier without giving up on flavor or convenience, an air fryer is the perfect companion. They use less oil to achieve the same crispy and caramelized texture you get from pan-frying, roasting, and broiling. To help you find the best, I’ve tested models from Ninja, De’Longhi, Breville, Phillips, Cosori and Dash.

From cooking whole chickens to crisping up chickpeas, vegetables or salmon, air fryers handle it all with ease. I make no secret of my love for air fryers, and I’ve been testing various models for more than five years. My list of favorite things to make in the air fryer grows by the week, but choosing the right countertop oven to make them isn’t as simple as it seems.

What’s the best air fryer overall?

When Ninja released its Ninja glass-bowl Crispi, we got a new favorite air fryer on our list after two years. The Crispi has loads of power and is easy to clean, plus the cooking chamber doubles as a portable food container. This is hands down the best air fryer to buy in 2025. And guess what? It’s available for just $180 — a bargain.

The dynamic glass Crispi is the air fryer we now recommend most, but there are several other picks to choose from that cost less, hold more food or feature additional cooking modes and methods not available on that model.

Read more: The Air Fryer Is the Best and Fastest Way to Make a Roast Chicken

Best air fryers of 2025

Recent updates

July 2025

The Ninja Crispi glass air fryer was tested and added as best air fryer overall

The Ninja 4-quart air fryer was tested and added as the best air fryer under $75

The Our Place Wonder Oven was tested and added as the best air fryer and toaster oven

Other air fryers we tested

Dreo Chefmaker: This souped-up air fryer has a built-in thermometer and tons of smart features. It works ggreen t but I found myself just using the basic air fryer function which makes it hard to justify the $359 price.

Dash Tasti-Crisp: I don’t have major complaints with this model’s function, but it feels a little flimsy for $60.

Crux Marshmello: This compact 3-quart air fryer did well in testing and the cooking basket was easy to clean. I wasn’t a fan of the control panels, which sport cutesy LED images in place of words, and it wasn’t abundantly clear what each one was for. 

Phillips air fryer: I had no issues with this air fryer and liked the sleek design and intuitive controls. It performed similarly to the Ninja 4-quart but that model, our top budget pick, costs $100 less.

PowerXL Air Fryer: This is another small air fryer that did well in testing, but I prefer the controls and sleek design of the more budget-friendly Gourmia 2-quart.

Instant Vortex: One popular option is the Instant Vortex. It’s priced in line with the other air fryers in this group. The Vortex is made by the same company that created the groundbreaking Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. Despite that, I wasn’t blown away by its results. Chicken wings and fried chicken were acceptable but not incredible and less juicy than what other fryers produced. My Brussels sprouts ended up overdone too, and frozen fries cooked unevenly.

Dash Compact Air Fryer: We found the Dash Compact Air Fryer to be underpowered. While the larger Dash Deluxe is a powerhouse, the Dash Compact struggled to air-fry almost everything we put inside it. Both french fries and Brussels sprouts were under-done and unevenly cooked. The only bright spot was chicken wings. They took 30 minutes, but I was treated to skin with some crunch. 

GoWise USA 8-in-1 Digital Air Fryer: You may not have heard of this brand, but this offering from GoWise is a solid choice. It didn’t cook the skin of my chicken wings evenly. That said, french fries came out crispy and crunchy, with fluffy interiors. The fryer also roasted Brussels sprouts well, no mean feat for this group of appliances. 

Chefman 3.5 qt. Analog Air Fryer: Another relatively affordable choice is the Chefman Analog Air Fryer. It’s tiny, too, offering just 3.5 quarts of food-frying capacity. The appliance delivered decent chicken wings, but it undercooked the Brussels sprouts and frozen french fries. We also found the Chefman’s timer control confusing. This dial is labeled in numerical increments of 10. The numbers are separated by groups of four dots, not nine, as you would expect.

PowerXL Vortex Air Fryer: You might consider purchasing the PowerXL Vortex, but we recommend against it due to its steep price and mediocre frying performance. We had satisfactory results cooking chicken wings in it, but this machine overcooked Brussels sprouts, and the french fries were just OK.

DeLonghi Rapid Crisp: The DeLonghi Rapid Crisp was one of the most expensive models we tested, and it just didn’t live up to the price tag. While I liked the design and sturdy build and appreciated the small viewing window for watching the cooking progress, I found the buttons and interface clunky. There was no way to set an actual cooking temp, only presets, and even those weren’t very intuitive. 

Beautiful Air Fryer by Drew Barrymore: This air fryer offering from the actor’s new kitchen line performed well in the four rounds of testing. It showed good power and cooked chicken wings to a nice crispy outside and kept them juicy inside after about 25 minutes. The air fryer’s interface is slick, although I liked the Ninja’s simpler control panel more, which is one of a few reasons it edged out this unit for best air fryer overall. This is a great option and is about $30 cheaper than the Ninja. It also has a pleasing design with smooth matte plastic (which does smudge a bit). 

How we test air fryers 

To date, we’ve tested well over a dozen air fryers to curate this list. Each air fryer is evaluated for its power, consistency, ease of use, design, features and overall performance. In total, we’ve logged results for more than 20 air fryers and over 75 hours of air fryer testing.

There are hundreds of recipes that can be made with an air fryer but we stuck to the basics and focused on the most popular foods people associate with air fryers. Chicken wings are at the top of that list, but french fries, frozen snacks and dense vegetables — in this case, Brussels sprouts — are air fryer food staples. Before we began, we consulted each model’s manual for relevant cooking directions. If the manual didn’t provide specific instructions, we applied uniform procedures to each air fryer depending on the type of food we were preparing. 

For chicken wings, we followed a basic air fryer recipe. First, we preheated the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cooked them for 25 minutes in the basket with the included tray, then checked on them and turned them every 8 minutes. Most of the air fryers we tested had a solid showing in the wing test, although some, including the powerful Ninja and Cosori Lite models, got the wings a bit crispier in that amount of time.

For Brussels sprouts, we preheated the ovens to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and cooked them for 15 minutes. Before cooking, we rinsed and cut the sprouts in half and tossed them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. In this test, some ovens struggled to brown the outside of the sprouts, but most got there eventually.

For the french fry test, we opted for Alexia’s frozen crinkle-cut fries and cooked 1 cup, according to the air fryer directions on the bag. Quick note: Be careful when cooking fries in an air fryer as some types, especially thinner-cut fries, can dry out easily when hit with super-convection. We recommend heftier waffle fries, tater tots, crinkle cut or potato wedges over the shoestring variety.

At the end of each test, we looked for how evenly the items were cooked, if they were cooked through and whether they had a sufficient level of crispy, crunchy, fried goodness comparable to deep frying or pan frying.

Ease of use

Beyond cooking performance, how easy an air fryer is to operate and how intuitive the buttons and controls were something we observed closely during testing. Overly complicated settings, controls and presets didn’t generally result in high marks, but certain features were appreciated. All air fryers have base-level control over the temperature and cook time, although some are controlled digitally while others require the crank of simple manual dials. From there, you’ll find preset programs for various foods such as wings, fries, fish, veggies and even baked goods.

How well they cook

To get a sense of how each air fryer in this test group handles, we ran a battery of three tests on each model. Each test focused on one food: chicken wings, Brussels sprouts and frozen french fries. 

What health experts say about air fryers

The Cleveland Clinic: “They [air fryers] won’t magically remove the saturated fat from bacon or the trans fats from a bag of processed chicken wings. To reap the benefits, reach for better-for-you options like vegetables and lean proteins….Think of the air fryer as a way to enhance healthier foods, so they’re even more tempting.”

Medical News Today: “Research on the effects of air-fried food is promising. Air fryers appear to be a healthy alternative, offering flavors similar to fried food with fewer adverse effects.”

British Heart Foundation: “If you often eat deep-fried foods, switching to an air fryer could be helpful.”

Buying guide: What to consider when choosing an air fryer

An air fryer can bring efficiency and simplicity to your nightly meal routine. It’s easy to make a quick and delicious meal with the best air fryers in your kitchen. They are not only healthier than an oven but also use less energy. Check out the complete guide to air fryers to learn more about these great kitchen appliances.

Pod-shaped air fryers vs. air-frying toasters

While the idea of a toaster oven that doubles as an air fryer is a good one, and the air frying function on many of the hybrid machines is proficient, certain foods we love cooking in an air fryer are too messy to cook in a toaster.

All pod air fryers have removable cooking baskets and most of them are nonstick. When you’re cooking chicken thighs with a sauce or even veggies drizzled with oil — a few favorites — there is going to be some inevitable splatter. Air frying mode is intense, with high convection heat circulated at a fast pace. Do this in a toaster oven, which is markedly more difficult to clean, and you’ll be dealing with some serious caked-on gunk after the first few dozen uses. 

Pod air fryers, on the other hand, take very little effort to get clean. Most air fryer baskets are now thicker and also nonstick. Beware of thin wire baskets, which can be tougher to clean. Both types can be removed to soak in the sink and some can be run through the dishwasher. The same can’t be said for the inside walls of a countertop oven.

If you’re buying a toaster oven, there’s no reason not to get one with an air fryer function. It can still be used for less splatter-prone foods such as potatoes, frozen empanadas and filets of salmon with too much risk of making a mess.

For more, read CNET’s complete guide to air fryers.

Air fryer size

While there are several features to consider, the size of your air fryer is likely the most important decision you’ll make. If you’re typically cooking for one or two people, a 2- or 3-quart air fryer should be large enough. Consider adding another quart of capacity to your air fryer for every person that you’re regularly cooking for.

A family of four or five, for instance, should be fine with a 5-quart model. If you plan on regularly cooking full meals for a family, including meat and veggies or sides, you might consider a larger, dual-basket air fryer like the Ninja DualZone.

All that said, the smaller the air fryer you can get away with the better. I’ve found that smaller air fryers such as the Magic Bullet 2- to 5-quart model and Instant Pot’s Duo Crisp net better results since food will get blasted faster and more often than inside a larger model. Smaller air fryers mean less overall capacity, so you may have to cook in batches.

Power

Most air fryers are somewhere between 1,200 and 1,800 watts. Larger air fryers typically have more wattage and smaller models have less. Your midrange 4-quart air fryer should have about 1,500 watts. The small Magic Bullet and Gourmia air fryers have 1,300, but that’s plenty of power to cook food in the petite basket. Larger air fryers should have about 100 more watts per quart to make sure they hit those hot temps of 400 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Air fryer accessories

Some fancy models may come with extra accessories, but all you need is an air fryer basket with wire or nonstick grates. They come standard with most air fryer models and help the super-convection to hit all sides of your food evenly. I prefer the nonstick variety as wire baskets can be particularly tricky to clean. 

Should you just get a normal air fryer or a multifunction model?

That depends on the type of cooking you’ll do and what other appliances you already have. I like having a solo air fryer, but I’m also a fan of the Instant Pot Duo Crisp which functions as both an air fryer and a multicooker (also a pressure cooker and slow cooker).

Consider how the air fryer looks, too

Air fryers don’t have to be kept on the counter but anything larger than 3 quarts might be tricky to store when not in use. Considering that, you should get an air fryer that compliments your kitchen. Both the Ninja and Cosori models are available in a range of colors (Cosori has more). There are also glass bowl air fryers and more modern-looking machines.

As Facebook deals with the fallout from a scandal involving misused data from 50 million user accounts, the social network said it’s getting outside help to investigate the matter.

The company on Monday said it’s hired the digital forensics firm Stroz Friedberg to conduct a comprehensive audit of Cambridge Analytica, a consultancy used by the Trump campaign that received the data from a third-party app developer.

Over the weekend, The New York Times and the Guardian reported that the data initially came from Cambridge professor Aleksandr Kogan, who created the app “thisisyourdigitallife,” a personality quiz that was billed as “a research app used by psychologists.”

Kogan legitimately gained access to information on 270,000 accounts through Facebook’s Login feature, but then broke the social network’s rules with app developers by passing the data onto Cambridge Analytica. Chris Wylie, who worked for the consultancy, is the whistleblower who took the story to the press.

Facebook found out about the violation in 2015 and demanded all parties involved destroy the data. But now there are allegations not all of the data was deleted.

“We are moving aggressively to determine the accuracy of these claims,” Facebook said in a blog post. “We remain committed to vigorously enforcing our policies to protect people’s information.”

In addition, Andrew Bosworth, a top Facebook executive who used to run the company’s ads business, weighed in on why the audit is necessary. “We don’t actually know what the truth is here,” Bosworth wrote on his Facebook page. “We need to investigate and are asking for a full audit.” 

Facebook said Cambridge Analytica has given the forensics firm complete access to its servers and systems. The social network also said it asked Kogan and Wylie to submit their own audits. Kogan has agreed but Wylie declined, Facebook said.

At the time Kogan allegedly collected the information, Facebook allowed developers to also access information not only from the people who opted into the feature, but some other data about their network of friends. That added up to info from 50 million accounts, according to the Times. (Facebook changed its rules three years ago to stop developers from seeing information about people’s friends.)

“Kogan’s app would not be permitted access to detailed friends’ data today,” Facebook said.

Updated, 2:14 p.m. PT: Adds statement from Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth about the audit. 

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Sure, pinatas are fun. They’re an engaging little birthday-party activity that ends in a delicious sugar rush. Drones are fun too, buzzing around capturing cool aerial video and terrifying cats. Add the two together and you’ve got a drone pinata, which hits the sweet spot on all accounts.

The guys behind cool-stuff store Vat19 wanted to celebrate receiving 2 billion views on their YouTube channel, and decided a drone pinata was the obvious answer. They had a custom pinata made in the shape of a gummy bear, since one of their most famous products is a 5-pound, $36 (£25, AU$49) gummy bear.

The pinata was filled not with actual gummy bears, but with cereal marshmallows, also sold on the site (1200 marshmallows for $8). It turned out to be a pretty tough opponent, too, seemingly taunting the baseball-bat swinging assassins and even dive-bombing one of them.

In the end, the lightweight drone and crepe-paper bear were no match for an aluminum bat and a few well-placed Bryce Harper-like swings. Get out your own bowl of popcorn — or cereal marshmallows or gummy bears — and sit back and enjoy the destruction. Please note: No real bears, gummy or otherwise, were harmed during the making of this video.

With so many varieties of wine available, finding the right one to pair with your food or to bring to your occasion can be a lot if you’re not a wine connoisseur. Now, thanks to the help of some of the best apps, you don’t have to be an expert to find good wines or know what they pair with. We tested and gathered all the best wine apps currently available so you can decide which sounds right for you.

I’m still getting my sea legs when it comes to picking out wine, and the local liquor store tends to make my eyes cross. Armed with these excellent and (mostly) free wine apps, I’ve become a more confident wine buyer, finding better wine that’s in my wheelhouse and discovering new varieties. Since most of these apps let you compare wine prices both from online and local vendors, you’ll never overpay for a bottle again. 

These are our three favorite wine apps for 2024. 

Read more: Best Wine Clubs for 2023

Editors’ note: This story was originally published on Feb. 9, 2015, and has been updated with new apps and information.

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