Best KitchenAid Air Fryer: Which Countertop Oven Is Worth It?

Three current KitchenAid ovens include an air fry basket, and each one suits a different kitchen. Ratings are our scores out of 5.

We judge each oven on the things that decide whether it earns a permanent spot next to the stove. That means crisping on frozen fries, wings and bacon, real capacity with a 9x13 pan, how loud the fan runs, how much counter it eats, and how easy the crumb tray, hinge and rack are to clean. Each oven is scored out of 5, and the scores reflect how we would rank them for a household cooking on them most days.

Across the three ovens, the same handful of foods did the sorting. Frozen fries come out crisp in about 12 to 15 minutes on the KCO124BM, and the no-flip basket browns them evenly without a mid-cook flip. Toast browns evenly across a full batch on the medium setting, though the shade selector runs a little darker than the dial suggests. On the KCO224BM, fries needed the default time cut by about two minutes to stay crisp, and bacon cooked evenly with no turning but ended slightly softer than pan-fried. A 12-inch pizza fits with no cold spots.

Everything here sits in the KitchenAid line, so we also judged each model against a basket air fryer, since that is the appliance most shoppers are really replacing. Our other write-ups of KitchenAid appliances use the same scoring approach.

KitchenAid Digital Air Fry Countertop Oven (KCO124BM)

Who it suits: anyone who wants to retire a toaster oven and a basket fryer in one move. Who should skip it: cooks with a compact kitchen, since it takes a significant chunk of counter.

KitchenAid Digital Countertop Oven with Pizza Stone (KCO128BM / KCO128CU)

Who it suits: pizza-night households that also want an air fry oven. Who should skip it: anyone who will bake on a pan anyway, because the KCO124BM does the same cooking for less.

KitchenAid Dual Convection Countertop Oven with Temperature Probe (KCO224BM)

Who it suits: cooks who roast chicken, pork or fish regularly. Who should skip it: anyone who mostly reheats and air fries, since the probe adds cost and bulk you will not use.

What Are You Replacing?

Start with the appliance leaving your counter. If it is a toaster oven, any of these three is a clear step up. If it is a basket fryer, read the oven-versus-basket section below first, because the trade-offs are real. Our guide to air fryer vs. convection oven covers the cooking differences in more depth.

Knobs vs. Touch Controls

The KCO124BM pairs dials with a digital display, and we like that combination for daily use. Dials are fast to set with wet hands, and the display shows temperature and time. The oven does not shut off when the door opens, and there is no pause function, so the countdown starts right after preheat. Check the control panel on the KCO128 and KCO224BM listings before you buy if control style matters to you.

Capacity for Your Household

These ovens are wide and flat rather than tall. That favors single-layer air frying, but it limits height, and a 9x13 pan is about the limit for baking. A loaf rising on the lowest rack touched the heating elements and scorched, so tall bread needs the pan on the very bottom. For a household of four or more, the KCO224BM's extra capacity is worth a look.

A KitchenAid air fry oven is a toaster oven that learned to crisp, not a basket fryer in a bigger box.

Pizza Stone and Probe: Do You Need Them?

The pizza stone is the easier feature to skip. The probe is different. It is the feature that earns its price, because it alerts you at target doneness and removes the guessing from roasts.

Capacity and Counter Footprint

A KitchenAid oven has a large footprint and takes a significant chunk of counter, so it does not suit a compact kitchen. In exchange, you get a rack, a 9x13 pan and room for two chickens, which no basket fryer offers. A basket unit wins on size alone.

Crisping Results and Flip vs. No-Flip

The no-flip basket handles fries and vegetables well, and we did not need to open the door mid-cook. Wings are the weak spot: they cook slower and come out less golden than in a basket fryer, and bacon takes about 15 minutes and crisps unevenly front to back. Recipes written for basket fryers also need about 20 degrees more heat in these ovens. The fan runs quiet compared with a dedicated basket fryer, though it can hum if the wire rack sits at a slight angle.

Cleaning

Some parts of the oven are easy to clean, while others are awkward to reach. The interior wipes down, and most accessories are dishwasher safe. The crumb tray is shallow, though, and the nook around the door hinge collects crumbs that are hard to reach.

If a KitchenAid oven is not the right fit, these two are the alternatives we would check. Our guide to the best Ninja air fryer ovens covers that brand in depth.

If you would rather have a true basket unit, browse our picks for the best Dash air fryer, the best Beautiful air fryer or the best Gourmia 4 quart air fryer. All three are basket-style, which is the format KitchenAid does not make.

Give the food space. The cavity is wide and flat, so a single layer on the basket crisps far better than a pile. Add about 20 degrees to any recipe written for a basket fryer.

For dishes to start with, see our easy air fryer recipes for beginners. Fries, fish and vegetables suit these ovens best.

The choice comes down to what you cook most.