Air fryers are the single most discounted product category of Black Friday. They are also the category where the struck-through price is least trustworthy.

This page explains how to judge an air fryer or grill deal, and links to our individual guides.

What we do: we do not cook with these appliances to test them. We narrow the field and explain what to check. For hands-on kitchen testing, use a dedicated appliance publication.

When the deals run

Black Friday falls on Friday, November 27, 2026 and Cyber Monday on Monday, November 30, 2026. Kitchen appliances are used as doorbusters, so the deepest prices often appear in the first hours and sell out rather than lasting the weekend.

How to judge an air fryer deal

Ignore the percentage, look at the price

List prices in this category are set high specifically so the discount looks dramatic. A model advertised at seventy percent off is not automatically better value than one at thirty percent off.

Compare final prices between models of the same capacity instead.

Capacity matters more than brand

The most common regret is buying too small. A basket that fits a meal for two will not fit a meal for four, and no feature makes up for that.

As a rough guide: two people are served by a small basket, a family of four needs a noticeably larger one, and dual-basket models suit anyone cooking two things at once.

Basket, oven or multi-cooker

Basket fryers are fastest and easiest to clean. Toaster-oven styles cook more at once and replace a second appliance. Multi-cookers that add pressure cooking do more but are bulkier and slower to clean.

Check the parts that wear

Non-stick baskets wear out. Look at whether the basket is dishwasher safe and whether replacements are sold separately, because that decides how long the appliance lasts.

Grills work the opposite way

Black Friday lands at the end of the grilling season in most of the country, which makes it genuine clearance rather than a manufactured event. Reductions on pellet and kamado grills are often real, and stock of discontinued models is cleared properly.

The trade-off is choice: you are buying what is left, not what is new.

Browse deals by type

Air fryers

Grills and outdoor cooking

Mistakes that cost money here

Buying on discount percentage. The list price is the number being manipulated, not the sale price.

Buying too small. Capacity is the one thing you cannot fix later.

Ignoring counter space. Air fryers need clearance above and behind for airflow. The box dimensions are not the space it needs.

Buying a multi-cooker to save space. They are usually larger than the single-purpose appliance they replace.

Frequently asked questions

Are air fryer Black Friday discounts real?

The final prices are genuinely low, but the advertised percentage is inflated by a high list price. Compare final prices across models of the same capacity rather than trusting the percentage.

What size air fryer do I need?

A small basket suits one or two people. A family of four needs a noticeably larger one. Buying too small is the most common regret in this category.

Basket fryer or toaster-oven style?

Basket models heat faster and clean more easily. Toaster-oven styles cook more at once and can replace a separate oven or toaster on the counter.

Is Black Friday a good time to buy a grill?

Yes, and for a different reason than most categories. It falls at the end of the grilling season, so reductions are genuine clearance rather than a manufactured event. The trade-off is limited choice.

Do air fryer deals last the whole weekend?

Often not. Kitchen appliances are used as doorbusters, so the deepest prices appear early and sell out rather than lasting through Cyber Monday.