u/Free-Palpitation-144

I’m still pretty new to air frying and I made the mistake of putting way too much food in the basket yesterday. It technically cooked, but it definitely didn’t come out as crispy as I expected.

Does overcrowding really make that much of a difference, or was I just doing something else wrong?

Do you usually cook in a single layer, or is a little overlap okay? And when you have a lot of food to cook, is it better to just do multiple smaller batches?

Trying to figure out how strict I actually need to be about not filling the basket too much.

I’m completely new to air fryers and I’m mainly interested in making really good French fries.

I’ve never owned one before, so I’m a little overwhelmed by all the different models and sizes. I’m not really looking for something with a ton of fancy features. My main priority is getting fries that actually come out crispy on the outside and fluffy inside without having to spend forever figuring out the right settings.

I’ll probably be making both frozen fries and homemade fries, so I’d like something that can handle both well.

For those of you who have tried several air fryers, what would you say is the best air fryer for French fries, especially for someone who is just getting started?

I’d also appreciate any tips on what size or type of basket I should look for. I’d rather buy the right one the first time than end up replacing it later.

I'm planning to buy a new air fryer this year, but there are so many models that it's getting hard to tell which ones are actually worth the money.

If you had to recommend just one air fryer in 2026, which would it be and why?

I'm especially interested in things like cooking performance, ease of cleaning, durability, noise level, and whether you still like it after using it for several months.

I'd love to hear both positive and negative experiences, even if there's a popular model you'd tell people to avoid.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone recommends.