Best Air Fryers for Pizza (Big Families, Real Results)

If you’ve ever tried cooking pizza in an air fryer and ended up with burnt cheese, pale crust, or cold centers, you’re not alone.

Pizza is one of the hardest foods for an air fryer to get right — especially if you’re cooking for more than one person.

The problem isn’t pizza.
The problem is that most air fryers aren’t designed for it. Before choosing the best air fryer for pizza, it helps to read our comparison of Air fryer vs oven for pizza

In this guide, we’re breaking down the best air fryers for cooking pizza, with a strong focus on:

• Frozen pizza
• Fresh pizza dough
• Reheating slices
• Cooking for big families

If you’re new to air-frying pizza, read this first: Pizza in an air fryer — it’ll save you from rookie mistakes.

Now let’s talk about the air fryers that actually work.

What Matters Most for Air Frying Pizza

Before we dive into the models, here’s what makes (or breaks) a pizza in an air fryer:

1. Even High Heat

Pizza needs strong, even airflow — especially at the bottom — to crisp crusts without burning toppings.

2. Consistent Temperature

Some cheap digital models fluctuate, leaving cold spots under toppings.

3. Size & Capacity

Personal pizzas vs family pies — not all air fryers are built for both.

4. Controls & Usability

Simple presets help — but manual control matters when you’re dialing in fresh dough pizza.

For more on getting temperatures and times right, see Temperatures and times in air fryer?

Quick Comparison: Best Air Fryers for Pizza

Air Fryer	Pizza Size	Pizza Type	Best For
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro	Up to 13–14″	Frozen + fresh	Large families	CHECK PRICE
Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven	Up to 12″	Frozen + reheating	Manual control lovers	CHECK PRICE
Ninja DZ201 DualZone	2 personal pizzas	Frozen	Busy households	CHECK PRICE
Oster 6-Quart Digital	6–8″ personal	Reheating + flatbread	Budget buyers	CHECK PRICE

1. Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

🔎 Overview

If you want pizza that tastes like it came out of an artisan oven, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is far and away the most capable air-fryer-style appliance on this list.

This is an air fryer + convection oven hybrid with a large interior, precise heat control, and multiple cooking modes — including a dedicated Pizza function.

It’s big, powerful, and built to handle many cooking tasks beyond pizza… but pizza is where it shines most convincingly.

🍕 Pizza Performance — Deep Dive

✔ Large frozen pizzas: So far, no basket or oven-style unit on the market crisps frozen pizza this evenly.
The bottom browns just right while the cheese melts without scorching.

✔ Homemade fresh dough: This is where Breville pulls ahead.
The flat heat environment allows:

• Airy interior crust
• Crisp exterior
• No cold spots under toppings

✔ Reheating slices: While slightly slower than basket fryers, Breville brings leftovers back to life without drying them out.

🛠 How It Works (Why It’s Good)

• Element iQ system steers heat to where it’s needed most — especially helpful when baking dough.
• Super convection fan means hot air moves faster and more uniformly than many competitors.
• Large interior fits standard pizza stones or pans — giving real oven performance.

🧾 Real-Life Cost & Space Notes

This air fryer is expensive, and it’s larger than your typical countertop unit — so it needs real space.

But if pizza nights are weekly or frequent, this model essentially replaces your oven for pies.

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Pros and Cons Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer

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📍 Who This Is Best For

✔ Big families
✔ Home pizza makers
✔ People who want oven-like results quickly

🚫 Who Should Skip It

✘ Small kitchens / tiny counters
✘ People who only reheat pizza

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2. Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven

🔎 Overview

This is a classic air fryer toaster oven combo with strong heat delivery, easy-to-use analog controls (yes — old-school knobs), and a spacious interior that stands up for pizza.

It’s a great middle ground between budget basket fryers and high-end countertop ovens.

🍕 Pizza Performance — Deep Dive

✔ Frozen pizza: More consistent browning than many basket models.
The top-mounted fan gives good circulation while a wide interior lets you get the pie closer to the heating element.

✔ Fresh pizza: Excellent if you’re engaged while cooking.
This unit requires a little manual attention — especially for thicker dough — but rewards it with crisp crusts.

✔ Reheating slices: Very good — cheese rarely overheats and the bottom reheats cleanly.

🛠 How It Works

The AirAdvantage technology maximizes airflow and takes advantage of convection-style circulation. Because the fan blows downward, the crust crisping mimics traditional ovens — much better than most baskets.

Plus, this oven’s venerable control knobs are surprisingly excellent for pizza:

• You can dial lower temps easily for slow cheese melting
• Or crank hot heat for crust crisping

Just be aware this unit tends to run hot — using manual adjustments based on the pizza type helps.

If you want tips on how temps change outcomes, see Temperatures and times in air fryer?

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Pros and Cons of Cuisinart Air Fryer

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📍 Who This Is Best For

✔ Pizza makers who prefer manual control
✔ Families wanting big pizza fits
✔ People who hate digital panels

🚫 Who Should Skip It

✘ Users who want set-and-forget presets
✘ Anyone who hates cleaning interior ovens

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3. Ninja Foodi 8-Quart DualZone

(Also see our deep model review here: Ninja DZ201 Foodi 8-Quart 6-in-1 DualZone Air Fryer Review)

🔎 Overview

Here’s a smart idea: cook pizza and sides at the same time with two independent baskets.

Ninja’s DualZone is all about multitasking, which can be a huge win for pizza night — especially if your family likes different variations.

🍕 Pizza Performance — Deep Dive

✔ Frozen pizza: Crisp bottom + even top browning.
This is one of the better basket fryers for frozen pies.

✔ Reheating slices: Excellent — especially if you just want to revive a few leftovers without heating the full oven.

✔ Fresh dough: Works best for personal pizzas or flatbreads.
Not ideal for thicker, large pies, but flexible enough for creative toppings.

🛠 Special Features

• Smart Finish: Syncs both baskets to finish together — great when pizza and garlic bread should land at the same time.
• Match Cook: Copies settings across zones — handy if you’re making two pizzas side-by-side.

Some users note it’s loud during operation — think runway jet level — but that’s the trade-off for powerful airflow.

Common Limitations

• You can’t use Max Crisp in both baskets simultaneously
• Missing some small quality-of-life features
• Users report slower dual-zone cooking than single baskets

This unit feels powerful, and it usually is — but it’s clear Ninja prioritized flexibility over perfection. If pizza performance matters most, this head-to-head review of Ninja AF181 vs Cosori TurboBlaze is worth a look.

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Pros and Cons of Ninja Foodi

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📍 Who This Is Best For

✔ Families with different pizza preferences
✔ Users who like sides with their pizza
✔ People wanting synchronized cooking

🚫 Who Should Skip It

✘ Those who want one large pizza
✘ Quiet kitchen fans

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4. Oster 6-Quart Digital Air Fryer

🔎 Overview

This is the budget pick — but don’t let that make you dismiss it. The Oster 6-Quart delivers genuinely impressive pizza performance for its price range.

Most importantly: it has a viewing window + interior light — which matters a lot when you’re timing cheese melt and crust browning.

🍕 Pizza Performance — Deep Dive

✔ Frozen pizza: Works well for small 6–8″ mini pizzas.
Your crust won’t be as crispy as premium models, but it’s very good for the price.

✔ Reheating slices: Surprisingly strong.
Window + light means you can watch the melt and pull it at just the right moment.

✔ Fresh dough: Best for flatbreads or small personal dough pizzas.
Don’t expect giant pies — this unit simply isn’t big enough.

Some users report that the heating can run a little weak — meaning you might bump the temp 25–50°F higher than cooking charts recommend (similar to what users say about many budget models).

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Pros and Cons of Oster 6-Quart

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📍 Who This Is Best For

✔ Singles & couples
✔ Budget shoppers
✔ Rookie pizza air fryers

🚫 Who Should Skip It

✘ Big families
✘ Thick crust pizza makers

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🍽️ Pizza Cooking Tips (Before You Buy)

✅ Preheat Matters

Most air fryers — especially bigger ones — benefit from preheating. See Do you have to preheat an air fryer?

🧂 Crust Tricks

• Brush dough lightly with oil
• Use perforated pizza pans for airflow
• Slide your pizza into the basket mid-rack for better bottom heat

⏱️ Timing Reminders

Adjust times and temperatures based on thickness and toppings. Heavy toppings often need longer crisping.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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🏁 Final Verdict — Which to Buy

Here’s a simple breakdown to guide you:

🔹 Best Overall for Pizza:
👉 Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro — oven-like results every time.

🔹 Best for Manual Control & Family Fit:
👉 Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven

🔹 Best for Multitasking Pizza Nights:
👉 Ninja DZ201 DualZone

🔹 Best Budget Intro Option:
👉 Oster 6-Quart Digital