10 best air fryers, tested by experts for fast and healthy meals

If you want to take the stress out of cooking, the Daewoo AI air fryer is the ideal choice. Yes, you read that right – AI. The IndyBes team and I don’t always trust AI – it’s been used as a gimmicky buzzword in everything from vacuum cleaners to washing machines, so I wasn’t expecting much. However odd it sounds, this AI air fryer means business.

The model has a built-in camera which can recognise 12 common foods. It automatically adjusts the temperature and time based on the food type and quantity present. Want chips, sausages, fish fingers, chicken thighs? Just throw them into this air fryer – it will recognise them and cook them for you. It may take a little while to get used to the AI features, but once you’ve got them sussed, it’ll save you plenty of time.

This air fryer consistently provided good results during testing, especially with chips and chicken. It’s a joy to use, too – the digital display is bright and clear, and there’s a handy viewing window, so you can check on the progress of your food.

There’s also an optional internal lamp, which you can turn on and off. It’s not dishwasher safe, but the non-stick coating makes it easy to clean, as you can just wipe it with a damp cloth. I also found the 8l capacity incredibly generous, especially when cooking family-sized portions.

If you’re looking for a basic, easy-to-use air fryer, you’ll love this Judge 4l air fryer. It’s ideal for couples or small families, and is operated by just two dials – one for the time, the other for the temperature – no fancy AI features here.

It cooks really well – my chips came out crispy, and the device did a good job of evenly cooking chicken. This faff-free appliance is also easy to clean, thanks to the non-stick coating, while its compact size means it won’t overwhelm your countertop. It won’t work for large families, and you’ll need to rely on recipes for all your cooking, but it’s a perfect option for couples on a budget.

Ninja air fryers are never exactly cheap (nor as its appliances for that matter), but at £179, the Ninja crispi might just be the brand’s best value air fryer yet. Unlike typical air fryers, which are large countertop units, the crispi is a handheld air frying filament. You slot it onto the glass cooking bowl so you can meal prep food for work in one go.

It’s utterly versatile – you’re not locked into a single bulky unit, and it’s nice having two different containers to cook from. It’s honestly a game-changer being able to watch your food cook in the glass bowl.

The modular design also makes it easier to store, clean and maybe even upgrade in the future if Ninja releases bigger bowls. Even better, it cooked food fast, well and with a delightful crisp. Yes, it looks a little confusing at first, with all its various elements, but it’s so simple once you get your head around it. Plus, the controls are an absolute doddle. This could really be the future of air frying.

Read the full Ninja crispi review and check out our Ninja discount codes page for money off your order.

This is a great solution for anyone who likes to keep kitchen appliances to a minimum. Although this microwave-and-air-fryer is quite large, its 26l capacity means you can cook multiple items or large portions effortlessly.

During testing, I found the combination of features super useful, as you can microwave your items a little before crisping them up with the air fryer function. It’s easy to operate, and the touch controls are responsive. It also has 10 preset options for common dishes, taking the guesswork out of cooking. It’s also easy to clean – unlike some air fryers I’ve tested, all the inserts are dishwasher-safe, and you can just wipe around the inside after each use.

With a whopping 10l capacity, Cosori’s dual blaze twinfry air fryer is ideal for larger families. It uses a divider to split the drawer in two, or you can keep it as one large space, if you’re cooking a leg of lamb or whole chicken, for example.

There are heating elements above and below, for a good, even cooking experience – I found this dual-heating system was particularly effective when cooking meat.

This air fryer is easy to use, too – the digital display is clear and simple to operate, plus there’s an app that shows real-time monitoring of what’s cooking. The app is a good idea, but it can be a big buggy, so I wouldn’t rely on it. This model is so good, it even took the top spot in IndyBest’s dedicated guide to the best dual air fryers.

This capacious model is great for anyone who wants to whip up whole meals in their air fryer. It has a generous 10.4l capacity, which is split into two 5.2l drawers.

During testing, Cusinart’s airtwin XXL dual-zone air fryer consistently delivered crispy results and really excelled at cooking chips and chicken. It’s easy to use, too, with the control panel sitting at the front of the air fryer. It has one-touch functionality, and you simply lightly touch the setting you need to get going.

You can cook at different times and different temperatures in each drawer, and it also has a synchronised cooking setting, which means everything will be ready to serve at once. It takes up a substantial amount of counter space, but the dual-zone functionality is enough to justify this.

If you’re looking for an air fryer that looks as good as it performs, you’ll love this Dualit model. During testing, I was blown away by its robust construction and precise temperature control, but keep in mind that the maximum temperature is just 200C.

It cooked food quickly and evenly, handling everything from chips to chicken with consistent ease. The digital control panel is easy to use, and it has seven preset programs to choose from, which takes the guesswork out of cooking. All removable parts are dishwasher-safe, too.

If your kitchen lacks counter space, this could be the air fryer for you. With precise temperature control, it cooked food well, especially chips, which came out perfectly crispy. It’s operated with a one-touch control panel, which is based at the top of the machine, but I found this a bit fiddly – especially when my hands were a bit greasy from the food.

However, when it works, it works fast. This machine has a 4l capacity, so it is best suited to those who are cooking for just a couple of people. It’s easy enough to clean, but be sure to leave the basket to cool, as the insert is quite tricky to remove.

This Panasonic air fryer is a premium model that uses steam to create crispy, crunchy dishes. It comes complete with 11 preset menus that show up on the LED panel. Like many air fryers, there are chips and steak settings, but the steam feature means this appliance can also handle doughy foods like pizza and toast without drying them out.

The LED panel is easy to use, and the buttons are highly responsive. On top of that, the air fryer uses 360-degree air flow, so the food cooks evenly – you don’t need to shake or turn your food as much as in other air fryers.

One thing I really loved was the fact that the cooking plate drained away any excess fat. There is also a handy viewing window, so you can check how your food is progressing without opening the drawer and letting out the heat. It’s a lovely-looking machine, too, and its square-like design will fit neatly into most kitchens with ease. Clean-up is also a breeze, as the removable parts are dishwasher-safe.

More than just an air fryer, this Ninja model has 15 functions, including one for making yoghurt. It uses a SmartLid system, which makes it easy to switch between the different functions. As an air fryer, it is fantastic. The temperature goes up to 240C, so you get a good crispy finish, and it even sounds an alert halfway through cooking, so you know when to give the basket a little shake, to get a good even cook.

One thing that really stands out, though, is the internal probe – if you’re cooking meat, the preset functions will alert you when your protein of choice reaches the perfect internal temperature, depending on your preference.

If you like your beef medium-rare, you won’t have to guess at timings ever again. With a 7.5l capacity, it handles large amounts of food with ease, and it’s straightforward to clean, as you can remove the inserts and pop them in the dishwasher.