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17 best air fryers for cooking low-fat, fast and delicious dinners

Having tried and tested the best air fryers, these models from the likes of Ninja, Tower and Lakeland mean serious business

Lauren Cunningham
Friday 05 January 2024 13:10 GMT
<p>Size, shape and noise level were all key considerations when testing air fryers </p>

Size, shape and noise level were all key considerations when testing air fryers

Our Top Picks

The best air fryer is the kitchen appliance to have. For those who already have one, we don’t need to convert you to this cooking machine, and for anyone still sitting on the fence, let us fill you in on why they’re so popular.

In short, air fryers fry food with much less oil than your regular deep-fat frying or even pan frying methods. Using little to no oil, they cook food by rapidly circulating hot air, like a convection oven but even more powerful, creating a crispy finish, as if by magic. Plus, when it comes to cutting costs, they are energy efficient and average around 17p per day.

“The largest benefits one can get from air frying food is reducing overall fat content – in particular, saturated fats and trans fats, which can be harmful to health when eaten in excess,” shared registered dietician Megan Hilbert MS, RDN.

“Because air frying reduces the amount of fat content by up to 70 to 80 per cent in foods, this can also drastically reduce the number of calories eaten without sacrificing the crunch and texture that frying provides,” Hilbert added. If that sounds rather tempting, keep reading below to see the tried and tested favourites.

How we tested

One of the best air fryers that we tested for this review

Turning off our ovens, we lined up all of the best air fryers we could get our hands on, to see which ones truly stood out from the crowd. Whipping up steak, chips, vegetables and more, no recipe was off limits, as we worked our way through our usual array of dinners – and even a roast – all done in these machines.

Size, shape and noise level were all key considerations, as well as how fast they cooked, how easy they were to use and, most importantly, how the resulting food actually tasted. Keep reading below to see which air fryers stood the test.

The best air fryers for 2024 are:

  • Best air fryer overall – Salter EK4548 dual air fryer: £124.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best budget air fryer – Tower T17021 family size air fryer: £55, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best dual air fryer – Ninja Foodi AF400UK 9.5L dual-zone air fryer: £179, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best air fryer for cooking meat – Tower xpress pro combo 10-in-1 digital air fryer: £82,63, Amazon.co.uk
  • Best for families – Lakeland dual basket air fryer: £79.99, Lakeland.co.uk

Salter EK4548 dual air fryer

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  • Best: Air fryer overall
  • Capacity: 8.2l
  • Dimensions: 39cm x 38.5cm x 33cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: 1,600W
  • Cooking presets: Manual air frying, baking, roasting, dehydrating
  • Dishwasher-safe: No
  • Warranty: One year
  • Why we love it
    • Two cooking drawers
    • Countless cooking option
    • Easy to use design
  • Take note
    • Can’t roast a chicken
    • Doesn’t have a window

The race for best air fryer overall was incredibly close, as, ultimately, it depends on what type of food you like to cook. But this Salter style covers all bases with its relatively large baskets, countless cooking options and incredibly easy-to-use design. Trust us, if you’re thinking you don’t need a dual basket option, it always comes in handy – our tester cooked both chicken and steak fajitas at the same time, and everyone was happy.

This model can make everything from steaks and shrimp to cakes and can even bake bread, making it a one-stop shop for almost any foodie, no matter what you’re after. Of course, you can’t quite roast a chicken in here, but anything else seems like a sure thing. And it can even be timed to ensure the contents of both baskets will finish cooking at the same time, giving you a full meal without the faff.

The one downside is it doesn’t have a window, so you do have to open up the drawers every now and again to check things are alright, but that’s a small price to pay for such a simple machine.

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Tower T17021 family size air fryer

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  • Best: Budget air fryer
  • Capacity: 4.3l
  • Dimensions: 29cm x 36.5cm x 32.5cm
  • Digital display: No
  • Wattage: 1500W
  • Cooking presets: None
  • Dishwasher-safe: No
  • Warranty: One year
  • Why we love it
    • Affordable
    • Compact
  • Take note
    • Small capacity
    • Not dishwasher safe

If you’re looking for a simple and affordable appliance, this Tower model is the one to choose. Owing to its compact design, it’s ideal for a two-person household and it doesn’t take up too much counterspace. It is very simple to use, and during weeks of testing, we found that it’s quick to heat up and cooks evenly without trouble. Expect delicious succulent meats, roasted vegetables and crispy fries time and again. Our only gripe is that the timer – which is similar to an egg timer can be slightly imprecise if you only want to cook something for a short amount of time – but this is remedied by using a phone timer. It’s worth noting that it’s not dishwasher safe, so we’d advise using it with a lining to avoid too much cleaning.

  1. £55 from Amazon.co.uk
Prices may vary
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Ninja Foodi AF400UK 9.5L dual-zone air fryer

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  • Best: Dual air fryer
  • Capacity: 19.5l
  • Dimensions: 41.5 x 32.5 x 27cm
  • Digital display: No
  • Wattage: 2,470W
  • Cooking presets: Air fry, max crisp, roast, bake, reheat and dehydrate
  • Dishwasher safe: Dishwasher-safe parts
  • Warranty: Two years
  • Why we love it
    • Powerful appliance
    • Can set each drawer to do a different cooking function
  • Take note
    • Large design

The Ninja Foodi dual-zone air fryer has quickly become famous among home chefs, and after just one use, it’s easy to see why. Not only does it look super chic with a matte black outer and shiny silver accents, but it’s the most powerful product in our round-up with an impressive 2,470W. While this may not seem all that important, we actually found it made a big difference when it came to cooking. Chicken, chips and chopped-up veg cooked much faster and ended up a lot tastier and crispier compared to when cooking in the other air fryer models. So, it’s safe to say it has us sold.

It has six settings, so it can roast, air fry, bake, crisp, reheat and dehydrate all in one device, and you can set each drawer to do a different thing – very handy when cooking a whole meal. And you can even sync the drawers to be ready at the same time. It’s easy to use with simple press buttons on the top and you can tailor the temperature and time for each drawer too.

Unlike other models featured in this round-up, there aren’t any pre-set options, so you will have to think a little bit more about how to cook each meal before just pressing go, but our tester still found this incredibly easy. It is quite chunky, being ever so slightly the widest option on our list, so you will have to clear a space for it on your countertop, but if you love fried food and are after a quicker, healthier option, it’s worth making room for.

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Philips essential air fryer 5000 series XL connected

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  • Best: Smart air fryer
  • Capacity: 6.2l
  • Dimensions: 40.3cm x 30.7cm x 31.5cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Cooking presets: ry, bake, grill, roast and reheat. There are also options for cooking chips, chicken, fish and more
  • Dishwasher-safe: Yes
  • Warranty: Two years
  • Why we love it
    • Connects to an app
    • Can send recipes from your phone straight to the air fryer
    • Super quiet
  • Take note
    • Drawer gets stuck sometimes
    • Buttons aren’t well-labelled

If you really want to level up your kitchen game, then this Philips essential air fryer is the smartest little gadget that will have you cooking crispy chips from your bed. As well as being deep and large enough to fit half a chicken and plenty of chips, it’s wifi-enabled, and connects to the NutriU app, meaning it can be controlled from your phone and Alexa. We could set the temperature and timer directly from our device, plus pause cooking when we needed to flip or rotate our food.

Having the NutriU app integration also allowed us to ditch the air fryer recipe books, and simply scroll through the hundreds of recipes in the app, written for our specific appliance. We could then send those recipes directly to the air fryer, so we didn’t have to input the temperature and time ourselves.

Though the air fryer is super quiet, with only the teensiest of hums whirring away in the background, there are a few design quirks that we aren’t massively impressed with. The basket gets a bit stuck in its slot, and we needed to wiggle it out on occasion, and the preset buttons on the machine aren’t very well-labelled. It’s an air fryer that’s strangely easier to use with your phone than it is with the buttons on the device.

That said, it looks super stylish on our kitchen countertop, with its slanting sides, and we love its unique starfish design on the inside, which helps the food cook more evenly. Plus, it’s dishwasher-safe – always a bonus.

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Tower xpress pro combo 10-in-1 digital air fryer oven with rotisserie

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  • Best: Air fryer for cooking meat
  • Capacity: 11l
  • Dimensions: 38.2cm x 32.4cm x 33.9cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: 2,000W
  • Cooking presets: Manual air fryer, rotisserie oven, dehydrator, baking, roasting, re-heat, and grilling
  • Dishwasher-safe: Dishwasher-safe parts
  • Warranty: Three years
  • Why we love it
    • Rotisserie function can roast chicken in 40 minutes
    • Lots of additional accessories included
  • Take note
    • Better for meats as opposed to stews or one-pot wonders

For meat eaters, this Tower air fryer is the one for you. Unlike some of our other bowl or drawer options, this one is most similar to your everyday oven, with a box-like shape and a large front window, making it best for meats rather than stews or one-pot wonders.

The best feature has to be the rotisserie function, which is able to cook a 1kg roast chicken in 40 minutes, while a handy drip tray sits underneath for easy cleaning. Our tester found steaks were just as delicious as sausages, kebabs and burgers too, and there was often enough room to slip some veg onto the shelf to cook a full meal as well. A whole host of accessories are included, from kebab skewers and a pizza plate to a wire rack and finger mitts to make the whole process even easier, but you do have to wipe down this one by hand, once it’s cooled.

  1. £82 from Amazon.co.uk
Prices may vary
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Russell Hobbs satisfy air and grill multi cooker

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  • Best: For grilling
  • Capacity: 5.5l
  • Dimensions: 37.8 x 28.2 x 32cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: 1,745W
  • Cooking presets: Air fry, bake, grill, keep warm, roast, sear, slow cook
  • Dishwasher safe: Dishwasher-safe parts
  • Warranty: Two years
  • Why we love it
    • Faster than regular oven
    • Tray can be cleaned in the dishwasher
  • Take note
    • Only one tray so you have to cook everything at the same time and temperature

This Russell Hobbs option looks more like a cool box than an air fryer, but trust us when we say this is what makes it so great. With a large flat bottom and pull-up lid, it actually works in a similar way to a barbecue. And that’s exactly how our tester used it – grilling burgers, chicken, kebabs, and even slow-cooking beef.

At 5.5l it isn’t the largest, but being one main tray it actually provides plenty of room – we managed to cook six chicken breasts in it with a bit of clever organising. Compared to your regular oven, it’s faster and gives a crispier result, and you can even add different things in at once, so long as they all cook at the same heat. We found it a very handy kitchen accessory for entertaining guests, and although we haven’t tried it yet, imagine it will make a great loaf of bread, cookies or cupcakes, too – something you can’t really do with the dual basket options. Once you’re done, you can pop the tray in the dishwasher, just to add to its fuss-free functions.

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Instant vortex pot plus air fryer

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  • Best: Simple air fryer
  • Capacity: 5.7l
  • Dimensions: 36.2cm x 31.4cm x 37.9cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: 1,700W
  • Cooking presets: Air frying, roasting, baking, grilling, reheating, dehydrating
  • Dishwasher-safe: No
  • Warranty: Two years
  • Why we love it
    • Sucks away odours
    • Simple dial is easy to use
  • Take note
    • No fancy frills
    • Fairly small

For a fuss-free, lower-priced air fryer, this is the one to go for. With one glass-fronted door, there are no fancy frills with stirring arms, dual baskets or rotisserie functions, it just gets the job done, plain and simple.

Unlike many of the other options, it does let you know when you need to stir the food for even cooking, but it does suck away odours, so your whole home doesn’t smell like your dinner – a function we really loved. The simple dial at the top was incredibly easy to use, and instead of selecting your food type, all you have to choose is the function, temperature and time, like a regular oven. But, at just 5.7l, we would say this one is best for solo dwellers or couples, at a push.

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Ninja foodi 9-in-1 multi-cooker 7.5l OP500UK

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  • Best: For newbies
  • Capacity: 7.5l
  • Dimensions: 35cm x 39cm x 33cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: 1,760W
  • Cooking presets: Pressure cooking, steam, slow cook, sear/saute, air crisp, bake/roast, grill, dehydrate
  • Dishwasher-safe: Dishwasher-safe parts
  • Warranty: One year
  • Why we love it
    • Comes with a reversible and lower rack
    • Can be used to cook a roast dinner

If you’re not 100 per cent sold on investing in an air fryer, that’s completely understandable – but then Ninja’s multicooker could be the appliance for you. With a 7.5l capacity, this impressive machine can carry out nine different functions – all depending on what setting you turn the dial to. We highly recommend trying out the air frying function and can confirm it’s made us a tasty dish or two, including gorgeously crispy (and not at all oily) halloumi fries.

It comes with a reversible and lower rack, so you can really max out the crunchiness of your healthier fried foods, and the pot is dishwasher-safe, with the outside of the machine just needing a simple wipe down.

While we were testing out the air frying function, we also tried out the other settings and can confirm the multicooker was a more timely and economically efficient way to cook a roast dinner, too.

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Tefal actifry genius XL AH960840 air fryer

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  • Best: One-pot-wonder air fryer
  • Capacity: 1.7kg
  • Dimensions: 26.3cm x 32.8cm x 47.6cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: 1,500W
  • Cooking presets: Manual air fryer, baking, roasting
  • Dishwasher-safe: No
  • Warranty: Two years
  • Why we love it
    • Removable stirring arm
    • Preset functions make it easy to use
  • Take note
    • Loud when cooking
    • Less suitable fo large pieces of meat or fish

For rice dishes, curries, chips, chicken tenders, or any other one-pot wonder, this Tefal option is sure to impress. Unlike our other air fryer options, it sits within a circular design, with a removable stirring arm that’s ideal for large one-pot dishes. Inside, there’s a large pan that can be easily removed and popped in the dishwasher, although, with a doughnut-like shape, we would say it’s less suitable for cooking large pieces of meat or fish. Incredibly easy to use, just follow the preset functions to select which dish you want to make and simply watch the cooking process take place through the very handy top window.

One thing we would say is this is probably the loudest option we tried, and it did get quite hot too, so it is probably best for larger kitchens or wide countertops.

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Instant vortex plus versazone air fryer

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  • Best: Multi-action air fryer
  • Capacity: 8.5l
  • Dimensions: 43.9cm × 43.9cm × 37.7cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: 1,700W
  • Cooking presets: Air frying, roasting, baking, grilling, reheating, dehydrating
  • Dishwasher-safe: No
  • Warranty: One year
  • Why we love it
    • One large drawer that can be easily split into two
    • Makes little no noise
    • Sucks away odour
  • Take note
    • Expensive

This air fryer gives you the best of both worlds, with one large drawer that can be easily split into two, thanks to a very handy inner removable basket. While we mainly stuck with keeping it as one drawer – feeding around four people with chips, chicken wings, rice dishes and much more – the option to turn it into two was great when cooking two separate meals or different side options. And you can set the baskets to two different temperatures and times, to make life just that little bit easier.

This model was incredibly easy to use, made little to no noise and sucked away odours, so the whole house didn’t smell like a fish and chip shop. So, if you’re on the fence about whether to buy a one- or two-basket model, why not have both?

  1. £200 from Argos.co.uk
Prices may vary
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Lakeland dual basket air fryer

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  • Best: For families
  • Capacity: 9l
  • Dimensions: 40cm x 36cm x 31cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: 1,700W
  • Cooking presets: Air fryer
  • Dishwasher-safe: No
  • Warranty: Three years
  • Why we love it
    • Features two different-sized compartments
    • Makes next to no noise
    • Handful of pre-set options
  • Take note
    • Baskets are handwash only

Most air fryers can seem rather small. So, while they may be perfect for one or two people, finding one that will feed the whole family is no easy feat. But we think we may have found the perfect pick with this Lakeland option. In the classic dual-air-fryer style, this one stands out from the crowd, thanks to its two different-sized compartments – 5.5l and 3.3l. So, you can fill the large one with your meat or fish of choice and leave the little one for your side, as we did. Or, if there’s only one or two of you, try out a starter and a main.

This one’s also incredibly easy to use and actually makes next to no noise, which is another plus. Roast potatoes, shrimp, cakes and chicken wings are just a handful of the pre-set options available, but you can cook almost anything with ease. Just remember to hand wash the baskets.

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Russell Hobbs satisfry air fryer

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  • Best: Gold-tone air fryer
  • Capacity: 5l
  • Dimensions: 33.5 x 34.0 x 33.5cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: 1,650W
  • Cooking presets: Air fry, bake, chicken, chips, fish, pork chop, prawns, steak
  • Dishwasher safe: Dishwasher-safe parts
  • Warranty: Two years
  • Why we love it
    • Compact design
    • Budget-friendly
  • Take note
    • Not the largest air fryer

One thing we didn’t realise until testing this air fryer was just how many models are set with silver. In fact, this is one of the only gold-tone models we could find. So, anyone with gold-coloured kitchen hardware or just not set on silver, this may be the design for you.

Not only is it chic and sleek in appearance, but this compact kitchen accessory also impressed us when cooking. With one 5l basket, it isn’t the biggest of options, but will whip up any meat, fish or side with ease – our tester’s favourite so far is roast potatoes. Easy to use thanks to seven pre-set options, it will automatically start to cook whatever food you choose and, of course, you aren’t limited to these options. The front digital display allows you to adjust the time and temperature, and the whole unit will automatically shut down after one hour, giving you extra piece of mind.

  1. £49 from Amazon.co.uk
Prices may vary
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Proscenic T31 air fryer oven

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  • Best: Best tech-heavy air fryer
  • Capacity: 15l
  • Dimensions: 41cm x 39cm x 34cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: 1,700W
  • Cooking presets: Air fryer, roasting, baking, dehydrating
  • Dishwasher-safe: Dishwasher-safe parts
  • Warranty: One year
  • Why we love it
    • Can be controlled by an app
    • Rotisserie cage created the crispiest chips
    • Great for tech-lovers

For those who have smart homes, this air fryer is for you. Hooking up to wifi, the clever machine can be controlled by an app, allowing you to heat it up before you’re home, scroll through more than 100 recipes, and time your tea perfectly for when you step through the door – it truly is like magic.

Included with the device is a rotisserie cage that created the crispiest chips; a rotisserie fork that can hold a full chicken; rotisserie skewers; a drip tray, and a pan, proving almost any meal can be made. It boasts 12 settings, including the typical chicken, prawn and vegetable options we’ve seen on almost every device, alongside cake, bread and dehydrate, and you can tailor the setting using the temperature and time dial too. It truly is a tech-lover’s dream.

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Lakeland digital crisp air fryer, 3l

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  • Best: Air fryer for two people
  • Capacity: 3l
  • Dimensions : 26 x 32 x 35cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: N/A
  • Cooking presets: 8
  • Dishwasher safe : No
  • Warranty : Three years
  • Why we love it
    • Easy to use and clean
    • Sleek and compact design
  • Take note
    • Limited basket size

Having fast replaced our traditional oven during mealtimes, Lakeland’s large air fryer boasts touchscreen controls, eight presets (from seafood to baked goods and even steak) and a generous 3l capacity, which easily suits two people. Perfect for those tentatively stepping into the air fryer world, it’s a breeze to use and clean (another big plus), with the customisable temperature and time functions both handy touches.

We also liked the sleek, circular design, which will slot easily onto your kitchen counter and can be tucked away in a cupboard, too. Whether grilling succulent salmon, cooking crunchy tenderstem broccoli or rustling up restaurant-worthy fries, the appliance has streamlined dinner prep and elevated our snack game – all while helping to reduce household bills (the average air fryer costs around 17p per day to run). Our only gripe is the limited basket size, so we wouldn’t recommend it for larger households.

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Ninja foodi flexdrawer air fryer

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  • Best: For roast dinners
  • Capacity : 10.4l
  • Dimensions : 32.7cm x 49.6cm x 31.6cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Wattage: 2470W
  • Cooking pre-sets : Air fry, max crisp, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate, prove
  • Dishwasher safe: Yes (divider and crisper plates)
  • Warranty: Two years
  • Why we love it
    • Choice of two independent cooking zones or one large zone
    • Easy to use
    • Can cook a roast dinner
    • Quicker than a conventional oven
  • Take note
    • Takes up lots of kitchen workspace
    • Expensive

If you want an air fryer that can do it all, this is it. Ninja’s foodi flexdrawer features the brand’s much-loved dual zone technology. This essentially means it comes with two independent cooking zones that allow you to cook two different types of food, at different temperatures, at the same time. The difference with this model though, is that you can remove the divider to transform the two zones into one extra-large cooking drawer, making way for heftier meals that can feed up to eight people.

We’ve been seriously impressed with how well, and how quickly, this model cooks such a wide variety of foods, from classic air fryer fries to lamb kebabs, Mediterranean vegetables, fresh cod and, wait for it, even tender roast beef with all the trimmings. Plus, it has an impressive seven cooking modes that can do everything from reheating and dehydrating to baking, roasting and even proving.

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Ninja air fryer AF100UK

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  • Best: Compact air fryer
  • Capacity: 3.8l
  • Dimensions : 35cm x 28cm x 34cm
  • Digital display: No
  • Wattage : 1550W
  • Cooking presets : Air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate
  • Dishwasher-safe: Yes
  • Warranty: Two years
  • Why we love it
    • Roasts vegetables in half the time of an oven
    • Can fit a medium-sized chicken
    • Easy to clean
  • Take note
    • Only has one basket

Despite using up to 75 per cent less fat than traditional frying methods, you still get a good crunch. Its generous 3.8l basket can fit a medium-sized chicken and allows you to air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate. If you are short of meal inspiration, it comes with a chef-created recipe guide. During testing, we enjoyed using the air fryer to roast vegetables, which would normally take double the time in a traditional oven. Even better, it’s easy to clean too, you simply pop the basket in the dishwasher. Or if you are washing by hand, not much elbow grease is necessary as the basket is non-stick. We are big fans of this air fryer but knocked off half a star because it only has one basket.

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Cosori smart air fryer oven

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  • Best: For sleek design
  • Capacity: 6.4l
  • Dimensions: 32.7cm x 29.7cm x 35.2cm
  • Digital display: Yes
  • Cooking presets: Air fry, reheat, roast, bake, keep warm, broil
  • Dishwasher-safe: Yes
  • Warranty: Two year
  • Why we love it
    • Large capacity
    • Dishwasher safe
    • No shaking required

If you’re not fussed about having a dual-zone air fryer, but instead want something with large Cosori’s oven is an impressive appliance. The 6.4l capacity means it can cook a whole chicken with minimal fuss, and it has 12 cooking functions – including air fry, roast, bake and reheat – to make it easy to knock up delicious dinners.

Even better, if you’re lacking inspiration for your midweek dishes, it comes with a cookbook, containing 30 different recipes – from brownies to glazed ham.

During testing, we also found that it was very easy to clean and appreciated the fact that it was dishwasher-safe. If you’re concerned about its size, the design is sleek enough to fit on a kitchen worktop without taking up too much space.

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Air fryer FAQs

What is the best air fryer?

In this tried and tested review, the Salter EK4548 dual air fryer (£124, Amazon.co.uk) was found to be the best overall thanks to the fact that it covers all bases with its relatively large baskets, countless cooking options and incredibly easy-to-use design.

What is an air fryer?

An air fryer is a mini convection oven that is designed to recreate the taste and texture of deep-fried food, without the need for boiling it in fat. The heating element is located at the top of the appliance and is accompanied by a powerful fan, which gives food its crispiness in next to no time.

How does an air fryer work?

Food doesn’t actually fry. Rather, it is placed in a basket where the airflow is designed to replicate that of deep frying in hot fat. The force of the air produces a convection effect that cooks, crisps, and browns food.

How to use an air fryer

When using your air fryer, there are certain steps we’d recommend you take for excellent results – after reading the instruction manual, of course. First, pre-heat it as you would an oven. Second, it’s important to make sure there’s plenty of space around your food, so don’t overcrowd the basket. Third, when adding oil, less is more, as it has a tendency to make food soggy. Fourth, you’ll want to shake the basket frequently to make sure food is evenly crisp; and, finally, use kitchen foil or baking paper to make the clean-up quicker and easier.

What can you cook in an air fryer?

When it comes to using an air fryer, you can cook just about anything you’d ordinarily prepare in an oven or deep fryer – the general rule is, if you can bake it, grill it or fry it, you can cook it in your air fryer. Some foods are known to excel: these include pre-frozen foods (for example, chicken nuggets), vegetables that you roast or grill, potatoes (including chips) and meat (sausages, bacon and chicken). Some models also have a function that allows you to toast and bake food, making them more like conventional ovens.

Are air fryers healthy?

One of the selling points of an air fryer is that food is cooked in substantially less oil, compared with a deep-fat fryer, making it a healthier alternative. As we mentioned, we spoke to registered dietician Megan Hilbert MS, RDN, about the health benefits of cooking in an air fryer, and she said that it “reduces the amount of fat content by up to 70 to 80 per cent in foods, this can also drastically reduce the number of calories eaten without sacrificing the crunch and texture that frying provides”.

How to clean an air fryer

Air fryers are easy to clean. The basket, tray and pan can be washed in the same way you’d wash any other utensil, either with soap and warm water or by putting them in the dishwasher. With the latter, it’s worth checking your specific model specification, just to be safe. As for the exterior, wipe it down with a damp cloth, making sure your appliance is unplugged.

How to choose the right air fryer for you:

The best air fryer for you will depend on your needs and budget. But there are a number of things to consider:

  • Capacity: Think about how big you need your air fryer to be – if you have a small household, you’ll want a capacity of around 1.5l to 2l, while larger households would benefit from one that has a capacity of 2.5l and above.
  • Wattage: The more watts an air fryer has, the easier and quicker it will reach higher temperatures.
  • Self-stirring: Some air fryers come with a paddle that moves the food around as it cooks, to make sure it does so evenly. This is beneficial because it saves you from having to stir or turn the food over yourself.
  • Ease of cleaning: You need to wash your air fryer after every use, so you might want to consider investing in one that has dishwasher-safe parts.

Can you put foil in an air fryer?

Yes, you can put foil in an air fryer, as well as parchment paper. This will help to make sure your appliance stays clean.

Are air fryers worth it?

An air fryer is considered a must-have at the moment not least because of the fact they reduce the need for oil in cooking, but because they’re more energy-efficient than turning on the oven. Whether they’re worth it is of course down to personal preference, but through testing, we’ve found that they can speed up cooking time (for example, the Tower xpress pro combo 10-in-1 digital air fryer can roast a chicken in 40 minutes), deliver delicious dinners and are very easy to use.

Are air fryers cheap to run?

According to our expert-led guide to the best energy-efficient appliances, an air fryer is a fairly cheap home appliance to run, especially when compared to an oven. According to research by Utilita, an electric cooker costs an average of around £1.05 a day to run but an air fryer could set you back as little as 17p a day.

The verdict: Air fryers

We don’t think you’ll be disappointed with any of the air fryers in this round-up. Each and every model is incredibly easy to use and delivers delicious dinners without much faff.

But what we will say is most air fryers are somewhat small, making them perfect for solo dwellers or two-person households but not always the most convenient kitchen appliance for four or more – so this is certainly a situation where size really does matter.

For families, the Lakeland dual basket air fryer was our favourite find. For meat eaters, the Tower xpress pro combo 10-in-1 digital air fryer oven with rotisserie is sure to impress, and for one-pot wonders, look no further than the Tefal actifry genius XL AH960840 air fryer.

However, nicking the top spot was the Salter EK4548 dual air fryer, thanks to its huge number of settings. Although the Ninja Foodi AF400UK 9.5L dual-zone air fryer came incredibly close. And, if you really can’t decide between one or two baskets, the Instant vortex plus versazone air fryer may be your best bet. Just be sure to thank us when you’re dishing up deliciousness in the kitchen.

For more help on keeping costs low in the kitchen, read our guide to the best energy-efficient appliances

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