If there’s one appliance that you should have above all in your collection, it’s one of the best air fryers as vetted by our team of experts.
Air fryers are so popular now that it feels as if everyone has got one. These compact cookers are an ingenious bit of engineering, as they can easily fit atop most kitchen counters whilst also cooking food faster than traditional ovens.
While there are plenty of options to suit the amount you have set aside to buy an air fryer, it’s also worth getting a sense of what you want an air fryer for ahead of time, as this can whittle down the selection process. For instance, if you’re only cooking for yourself, then you’ll get on just fine with a single-drawer air fryer, but if you’re trying to feed a family, then you’ll feel right at home with a dual-drawer unit.
Because they sit on your countertop, we recommend taking a quick measurement of how much space you actually have to work with ahead of time. The last thing you want is to spend money on an air fryer, wait for it to arrive and then, when it finally appears, you realise that it doesn’t fit within your kitchen.
As you can imagine, air fryers are far from the only kitchen appliance that our team of experts put to the test.
To help you build up a well-rounded set of devices that can cater to every type of food or drink request, be sure to read through our guides to the best coffee machines, best ovens and the best microwaves.
Best air fryers at a glance
- Best overall air fryer: Ninja Double Stack XL 9.5L Air Fryer SL400UK
- Best large air fryer: Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L AF500UK
- Best air fryer for complete meals: Ninja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer ON400UK
- Best oven and air fryer: Sage the Smart Oven Air Fry
- Best air fryer for grilling: Tower T17076 10-in-1 Digital Air Fryer
- Best single-drawer air fryer: Dualit Air Fryer
- Best for looks: Ninja Crispi Pro
- Best grill/air fryer: Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer EG351UK
- Best budget dual drawer: Cuisinart AirTwin XXL Dual-Zone Air Fryer AFD100
- Best for crispy results: Instant Pot Vortex Dual Drawer 8L Air Fryer
- Best for futuristic looks: Typhur Dome 2
- Best budget air fryer: Instant Pot Vortex Compact 5L Air Fryer
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How We Test
We cook real food in each air fryer, appropriate to each model, such as making chips, frying sausages and cooking frozen hash browns. This lets us compare quality between each air fryer that we test.
Ninja Double Stack XL 9.5L Air Fryer SL400UK
Pros
- Excellent results
- Huge amount of cooking controls
- Brilliant controls
Cons
- Can be fiddly to turn food with dual-layer cooking
Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L AF500UK
Pros
- Easy to use
- Excellent results
- Huge amount of cooking space
Cons
- Entire drawer has to be washed, even if you use half
Ninja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer ON400UK
Pros
- Max complicated meals fast
- Versatile range of cooking options
- Steam air frying is incredible
Cons
- Crisper plate fiddly to remove
- Lower max temperature than some air fryers
Sage the Smart Oven Air Fry
Pros
- Air fries, bakes and grills quickly
- 10 preset functions
- 22-litre capacity
Cons
- Hard to clean by hand
- Larger footprint than an air fryer
- Pricey
Tower T17076 10-in-1 Digital Air Fryer
Pros
- Excellent selection of accessories
- Easy to operate
- Automatic programmes
Cons
- Some accessories are fiddly
- Maximum temperature 200ºC
- Takes up space/storage issues
Dualit Air Fryer
Pros
- Seven preset programmes
- Good-sized cooking area
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- Not suitable for large households
- Substantial worktop footprint
Ninja Crispi Pro
Pros
- Versatile functionality
- Fast and even cooking
- Clever glass dishes
Cons
- More expensive than its predecessor by quite a margin
Instant Pot Vortex Compact 5L Air Fryer
Pros
- Great value
- Easy to use
- Cooks well
Cons
- Crisper plate fits a little loosely
Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer EG351UK
Pros
- High maximum temperature
- Crispy air fry results
- Powerful grill
- Precision cooking with temperature probe
Cons
- Doesn’t reset interface when probe is unplugged
Cuisinart AirTwin XXL Dual-Zone Air Fryer AFD100
Pros
- Great value
- Lots of cooking modes
- Crispy results
Cons
- Doors a bit sticky
- A little slow to cook
Instant Pot Vortex Dual Drawer 8L Air Fryer
Pros
- Solid capacity
- Reasonably fast and crispy results
- Decent array of functions
Cons
- Needs to pre-heat every time
- Controls not as intuitive as rivals
Typhur Dome 2
Pros
- Lots of cooking functions
- Fast and even results
- Space-age looks
Cons
- Very expensive
- Shallower basket can impede when cooking taller items
Most air fryers work at a standard temperature of 200°C, which is required to crisp the outside of your food. If you find air fryers with higher temperature settings, they can cook food faster, which can be handy when dealing with frozen foods.
Not quite. While you will see similar results for most food, air fryers aren’t very good when it comes to wet batters, such as for fish and chips. Here, you’ll find that the batter drips off and you won’t get even results.
Most air fryers require you to remove the food and regularly shake it, too, in order to evenly coat food in oil. Some models have clever features and layouts to reduce this, but it’s something to keep in mind.
Accessories vary by device. Some air fryers have optional basket separators, which let you cook different foods at the same time. Grill pans can help you cook other types of food. Some models even have muffin or cake trays, although you’ll probably find it easier to just use a regular oven.
Make sure that you buy an air fryer large enough for your needs. If you’ve got a large family, then you’ll want a model that can cook enough chips for you all.
Most budget models suffer from small baskets that are good for one or two people, so you may need to up your budget to get a larger model. A larger basket also upgrades what you can cook, with some models even managing an entire chicken.
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