'Trust me, I know': The best air fryers to spend your money on
For a long time I was against air fryers as a matter of principle. They are, after all, just a tiny oven and in theory your oven should be able to do all the things that your air fryer does. And then I started using them….
Boy, did I have to eat my words, because air fryers are genius gadgets. It's been years now and I have never looked back.
The benefit of an air fryer is the cooking chamber is smaller than an oven so it heats up to super hot temperatures much quicker – often without pre-heating. The heated air is circulated by fan so the food cooks evenly, making it efficient and precise in its results.
In short: learn how to use your air fryer right and it'll be a great piece of kit in your kitchen.
People talk about the health benefits of being able to crisp things up with very little oil etc., but the reality is that they are simply a quick way to cook, which is why I love them.
NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.
The gold standard
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer
For me, this is the gold standard of air fryers. It's big enough to be able to feed a whole family, but it's also extremely versatile because it's an oven as well as an air fryer with a bunch of different settings. You do need to pre-heat this one, but it's very quick. It's extremely easy to use and because it's not only an air fryer it's a great tool to have on the bench. It can be an extra oven when you need it, it's great for pizza, or it can simply be a toaster. But when it is air frying, it's brilliant and the large size doesn't limit you in the same way other smaller air fryers do.
This is the air fryer I use the most, and I swear by it for its great air fryer function, but also for its versatility. Just be warned, you need to have the room for it.
Great intro to air frying
Healthy Choice Digital Air Fryer
This is another large one, but at an entry level price. It's not quite as intuitive as other makes on the market, but it is simple and efficient and a great place to start if you want an air fryer, but you're new to the method of cooking. Again, all the removable parts are dishwasher safe. There are a number of preset functions – identified by an icon like prawns, steak and chips – but I have found that you're better off simply choosing your own temperature and time as you get used to using the machine.
Small, but mighty
Sunbeam DuraCeramic Air Fryer
This is one of the more diminutive air fryers on the market, which makes it great if you don't have a lot of room or if you only need to cook smaller meals. It's also reasonably priced. One of the things I love about this is that it has dials rather than a digital touch screens. There's a cooking time and temperature guide, but there aren't any symbols or pre-settings to navigate, which makes it very straightforward to use. The timer is a simple 30 minute maximum and there are no unnecessary bells and whistles.
It's a basic model, but it is a great machine, compact and easy to use. Really good entry level, smaller air fryer.
"The motherlode of air fryers"
Ninja Dual Zone
This is the motherlode of air fryers. It's big, but only because it has two baskets that can be programmed separately so you can cook multiple items or meals at one time with different settings. This means that if you want to cook some nuggets for the kids and some fish for the adults, you don't have to wait for one to finish before you can cook the other. But if you want to cook the same thing for the whole family you can just place it in both drawers. This makes it quite versatile for baked and air fried dinners and it's also a lot of fun. We love it because it gives you options, but the drawers are a little on the small side if you want to cook larger items, so just keep that in mind. But It's great for individual pieces and meals with different components.
Family friendly
Philips Premium Airfryer XXL with fat removal technology
If you cook for more than two people at a time, then it's important to get a large air fryer. If you don't you'll just end up cooking multiple batches, which means you won't be saving time and you might as well heat up your actual oven. The Philips XXL is great for a family. You can fit large batches of chips or a whole chicken in there, which is great.
There is no pre-heat time required, which is a huge benefit. It's also incredibly intuitive and easy to use. It's designed to drain out extra fat from food, not just collect any drips in the bottom, and all the removable parts – like the drip trays and the basket – are dishwasher safe, which makes a huge difference when you're cleaning up.
As a dedicated air fryer that feeds a family, this one is really great. It's a big piece of kit though, so you'll need to make sure you have the space for it and that you will use it.
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