11 best air fryers for 2023 – tried, tested, and reviewed

Air fryers are the must-have kitchen gadget and for good reason – they’re pretty awesome!

This versatile and compact machine allows you to cook an array of delicious foods quickly and easily using little to no oil.

Air fryers are great for cooking healthier alternative foods that would traditionally require large quantities of oil to create a crispy coating like chips, meat replacements, crispy tofu, and more.

Additionally, some air fryers offer multifunctionality and allow you to bake, slow cook, reheat, and even dehydrate food.

Over the last year, they’ve also become popular as an energy-saving tool as they cook things quicker and use less energy than an oven. This has benefits for both your wallet and the planet.

There are plenty of different types and models on the market that cater to your needs. Whether you’re looking for a basic air fryer that is more compact or you want one that is all-singing all-dancing, there’s a myriad to choose from.

But with so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide which one best fits your needs. Over the coming weeks, we’re testing some of the most popular air fryers on the market from trusted and recognised brands to help make your decision easier. Keep reading to find your next kitchen gadget…

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Best air fryer round-up:

• Best overall air fryer: Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer – £199.00
• Best value air fryer: Salter EK4548 Dual Air Fryer – £149.99, Lakeland Dual Basket Air Fryer – £119.99 (on sale from £149.99)
• Best smart air fryer: Phillips Essential XL Connected – £129.99 (0n sale from £199)
• Best oven-style air fryer: – Tower XpressPro 10-in-1 Air Fryer Oven – £115.00 (on sale from £139.99), – Breville Halo Rotisserie Air Fryer – £135.96 (on sale from £169.99), Proscenic T31 Air Fryer Oven – £169.00 (on sale from £179.00)
• Best multi-functional air fryer: Karaca Air Pro Cook 2-in-1 – £99.95, Salter EK4549 AeroGrill 5-in-1 – £118.00
• Best budget air fryer: Russell Hobbs 4l Satisfry Air Fryer – £64.96 (on sale from £94.99), Cosori Lite 3.8ltr Smart Air Fryer – £84.99 (on sale from £99.99)

Jump to best air fryer category:

• Best overall air fryer
• Best value air fryer
  
• Best smart air fryer
• Best oven-style air fryer
  
• Best multi-functional air fryer
• Best budget air fryer

Air fryer FAQ:

• How do you use an air fryer?
• Is it healthier to cook with an air fryer?
• Are air fryers cheaper to run than traditional ovens?
• What foods can you cook in an air fryer?

Best overall air fryer

1. Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer
Buy now on Amazon – £219.00

Technical details:

• ‎Dimensions: 35 x 37.5 x 31.5 cm
• Capacity: 7.6L
• Functions: Air fry, max crisp, dehydrate, reheat, bake, and roast
• Temperature range: 40°C – 240°C

Pros

• 2 cooking zones can cook different foods at the same time
• Sync and match cooking functions
• Stylish design
• Responsive buttons
• High-temperature range helps for maximum crisp
• Plastic-free packaging

Cons

• Loud cooking fan
• Takes up lots of kitchen counter space
• Expensive

What our tester Molly thought:

I had my doubts about whether the £219 price tag on this machine could truly be justified. However, once I took it for a test drive, I quickly understood the hype for this machine.

The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer is a multi-functional marvel. It’s evident that every aspect has been meticulously thought through, from the cooking methods to the eco-friendly packaging.

Despite its larger size, the sleek design makes it a desirable centrepiece on any kitchen worktop. I continue to be amazed by its rapid cooking abilities, particularly when it comes to achieving crispy and delicious chips.

Want to know more? Read our full Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer review next

Best value air fryer

2. Salter EK4548 Dual Air Fryer
Buy now on Amazon – £149.99

Technical details:

• Dimensions: 39 x 38.5 x 33cm
• Functions: Air fryer, oven, dehydrator
• Temperature range: 50° to 200°
• Cooking time range: 0 – 6 hours
• Capacity: 8.2 litres

Pros

• Sleek design with LED touchscreen display
• Two drawers with an 8.2-litre capacity
• Multiple functions

Cons

• Takes up a lot of kitchen worktop space
• Touchscreen LED was slightly temperamental
• Some foods took longer to cook than the recommended time

What our tester Molly thought:

The Salter EK4548 Dual Air Fryer boasts an impressive 8.2-litre capacity, but its corresponding large size rules it out of the running for smaller kitchens.

This air fryer offers 12 preset functions for various foods and the ability to select manual settings if you prefer, although the touch screen can be a little temperamental.

Much like the Ninja, a handy function is the ‘sync cook’ and ‘match cook’ settings.

When cooking different foods at different times and temperatures, the ‘sync’ setting means that both compartments will finish cooking at the same time which is a great way to avoid food in one side getting cold whilst the other side is still cooking. ‘Match cook’ sets both cooking compartments to the temperature and time if you’re cooking the same food across both baskets. This is useful if you’re cooking in bulk.

Where the difference comes to the Ninja is in the cooking times. When making chips, it took longer than expected but they did turn out crispy with minimal use of oil. Baking scones in it was a pleasant surprise, resulting in beautifully fluffy treats.

Overall, the Salter EK4548 is a versatile and stylish kitchen gadget, but it’s best suited for larger families with ample counter space. Its quality and functionality make it worth considering if you’re in the market for a family-friendly air fryer.

Want to know more? Read our full Salter EK4548 Dual Air Fryer review

3. Lakeland Dual Basket Air Fryer
Buy now on Amazon – £149.99 (on sale from £159.99)

Technical details

• Dimensions/size: ‎40cmD x 46cmW x 35cmH
• Functions: Dual basket air fryer
• Temperature range: 80° to 200°
• Cooking time range: 1 – 60 minutes
• Capacity: 9-litres
• Where to buy: Amazon

Pros

• Dual basket means you can cook two foods at different temperatures and different timings
• Very quiet fan
• Easy to clean
• Responsive digital display
• Great for family cooking

Cons

• Bigger size wouldn’t work well in a smaller kitchen
• No mid-point ‘shake’ reminder
• The shape of the basket offers less flexibility for cooking in tins etc than an oven-style air fryer

What our tester Sally said:

This Lakeland air fryer boasts two drawers, letting you cook two different foods at separate temperatures and times, although it doesn’t have the ability to sync timings like the Ninja and Salter models.

It does come with eight presets and provides cooking times for different ingredients, though the recipe selection in the instruction manual is very limited.

When testing chips in this fryer, I used three potatoes for the larger drawer and still had room left over, making it the perfect choice for families. I used the chip preset which worked well, but as my chips were a little chunkier I had to add 5 minutes to the time to take it up to 30 minutes of cooking time. They were perfect after this, with really light, fluffy insides and a good colour to the outside.

I added vegan chicken nuggets to the smaller drawer and again had plenty of space.

One downside to this fryer is that it doesn’t have a mid-point ‘shake’ timer, so you do have to remind yourself to give the chips a good shake halfway through cooking so that they cook more evenly.

At this price for a family-sized, really effective air fryer though, I can certainly overlook that.

Want to know more? Read our full Lakeland Dual Basket Air Fryer review

Best smart air fryer

4. Phillips Essential XL Connected
Buy now on Amazon – £149.99 (On sale from £199)

Technical details:

• Dimensions: 40.3D x 30.7W x 31.5H CM
• Functions: Air Fry, Reheat, bake, smart control
• Temperature range: 80 – 200°C
• Capacity: 6.2L
• Where to buy: Amazon, Phillips

Pros

• Its large capacity basket can cook lots of the same foods at once
• Sleek design
• Quiet cooking fan
• Cooks food fast
• Automatically switches off once the timer is complete

Cons

• The touchscreen display is temperamental
• Have to have a smartphone to access recipes and smart control
• Hefty price tag

What our tester Molly thought:

Despite encountering some issues with the touchscreen, I found the Phillips XL Connected to be an impressive piece of kit. Its spacious 6.2L basket size makes it ideal for cooking for larger families, yet it doesn’t consume precious kitchen worktop space.

Compared to traditional electric ovens, the Phillips air fryer significantly reduced waiting times, saving both time and money – It has become my go-to machine for cooking chips!

Surprisingly, I even became a fan of the smart app, despite initially considering it a mere novelty.

Want to know more? Read our full Phillips Essential XL Connected air fryer review

Best oven-style air fryer

5. Tower XpressPro 10-in-1 Air Fryer Oven
Buy now on Amazon – £139.99

Technical details

• Dimensions/size: ‎32.4cmD x 33.9cmW x 38.2cmH
• Functions: Air fryer, dehydrator, rotisserie
• Temperature range: 80° to 200°
• Cooking time range: 0 – 60 minutes
• Capacity: 11-litres

Pros

• 11-litre capacity
• Easy to clean
• Clear digital screen
• Cook different things at the same time (at the same temperature)

Cons

• Takes up quite a bit of worktop space
• Buttons can be temperamental

What our tester Sally thought:

The Tower XpressPro 10-in-1 Air Fryer Oven is slightly different to a lot of the air fryers that we tested in that it’s an oven-style.

The air flow works in the same way, but instead of having baskets that you add the food to you have wire racks that slot into the fryer as they would in a traditional oven.

This model has space for three racks which means that you can cook different foods at the same time, or a lot of the same food, making is perfect for families.

The only minor drawback is that the foods must be cooked at the same temperature. However, with a bit of meal planning or strategic placement, this issue can easily be overcome.

While I didn’t find it to be significantly faster at cooking food than a conventional oven as the packaging suggests, it still offers cost savings and the added health benefit of eliminating the need for oil.

Chips do crisp up really well, hash browns work a treat, and amazingly this is great for cooking pastry. I found that things like pain au chocolat bake much better than they do in a conventional oven.

Using an oven-style air fryer is a slightly different way of doing this, but essentially everything you cook in your oven you can cook in here, as long as the size fits. It also means you can use most usual baking tins rather than having to buy new ones.

It also comes with lots of different accessories as standard, including handy little silicone finger mitts which you use to get the racks out. I’m certainly a fan.

Want to know more? Read our full Tower XpressPro 10-in-1 review

6. Breville Halo Rotisserie Air Fryer
Buy now on Amazon – £140.96

Technical details:

• Dimensions: 32.5D x 35W x 36.3H cm
• Capacity: 10L
• Functions: Air fry, bake, dehydrate, rotisserie
• Temperature range: 50°C to 200°C
• Where to buy: Amazon

Pros:

• Large cooking capacity
• Can cook different foods at once
• Controllable interior light to monitor cooking progress without opening the door
• Stylish design
• Fast cooking
• Recipes are included in the instruction booklet to get you started
• Responsive touchscreen display

Cons:

• Difficult to open the oven door
• Takes up a lot of counter space
• Food on the top shelf cooks faster than on the bottom shelf

What our tester Molly said:

Despite encountering a few initial challenges, the Breville Halo air fryer undeniably leaves a lasting impression.

One feature that I found most helpful is the clear window equipped with an interior light switch, allowing you to easily monitor your food as it cooks. While this may seem like a simple addition commonly found in ovens, it’s a rarity among air fryers.

The Breville air fryer excels at rapid cooking, perhaps even a bit too rapid. While this speed is welcomed, I recommend experimenting with the cooking settings during the first attempts and keeping a close eye on your food to avoid burning.

Want to know more? Read our full Breville Halo Rotisserie Air Fryer review

7. Proscenic T31 Air Fryer Oven –
Buy now on Amazon – £179.00

Technical details

• Dimensions: ‎41 x 39 x 34cm
• Capacity: 15L
• Power: 1700W
• Temperature range: 80-200℃
• Features: Air frying, rotisserie, baking, preheating
  App & Alexa Control: Yes with the Proscenic air fryer app
• Where to buy: Amazon

Pros

• Quiet fan
• Lots of space and the option to cook different foods on different trays
• Very responsive digital display
• Shuts down when food has finished cooking
• Option to control via the app

Cons

• Takes up quite a lot of space in your kitchen
• Mid-range price, not a budget option
• Does have quite a strong aroma the first time you use it

What our tester Sally said:

This is another oven-style fryer, which offers similar benefits as the Tower model, but has two cooking trays rather than three. The trays are slightly larger than the ones in the Tower fryer though.

I love the combination of the really responsive digital display and the very stylish dial on this fryer. It not only looks good, but works perfectly.

If you’re a fan of apps, you’ll be pleased to hear that this fryer has one, which allows you to connect it to your phone and control the fryer when you aren’t in the same room, or even in the house. High tech box fully ticked.

This fryer does have a shake ‘timer’ that will go off halfway through cooking on some presets, and chips is one of those settings.

Considering how quiet the fan is on the fryer, I was surprised by quite how loud the alarm was.

And it’s persistent too – there’s no ignoring or forgetting that it’s time to give your chips a shuffle. It cooked them perfectly though – I’d give this fryer 4 out of 5 for cooking chips.

It’s sleek and stylish and looks great in the kitchen, but there’s no getting around the fact that it’s one of the bigger air fryers, and sadly this comes with the territory with an oven-style air fryer.

If you’ve got enough space in your kitchen though you could do much worse than investing in this model.

Want to know more? Read our full Proscenic T31 Air Fryer Oven review

Best multi-functional air fryer

8. Karaca Air Pro Cook 2-in-1
Buy now on Amazon – £129.95

Technical details

• Dimensions/size: ‎40.4 x 37.2 x 31.6 cm
• Functions: Air fryer, slow cooker, grill, yoghurt
• Temperature range: 60° to 210°
• Cooking time range: 1 minute – 12 hours
• Capacity: 4 litres

Pros:

• Fast cooking
• Multi-functional
• Stylish design and available in a variety of colours

Cons:

• Loud fan
• No recipe book

What our tester Molly thought:

The Karaca Air Pro 2-in-1 air fryer is a nifty piece of kit. Not only is it stylish, but as well as the large air frying basket and removable drip tray, Karaca’s air fryer comes with a pot and splash-proof lid for slowing cooking.

If frying, grilling and slow cooking aren’t enough uses for you, you can even make yoghurt in this miracle machine!

In particular, I was seriously impressed by the speed of the cooking.

Within just 10 minutes our homemade chips were cooked to just the right texture, and vegan bacon crisps up a dream in just a few minutes.

Where many air fryers promise to cut down on cooking time and fail, the Karaca really does live up to the promise and could rival the Ninja on this front.

Team perfectly cooked food in a shorter amount of time with all the functionalities of this machine, which takes it from a humble air-fryer into a multi-function wonder, and it is really hard to fault it.

Want to know more? Read our full Karaca Air Pro Cook 2-in-1 review

9. Salter EK4549 AeroGrill 5-in-1 air fryer
Buy now on Amazon – £118.00

Technical details:

• Dimensions: 30D x 25W x 80H centimetres
• Capacity: 5.2L
• Functions: Grill, air fry, roast, bake, dehydrate
• Temperature range: 40°C – 265°C
• Where to buy: Amazon

Pros:

• Compact size
• Large capacity cooking area
• Quite when cooking
• Auto switch off
• Responsive LED display
• Great value for money

Cons:

• Can’t cook multiple things at once
• Awkward to open the lid if you have low kitchen cupboards

What our tester Molly thought:

From the start, I knew that this air fryer would be a delightful addition to my kitchen.

Its compact size allows it to effortlessly fit into kitchens of any size. Although I did encounter a slight awkwardness when lifting the fryer lid as it was hitting my kitchen cupboards. Thankfully, turning it 90 degrees quickly solved the issue.

The AeroGrill boasts a spacious 5.2L cooking capacity, making it perfect for preparing meals for the entire family or a large gathering of friends without any hassle.

And the best part? It’s priced at just £118!

Want to know more? Read our full Salter EK4549 AeroGrill 5-in-1 air fryer review

Best budget air fryer

10. Russell Hobbs 4l Satisfry Air Fryer
Buy now from Amazon – £94.99

Technical details

• Dimensions/size: ‎34cmD x 25cmW x 26cmH
• Functions: Air fryer (fry, bake and grill), dehydrator
• Temperature range: up to 220°C
• Capacity: 11-litres
• Where to buy: Amazon

Pros

• More compact size, so good for smaller kitchens
• Under £100 – it won’t blow the budget too much
• Good for a single person or a couple
• Switches off automatically, so you won’t be left with burnt food if you forget about it

Cons

• Not as much functionality as some other air fryers
• The 4-litre version might be too small for larger families
• Limited instructions

What our tester Sally thought:

Whilst the SatisFry didn’t cook chips as well as the other air fryer contenders and the instruction booklet is very limited, it still has some great qualities.

Its compact size makes it the ideal appliance for a single person or a couple, and it doesn’t take up too much kitchen space, which is an important consideration in many kitchens. Plus, it’s under £100, so it won’t break the bank.

I’m a big fan of the shake function, which reminds you to shake your food halfway through cooking to make sure your food is cooking evenly, and most importantly, not burning!

I was impressed with its baking capabilities, in fact it baked the pain au chocolat better than my oven!

Want to know more? Read our full Russell Hobbs 4l Satisfry Air Fryer review

11. Cosori Lite 3.8ltr Smart Air Fryer
Buy now on Amazon – £99.99

Technical details

• Dimensions/size: ‎37.6cm x 27.5cm x 32.5cm
• Functions: Air fryer
• Temperature range: 75°C to 230°C
• Cooking time range: 1 – 60 minutes
• Capacity: 3.8-litres

Pros

• Cooks food quicker than a conventional oven
• Doesn’t need any oil at all for cooking, yet still gives a good crisp
• Competitively priced at under £100
• Stylish design
• Simple to use
• Smartphone capabilities
• Ideal for smaller kitchens

Cons

• Wouldn’t suit a larger family
• The fan is a little bit louder than some other models
• The crisper plate isn’t 100% stable if wanting to put it higher up the basket

What our tester Sally thought:

After testing numerous air fryers, the Cosori Lite Air Fryer exceeded my expectations. Priced under £100, this air fryer delivers the advantage of faster and more even cooking compared to an oven, resulting in a satisfyingly crisp texture.

The Cosori Lite Air Fryer is a breeze to set up and the instructions are pretty thorough, making it easy for those new to air fryers. The only downside is that there aren’t any printed recipes in the manual to get you started, but you can download some online. It also offers some great tips for adapting oven recipes to suit the air fryer.

If you love a gadget, you’ll be pleased to hear that this machine also has a VeSync app connection, which turns it into a Smart air fryer. The only slight criticism is that the crisper plate didn’t stay in place as firmly as we’d like when we tried to position it higher up the basket.

When it comes to cooking, the Cosori Lite really impresses. In my tests, it cooked hand-cut chips in just 17 minutes, faster than most other air fryers I tested (apart from the Ninja), took minutes off the cooking time for sausages, and even baked a batch of cupcakes with speed and impressive consistency.

Overall, the Cosori Lite Air Fryer delivers efficient and oil-free cooking with a sleek design, all without breaking the bank. It may lack some fancy presets and multitasking abilities, but it’s a reliable and budget-friendly choice for air frying and performs better than a lot of its more expensive counterparts.

Want to know more? Read our full Cosori Lite 3.8ltr Smart Air Fryer review next

How we test

We thoroughly test each air fryer in order to write an informed, useful review that you can trust.

To do this, we follow the same process for every air fryer that we review. First, we unpack the box, look at what you get with the air fryer, and then follow the instructions that come with each specific air fryer to set it up.

The important thing for any air fryer is how it cooks food, so we test each one at least three times. Firstly to cook homemade chips, then to cook mock meat, and thirdly to either cook a baked item or to test the frying ability, depending on the capabilities.

We judge the air fryers on how well they cook the food, how crisp the finish is, how long food takes to cook, how easy the machine is to use, how easy is it to clean, and how many extra capabilities/functions it has.

Each air fryer is then given a score out of 5 and rated on what purpose it is best suited to.

Air fryer FAQ

How do you use an air fryer?

Your new air fryer should come with easy-to-follow instructions to guide you in setting it up. Generally, most brands recommend washing the detachable air fryer components (this can be the basket, drawer, rotisserie cage, or tray) before use, but do not wash the air fryer itself.

Once washed, we like to run the air fryer for 10-15 minutes (the instructions will usually advise on timings) with nothing inside to burn away any chemical residue left from the production factory. This can release a slight odour at first, but don’t worry, this will burn off quickly and not happen again.

Now you’re ready to start cooking.

Is it healthier to cook with an air fryer?

As air fryers require less oil, this can be a healthier cooking method compared to deep frying or cooking in a traditional electric oven and can reduce calories by up to 80%.

Additionally, research suggests that air-frying foods can reduce a carcinogen chemical substance called acrylamide by about 90%².

‘What’s acrylamide?’ we hear you say. Acrylamide is a substance that is a chemical formed when cooking starchy plant-based foods.

Despite air fryers being a healthier alternative, it is worth noting that some foods still require oil to achieve a crispy coating.

Are air fryers cheaper to run than traditional ovens?

One of the benefits of an air fryer is the potential to cut your electricity bills.

Thanks to the cooking efficiency, air fryers require less energy compared to traditional electric ovens.

Typically, an air fryer uses an average of 1.4Kwh (kilowatts per hour) compared to a standard electric oven uses an average of 2.1 kWh.

What foods can you cook in an air fryer?

Whilst chips (or fries) remain the most popular food to cook in an air fryer., there are so many wonderful and creative foods that you can cook with this machine.

In addition to most frozen foods that you’d cook in the oven, we love to cook crispy tofu, roasted veg, crispy kale, roasted chickpeas (coated in paprika and garlic salt – simply delicious!),  and much more.

Depending on the functionality and basket size, you can also bake cakes, muffins, or brownies (a baking tray is required) in your air fryer, whilst some offer reheating, slow cooking, grilling, dehydrating and even yoghurt-making functions.

Foods that can’t be cooked in an air fryer include foods coated in a wet batter, popcorn, and rice.

Want to test out your new air fryer? Here are 15 vegan air fryer recipes to get you started

References

1,2: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25872656/