6 best air fryers to try in 2023 – tried, tested, and reviewed

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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 to 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…

Buy an air fryer from Amazon

Jump to air fryers:

• Best overall air fryer: Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer – £219.00
• Best value air fryer: Salter EK4548 Dual Air Fryer –  £149.99
• Best smart air fryer: Phillips Essential XL Connected – £149.99 (0n sale from £199)
• Best oven-style air fryer: Tower XpressPro 10-in-1 Air Fryer Oven – £113.84, (on sale for £139.99)
• Best multi-functional air fryer: Karaca Air Pro Cook 2-in-1 – £129.95
• Best budget air fryer: Russell Hobbs 4l Satisfry Air Fryer – £89.58 ( on sale from £94.99)

Jump to 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 was sceptical if the £219 asking price for this machine was justified, but after giving it a test drive I admit that I am now a believer.

What’s not to love about the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer? This multi-functional machine has quickly become my favourite air fryer.

It’s clear that every detail has been considered, from the cooking methods right down to the sustainable packaging. Even though it’s rather large, its polished design makes it a desirable focal point on your kitchen worktop.

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
• Temperamental Touchscreen LED was slightly temperamental
• Some foods took longer to cook than the recommended

What our tester Molly thought:

We were impressed with the Salter Dual EK4548. Its stylish design and multi-functional cooking capabilities make it a practical kitchen appliance that isn’t an eyesore.

The dual drawers give you the freedom to cook different foods at different temperatures, bringing simplicity to meal times.

Although we had to wait slightly longer for the chips to be cooked than suggested in the instructions, we’re willing to look the other way as they tasted good in the end. Overall, we’re pleased with the speed and quality that it cooks the food.

Whilst the £169.99 price tag may not be affordable for everyone, we think a product of this quality is a decent price compared to some double-draw air fryers and is worth the investment.

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

Best smart air fryer

3. 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:

Although there were some issues with the touchscreen, I was impressed with the Phillips XL Connected.

The 6.2L basket is ideal for cooking if you have a big family. But unlike some large-capacity air fryers, this air fryer isn’t ginormous in size so it doesn’t take up too much precious kitchen counter space.

So far, it’s my favourite air fryer to cook chips in. In just 20 minutes, I had three portions of golden crispy chips that tasted like they had been deep-fried.

Despite initially thinking the smart control was a novelty, I found myself appreciating being able to control the air fryer’s temperature and timings from my phone.

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

Best oven-style air fryer

4. Tower XpressPro 10-in-1 Air Fryer Oven
Buy now on Amazon – £139.99, currently on sale for £113.84

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:

If an oven-style air fryer is what you’re looking, the Tower XpressPro Combo 10-in-1 won’t disappoint.

Its 11-litre capacity allows you to easily cook for a larger family, and the fact there’s space for three racks means that you can cook different foods at the same time.

The slight drawback is that the foods have to be cooked at the same temperature, but if you plan your meals or strategically place foods on trays depending on the temperature they require (lower temperatures placed at the bottom of the fryer, higher temperatures at the top) this shouldn’t be an issue.

Although I didn’t find that it cooked things much quicker than a conventional oven as the box suggests, it will still save you money and has the added health benefit of not needing the oil. It also achieves a better crispy coating than my oven.

If you’re looking for an air fryer oven rather than a lid or drawer type, you won’t go far wrong with the Tower XpressPro Combo 10-in-1 Air Fryer Oven.

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

Best multi-functional air fryer

5. 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 cooks food to a high standard.

One of my annoyances with cooking is when food sticks to the tray and I have to aggressively scrape it and ultimately end up butchering it. Thankfully, this isn’t the case with the Karaca Air Pro!

The non-stick drip tray works a treat, making cooking easy and not to mention healthy as I had to use little oil.

I was seriously impressed by the speed of the cooking. Within 10 minutes my food was perfectly cooked and ready to eat.

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

Best budget air fryer

6. Russell Hobbs 4l Satisfry Air Fryer
Buy now from Amazon – £89.58 (on sale from £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

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/