Out of the frying pan

Lauren Cunningham tries out air fryers to cook up a feast

Air fryers were the kitchen accessory of 2022, and it looks like we haven’t fallen out of love with them just yet. In fact, they’re still selling out at record speed, with the likes of Ninja, Tower and Salter harder to get our hands on than a PS5, which is really saying something. 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 average around 17p per day, which is certainly a good thing, considering the current cost-of-living crisis.

“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 70-80 per cent in foods, this can also drastically reduce the number of calories eaten without sacrificing on the crunch and texture that frying provides,” she added. So, if that sounds rather tempting, keep reading below to see our team’s tested favourites.

How we tested

Turning off our ovens, we lined up all of the latest and greatest 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 ones really impressed.

Salter EK4548 dual air fryer: £138, Amazon

The race for best overall air fryer 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 even bakes 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.

Buy now

Ninja foodi 9-in-1 multi-cooker 7.5l OP500UK: £229, Currys

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.

Buy now

Tower xpress pro combo 2,000W 11l 10-in-1 digital air fryer oven with rotisserie: £129.99, Tower

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 onepot 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.

Buy now

Instant vortex pot plus air fryer: £129.99, John Lewis

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.

Buy now

Tefal actifry genius XL AH960840 air fryer: £229, Currys

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 maybe best for larger kitchens or wide countertops.

Buy now

Lakeland dual basket air fryer: £139.99, Lakeland

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-airfryer 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.

Buy now

Instant vortex plus versazone air fryer: £219.99, Argos

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?

Buy now

The verdict

We don’t think you’ll be disappointed with any of the air fryers in this round-up. Each and every one is incredibly easy to use and delivered 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. 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.

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