Most people tend to think about air fryers as a means of eating healthier fries. But take some time to read a couple of air fryer reviews and you’ll be astounded to discover just how many different dishes you can cook in it.
If you’re curious about this guilt-free frying appliance, wouldn’t you like to know how to pick the best healthy fryer? There are many options to choose from, but we’re going to show you precisely what to look for and what to take into account when shopping for yours.
Let’s get to a roundup review of the top choices and a detailed buying guide for the best air fryer!
Best Air Fryers
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![Ninja - Air Fryer [AF100UK] 3.8 Litres](https://theappliancejudge.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Ninja-Air-Fryer-AF100UK-3.8-Litres-625x400.jpg)
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| 2
Best Overall
2Pro Breeze Digital Air Fryer
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Best For Low Budgets
5Philips Air Fryer
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Best For Higher Budgets
6Tefal ActiFry Air Fryer
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Buy On AO1. Ninja Air Fryer
- Ceramic-coated frying basket and crisper plate.
- 3.8 litre cooking capacity.
- 4 cooking functions to choose from.
- Variable heat settings with two different fan speeds.
![Ninja - Air Fryer [AF100UK] 3.8 Litres](https://theappliancejudge.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Ninja-Air-Fryer-AF100UK-3.8-Litres.jpg)
Ninja’s 3.8-litre air fryer with ceramic-coated basket can be a perfect choice for enjoying guilt-free, fried tasty dishes. It comes with 4 pre-set cooking functions that let you air fry or roast, but also reheat foot or dehydrate fruits or veggies. And thanks to the dishwasher safe parts, cleaning it up is just as simple as cooking with it.
The touch screen controls give it a stylish, sleek look. And the programmes can be customized fast and easy. You can set the desired temperature with precision, going all the way to 210 degrees Celsius. And there are two fan speeds you can alternate, depending on your needs and preferences.
With this air fryer, one can prepare both side dishes and main courses, bring food to perfect crispiness, and reheat leftovers in an instant. The 3.8-litre cooking capacity can generously fit in about 900g of fries, the equivalent of 6 servings. And with the 1500 watts power, it can handle pretty much anything you decide to try on it.
Specifications
Pros
- Good cooking capacity.
- Designed with touch screen controls.
- Allows accurate temperature settings.
- Easy to use, with customizable programmes.
Cons
- No pre-heat function.
- Plastic smell can be felt during the first uses.
2. Pro Breeze Digital Air Fryer
- 4.2-litre cooking capacity.
- 7 pre-set cooking modes to choose from.
- LED display with timer and digital controls.
- Overheat protection and auto shut-off sensor built-in.
Cooking foods in a healthier and faster way is now possible with this generously sized 4.2-litre air fryer from Pro Breeze. The family-size capacity, however, isn’t the only thing that will catch your eye. Consider the super-hot, advanced cyclone technology that the manufacturer brags with. And it will be obvious why so many of its buyers already swear by how fast it cooks.
The unit features an elegant design, with a black, shiny body and an LCD display. The touch controls let you pick one of the 7 pre-set modes. But you also have options to override the default settings with +/- buttons for both temperature and cooking time. And you can use it with all the confidence, given its built-in safety features like the auto shut-off sensors or the overheat protection.
Specifications
Pros
- Features a family-sized design.
- Relies on advanced cyclone technology for fast cooking.
- Easy to use, with a wide range of pre-set cooking modes.
- Designed for easy cleaning, with non-stick coating and removable basket.
Cons
- LED display could use more light.
- No rotating paddle.
3. Ninja Foodi Electric Multi-Cooker
- 3.6-litre air fryer with 6 litre cooking pot.
- Package includes crisp basket, two lids (for crisping and pressure cooking), and a reversible rack.
- 8 pre-set cooking modes with one-touch controls.
- Dishwasher-safe parts with a non-stick ceramic coat.
If you’re prospecting the market for an air fryer that does a lot more than fries, this Ninja Foodi model may be the one. The air frying capacity is set to 3.6-litres, but it stands out with the almost double cooking pot and all the accessories it comes with. Whether you really like to cook and never settle for small portions or you have a large family, this appliance might replace your oven before you know it.
Consider it for pressure cooking or slow cooking, but also for steaming, searing or sautéing. If extra crispiness is what you’re drooling after, the grill, the bake/roast, and the air crisp functions are only a short touch away. And, of course, it also features the practical keep-warm function, to keep the food ready for whenever you’re ready.
Specifications
Pros
- Versatile air fryer with lots of cooking functions.
- Available in two different sizes to fit all needs.
- Facilitates easy operation with touch commands.
- Easily removable for safe washing in the dishwasher.
Cons
- Takes up a lot of space in the kitchen.
- Not a good option for singles or couples.
4. Morphy Richards Health Air Fryer
- Generous 3-litre cooking capacity.
- Relies on Rapid Air technology.
- Features 8 pre-set programs.
- Digital display with touch controls.
With this 3-litre air fryer from Morphy Richards, even the most inexperienced cooks can get their food just right. The extra-large capacity will come in handy if you’re planning on cooking for more than 2 persons. The Rapid Air technology will give foods a nice crisp despite using just a few drops of oil. And the aluminium construction will make it last.
So, it’s an option you might want to add to your shortlist. It’s large, it fries well, it can even defrost foods before cooking them. And the pre-programmed settings along with the touch display will spare you from any guess work. You just pick your cooking mode, place the ingredients, and hit the start button. The flavour of the foods is hard to beat when you match it against any other cooking option!
Specifications
Pros
- Large enough to air fry for a family.
- Cooks evenly with a minimum amount of oil.
- Comes with lots of pre-set cooking functions.
- Can cook from frozen foods, with the Defrost function.
Cons
- Requires enough space for good ventilation.
- Somewhat noisy while selecting the programs.
5. Philips Air Fryer
- 0.8 kg cooking capacity, for 2-3 persons.
- Two dial knobs, for time and temperature selection.
- Comes with a food divider to separate food items while cooking.
- Removable parts are dishwasher safe and easy to take out.
In the world of kitchen appliances, Philips is a name that needs no other introduction. And when it comes to air fryers, in particular, the HD9220/20 model stands out as a truly successful product. Already sold in over 7 million units worldwide, it makes a best choice for anyone who has enough space for it in the kitchen.
The main features of this Philips air fryer are the rapid air technology, as expected, an adjustable temperature dial that goes to a maximum of 200 degrees Celsius, and a 30-minute countdown timer. It also has a food divider; in case you want to separate some veggies from meat while cooking it. And the air fryer will block most of the vapours and smells that otherwise would inundate your kitchen.
Specifications
Pros
- Very simple design with minimum settings required.
- Built with an air-filter that keeps cooking smells to a minimum.
- Comes with a recipe booklet and access to the Philips recipes app.
- Features a 2-year manufacturer warranty.
Cons
- No pre-set cooking modes.
- No On/Off button, only two dials for controls.
6. Tefal ActiFry Air Fryer
- Extra-large 1.5kg cooking capacity for up to 6 portions at once.
- 2-in-1 air fryer with rotating cooking plate.
- Dual motion technology and automatic stirring paddle.
- Designed with a transparent lid for checking up on food easily.
If you fantasize about getting 1.5 kg of fries in one cooking batch, you’ll want to take a good look at Tefal’s ActiFry. It’s a 2-in-1 air fryer that lets you cook in both a bottom bowl with rotating paddle and a top tray. So, one can easily imagine the nice combo of fries at the bottom and grilling steaks at the top, cooked at the same time. But that’s not everything there is to admire about it!
Compared to the majority of the other air fryers you’ll find on the market, this model has the advantage of a transparent lid and a stirring paddle. This means that, when you’re only using the bottom bowl – the one with the paddle – you don’t need to pause or open up the lid at all during the cooking! You can see through the top lid, and the paddle will constantly stir the ingredients inside.
Specifications
Pros
- Designed with 2 separate cooking zones.
- Features a great cooking capacity.
- No need to open it up during cooking.
- Provides access to 300+ recipes with My ActiFry app.
Cons
- Food bites tend to stick to the mixing paddle.
- A bit on the pricey side.
Air Fryer Buying Guide
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a kitchen appliance designed to cook a wide range of foods by relying on the circulation of hot air. Since the cooking chamber is small – at least compared to the one of an oven – and the convection mechanism is so effective, the tiny vapours of oil spread evenly. So, it takes considerably less oil to get crispy foods. Nontheless, you can use a deep fat fryer for crispy food too!
Types
While the functioning principle is unique, the best healthy fryer models stand out through certain particularities. Given their importance or the benefits they bring, some of those particularities have led to a classification of air fryer units as digital air fryers and air fryer ovens. Let’s take a closer look at what they imply.
Digital Air Fryer
A digital air fryer, just like its name suggests, is designed with digital settings. In some cases, it can mean that the air fryer has an LCD display and touch controls. You use the latter to set the cooking temperature and time, while the display shows your current settings and counts down the time.
In other instances, a digital air fryer may also come with some pre-set cooking options, also accessible through simple, touch buttons. You select one, and you see the temperature and time associated with it on the display, having the option to override it however you see fit. In any case, a digital air fryer is the opposite of classic models where you only have dial knobs to set it.
Air Fryer Oven
An air fryer oven is pretty much like a miniature oven, with lots of added benefits. Because the cooking chamber is smaller, the hot air travels through it more rapidly, which facilitates faster cooking. Yet the size isn’t the only thing making the fan of an air fryer more effective.
The air fryer also comes with a frying basket, and because of this particular design, the hot air that moves around will cook the food not only from above, but also from its sides and bottom. That way, the food in an air fryer oven is surrounded by the moving hot air literally from all sides, giving you not just a shorter cooking time, but also extra crispiness that you can’t get otherwise.
Capacity
The size and shape of an air fryer can vary greatly, and this can also impact its cooking capacity. Depending on the design chosen by the manufacturer, some units can hold up to 800g of food at once. But you can also find plenty of large air fryer options. You’ll spot them by the XL label. The largest model, as seen in our best air fryer review roundup, can actually hold up to 1.5kg of food at once.
Pricing Range
Some of the best budget air fryers are on sale for as little as £50 or £60. Whereas the most expensive ones will easily jump over £150, going closer to £200. Popular brands such as Philips, Tefal, Ninja, or Morphy Richards, however, are taking care to offer products for all the tiers. From the best budget air fryers to the top of the range models, you might easily find one to fit your budget, from your preferred brand.
Air Fryer Recipes
The more you learn about your air fryer, the more dishes you’ll be able to prepare with it. Sure, fries will always be a top choice. And the same goes for any fatty, juicy chunk of meat. Pork chops, chicken drums or wings, and even burgers will taste heavenly when cooked in an air fryer. But the sky is pretty much the limit!
Air Fryer Chips
Chances are no air fryer buyer in the world will skip this delicious recipe of air fryer chips. Anyone who has this appliance will make fries at least once. Since they turn out crispy every single time, while using up to 80% less oil, and the seasoning options are endless, it’s a favourite.
As far as the oil is concerned, one can consider 1 tbs for every potato, medium-sized. Seasoning is a creative game, meaning you can add just salt, or a mixture of Italian herbs, or a Mexican seasoning. And sprinkling some parmesan on top of it a few minutes before the time goes up will take this air fryer chips recipe to a new level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Simply put, anything you can cook in an oven can also be cooked in an air fryer, as long as it will fit inside! If the unit has the defrost function built-in, one can also cook frozen dishes, like frozen nuggets or fish fingers.
Most people think about meat and fries, but the fact is that you can cook in an air fryer, even vegetables. The cherry on top is that desserts, too, work well in an air fryer. Cookies and muffins are a top choice, but you can cook even a whole cake, by pouring the pre-mixed ingredients straight into the baking tray that comes with your air fryer.
Since no product is perfect, air fryers do have some particularities or limitations that may or may not make them ideal for any person. For once, they do take up some space, compared to the cooking capacity. Even a small size air fryer – in terms of capacity – can be a tad bulky. What’s more, it requires to have enough free space around it, for proper ventilation. And because it does produce smells and vapours, it needs to sit somewhere close to a window.
Another disadvantage may be that you will be tempted to crowd ingredients inside, which can lead to less than perfect results. And for the best recipes, you will probably need to wait a little longer. Or, in any case, to cook in batches. If the design doesn’t involve a transparent lid and a paddle, it will be even more cumbersome as you must periodically pause it, open up the lid, check the food, and turn it back on.
An air fryer fries the food using hot air and very little oil. The reason why it works so well is because it relies on a small cooking chamber, where the temperature goes high very fast. And the fan that makes air circulate around the cooking chamber can take it to literally surround the food.
The functioning principle relies on a fan that draws air inside, passes it along a grill element to heat it up, and then keeps recirculating it inside the cooking cavity. In a nutshell, it’s a constant swirling of hot air that turns the little amount of oil you add into fine droplets. The heat and the oil cook the food evenly, fast, and while keeping most of its juices inside a crunchy crust.
Depending on your air fryer model, the cooking settings may be different. If yours has a pre-set function specifically for fries, start with it. If you’re only having manual dials to set the temperature and time, check if there are any instructions for this dish in the user manual.
If not, you can consider a recipe that involves cooking the chips for about 20 minutes at 100 degrees Celsius and another 5 minutes (after mixing them up) at 200 degrees Celsius. The secret is to have your chips sliced as finely as possible. And to pat the water and spray them with oil before you place them in the tray.
Our Verdict
A perfect kitchen appliance for anything from hot air frying to roasting, grilling, and baking, an air fryer is a must-have for anyone conscious about how they cook and how they live. If you, too, want every day to be a fry-day without feeling guilty about it, you now know what you need to do.
Even though the first air fryer was produced and sent on the market in 2010, by Philips, the market nearly exploded throughout the last decade. Check out your options, read as many air fryer reviews as you can, and you’ll find your best healthy fryer in no time.
