Ninja is arguably the UK's leading brand when it comes to air fryers, so much you'll be hard pushed to find someone who doesn't have or wants one. As part of a family of five, anything that can help with meal times I'm all for, and so last month when the popular Ninja dual zone air fryer was on sale, I took the plunge. And I can't remember the last time I used my oven.
At the time stocks, unsurprisingly, didn't last long, and the Ninja air fryer deal soon became unavailable. But if you were disappointed the first time around, you're in luck as today Very and Currys are offering the same £70 discount.
The woman&home team has tested a lot of air fryers in the past 18 months, so for the Ninja Foodi MAX dual zone air fryer to take the top spot in our round up of the best Ninja air fryers is quite the accolade. I've spent more time than I care to admit researching air fryers recently, trying to figure out which model would best suit. And the model that comes up time and time again is the Ninja Foodi MAX dual zone air fryer – it's so highly regarded, in fact, John Lewis created a TikTok video dedicated to it. Having used it for over a month now, I know why it gets the thumbs up from our woman&home experts, and can add to the already thousands of positive reviews online.
Shop Ninja Foodi MAX dual zone air fryer
Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone air fryer, 9.5L | RRP: £179.99 was £249.99
When opening the Ninja Foodi MAX, I was initially struck by how big it is. It's has two big drawers, side-by-side, so I was expecting it to be big, but it's worth considering if you have a small kitchen. This isn't a product you want to be putting away after each use, and so need a fairly decent-sized worktop for it. That said, if you do have space, the size of it pales into insignificance when you start using it.
My life often feels like it runs at one hundred miles an hour, and I cannot tell you how much easier this machine makes my life when it comes to cooking meals. I simply put the food in the drawers, set the temperature/timer and leave it to do its thing. And my goodness, does it do its thing well. It's quiet, surprisingly so, actually, and cooks food perfectly. Thanks to this air fryer, I'm finally able to cook chicken that melts in your mouth, rather than chewing on it for days.
Additional features include the ability to roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate, and an additional max crisp option, which the Woman and Home experts tried out and can confirm a super golden chip as a result.
As previously mentioned, I spent a long time researching these products, and our very own what I wish I'd known before buying an air fryer was vital in informing my purchase decision. The section on cleaning and our how to clean an air fryer article I found useful to know before buying, as was the bit on how much power they consume – are they really cheaper to run? Time will tell.
On a different note, as someone with an oven close to the floor, I can't tell you how much easier I'm finding the air fryer is on my back. Placed on the kitchen work surface, it's at arm level, and doesn't require any bending or squatting to use, which my troubled lower back is very thankful for.
Ninja claims the Foodi MAX will save up to 65% on energy bills, and cooks 75% faster than a fan oven. It's too early to know about the former, and I can't say I've measured it to be exactly 75% faster, but I do know I no longer have to wait almost an hour for crispy sweet potato fries. It's blisteringly quick.
Add all that up and it's not hard to see how this air fryer has racked up a 5-star rating from over 6,000 people on Very and 8,000 at Argos, and has an impressive overall score of 4.8 out of 5 from over 24,000 people on Amazon - it really is that good.
Shop more Ninja Air fryers
If you love a BBQ but don't like the British weather, the Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer AG551 is a brilliant solution, promising perfectly chargrilled food as well as all the high-level functionality we've come to expect from Ninja air fryers.
If you're new to air fryers and not sure whether it will become a kitchen staple, the Ninja AF100 model is ideal for beginners and anyone on a budget. It has four cooking modes, and is one of the smaller models so is a good option for kitchens tight on space.
If space isn't an option, the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid Multicooker is a considerable machine. As the name suggests, there are 11 functions, including two kinds of air frying, slow and pressure cooking. It really does everything - and takes u a lot of room doing it.
FAQS
What not to cook in an air fryer
Air fryers are brilliant for cooking all sorts of foods, but there are a few they're not well suited to. Anything with a sauce (think Chilli con carne or spaghetti bolognese) will not fair well. Sure it will cook, but there will be one heck of a mess to go with it. Anything with a wet batter is best avoided too.
Unless you are roasting them, vegetables aren't the best in the air fryer either, particularly broccoli. That said, sprouts (which hold water well) crisp up nicely in an air fryer.
It also best to stick to water for things like pasta and rice, unless you're doing a pasta bake, which, if your air fryer has room for it, will come up lovely.
Now I've got my kitchen a treat, I'm moving on to the rest of the house and eyeing up the best dehumidifiers. I'm hearing excellent reports back from the Woman and Home testing team on how they are helping to banish mould and damp and keep your house fresh this winter, which is just what I need going into the new year.
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