Smeg's first air fryer is the most beautiful I've seen – and it's packed with clever features

Smeg's first air fryer exceeds the brief. It's sleek and stylish, designed with a steam jet so that your food isn't just crispy, it's juicy too.

Lots of brands have been vying to make the best air fryer, but with thousands on the market, very few cut-through the boxy designs and chunky baskets that make up the most practical designs.

Just a few days ago, I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview and a little taste of Smeg's stylish air fryer launch and it's everything that you'd expect and more. Packed with clever details that give style and substance in equal measure, their air fryer is one that I'm going to clear some counter space for. Could it be better than even Ninja's air fryers?

Smeg's 7L Air Fryer is a first from the brand and it has been worth the wait. Available in Black, White, Emerald Green and Storm Blue, all four styles have a matte finish that's practical for marks, but also attractive in any kitchen. When I first saw these, I was struck by how genuinely beautiful they look on the counter, more so than anything else I've tested. And, importantly, the drawers are lined with a ceramic non-stick, so they're classed as non-toxic air fryers too.

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But this air fryer boasts more than beauty, let's talk about the basics. A sensitive touch screen on the top lets you toggle between presets and manual modes. I thought it might get greasy or difficult to interact with as more foods were cooked, but it remained quick to respond and easy to navigate. I watched chefs whip up mini brioche, sausage rolls, crisps, and cheese bites in the drawer.

When quizzing them on what the air fryer has been like to use over the last few months, they had nothing but good things to say. One did mention, "This errs on the side of caution when you're cooking, so if you like your chips a little softer, you might want to tweak the pre-sets, but I'd rather have a more powerful, faster air fryer than anything else."

Most of the features that Smeg has included in its menu of pre-sets are classics, a meat setting, a roast chicken setting, and shrimp setting for seafood lovers. But Smeg starts to flex some culinary muscles when you look closer at the pre-sets and the design. You'll notice a Crispy mode, which gives you the classic air fryer results, but there's also a Juicy + Crispy mode. One of the things that annoys people about air fryers is how much they dry out food. So, Smeg dedicated a neat water insert and steam-diffusing tap to send moisture straight into the basket, so you can get a crisp finish on your food, but still enjoy moist, juicy chicken thighs.

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The whole air fryer opens and closes with a soft, satisfying motion, operated by a neat button on the front. When you press it, the lid lifts fully up, giving you access to the full basket. Inside, the 7.2L basket is roomy enough for a whole roast chicken.

The basket lifts out using two heat-safe silicone handles that sit on either side, making the whole basket really manageable. Whether you have stiff wrists or a particularly heavy dish, being able to hold this like a dish or a tray, rather than from a front handle gives you a really good grip. This is a rare feature on an air fryer which makes a big difference to the recipes you'll want to tackle. And the best part is that the drawer can go in the dishwasher afterwards too.

There's also a handy clear panel that gives you full visibility across the drawer, so you can watch your food cook without an unsightly big glass box or a good guestimate of what it is like in terms of power. You get functionality, features, and still Smeg-quality design.

Alternative Air Fryers

A price point of £199.95 is actually very reasonable, especially for a premium brand such as Smeg. It's comparable to the Ninja, Cosori and Breville air fryers which I have included below, for context.

It's tough to cut through in the air fryer market and with more brands launching developed designs and microwave alternatives, I was beginning to think air fryers might have had their time. However, Smeg's new stylish design and thoughtful features tackle lots of issues that people have with their air fryers (dry food, utilitarian design) and brings back my hope that air fryers aren't going anywhere any time soon.