The 9 best air fryers in 2024, as reviewed in our test kitchen

These days the best air fryers are so much more than an easy, speedy way to cook chips. The latest releases from big brands such as Ninja and Instant Pot can bake, broil, roast, dehydrate, and more. Our experts have tested all the popular models and rounded our favourites to help you choose the best air fryer for your home.

Air fryers earned their reputation as a healthier, energy-efficient alternative to deep-fat fryers. They're essentially mini convection ovens that work using high temperatures and a fan to cook and crisp up food without needing much (if any) oil.

Lots of brands have jumped onto the air fryer excitement, offering innovative dual-drawers, stackable towers, pressure cooking functions, and more. Whilst we think that best Ninja air fryers can cover a range of people's needs, there are some impressive competitors in Philips, Instant, Tower, and Russell Hobbs.

We asked our expert cookware testers to make their way through the best air fryers on the market. We tested each model on simple chips, crispy bacon, and succulent chicken, looking for consistent results. We've used all the extra functions and asked the big questions, such as 'are air fryers really healthier?' and 'how much does it cost to run an air fryer?'. So if you want to find the fastest, most efficient, air fryers on the market, you're in the right place.

Our top 6

Best air fryers we've tested in 2024

The best air fryer overall

Dual-zone models are the hottest air fryers on the market and this is the best of the best. The Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer can cook two different foods, at different temperatures, for different times and, if you use the Sync Finish function, they'll be read at the same time.

Our experts were keen to put this to the test and we weren't disappointed. We made some super moist chicken in one drawer with some crispy, fluffy chips in the other. Our tests were so successful, that our editor, Kerrie ended up buying the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer. She says 'thanks to the temperature/timer setting, I'm finally able to cook chicken that melts in your mouth, rather than chewing on it for days. I no longer have to wait almost an hour for crispy sweet potato fries. It's blisteringly quick.' In numerical terms, it's exactly 75% faster than an oven and it claims to be 65% more energy efficient. 

This model is at the more pricey end of the scale, but it comes with six different functions. There's air fry (obviously), max crisp (which is a unique and impressively powerful feature that gave us super golden chips), and then roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate. If you want to get cheffy in the kitchen, this is with splurging for.

Even though this is big, Kerrie said 'it's worth considering if you have a small kitchen. It's not a product you want to be putting away after each use, but if you do have the space, the size of it pales into insignificance when you start using it.' We tend to recommend this for couples and small families. It's the expert's choice and that has to count for a lot.

Best budget air fryer

Not all air fryers are created equal, and spending more doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get the best air fryer. This clever piece of kit from the Instant brand comes in around £100, and it beat plenty of pricier models to make it to our list. 

Laura, one of our expert testers said, 'the Instant stands out for its sheer simplicity. This is truly a plug-in-and-go machine. When you're finished, the removable basket and tray are dishwasher-safe, so you'll hardly need to lift a finger. Even the exterior matte finish makes for a low-maintenance display. I never struggled with any oily finger marks in testing, which is rare for an air fryer.'

While many competitors focus their offering on freezer favourites like fish fingers or chips (kitchen essentials), the Instant Vortex provides home chefs with enough room to cook a small roast chicken. This is a good benchmark for whether an air fryer is family-friendly. If you can fit a roast chicken in, you know it can suit bigger, busier homes.

The results of our tests, especially the roast chicken, were surprisingly succulent. Fries cooked in just 20 minutes and we only used two teaspoons of oil, which is a small amount compared to standard air fryers. Our tests didn't stop with air frying, the Instant can bake, roast, and re-heat too and it delivers on all of them. In our tests, Laura thought the chips were crispy after the first air fry. 'I let them cool and tested the re-heat function, which delivered the same, fluffy, crispy french fries as the first time around. Most re-heat functions make your food go a little leathery, but these were perfect.'

Slight niggles included having to download the app to get cooking instructions before we began (there's no accompanying leaflet), and the fact that you had to shake the basket every five minutes while the chips cooked to get even results—not the hands-off cooking dream we were hoping for. Overall though, we thought for the variety of functions this model offered it was surprisingly compact and lightweight, making it perfect for small kitchens and those on a smaller budget. 

Best smart air fryer

Cosori has established a stellar reputation for itself in the air fryer industry. They're well known for making some of the most reasonably priced and highest-rated models on Amazon. Are they worth the hype? Absolutely,

The Cosori Lite Air Fryer is a compact model costing under £100. That's beyond cheap for an air fryer, especially one which comes with smart features such as an app. Our experts said 'we felt the app made this perfect as a first-time air fryer or for people who are less confident cooks. The app helps you to navigate air frying as a healthier way to cook if you don't know where to start.'

Apps and 'smart' models can go two ways. I've tested plenty of air fryer apps which are more hassle than they're worth, but the Cosori Lite Air Fryer's is genuinely good. You download it onto a smartphone and you can look at suggested recipes, cooking times, as well as stop the machine remotely (you can't start it remotely though). You can even control the air fryer using voice commands with Google Assistant, which is a relative novelty in the world of air fryers.

You don't have to use the app though. Cosori sends a paper reference guide and cooking suggestions for those who are less tech-savvy. If you want to get straight into cooking, the easy-to-control display features cooking presets for chicken, fries, bacon, steak, and veggies with the click of a button. Our experts used the pre-sets and said, 'they're perfect. Our chips cooked quickly and quietly, After ten minutes, they came out crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Our only criticism is that the program restarts if you don't press the pause button or remove the basket. We did accidentally overcrisp some of our chips because of that.'

Beyond the practicalities, this is an attractive air fryer It looks contemporary with its minimal aesthetics and matte finish. It comes in a range of low-maintenance colours and won't take up much space on your countertop. It's one of the lightest and smallest models that we've tested, whilst still being able to boast a 3.8L volume.

A minor design flaw is that when you tip the food out of the basket the oil that has dripped into the base pours out as well. And when we shook the basket a few of the crisps fell through the crisper plate, which was a nice treat for the person tasked with washing up! If we had to pick out some flaws, we felt that the heating element would be tricky to clean. And the non-stick coating of the basket felt greasy after washing it in warm soapy water. For a deeper clean the removable parts can go into the dishwasher. But these are small flaws, and overall this a fantastic value machine, that looks great and is well put together.

Best small air fryer

This model is the younger sibling to the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer and packs much of the same impressive performance into a smaller frame. In fact, it's one of the best Ninja air fryers on the market. One of the main perks of this air fryer was how easy it was to set up. You literally remove the packaging, plug it in, and it's ready to go. 

Helen, our expert tester, said 'you should definitely buy this air fryer if you want a smaller capacity model that still offers top-notch performance.' She described the chips as 'fluffy on the inside and golden on the outside', the fish fingers had 'a crisp crunchy crumb', the vegetables were perfectly charred, and the bacon cooked in just five minutes. Possibly the best part of the whole process was that the clean-up was close to effortless, especially in comparison to grilling or frying. You can put everything in the dishwasher and wipe down the outside easily too.

The cooking times for the Ninja are some of the shortest on record, without any compromise on the cooking quality. The only downsides are that you'll need to give the basket a shake halfway through and the machine didn't auto-pause when we removed the tray. In the grand scheme of the Ninja (and air fryers in general), these are pretty negligible.

Another one of our experts, Laura has this air fryer at home. She uses the dehydrate function for small portions of fruit. She says 'it's really useful to have for small tasks like dehydrating apples, as well as roasting. I do all my roasted vegetables in the Ninja and I hardly need to use any oil.' 

Our Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK review has the full details.

Best easy to use air fryer

If you're looking for a versatile appliance, you won't find better bang for your buck than the Ninja Foodi MAX 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi-Cooker. The fifteen functions span from air frying and pressure cooking to yoghurt making and, my personal favourite, the Combi Crisp, which steams and roasts, resulting in some really succulent chicken. 

This versatility is brilliant for creative bakers and chefs but comes with the caveat that the Ninja difficult to store. Our experts said that 'even with the handles, this is heavy and big, so, realistically, you'll have to leave it on your countertop.' With the lid open it’s 58 cm tall with the lid open and can not be positioned under cabinets, so consider if it will fit in your kitchen. Most air fryers are big, but this is particularly demanding space-wise.

In our tests, our food team found the display to be 'bright and easy to control with a dial, slider, and sensitive touchscreen display. The whole of the Ninja Foodi Max feels well-built and simple. It's been really well made.' We made chips, roasted vegetables, bacon, and fish fingers in the Ninja. Each food was perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside and warmed right through. The Ninja didn't need any pre-heating, which is unusual for an air fryer, so it was quick to use and we didn't get as much of an air fryer 'scent' in the kitchen. 

There are two catches with the Ninja Foodi MAX. The first is that this is loud when cooking. Our experts noticed a 'high whirr' constantly, which isn't ideal if your kitchen is also a social space. The other feature worth noting is the capacity. Even though the specs say that the Ninja's capacity is 7.5L for pressure cooking the air fryer basket is fairly small, about the same size as the Cosori Lite Air Fryer. It's good for a small family, but not suitable for large, demanding households.

Best air fryer for roast dinners

Instant has dominated buying guides for the best pressure cookers and their expansion into the air fryer market has been welcomed with gushing reviews. Even though the Instant Pot Duo Crisp is one of the more expensive air fryers that we tested, if you account for the 13 different functions, £200 seems a reasonable price to pay.

Our experts said 'it's rare that you invest in a multifunctional appliance where all of the different settings are distinct, genuinely good, and useful for everyone. Traditionally, air fryers aren't as good with wet foods and batters, but, thanks to the different settings, we cooked wet and dry foods.' A favourite amongst the team, aside from air frying, was the pressure cooking setting which made some delicious stews.

As far as capacities go, this air fryer is big enough to cater to six or seven people. Whilst this isn't small, the fact that we managed to roast a whole chicken in the Instant Pot Duo Crisp is incredible. It's space efficient for its capacity and performance. Everything from our roast chicken to bacon and fish fingers crisped up wonderfully, maintaining succulent tenderness too. In fact, we were so impressed with the roast potatoes in the Instant Pot that several people on the Woman & Home team have been converted over to Team Instant Pot.

The Instant is still one of the easiest air fryers to use. Even though it doesn't come with a cookbook, you can download a simple app that suggests recipes and cooking advice. This is great if you're tech-savvy, but it is obviously less ideal if you don't have a smartphone. Generally, that won't hold you back though. Our experts didn't need to consult the instruction manual to make use of the various settings on the Instant. Plus, when we were finished, all the parts were safe to go into the dishwasher. 

If you often cook roasts and need to cater to lots of people, this is worth making space on your countertop for. All of the Woman & Home team who have bought themselves Instant Pots say that they're not quite sure what they ever did without one.

Best luxury air fryer

At the more premium end of the scale, Phillips’ air fryer is sturdy and well-built with an attractive and sleek design. This model is set apart from the competition thanks to its dual airflow function, which essentially creates a tornado of heat up and around your food. This action draws out excess fat which is then caught in the drip tray below; pretty impressive stuff. We found the resulting chips to be some of the best we tried during testing—really crispy on the outside without becoming dry in the middle (a common complaint of less stand-out machines) and they didn’t need regular checking or shaking either. 

All elements of the interior are removable and dishwasher safe to ensure there’s no faff when it comes to cleaning up, and we liked the addition of the mesh bottom to really allow food to get airflow all around it. The basket is big enough for between 4-6 people, given that it can fit an entire chicken or a couple of bags of frozen chips, so this would make a great option for families with children. Little extras like the auto settings for chips, chicken, and fish, as well as a neat plug tidy pocket at the back, made the whole experience feel seamless. The dial allows you to change timings and temperature, and the 'keep warm' function ensures a piping hot meal despite any delays you may have in your day-to-day life. 

Another plus was how quiet we found the Phillips air fryer to be—it emitted a low hum of the fan rather than a full-scale rattle. All in all, this product seriously impressed us and we could see how this would easily become a near replacement for your oven. 

You can find out more in our full Philips XXL Air Fryer review.

Best air fryer for cooking chicken

We have to admit we were sceptical about an air fryer’s ability to successfully rotisserie a whole bird, but we needn’t have been so hesitant. This model from Tower produced incredibly tasty rotisserie chicken in 45 minutes with that classic golden skin and moist meat—as such, we think this is the best air fryer for cooking chicken and is worth buying for this functionality alone. 

When it comes to chips, there’s an auto function that sets up the machine at the press of a button on the intuitive interface. For two trays of chips, you’ll need one tablespoon of oil, and if you’re cooking for more than a couple of people you’ll need to use two trays. The result of this setup is that you are required to move the trays around a little during cooking to ensure even browning of both top and bottom trays, which might be a deterrent for those who want their air fryer to assist them with hands-free cooking. The chip instructions also require you to weigh, peel, cut, and par-boil potatoes, which was one of the lengthier processes we faced during testing. The results were good though our experts described them as 'some delicious chips. In under twenty minutes, they were golden brown, crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.'  

When it comes to cleaning up, the oven door completely detaches for excellent cleaning capacity, and all the trays and racks are removable and dishwasher safe. The whole cooking chamber on this needs to be hand-wiped, however, which is more effort than the average air fryer requires. After cooking a full chicken, it was pretty oily and took a bit of elbow grease to get clean. 

Overall we loved that the glass door allowed you to monitor the food as it cooked. We think that the fiddly cleaning aspects and bulky size would be far outweighed if you plan to use this for both chicken and chips on a regular basis. 

Best air fryer for two people

Lakeland has made its own-brand air fryer, and it packs a punch despite its petite proportions. The smaller barrel shape is a much more attractive design than many of the other best air fryers, and we liked that it didn’t take up so much space on the countertop. The reduction in size does translate as a smaller fryer basket too though, so while this is perfect for two people we think it would struggle to feed a family. 

Our experts loved that 'the setup was super simple, and the included booklet plainly explained how to get started as well as how to make popular recipes, like chips.' Chips don’t have to be parboiled, which is a bonus when compared to alternatives on the market, and they say they only take 10 minutes. Because of the neat basket size, the potatoes have to be layered and shuffled once during the cooking time, whereas other models have a rotating blade that moves things for you. 

While the recipe booklet tells you to give the chips ten minutes, the auto function takes 20 minutes, which is a little confusing. We found that after 15 minutes they were perfectly cooked though, with soft interiors and pretty crunchy exteriors.

The screen appears to be a touch screen, but it is actually controlled with a dial, which might take a little getting used to. In spite of this, our experts said that 'once you have mastered it, the Lakeland is fairly straightforward and the pre-settings are a handy extra for cooks that aren't confident air frying.'

You can bake in this air fryer too, but with space for just four cupcakes at a time (the basket has a footprint smaller than a dinner plate) we think we’d leave this job to the oven. The basket releases with a sliding button and needs to be hand-washed, but the non-stick coating makes this a speedy chore. 

Overall, for smaller households, we think this is great given it needs no pre-heating and produces fully-cooked chips in under fifteen minutes. If you want a bigger version of the Lakeland, we tested (and loved) their dual-basket model.

How we tested the best air fryers

As with all of our buying guides, we tried and tested each of the best air fryers in this guide in our own domestic kitchen. We cook just like you cook at home, with no fancy additional kit or equipment on hand, so our results are balanced, fair, and realistic.

To ensure there was a good comparison point we made the same thing in each machine: chips. Although there is plenty of things you can cook in an air fryer, chips provide a good measure of how each one performed as they can easily be compared. It's clear to see from the color of the chips how evenly and fast each air fryer cooks. We can also asses how crisp the chips go. This will illustrate how well the air is circulated in each air fryer. Where provided, we (mostly!) followed the maker’s recipe in the hope of the best results.

Aside from cooking in the air fryers, to explore how to use each air fryer most effectively, we also looked at:

• How easy each air fryer was to set up and ease of use? Did it come with instructions, and how long did it take to actually get to the cooking?
• How many functions did it offer: Did it only offer a frying function or were there other options available for the price, such as crisping, roasting, and baking?
• How easy it was to clean and store:  For example, was it big and bulky, or lightweight and slimline? Would it typically fit in a cupboard or on a counter? And, how to clean an air fryer, did it have dishwasher-safe parts?
• Its value-for-money: Did we feel each air fryer was worth the price tag, or could you get an equal experience for less money? Or, was it worth paying more for a better experience?

FAQs

How to choose the best air fryer

As you can see, air fryers come in a variety of sizes and functionalities. If you're only cooking for yourself and a partner most nights, chances are you won't need a large-capacity air fryer. Here are four points to consider when buying an air fryer:

• Capacity: Consider who you'll be making meals for with your air fryer. A small (2-qt. / 3.5L) air fryer is great for solo dining or with a partner. A typical family of 4 should get along with at least a 5-qt. / 5.5L capacity. For larger families, parties, or more intricate meals, opt for anything beyond 6 quarts / 7 litres.
• Form Factor: You'll need to make sure you have space on your countertop for your new air fryer. Many of them are square or cylindrical, and some resemble toaster ovens. Naturally, the larger the capacity the bulkier the unit itself is going to be. Some air fryers have multiple baskets so you can cook two foods concurrently.
• Function: Most air fryers have presets for veg, pizza, chicken, fish and more. Beyond that, some air fryers are also capable of roasting, baking and even dehydrating (good for making fruit snacks or jerky). Think about whether or not you intend to use your appliance for more than just frying.
• Cost: There's no need to spend a lot on an air fryer if you've no use for special features or aren't going to cook for large groups. And even if you are you'll be able to find deals on air fryers during major holidays like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. In any case, have a budget in mind and stick to it.

What are the pros and cons of an air fryer?

Air fryers receive a lot of (well-deserved) praise for being an easy way to prepare healthier versions of our favourite foods – but they're not perfect. We've asked experts what they wish they knew before they bought an air fryer and rounded up the benefits and drawbacks of owning one...

Air fryer pros:

• They're simple to use – Seriously, you don't have to be a world-class chef to prepare delicious, golden chips or the crispiest fried chicken. Air fryers are loaded with pre-sets and most come with cookbooks so you're not left guessing.
• They're fast - Let's face it: a lot of us are too busy to prepare a proper dinner after a long day of work or tending to the home. Air fryers preheat and cook much quicker than a traditional oven so you'll be less inclined to call for takeaway.
• They're versatile - Want to roast a chicken, or reheat some day-old pizza? How about baking some cookies or dehydrating some fruit? This depends on the model you choose, of course, but an air fryer is capable of more than just frying. 
• They make your foods healthier - Very little oil is required for air frying, which is good news if you don't want to totally give up your favourite fried foods outright. Research from the Institute of Food Technologists shows that air frying can reduce the amount of acrylamide, a possible carcinogen.
• They use less electricity than the oven - air fryers are a great energy-saving option, especially if just catering for one. They use less electricity than heating the oven.

Air fryer cons:

• They're bulky - Even the smallest air fryers can take up a considerable amount of space on your counter. This is important because you'll want to ensure your appliance has enough room so air can ventilate – otherwise, it may cause a fire. Storage can also be a hassle if you live in cramped quarters.
• They're not always practical - You can only really cook one item at a time in an air fryer (or two if you get a dual basket model). And a lot of the time, you'll have to stop it halfway to shake the basket or flip food over to ensure it's evenly cooked.
• They can't cook everything perfectly - One common gripe is that air fryers aren't suitable for vegetables like broccoli or Brussels sprouts. (They'll either be burnt or not cooked enough.) You'll also want to avoid adding wet-battered foods – in other words, items that are meant to be made in a traditional oil fryer.
• The health benefits can be overstated - Sure, oil-less cooking is a healthier alternative than deep frying, but it doesn't automatically translate to a well-balanced diet. If weight loss is your goal, you'll still want to work towards a calorie deficit and make sure you're eating plenty of raw foods, too. 

How does an air fryer work?

If you know how to use an air fryer, you probably already have a good idea of how air fryers work. In essence, air fryers are mini convection ovens. They use fans to rapidly circulate hot air around a small basket, which quickly heats and crisps up your food with minimal oil. They're a combination of power and speed, combining the performance of ovens and deep-frying in one model.

What size air fryer do I need?

Knowing what capacity you need in your air fryer can be really helpful in choosing which one to buy. If you're just one person or a couple, 1.5.-2 litres of capacity will be enough for you to make small meals and cook small batches of chips. If you're a family of three, an air fryer with 2.5-4 litres of capacity will have enough space to cook chicken, bread, small roasted vegetables, and three portions of chips. Larger families of up to five, who want to cook a whole chicken and big batches of chips will want to look for 4-5 litres of capacity. And then, finally, larger homes of more than five people will want more than five litres. These are often dual-basket air fryers which can cook two different dishes simultaneously. 

Capacity isn't independent of other factors though. Bigger air fryers will come with larger footprints and often higher price tags. They're often worth it because they have multiple functions and accessories, but you'll want to shop savvily.

Are air fryers expensive to run?

One of the reasons that air fryers are popular is because they claim to be more energy efficient than conventional ovens. Our experts did a deep dive into the question 'are air fryers expensive to run?' and here's what we found:

Air fryers have different energy ratings, so it depends on which model you buy as to how much they cost to run. There's a simple equation you can run to check whether your air fryer is expensive to run. What you need to do is multiply the kWH per day to the unit cost of your electricity per wattage. That will tell you how expensive your air fryer will cost to run for a whole day. We took a measure of the average and found that it costs around 51p to run an air fryer for one hour. This means that it's generally cheaper to use an air fryer than it is to run an oven. They're lower power,  take less time to heat up, and they're quicker to use. You're saving on all fronts.

How do I recycle an air fryer?

Air fryers have seen a lot of success on the grounds that they're healthier than deep-fat fryers. We put the question 'are air fryers healthy?' to the experts to get you a definitive answer on whether these appliances are really worth the hype.

In essence, air fryers are as healthy as the foods that you put in them. If you put chips in an air fryer, in the oven, and in a deep fat fryer, you'll get the healthiest, or results with the lowest fat, from air fryers, since you don't need as much oil to get a crispy, golden finish. 

If there are 40 calories in a teaspoon of oil and you're using 1/3 of the amount to cook your food, you're saving oils and calories whilst still enjoying delicious results. In that sense, people are able to replace deep-fried food with air-fried food, making it a healthier option.

When something sounds too good to be true, I always ask myself 'at what cost?'. In the case of air fryers, the temperatures that they reach can reduce the number of healthy fats in foods such as salmon. They're also still fried foods. If you swap foods like-for-like, air fryers are healthier. However, in some instances, you'll end up eating more fried food than you would have normally. Air fryers are only as healthy as the foods that you pit in them. 

How do I recycle an air fryer?

There are a number of ways that you can responsibly dispose of your air fryer. The first thing to do is check local recycling programmes. Your local council might offer small appliance recycling services. Most offer Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) where you can take your air fryer. 

Alternatively, some large retailers, such as Curry's, Argos, and John Lewis offer take-back schemes where you can return one appliance when you're buying a new one. Manufacturers might do the same, so it's always worth checking their website too.