The 6 best air fryers out of over 50 that we tested

The best air fryers offer an easy, speedy, energy-efficient way to cook. I've tested over fifty different models, from dual-drawer air fryers right through to grills and air fryer ovens and whittled the list down to just six options.

The six air fryers that you'll see below have all been tested by me and other home economists and kitchen experts at woman&home. We've put this list together because there's something for everyone. From the best air fryer overall (which also happens to be the best Ninja air fryer of all time) right through to family-sized, multitasking, and compact models that cost just £50.

I've covered all of your burning questions, from how much it costs to run an air fryer right through to the fundamentals of how to use an air fryer and whether air fryers are healthy. When looking at this list you'll want to think about capacity (there are 3.8-litres through to 9); the cooking settings (just air frying, or baking, roasting, slow cooking, pressure cooking, and more), as well as energy efficiency and other special extras, such as apps and voice control. I'll guide you on all of these as we go through this list of the six best air fryers on the market right now.

The quick list

If you want a simple summary of the six best air fryers on the market, here are the headlines. I'll go into more detail about our experiences with each one further down the page, so if you see one that you like, you can keep scrolling.

The 6 best air fryers, tested and approved by our experts

Best air fryer overall

Image 1 of 7

Whoever said that cleanliness was next to godliness clearly hadn't used the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer. This is the closest you'll come to heaven: it's versatile, speedy, easy to use, and can feed a whole family. It's the one our editor, Kerrie, owns and it's the one that all the expert testers use to make lunch in the test kitchen. The evidence speaks for itself.

Dual-zone air fryers are some of the most popular models for families because you can separate out the different foods that you're cooking in. With the Ninja, you can set each drawer on independent cooking modes, temperatures, and timers. Then, the sync finish function will perfectly coordinate both drawers so that your dinner is ready at the same time: fish fingers and chips, rice and veg, a roast chicken and potatoes. I've done them all in the Ninja without breaking a sweat.

As you might expect, with great capacity comes a great footprint too. It's hefty on the counter and you probably won't want to try to tuck it away. However, Kerrie says "I'd still consider investing in this, even with a small kitchen. The size of this pales into insignificance when you start cooking with it. 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.

In terms of air frying, this is a little more expensive than other models. However, for the 9.5-litre capacity, six different settings, and the performance, it's worth the splurge. There are more expensive models out there that aren't as good as this (and it quite often comes into the sales too).

You can find out more in Kerrie's feature on the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer.

Best air fryer for families

Image 1 of 9

If you live in a big, busy home, you'll want your air fryer to be able to more than keep up. It needs to anticipate your demands, bakes, and schedules. The best one for the job? The Breville Halo Flexi Oven.

This almost falls into the category of air fryer ovens, because it covers such a range of different functions. It's designed like a dual-zone air fryer, with independent settings that work across the two drawers. You can run one or you can run both, and you can choose to have them on the same or different settings. I should also say that you can synchronise when they finish. We're not even at the best part yet. The middle section of the air fryer slides out, turning this into one, giant air fryer. I've cooked a roast chicken in here, baked banana bread, air-fried two trays of veggies, and made gooey brownies too. It'll replace your main oven.

This is actually bigger inside than the Ninja Foodi in the top spot and it's smaller on the countertop. That makes it an appealing contender for the top spot, but I'm not quite sold on the handles. They're removable, for easier storage, but this makes them felt slightly flimsy. It is still, undeniably, bigger than most models on the list. I'd recommend leaving it out full-time.

You can find out more in my full Breville Halo Flexi Air Fryer review.

Best air fryer for couples

Image 1 of 6

This is the younger sibling of the Ninja MAX Air Fryer (see the last picture above) and it packs just as much power into a smaller frame, just with four instead of six functions (you lose dehydrate and max crisp). It's super simple, perfect for beginners, incredibly speedy, and the results that it kicks out are second to none.

The single drawer boasts a surprisingly spacious 3.8-litre capacity, which is enough for a big portion of chips or a couple of chicken breasts. Helen, our expert tester said "even though this is small, it offers top-notch performance. I made chips for me and my husband that were fluffy on the inside and golden on the outside in just over 15 minutes. The fish fingers that I cooked has a crisp, crunchy crumb, and my other bakes were just as successful." The cooking times for this Ninja are some of the shortest on record without any compromise on cooking quality. I've also had the pleasure of testing this and I could crip up bacon in five minutes and charr vegetables in under ten, and dehydrate apples in 20 minutes. It really is a miniature marvel.

One thing to note is that the basket will need a shake halfway through if you want to get even results. Some models, such as Breville's Halo Flexi prompt you to shake your food, but this won't, so you'll need to keep an eye on these yourself, especially since the Ninja won't auto pause. Those are small compromises to make for this and, even though I've given this the award for the best air fryer for couples, it's also one of the best air fryers for small kitchens, single cooks, and people who are shopping on a budget. It's one that I recommend more than most other models out there.

You can read more in Helen's full Ninja Air Fryer AF1000UK review.

Best air fryer under £100

Image 1 of 6

When I tell people that you can buy one of the best air fryers on the market for under £100, they rarely believe me. I don't blame them. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would have been sceptical that this would be able to beat models twice (and even three times) the price with its crispy, fluffy, 18-minute chips. But trust me, it can.

Instant has been making air fryers for a long time. It's a simple set-up with 4 settings: roast, bake, reheat, and air fry. You can set different timers and temperatures for whatever you want to make and the Instant will deliver reliable results, I alluded to my perfect 18-minute chips earlier, but even the re-heat function that normally leaves food leathery kept my chips both fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Over weeks of testing, I made banana bread, cooked a small, whole roast chicken in here, reheated pizza, and essentially lived through the food that I could make in the Instant. There's real beauty in the simplicity.

Of course, there is always a catch. This comes with an app, that's not really worth downloading. I had a lot of hassle without any useful results. Plus, you can't really leave this alone, because your food will need shaking or turning every five minutes, making it hard to really, truly put your feet up like I could with the Ninja Foodi, for example. Overall though, for the versatility, performance, and price of this, the Instant is a great little model.

You can find out more in my full Instant 4-in-1 air fryer review.

Best air fryer for small kitchens

Image 1 of 8

This is the best air fryer for small kitchens, one person, and tight budgets. You won't get a better air fryer for £50, trust me. In fact, in a blind test, some of our experts thought that this would cost around £150. The matte grey finish, sleek panel, and smart features integrated into the Cosori Lite certainly would be more aligned with expensive models.

Lots of people label this a 'smart' air fryer, which I think is a little off-putting. It's actually incredibly beginner-friendly. You connect your phone to the app (using a QR code) and then it will help you to find recipes, explore settings, and stop your air fryer from your phone. You could even set up voice commands with Google Assistant, which is a relative novelty in the world of air fryers. I consider myself a bit of a tech dinosaur and I loved the app.

If you're not very techy, don't worry. The light-up control panel on the top means that you could completely ignore the app if you wanted to. The display offers pre-sets for chicken, chips, bacon, steak, and veggies with the click of a button. I tested all of these out and found that they were surprisingly accurate. The Cosori tended to overshoot cooking by a couple of minutes, but you can adjust the timer to finish early, saving you from any overly crispy chips.

Whilst a 3.8-litre drawer is more than enough for one or two people, it does start to pose problems when you're looking at cooking for a family. I also found that the basket collected and then poured oil over my plate when I tipped the basket, so I'd really recommend investing in a silicone spoon to scoop your food out instead. These small flaws don't taint the fact that this is a fantastic air fryer, offering exceptional capacity and technology for what looks like a cheap air fryer.

You can find out more in my full Cosori Lite Air Fryer review.

Most versatile air fryer

Image 1 of 5

Lots of air fryers integrate baking, roasting, dehydrating, and reheating into their repertoire. However, none have managed the incredible feat of combining fifteen functions into one appliance. From pressure cooking to yoghurt making, this is every keen cook's dream. It even offers subtle takes on classic air frying, such as the Combi Crisp function. This will steam and roast at the same time, resulting in the most succulent chicken that I've ever made in an air fryer.

As you might expect, an air fryer that is this capable and versatile is also big. Helen, one of our experts said "it's so heavy and such a hassle to move around that I just sat it on the counter. The trouble with this is that it's 58cm tall, which is higher than most of my wall cupboards."

Size aside, this is a dream to use. In true Ninja style, the display is self-explanatory, sensitive, and simple. I made roasted vegetables in fifteen minutes, fish fingers in sixteen minutes, and bacon in nine. There's no need to pre-heat and this doesn't pump a huge amount of air fryer smell into the air. It does make a bit of noise when you're cooking, which wasn't particularly conversation-friendly, but it's so speedy that you'll be over it before this even starts.

For a small family or a couple, this is perfect. For larger families, don't assume that you can use the full 7.5 litres in Ninja's description. The basket feels much smaller thanks to the lid, so it's probably closer to 5 litres.

You can find out more in Helen's full Ninja Foodi Max 15-in-1 SmartLid Multi Cooker review.

The ones that just missed the list

If you like the look of these, but you want some other options, there are a few air fryers that I love that didn't quite make this list. You won't go wrong with these. In fact, they might even suit you a little better.

How we test air fryers

I've always been a big believer that you should fry before you buy. If you can't, then it's my job to do it for you. Every air fryer that I think you might consider for your kitchen, new or old, gets a review from me or one of our woman&home experts. To do this, it has to pass a rigorous series of tests:

The first part of an air fryer that I consider is packaging and aesthetics. A good air fryer should come well protected, but with thought for the waste and sustainable implications of how the air fryer arrives. I make note of this for all air fryers, alongside whether any accessories come with it; whether it looks nice; and whether there's any set-up needed before you can get cooking. These might sound like small considerations, but they're actually really important.

Once I've got through this, I test every function on offer, even if there are fifteen (Ninja). The basic tests that each air fryer is handed consists of making chips, roasting vegetables, cooking frozen fish fingers, crisping-up bacon, and re-heating pizza. I time how long each process takes, taste the results, and also make note of the temperatures for each one. Some air fryers have pre-sets and I let these run, so you know whether they over or under cook. If they don't, I'll give you a general guide to the results. The best air fryers will give a nice crunch to food without drying it out or making it too leathery. This is the most important part of the test, so I don't skimp on this. Ever.

Once all the cooking is done, I wash up. Most air fryer baskets are dishwasher friendly, which is helpful for quick, easy cleaning. However, I also like to wash by hand if I can, so that those with smaller dishwashers can get a good sense of what this is like to maintain.

Whilst I'm doing all of that, I can't help but draw comparisons between the different air fryers that I've tested. It's only fair to put these down, because they'll help you to 'shop around' without needing to actually do so. I always look for models that have a similar offering, around the same price point, so that you get a sense of whether it's good value for money. If it's worth getting a cheaper, or more expensive, option, I'll always say.

After all that, I'll come to a conclusion on whether the air fryer is worth buying, who it suits, and whether there are other factors to consider too. We are independent reviewers, so we don't get any money for what we write. This means that you'll always know that you can trust our reviews.

For more information, you can read my dedicated page for how we test air fryers.

FAQs

How do I choose an 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.

Are air fryers worth it?

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.

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 do air fryers 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 pt in them.