Is Salter's newest air fryer a threat to the famous Ninja DoubleStack? At £100 less, my verdict is in

If you missed the launch of Salter's VertiCook View Air Fryer, let me bring it to your attention. For just £120, this air fryer gives you fast, fuss-free, food with convenience at the very forefront. It's safe to say this is a fast favourite of mine.

There has been a big jump in the design of air fryers over the last year and the Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer has some something very clever. They’ve taken all the most useful aspects of the best air fryers and combined them into one, very special machine.

The Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer can cook enough to feed a whole family (multiple times over) with minimal fuss. The clearer windows make it easy to keep an eye on your cooking without compromising on heat, and it’s generally space-efficient and neat. It looks like the famous Ninja DoubleStack, it cooks like the best Ninja air fryers, and yet it costs £100 less. It’s certainly a smart way to spend your money. 

Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer review: Specifications

Who would the Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer review suit?

The Salter is perfect for families. Nine litres is an immense capacity for an air fryer: I had three plates overflowing with food from just one cook. The added stainless steel trays double the cooking space, so you effectively have four layers for all your different foods. All my chips, fish fingers, and veggies cooked evenly, so you could happily cook for the whole family without breaking a sweat.

My second point ties into the family-friendly nature of the Salter VertiCook View: it’s incredibly easy to use. The display at the side boasts impressive pre-sets, you can navigate through them, have two drawers on different settings, for different times, and it will programme the food to finish cooking at the same time, so you can plate up a piping hot meal in 20 minutes (with different components). 

The last factor that really stands out is the sheer value of the Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer. It does everything that Ninja’s already reasonable DoubleStack can do, but it’s £100 cheaper without feeling like there has been any design or quality compromise at all. That makes it easy to argue that this is not only one of the best value air fryers.

The design makes sense for maximising on counter space so the only reason you might not go for this is if you really don’t need the full 9 litres and you want an ultra-compact design. 

Unboxing the Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer review

Salter does packaging really well. The box is packed with helpful information about the air fryer, including the pre-sets and clever ways to cook, but is also (almost) all recyclable. Beyond some necessary plastic film, you have a guilt-free box and a glorious air fryer. 

I gave both air fryer drawers a rinse and also made sure to remove all the plastic and cardboard packaging. There were some stickers holding the drawer clean and you’ll want these completely off the sides before you start adding heat into the mix. Aside from that, this was an easy, breezy set-up process.

What is the Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer review like to use?

I mentioned earlier that the build quality of this is exceptional: it really is. All the parts of the drawers fit and slide into place perfectly and there’s a side panel that walks you through the manual and automated settings. I didn’t need to open up the user guide, because all the aspects are really intuitive. It’s there if you want to take a look though. 

On the panel, you’ve got icons that represent the pre-sets: cooking chips, chicken, frozen food, and vegetables. However, you’ve also got the option to ‘match’ the settings of both drawers so that they’re identical, or you can choose different settings, but opt for a ‘sync’ setting, which means that your food is ready at the same time. To me, this feels like magic. The icing on the cake is the clear doors that let you watch the food while it’s cooking. 

Test 1: chips

This is a classic test that I run on both fresh, hand cut chips and the frozen kind. It’s important that your air fryer can master these — and I’m not just saying that because I love a chip. It’s a basic task that really clearly demonstrates how fast an air fryer is as well as how even it can be when cooking. With that in mind, I was pleased to see how these chips turned out. 

My first test was with one drawer of chips. I didn’t try layering with the extra rack, or synchronising, I just tested the simple chip function. In fifteen minutes, I could see my wedges were neatly cooked, evenly golden, and really delicious looking. The results were no disappointment either: whilst the outside had a nice firm bite, the chips were still fluffy and full of moisture. 

The next version of my chip test was testing out a family meal. I put chips in the base of the air fryer drawer and fish fingers on top. I’ll tell you more about the fish fingers later, but these chips were no different. I had a whole plate full of perfect chips, even though they’d been packed into a drawer that was having to work really hard.

Test 2: Mediterranean vegetables

Mediterranean vegetables are a great test for how well the air fryer can handle foods that come with more moisture and ones that are a bit more sensitive. I chop peppers, onion, corn, and courgette together. The onion needs to be tender right through, but I don’t want the peppers and corn to be more than a little charred at the tips. 

When I was prepping for this test, I thought I had over catered. I packed three peppers, two onions, one courgette, and 200g of sweetcorn into just one drawer. I used the rack to maximise space and was really pleasantly surprised to see that all the space was filled. It was crowded, but not overstuffed. 

Twelve minutes later, a peep through the air fryer drawer looked promising. I could see a lot of moisture, but my vegetables were looking perfect too. You can see that I got good charring on the tips of my different veggie chunks and they all turned out to be really like and succulent. 

Test 3: frozen food and fish fingers

Frozen food is a classic test for air fryers. When you want a quick, easy meal, an air fryer and frozen food are a match made in heaven. For this test, I put some frozen chips in the base of the air fryer drawer and frozen fish fingers on the rack on top. It’s a very simple combination, but a winning one, I think. Eighteen minutes later (no preheat needed) my dinner was ready.

I’d managed to pack eight fish fingers onto the plate (I think I could have done ten if I really wanted) and another whole plate of chips. That was from using just one drawer. The fish fingers were really nicely crisped up on the outside and piping hot on the inside. They’d kept their moisture and shape. All in all, it was a great success. 

Cleaning the Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer review

With a stomach full of expertly air fried food, I wasn’t looking forward to the clean up. Thankfully, Salter’s air fryer drawers are completely dishwasher safe. This is rare for models that also have a viewing window, so I was a blissful combination of relieved and impressed. The drawers came out squeaky clean and the viewing window hadn’t fogged up either.

I think the cleaning was helped by the non-stick inside the air fryer. Even when I was putting these in the dishwasher, they looked pretty clean. Anything that had spilled or dropped through the grates slid straight out of each drawer. That’s my kind of air fryer.

How does ithe Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer review compare?

I have made it very clear that this shares some serious similarities to the Ninja DoubleStack. Both models have gone for a stackable, space-saving design that gives you room on your counter. Whilst the DoubleStack is heavier and, in true Ninja style, a brilliant air fryer, I have to say that I preferred the Salter Verticook View Air Fryer. The Salter offers more pre-sets, you get a viewing window for watching your food, and it generally felt more spacious. The reason you might opt for the Ninja is if you actually don't want the pre-sets and you like the Ninja interface. It is really nice to use.

Your alternative, if you actually don't need all the space that's up for grabs in either the DoubleStack or VertiCook View, is to go for the Ninja Crispi Portable Air Fryer. This is a pared-back design that's taking small homes by a storm. It's really simple to use: Ninja gives you glass containers that clip onto an air fryer attachment. It's as quick as the VertiCook View, but you can store it in a drawer or cupboard if you want to get your appliances off the counter.

Should you buy the Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer review?

If you can't already tell, I am sold on the Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer. They've clearly worked hard to put all the best features that other air fryers boast into one, affordable, simple air fryer. I have a feeling this is going to be a hit.

How we test

At woman&home, I’ve made it my mission to uncover the very best air fryers for your home. I’ve put more than 50 models through their paces, and every single one has been tested with the same thorough process before earning a spot in one of our reviews or buying guides.

Each air fryer goes through a structured series of checks, starting right from the unboxing. I take note of how it’s packaged, what accessories are included, and how the design might fit into your kitchen, whether that’s to do with colour, size, or ease of use. These first impressions are a good indicator of whether an air fryer has been built with everyday kitchens in mind.

Next comes the cooking. Every model is tested on how well it handles essentials like chips, fish fingers, grilled vegetables, and leftovers. If it has extra settings or built-in recipes, I’ll try those too. For each dish, I record the time, temperature, and final texture, after all, an air fryer should cook quickly without drying things out. The result should be food that’s evenly crisp and still moist inside. Once all the testing is done, I compare it with other models I’ve reviewed, to give you a sense of where it sits in the market in terms of performance and price. I’ll always share who I think it’s best suited to and whether I’d recommend it. By the end, you should have a clear picture of whether it’s the right fit for your kitchen.

To find out more, you can visit our page for how we test air fryers.