17 best air fryers for cooking low-fat, fast and delicious dinners

The race for best air fryer overall was incredibly close, as, ultimately, it depends on what type of food you like to cook. But this Salter style covers all bases with its relatively large baskets, countless cooking options and incredibly easy-to-use design. Trust us, if you’re thinking you don’t need a dual basket option, it always comes in handy – our tester cooked both chicken and steak fajitas at the same time, and everyone was happy.

This model can make everything from steaks and shrimp to cakes and can even bake bread, making it a one-stop shop for almost any foodie, no matter what you’re after. Of course, you can’t quite roast a chicken in here, but anything else seems like a sure thing. And it can even be timed to ensure the contents of both baskets will finish cooking at the same time, giving you a full meal without the faff.

The one downside is it doesn’t have a window, so you do have to open up the drawers every now and again to check things are alright, but that’s a small price to pay for such a simple machine.

If you’re looking for a simple and affordable appliance, this Tower model is the one to choose. Owing to its compact design, it’s ideal for a two-person household and it doesn’t take up too much counterspace. It is very simple to use, and during weeks of testing, we found that it’s quick to heat up and cooks evenly without trouble. Expect delicious succulent meats, roasted vegetables and crispy fries time and again. Our only gripe is that the timer – which is similar to an egg timer can be slightly imprecise if you only want to cook something for a short amount of time – but this is remedied by using a phone timer. It’s worth noting that it’s not dishwasher safe, so we’d advise using it with a lining to avoid too much cleaning.

The Ninja Foodi dual-zone air fryer has quickly become famous among home chefs, and after just one use, it’s easy to see why. Not only does it look super chic with a matte black outer and shiny silver accents, but it’s the most powerful product in our round-up with an impressive 2,470W. While this may not seem all that important, we actually found it made a big difference when it came to cooking. Chicken, chips and chopped-up veg cooked much faster and ended up a lot tastier and crispier compared to when cooking in the other air fryer models. So, it’s safe to say it has us sold.

It has six settings, so it can roast, air fry, bake, crisp, reheat and dehydrate all in one device, and you can set each drawer to do a different thing – very handy when cooking a whole meal. And you can even sync the drawers to be ready at the same time. It’s easy to use with simple press buttons on the top and you can tailor the temperature and time for each drawer too.

Unlike other models featured in this round-up, there aren’t any pre-set options, so you will have to think a little bit more about how to cook each meal before just pressing go, but our tester still found this incredibly easy. It is quite chunky, being ever so slightly the widest option on our list, so you will have to clear a space for it on your countertop, but if you love fried food and are after a quicker, healthier option, it’s worth making room for.

If you really want to level up your kitchen game, then this Philips essential air fryer is the smartest little gadget that will have you cooking crispy chips from your bed. As well as being deep and large enough to fit half a chicken and plenty of chips, it’s wifi-enabled, and connects to the NutriU app, meaning it can be controlled from your phone and Alexa. We could set the temperature and timer directly from our device, plus pause cooking when we needed to flip or rotate our food.

Having the NutriU app integration also allowed us to ditch the air fryer recipe books, and simply scroll through the hundreds of recipes in the app, written for our specific appliance. We could then send those recipes directly to the air fryer, so we didn’t have to input the temperature and time ourselves.

Though the air fryer is super quiet, with only the teensiest of hums whirring away in the background, there are a few design quirks that we aren’t massively impressed with. The basket gets a bit stuck in its slot, and we needed to wiggle it out on occasion, and the preset buttons on the machine aren’t very well-labelled. It’s an air fryer that’s strangely easier to use with your phone than it is with the buttons on the device.

That said, it looks super stylish on our kitchen countertop, with its slanting sides, and we love its unique starfish design on the inside, which helps the food cook more evenly. Plus, it’s dishwasher-safe – always a bonus.

For meat eaters, this Tower air fryer is the one for you. Unlike some of our other bowl or drawer options, this one is most similar to your everyday oven, with a box-like shape and a large front window, making it best for meats rather than stews or one-pot wonders.

The best feature has to be the rotisserie function, which is able to cook a 1kg roast chicken in 40 minutes, while a handy drip tray sits underneath for easy cleaning. Our tester found steaks were just as delicious as sausages, kebabs and burgers too, and there was often enough room to slip some veg onto the shelf to cook a full meal as well. A whole host of accessories are included, from kebab skewers and a pizza plate to a wire rack and finger mitts to make the whole process even easier, but you do have to wipe down this one by hand, once it’s cooled.

This Russell Hobbs option looks more like a cool box than an air fryer, but trust us when we say this is what makes it so great. With a large flat bottom and pull-up lid, it actually works in a similar way to a barbecue. And that’s exactly how our tester used it – grilling burgers, chicken, kebabs, and even slow-cooking beef.

At 5.5l it isn’t the largest, but being one main tray it actually provides plenty of room – we managed to cook six chicken breasts in it with a bit of clever organising. Compared to your regular oven, it’s faster and gives a crispier result, and you can even add different things in at once, so long as they all cook at the same heat. We found it a very handy kitchen accessory for entertaining guests, and although we haven’t tried it yet, imagine it will make a great loaf of bread, cookies or cupcakes, too – something you can’t really do with the dual basket options. Once you’re done, you can pop the tray in the dishwasher, just to add to its fuss-free functions.

For a fuss-free, lower-priced air fryer, this is the one to go for. With one glass-fronted door, there are no fancy frills with stirring arms, dual baskets or rotisserie functions, it just gets the job done, plain and simple.

Unlike many of the other options, it does let you know when you need to stir the food for even cooking, but it does suck away odours, so your whole home doesn’t smell like your dinner – a function we really loved. The simple dial at the top was incredibly easy to use, and instead of selecting your food type, all you have to choose is the function, temperature and time, like a regular oven. But, at just 5.7l, we would say this one is best for solo dwellers or couples, at a push.

If you’re not 100 per cent sold on investing in an air fryer, that’s completely understandable – but then Ninja’s multicooker could be the appliance for you. With a 7.5l capacity, this impressive machine can carry out nine different functions – all depending on what setting you turn the dial to. We highly recommend trying out the air frying function and can confirm it’s made us a tasty dish or two, including gorgeously crispy (and not at all oily) halloumi fries.

It comes with a reversible and lower rack, so you can really max out the crunchiness of your healthier fried foods, and the pot is dishwasher-safe, with the outside of the machine just needing a simple wipe down.

While we were testing out the air frying function, we also tried out the other settings and can confirm the multicooker was a more timely and economically efficient way to cook a roast dinner, too.

For rice dishes, curries, chips, chicken tenders, or any other one-pot wonder, this Tefal option is sure to impress. Unlike our other air fryer options, it sits within a circular design, with a removable stirring arm that’s ideal for large one-pot dishes. Inside, there’s a large pan that can be easily removed and popped in the dishwasher, although, with a doughnut-like shape, we would say it’s less suitable for cooking large pieces of meat or fish. Incredibly easy to use, just follow the preset functions to select which dish you want to make and simply watch the cooking process take place through the very handy top window.

One thing we would say is this is probably the loudest option we tried, and it did get quite hot too, so it is probably best for larger kitchens or wide countertops.

This air fryer gives you the best of both worlds, with one large drawer that can be easily split into two, thanks to a very handy inner removable basket. While we mainly stuck with keeping it as one drawer – feeding around four people with chips, chicken wings, rice dishes and much more – the option to turn it into two was great when cooking two separate meals or different side options. And you can set the baskets to two different temperatures and times, to make life just that little bit easier.

This model was incredibly easy to use, made little to no noise and sucked away odours, so the whole house didn’t smell like a fish and chip shop. So, if you’re on the fence about whether to buy a one- or two-basket model, why not have both?

Most air fryers can seem rather small. So, while they may be perfect for one or two people, finding one that will feed the whole family is no easy feat. But we think we may have found the perfect pick with this Lakeland option. In the classic dual-air-fryer style, this one stands out from the crowd, thanks to its two different-sized compartments – 5.5l and 3.3l. So, you can fill the large one with your meat or fish of choice and leave the little one for your side, as we did. Or, if there’s only one or two of you, try out a starter and a main.

This one’s also incredibly easy to use and actually makes next to no noise, which is another plus. Roast potatoes, shrimp, cakes and chicken wings are just a handful of the pre-set options available, but you can cook almost anything with ease. Just remember to hand wash the baskets.

One thing we didn’t realise until testing this air fryer was just how many models are set with silver. In fact, this is one of the only gold-tone models we could find. So, anyone with gold-coloured kitchen hardware or just not set on silver, this may be the design for you.

Not only is it chic and sleek in appearance, but this compact kitchen accessory also impressed us when cooking. With one 5l basket, it isn’t the biggest of options, but will whip up any meat, fish or side with ease – our tester’s favourite so far is roast potatoes. Easy to use thanks to seven pre-set options, it will automatically start to cook whatever food you choose and, of course, you aren’t limited to these options. The front digital display allows you to adjust the time and temperature, and the whole unit will automatically shut down after one hour, giving you extra piece of mind.

For those who have smart homes, this air fryer is for you. Hooking up to wifi, the clever machine can be controlled by an app, allowing you to heat it up before you’re home, scroll through more than 100 recipes, and time your tea perfectly for when you step through the door – it truly is like magic.

Included with the device is a rotisserie cage that created the crispiest chips; a rotisserie fork that can hold a full chicken; rotisserie skewers; a drip tray, and a pan, proving almost any meal can be made. It boasts 12 settings, including the typical chicken, prawn and vegetable options we’ve seen on almost every device, alongside cake, bread and dehydrate, and you can tailor the setting using the temperature and time dial too. It truly is a tech-lover’s dream.

Having fast replaced our traditional oven during mealtimes, Lakeland’s large air fryer boasts touchscreen controls, eight presets (from seafood to baked goods and even steak) and a generous 3l capacity, which easily suits two people. Perfect for those tentatively stepping into the air fryer world, it’s a breeze to use and clean (another big plus), with the customisable temperature and time functions both handy touches.

We also liked the sleek, circular design, which will slot easily onto your kitchen counter and can be tucked away in a cupboard, too. Whether grilling succulent salmon, cooking crunchy tenderstem broccoli or rustling up restaurant-worthy fries, the appliance has streamlined dinner prep and elevated our snack game – all while helping to reduce household bills (the average air fryer costs around 17p per day to run). Our only gripe is the limited basket size, so we wouldn’t recommend it for larger households.

If you want an air fryer that can do it all, this is it. Ninja’s foodi flexdrawer features the brand’s much-loved dual zone technology. This essentially means it comes with two independent cooking zones that allow you to cook two different types of food, at different temperatures, at the same time. The difference with this model though, is that you can remove the divider to transform the two zones into one extra-large cooking drawer, making way for heftier meals that can feed up to eight people.

We’ve been seriously impressed with how well, and how quickly, this model cooks such a wide variety of foods, from classic air fryer fries to lamb kebabs, Mediterranean vegetables, fresh cod and, wait for it, even tender roast beef with all the trimmings. Plus, it has an impressive seven cooking modes that can do everything from reheating and dehydrating to baking, roasting and even proving.

Despite using up to 75 per cent less fat than traditional frying methods, you still get a good crunch. Its generous 3.8l basket can fit a medium-sized chicken and allows you to air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate. If you are short of meal inspiration, it comes with a chef-created recipe guide. During testing, we enjoyed using the air fryer to roast vegetables, which would normally take double the time in a traditional oven. Even better, it’s easy to clean too, you simply pop the basket in the dishwasher. Or if you are washing by hand, not much elbow grease is necessary as the basket is non-stick. We are big fans of this air fryer but knocked off half a star because it only has one basket.

If you’re not fussed about having a dual-zone air fryer, but instead want something with large Cosori’s oven is an impressive appliance. The 6.4l capacity means it can cook a whole chicken with minimal fuss, and it has 12 cooking functions – including air fry, roast, bake and reheat – to make it easy to knock up delicious dinners.

Even better, if you’re lacking inspiration for your midweek dishes, it comes with a cookbook, containing 30 different recipes – from brownies to glazed ham.

During testing, we also found that it was very easy to clean and appreciated the fact that it was dishwasher-safe. If you’re concerned about its size, the design is sleek enough to fit on a kitchen worktop without taking up too much space.