The best air fryers can fry, roast, crisp, bake, reheat and even dehydrate food in a fraction of the time that it takes for a conventional oven to do so. And that’s before you even consider how much less energy you’ll use when using an air fryer. Whether you’re cooking for one or feeding a family, there’s a model out there to suit your kitchen, budget and cooking style.
So how do air fryers work? Well, it’s simple. They circulate hot air at high speed around the food, which mimics the effect of deep fat frying but without the oil. The result is often crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. From chips to chicken, roasted vegetables and more, there’s very little that you can’t cook in an air fryer. They also pre-heat rapidly in comparison to a full-size oven, making them a practical choice if you want quick, fast food.
Clare Andrews, author of the best-selling book The Ultimate Air Fryer explains the benefit of these versatile appliances: “Air fryers have completely changed the way people cook at home. They’re quick, energy-efficient, and take a lot of the guesswork out of everyday meals. Whether you’re cooking from scratch or just trying to get something on the table fast, they make it feel easy and accessible, which is why so many people end up using them every single day.”
With so many on the market from single to dual-baskets, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. The good news is that I’ve all the leg work and tested the best air fryers you can buy right now.
Read more: Best dual air fryers, tried and tested
The best air fryers for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Ninja crispi pro: £249.99, Sharkninja.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Russell Hobbs satisfry medium air fryer: £59.99, Argos.co.uk
- Best for large portions – Cusinart clearview air fryer: £129.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best combo model – Caso airfry duochef: £199, Casodesign.co.uk
- Best for pizza – Tefal easy fry pizza: £99.99, Amazon.co.uk
Read more: How much does it cost to run an air fryer
In the U.S.? The team has rounded up the best air fryer models
Ninja crispi pro
Best: air fryer overall
Why we love it
- Powerful cooking
- Compact
- Easy to control
- Bowls can be stored in the fridge and freezer
Take note
- The outside can get very hot
After years of testing the cooking appliances, the Ninja crispi pro takes the top spot as the best air fryer I’ve tried. It’s compact, so it fits into my tiny kitchen well, and it cooks brilliantly. I’ve cooked so many meals in the crispi pro that I’ve almost forgotten I have an oven. The way it cooks perfectly fluffy jacket potatoes is like some kind of magic. Its versatile too, with all the modes of the larger Ninja machines, such as maxcrisp, reheat, bake/prove, dehydrate, and of course, air fry,
The Ninja crispi pro is a unique looking machine thanks to a modular design, with glass bowls that act as the main drawer for the food. These come in two sizes: 5.7l and 2.3l. As well as being able to see how your food is cooking through the glass bowls, you can also put them in the fridge or freezer if you want to store leftovers.
The glass dishes are dishwasher-friendly, so are really easy to clean. Being glass, they’re pretty much non-stick anyway, so washing by hand isn’t a chore. The glass does get very hot when in action, so isn’t a great choice if you have children who can reach the sides, but once you know how hot it gets, that’s something that can be dealt with.
Using the controls is super easy as the control panel is quick to react, and everything is symbolised by the iconic Ninja beep (if you have anything Ninja, you’ll know the beep). The only dish that it didn’t do well with was toad in the hole – the way it circulates the air meant that the whole of the batter didn’t get the same full-on heat it would in a traditional oven.
Overall, the Ninja crispi pro is great air fryer that would suit all kitchens and home cooks.
Read my full review of the Ninja crispi pro
Key specifications:
Buy now £249.99, Sharkninja.co.uk
Russell Hobbs satisfry medium air fryer
Best: budget air fryer
Why we love it
- Heats up quickly and cooks evenly
- Simple controls
- Plenty of presets
- Easy to clean
Take note
- Quite noisy
The Russell hobbs satisfry is an air fryer that is perfect for small spaces. The best budget air fryer I’ve tested, it’s really light and compact enough to store in a cupboard if you don’t want it out on display. It has a 4l cooking capacity, which is ideal for one or two portions.
I tried a couple of different dishes in this, including chicken, which cooked really well. The air fryer warmed up quickly, and the food was piping hot all the way through with no cold spots of burnt pieces. It has seven cooking functions, including grill bake, roast, reheat, airfry and frozen, and it goes up to 220C, so you can cook everything in it. I found the controls easy to use too, as it was simple to flick through the menu and change the temperature or cooking time.
Cleanup is nice and easy, thanks to an effective non-stick coating that means you can just give it a wipe over or swill with warm water. It’s a little on the noisy side so if you have an open plan kitchen it may create some disturbance, but for the results, it’s well worth it. Overall, this is an affordable air fryer for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of space or just wants to cook smaller portions.
Key specifications:
Buy now £59.99, Argos.co.uk
Cusinart clearview air fryer
Best: air fryer for large portions
Why we love it
- Cooks food evenly
- Large basket
- Heat gets to 230C
- Clear viewing window
Take note
- Takes slightly longer than others to heat up
The Cusinart clearview air fryer is great if you want to cook big portions. It’s got a very generous 8.5l capacity and a wide 27cm cooking surface. This allowed food to cook evenly as I was able to spread it out, especially chips that came out perfectly even with no pale or underdone bits. I also really love that you can get this air fryer up to 230C, which allows you to add a bit of extra crispiness to whatever you’re cooking.
The controls are intuitive and work smoothly without any lagging. There are plenty of cooking functions, including air fry, roast, grill, max crisp, pizza, keep warm and recrisp. And yes, you did read that right, the drawer is big enough to fit a 12in pizza inside. I was super impressed by the viewing window too – it’s curved so you get a really good look inside, and the light illuminates the whole of the drawer.
The basket is dishwasher safe, but it has a good quality non-stick surface, which means it easily cleans with just a rinse and a wipe. The machine is also super light weight so it’s easy to move around, although it comes with an extra long cable so you can place it in the perfect position without needing to be right next to a plug socket.
The only thing it loses marks on is how long it takes to heat up. You need to add at least a couple of minutes extra to your cooking time so it gets up to full temperature, but it’s not a huge issue. Overall this Cuisinart air fryer is a brilliant choice for families or anyone who likes cooking big portions.
Key specifications:
Buy now £129.99, Amazon.co.uk
Tower flexi-drawer air fryer
Best: value for money air fryer
Why we love it
- Can adjust the capacity of the drawers
- Spacious cooking capacity
- Heats up and cooks quickly
Take note
- Takes a bit of time to get used to the controls
The Tower flexi-drawer air fryer has two 5.5l drawers, with a divider that slots out and transforms into one big drawer. This is why it’s among my favourites, because it allows you to cook such a wide range of dishes. The middle panel is a little tricky to remove the first couple of times you do it, but once you get used to how it lines up, it’s super simple to do.
The Tower air fryer performed really well and it heated up straight away. I actually found when cooking chicken that I had to reduce the cooking time because it cooked so fast. It has a wide range of other presets including grill, reheat, keep warm, roast, bake, dehydrate and a dedicated fries function. Plus, while it has a large cooking capacity, the actual unit doesn’t really take up much room.
I found that the buttons weren’t very intuitive and there are lots of options to select when you’re turning it on. It’s definitely one of those machines you have to experiment with and have the manual handy in order to fine tune your cooking.
Cleaning the air fryer was a breeze – I cooked coated chicken and fries and nothing stuck to the base. A quick swill and dry was all it needed, although the drawers are dishwasher friendly if you want to do that. Overall, this is large spacious air fryer that is ideal if you want to ditch the oven.
Key specifications:
Buy now £120, Next.co.uk
Philips 4000 series stacked dual basket air fryer
Best: vertical air fryer
Why we love it
- Space-saving vertical design
- Cooks food quickly and evenly
- Easy to clean
Take note
- Buttons aren't the most responsive
This Philips vertical stack air fryer is the best dual basket air fryers I’ve tested. The vertical design makes it feel almost compact, despite the fact it has two 5L baskets, which is big enough to cook a whole chicken. This space-saving design is a huge plus point, especially if you don’t have a large kitchen.
It’s super easy to operate and the two drawers can be timed separately, which is ideal if you’re cooking an entire meal at once. There’s also a handy button to sync the cooking times so both baskets will be ready together, regardless of what you’re cooking. This honestly takes so much hassle out of the cooking process as you can just pop your food in and walk away.
The air fryer heated up quickly and food was cooked evenly without any cold spots. The buttons can be a little delayed and I found I had to prod them a good few times for them to do what I wanted, but it didn’t take away from how well the air fryer performed. Cleanup was also a dream – while the drawers and crisp baskets can be placed in the dishwasher, the non-stick coating means handwashing isn’t a chore.
Overall, this Philips air fryer is great for anyone who wants a large cooking capacity but doesn’t want to lose all their counter space to an appliance.
Key specifications:
Buy now £213, Amazon.co.uk
Tefal easy fry pizza
Best: air fryer for pizza
Why we love it
- Wide cooking surface
- Cooks food quickly and evenly
- User-friendly controls
- Easy to clean
Take note
- The draw sometimes doesn’t click in with ease
If you love pizza but you don’t have space for one of the best pizza ovens, this is a great alternative. The Tefal easy fry is primarily an air fryer, but with a large cooking space it’s big enough to fit a 10in pizza and has a dedicated pizza cooking function.
I cooked a range of items in the Tefal easy fry, from pizza to chips, and it cooked them evenly and quickly. It’s made up of just one drawer that slides out, so you can spread your food out to ensure it gets cooked evenly.
The controls are easy to use, and everything has a corresponding picture so you just scroll through until you find your ideal dish and press start. The heat goes up to 200C, which is plenty for the majority of dishes.
There’s a viewing window and a light, but the light doesn’t stay on for the entirety of the cook so you’ll have to keep pressing that every time you want to check in. Sometimes the door gets jammed too, so if you’re pushing it in after a mid-cook shake, you have to make sure it really gets pushed right in or else it won’t continue to cook.
The Tefal air fryer has a non-stick coating, so cleanup is super simple. It isn’t an air fryer that you’d cook a whole chicken in like some of the deep drawer designs, but the shallow drawer suits food like chips, pizza and chicken breast.
Key specifications:
Buy now £99.99, Amazon.co.uk
Caso airfry duochef
Best: air fryer and oven combo
Why we love it
- Versatile with two drawers or one mini oven
- Wide range of preset cooking functions
- Excellent at cooking meat
- Easy to clean
Take note
- Controls can be a bit slow to catch up when selecting modes
- Large
If you’re trying to decide between a dual drawer air fryer or a mini oven then the Caso airfry duochef is perfect as it does both. It has two 5.5l drawers, but the middle pulls out and you can add a tray to use it as a mini oven.
I was blown away by how well the Caso airfry cooked. I tried a few different dishes in and they all cooked evenly and very quickly. In air fryer mode I cooked up some plant-based meatballs, and they were perfectly done with a crispy outside but juicy inside.
When it came to testing the oven I cooked chicken breasts that not only cooked quickly, but turned out crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside. I also roasted some vegetables and these cooked really well, although it’s worth keeping an eye on veg as some pieces came out slightly singed.
The dual drawers can be operated separately, which is useful if you want to cook your entire meal in one. The smartfinish function will synchronise the drawers, so both dishes will be ready at the same time. There are viewing windows, which are illuminated if you press the light button, and these are handy for checking how your food is progressing without having to open up the drawers and let all the heat out.
Switching from the air fryer drawers to the mini oven is really simple, as the middle just slides out and the door slots in to place. Considering it’s a modular system, the whole thing feels very durable and sturdy. Cleanup is also easy, as the non-stick coating means you can just wipe it clean.
I slightly struggled with the buttons, which sometimes had a bit of a lag. This meant I pressed them too many times waiting for them to catch up, but that’s something you get used to. It also takes up a large chunk of counter space.
Overall, the Caso airfry is fantastic machine for people who want to have both an air fryer and mini oven in one.
Key specifications:
Buy now £199, Casodesign.co.uk
Fritaire self cleaning air fryer
Best: air fryer for easy cleaning
Why we love it
- 360-degree viewing
- Self-cleaning
- Comes with unique accessories like a rotisserie and tumbler basket
- Chips taste deep fried
Take note
- The lid is difficult to place down when hot
The Fritaire air fryer is probably one of the more unique models that I’ve tried on my quest to find the best air fryer. It looks very space age, comes in a range of colours and has a modular design with the lid that you place on top of a glass bowl. Unlike the Ninja crispi and Dreame tasti, you can’t interchange the glass bowls, but this isn’t a problem as you get a very generous 4.7l cooking space.
What I love about the Fritaire air fryer is the range of attachments it comes with. Aside from the crisping plate, which is a basic requirement for most air fryers, it comes with a rotisserie spit and tumbling basket. If you’ve ever cooked chips in an air fryer, you’ll understand my excitement when it came to this tumbling basket. Rather than stacking the fries, it tumbles them around so they constantly get shaken and moved around for even cooking. This worked really well and it produced chips that were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside – if it wasn’t for the lack of oil, I’d have thought they came out of a proper fryer. I also cooked chicken in the air fryer and it came out perfectly.
The air fryer is super easy to use with six preset functions, but you can adjust the time and temperature manually. When I saw it was self cleaning too, this immediately grabbed my attention. Being glass, it’s pretty easy to clean anyway, but because the base is attached to the bowl, it would be more awkward trying to get it over to the sink. Instead you just pop the water in with a little dish soap, set it off and it swirls around and gets rid of any stuck on items or grease on the glass. You just have to then dry it off.
The only thing I really found difficult with the Fritaire air fryer was removing the lid after cooking. It’s quite bulky and it gets very hot, and I was concerned I was going to burn my kitchen counter. If you do buy this air fryer, invest in a silicone mat or a little stand to place the lid on when you’re taking the food out. Nonetheless, if you’re a fan of chips or looking for an air fryer that’s easy to keep clean, this is a great choice.
Key specifications:
Buy now £179, Amazon.co.uk
Lakeland dual air fryer
Best: air fryer for cooking a whole meal
Why we love it
- Plenty of cooking space
- Excellent at cooking whole chicken
- Easy to use
- Wide range of presets
Take note
- The non-stick coating comes off easily
The Lakeland dual 8.4L air fryer is perfect for anyone looking to cook whole meals just using their air fryer. It has two 4.2l drawers, which allows you to cook a whole chicken in one and your sides in the other. I found it cooked chicken really well, although it took a little longer than some of the other air fryers I’ve tested to warm up, so make sure you add a couple of extra minutes to the cooking time.
Controls are easy enough to use and, thanks to the smart finishing function, both drawers finish at the same time so there’s no waiting around for one side to complete while the other side is losing heat. It’s also got plenty of preset functions, including fries, chicken wings, steak, vegetables and cake. One of my favourites was the fries preset – it was pretty spot on, taking about 20 minutes.
Cleanup is easy but one big issue I found with this air fryer is that if food gets stuck on, it tends to lift some of the non-stick coating. The best way to protect against this would be to soak the drawers in warm, soapy water to loosen any food, rather than using a sponge straight away. Overall, this is a really functional air fryer that is ideal if you’re cooking for a family.
Key specifications:
Buy now £89.99, Amazon.co.uk
Cosori turboblaze air fryer
Best: air fryer for quick cooking
Why we love it
- Cooks quickly thanks to five fan speeds
- Controls are simple to navigate
- Easy to clean
Take note
- Keep an eye on food, as it cooks rapidly
If you’re looking for the best air fryer for quick cooking, you can’t go wrong with the Cosori turboblaze. It has a maximum temperature of 230C and five fan speeds, which means there’s more hot air whirling around. This results in crispier food done in record time. It also has a decent 6l cooking capacity, so it’s ideal for cooking larger portions but not too big if you’re just cooking for one.
Aside from air frying you can roast, grill, proof, bake and dehydrate, as well as using some of the standard functions like preheating and keeping warm. Although, I will say, you don’t really need to preheat this air fryer as it works super fast. I cooked some nachos in it and they nearly burnt because I didn’t expect it to cook so quickly. So, my advice would be to skip the preheat unless you’re cooking meat. I also tried the roast function with some chicken and that did pretty well too, although I don’t really think the results were much different than if I’d selected air fry.
The controls (and there are a lot) are all easy enough to use. Cleanup is also simple – the basket is dishwasher safe but the non-stick coating means you can just give it a quick swill and wipe over. Overall, the Cosori turboblaze is an excellent air fryer for anyone who doesn’t want to hang around waiting for lengthy preheats.
Key specifications:
Buy now £128.99, Amazon.co.uk
ProCook multi cooker 8-in-1
Best: multi-cooker air fryer
Why we love it
- Multiple functions including pressure and slow cooking
- Handy delay start function
- Easy to clean
Take note
- Multiple lids take some getting used to
- Food needs regular shaking
The ProCook eight-in-one multi cooker is one of those appliances that enables you to streamline what you have in the kitchen, thanks to its wide range of functions. It air fries, steams, pressure cooks, sous vides, slow cooks and also has a sauce, canning, yogurt and keep-warm function.
Unlike most air fryers, this one comes with three different lids – one for pressure cooking, one for air frying and a glass lid for steaming. Although it was a little confusing at first, I soon got to grips with it. Because of the shape, you do have to move the food around quite a bit to make sure you get a even cook. I used it to cook some plant based nuggets and it didn’t do a bad job but as I hadn’t given them enough of a shake, some bits weren’t as crispy as I’d have liked.
That said, it’s really simple to operate – you just need to select the cooking style you want, then turn the dial in the middle to adjust the time and temperature. It’s also easy to clean, with most of the parts being dishwasher friendly. Overall, I’d recommend this to anyone that enjoys air frying as well as other cooking methods like slow or pressure cooking.
Key specifications:
Buy now £149, Procook.co.uk
Dreame tasti 5-in-1 portable air fryer
Best: air fryer for ease of use
Why we love it
- One touch cooking
- Can see the food cooking
- Good at cooking most foods
- Easy to clean glass bowls
Take note
- You can’t adjust the temperature
You may be thinking the Dreame tasti air fryer looks familiar and you’d be right. The design is very similar to the original Ninja crispi and works by adding the power unit to the glass bowls. This then cooks your food with range of functions to choose from, including air fry, roast, broil, reheat and more.
The Dreame tasti takes away all control over the cooking – you pop your food in, select the cooking mode and then press start. You have no control over temperature, just time. Nonetheless, food cooked really well in the tasti. I used it to make some hash browns, which came out super crispy. Chicken took a little longer than other air fryers to cook, but it still came out hot and crispy. The air fry mode is capped at 185C, which is enough for most foods, but it’s worth keeping an eye on foods that cook quickly, like roasted veg.
Because of the one-touch controls, this air fryer is incredibly simple to use. You don’t need to think about anything other than selecting the right cooking method. Just like the Ninja crispi, it’s easy enough to clean. The glass bowls can go into the dishwasher, but it’s just as quick to wash by hand. I love that it comes with a range of extras, such as an anti-scald silicone mat.
The glass dishes are a good size and although it’s advertised as being portable, I think it’s a little big to be carrying to work with you. However it may be a good choice for taking on holiday or if you’re staying in a campervan.
Key specifications:
Buy now £139, Dreamestore.co.uk
Ninja artisan electric outdoor pizza oven & air fryer
Best: outdoor air fryer
Why we love it
- Simple to use compared to BBQ or pizza oven
- Excellent air frying
- Easy to clean
Take note
- Requires access to power
If you’re looking to spend your summer outside and you don’t want to give up your air fried foods, then Ninja has the perfect solution. This pizza oven and air fryer combination is electric so you’ll need access to a power point. While you can buy a cover, I’d advise not leaving it outside as only the slightest bit of water getting in could be dangerous.
The machine comes with a tray and basket, which you use when it’s in air fryer mode. I used it to cook up some fries, and although they took slightly longer than they would in a regular air fryer, they turned out crispy on the outside but stayed fluffy in the middle. I also tried it as a pizza oven and was totally blown away by the results, with proper Instagram-worthy pizza crust in less than two minutes.
It’s a simple machine to use, you just have to select which function you want and then adjust the time and temperature. I was also impressed with the lack of mess – when you have a BBQ (especially charcoal), it’s messy and smokey but this was a dream to clean. While the parts are not dishwasher friendly, the tray and basket don’t require any deep scrubbing.
Ninja’s artisan air fryer is the perfect choice if you want to dine al fresco this summer and be able to switch between frying and pizza making.
Key specifications:
Buy now £299.99, Sharkninja.co.uk
Your questions about air fryers answered
What is the best air fryer?
After testing a wide range of models, the Ninja crispi pro is best air fryer I’ve tried. Not only is it powerful at cooking, but the modular design that allows you to change the bowl sizes and store leftovers in the fridge and freezer makes a huge difference.
If you’re on a budget or just cooking for one, I also highly rate the Russell Hobbs satisfry medium air fryer that cooks evenly, has simple controls and is easy to clean.
If you need two drawers though, you can’t go wrong with the Philips 4000 series stacked dual basket air fryer. As well as boasting excellent air frying, it has plenty of cooking space and it takes up hardly any room.
How I tested air fryers
I tested each air fryer at home in a regular kitchen to see how well it performed with a range of meals from fries to pizza, a whole chicken and more. Here’s what I looked out for.
How to clean an air fryer
Air fryers can get mucky quickly but it’s essential to keep them clean. Not only will it make your food taste better, but it’ll help to extend the life of your appliance. While most air fryers say that the drawers are dishwasher friendly, it’s usually best to wash them by hand if they have non-stick coatings.
Always unplug and let your air fryer cool completely before starting the cleaning process, then:
- Take a damp cloth and wipe around the inside of the air fryer to make sure any grease that’s splashed out has been removed.
- If you see any residue baked on to the element, then use a soft brush (like an old toothbrush) to gently dislodge it.
- For the drawers, most of the time you can get away with washing them in warm, soapy water. But if you have any stubborn, set-on food or cooked with a sauce, soak the drawer for 10-15 minutes in hot, soapy water and then use a soft cloth or sponge to clean it.
- Make sure you fully dry the drawers before placing them back in your machine to prevent mould.
What can you cook in an air fryer?
Maybe the shorter answer will be what can’t you cook in an air fryer? Foods that do best in the air fryer are those that benefit from high heat, so as well as chips and chicken nuggets, you can cook vegetables, chicken, tofu wonderfully, too. Depending on your air fryer settings, you can also whip up cakes, bread and muffins. You can even cook a full roast dinner in your air fryer with a little planning ahead.
However it’s best to avoid anything with wet batter. If you’re trying to create traditional fish and chips, for example, you’ll need to fry that battered fish in oil. But aside from that, there’s not much else, with air fryers being surprisingly capable all-round appliances.
Are air fryers healthy?
Compared with traditional deep fat frying, air fryers are significantly healthier. When you cook with an air fryer, you’re using a fraction (if any) of the oil that you’d use for regular fried food, so that means less fat and fewer calories in the finished dish. For anyone wanting to reduce their oil intake or lower their calories, without giving up the crispy texture of fried food, air fryers offer a great choice.
Clare Andrews, author of The Ultimate Air Fryer Cook Book says: “Air fryers can be a really healthy way to cook, as they use little to no oil while still giving you that crisp, satisfying texture people love. It’s less about the appliance itself and more about what you put in it, but for things like vegetables, lean proteins, and homemade versions of your favourites, they’re a great way to cook in a lighter, balanced way without sacrificing on the flavour.”
That said, it is worth keeping some perspective – basket of chips is still a basket of chips, whether you deep fry or air fry them. However, where air fryers really come into their own is how they cook the food – you can have crispy chicken skin without added fat, and vegetables roast really well without a mass of olive oil. If you’re already eating balanced healthy meals, then an air fryer is just a good way to keep things light.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Rachael Penn is a journalist specialising in home appliances. She’s tried and tested everything from the best toasters to the best slow cookers, so is an expert in finding the kitchen gadgets that actually perform. Rachael hasn’t just done extensive research on the best air fryers, but she’s used them in the same way you would, cooking a range of food in them, to decide which ones truly deserve a spot on your kitchen counter.
Additionally, the wider IndyBest team is across the latest air fryer trends from releases like the Ninja Crispi model, to reviews of the best dual air fryers.
Read more: The best Ninja air fryers, tried and tested for all budgets