Best Air Fryer Reviews UK 2023 – Which One Makes the Perfect Chips?

Last Updated on January 10, 2023

Our Favourites

Editors Choice: Cosori Smart 5.5L
Choice with Dishwasher Safe Parts: Ninja Foodi Electric Multi-Cooker
Choice for Large Families: Cosori 5.5L Oil-Free

It is easy to understand why fried food is so irresistible. Chips, fried chicken, roast potatoes and vegetable chips are just some delicious options which are quick and convenient choices after a busy day. Unfortunately, as tasty as they are, they are terrible choices for our health. Dishes cooked in oil are extremely high in fat, which can lead to obesity and a myriad of diseases later in life. This is where an air fryer can save the day (and your health).

More and more people are now turning to air fryers as a healthier way of preparing their fried favourites without the additional unwanted fat. But with so many to choose from, it can be very difficult to know which one fits your needs. Luckily we have done the hard work for you and spent time researching to find the best air fryers in the UK. Read on as we review our top 10 favourite choices to start enjoying a healthier lifestyle without having to compromise on taste.

How We Compared Air Fryers

To find the right air fryers we considered multiple factors including:

• Ease of Cleaning
• Size
• Convenience
• Versatility
• Additional Features

Our team planned comparison points and specifically looked for products that would cater to all kinds of needs. We spent countless hours researching, consulting customer reviews and comparing features to come up with this list.

To find out more about our process please see here.

Top 10 Air Fryer Reviews

1. Cosori Smart 5.5L (Editor’s Choice)

The Cosori Smart 5.5L Air Fryer is a solid kitchen appliance with great versatility and functionality. It has a 5.5-litre capacity and is perfect for making meals for up to four people.

Cosori air fryers have a large, easy-to-use control panel on the front but they also come equipped with a Wi-Fi connection for remote control on an app. The app also contains hundreds of recipes, and the library continues to grow weekly.

The Cosori Smart 5.5L Air Fryer features 13 pre-programmed cooking functions giving you access to various options at the touch of a button. They also allow you to customise and set programmes of your own. Conveniently, the basket is non-stick and dishwasher safe.

The only cons we found for this top quality air fryer include the lock on the handle possibly not being very sturdy and the Wi-Fi connection potentially being a bit tricky to set up at first. We also have reason to believe that it will not pair with an Alexa home assistant in the UK but other than that, we stand by this option as a great all-around choice for most homes.

2. Ninja Foodi Electric Multi-Cooker (Dishwasher Safe Choice)

Cooking delicious meals is easy with the Ninja 9-in-1, 7.5-litre multi-cooker. Just one pot quickly carries out nine functions, saving time and space in your kitchen.

The Ninja Foodi boasts nine cooking functions including air crisp, bake/roast, sear/saute, slow cook, pressure cook, and a keep-warm function – to name a few. With its exclusive “TenderCrisp Technology“, the Ninja Foodi quickly cooks tender and juicy meals with a perfect golden finish for as many as six people. Its 7.5-litre pot holds a lot of food and cooks up to 70 per cent faster than traditional methods.

The cooker heats up exceptionally rapidly so you can get started sooner. All relevant parts are ceramic-coated, non-stick and dishwasher-safe, which makes cleaning after cooking easy. There’s even an included recipe book designed by expert chefs to make starting with your multi-cooker inspirational and fun.

The Foodi is relatively large, and some users may find that it takes up quite a lot of space in their kitchens. It’s also fairly heavy at 10kg so you’ll want to find a permanent space to use it rather than frequently moving it around. Also, for all its functions, the Ninja Foodi needs two lids and you might discover swapping these over a little tricky.

3. Cosori 5.5L Oil-Free (Best for Large Families)

This XXL oil-free air fryer from COSORI has the capacity to give big families everything they need to fry up a delicious meal, without worrying about things like saturated fat.

According to COSORI, there’s more than enough room in this device to cook food for up to six people. With its extra-large square design, this air fryer delivers up to 15% more cooking space.

The 5.5l air fryer can fit a whole chicken, for instance, giving you more freedom when it comes to experimenting with exciting recipes whilst doing a great job when needing to cook a larger amount of food. There are also eleven separate built-in pre-sets and it comes with an extensive guide. Hence, you don’t have to spend so much time figuring out how long to cook foods like roast chickens, steak, vegetables or even beef jerky!

The preheat and ‘keep warm’ functions are also particularly helpful on this air fryer. These features make it easier to cook food quickly and keep it ready for people who are late to the table. What’s more, this model is surprisingly easy to clean and dishwasher safe with the benefit of removable parts. Unfortunately, a few reviewers said that the heat settings were limited, as they would have liked at least one option to cook on lower heats, too. Additionally, the basket is a little flimsier than on other air fryers.

4. Power XL 3.2 Litre (Best One-Touch Cooking)

When it comes to cooking, sometimes size matters, and that’s where the Power XL 3.2 Litre air fryer comes in.

While its size can make it difficult to find a place to use it, it does mean that you’ve got an easy way to prepare enough food for a large number of friends or family with no oil required. It’s also one of the hottest on the market, being able to heat up to 200°C/400°F.

Because of this, cooking large meals will be a lot faster with this air fryer than many of its competitors, regardless of how big or small they are. In fact, the high heat capacity means this air fryer has a 70% faster cooking time, while also enabling you to prepare a large variety of food via roasting, sauteing, frying, grilling and even steaming.

Furthermore, the quick touch display, as well as the seven pre-set cooking functions mean you should find setting it up much faster, and easier, than a lot of its competitors. However, some people found there were issues with durability. The non-stick coating is prone to peeling, and the fan screws often become loose, sometimes even ending up in your dish.

5. Tefal Easy Fry Precision (Best for Chips)

Boasting a sleek and contemporary design, the 1500W Tefal Easy Fry Precision air fryer is a great choice for modern kitchens.

With its extra-large, 4.2L capacity, this air fryer can cook enough for six servings, making it perfect if you have a family to feed or just a large appetite. Able to fry, roast, grill and bake, the Tefal Easy Fry uses cyclonic Air Pulse technology to circulate heated air around your favourite foods to cook and crisp them to perfection. Little to no oil is used for healthier and more delicious results.

The large digital touchscreen panel is effortless to use, while the choice of 8 built-in menus makes air frying easy at a click. You can choose anything from pizza, shrimp, fries, fish, steak, to grill, roast or even bake a cake – just make your selection and leave the Tefal to do its thing. It’s worth mentioning that this Tefal air fryer does take some time to preheat, though, so you should factor in extra cooking time for this.

If you’d rather take a manual approach, the easy-use controls allow the temperature to be adjusted between 80-200℃. The handy 60-minute timer with auto shut-off also ensures your dinner won’t get overcooked. Once your food is ready, the grid and basket can be easily removed for simple serving and hassle-free cleaning with dishwasher safe parts.

Overall, we think this Tefal air fryer is an attractive, user-friendly choice for healthier cooking of any recipe you can think of.

6. Tower T17022 (Best with Safety System)

Next on our list is the Tower T17022 Air Fryer. Featuring a 4.3L capacity and a variety of useful heat settings, this air fryer makes a great option when wanting to cook healthier food without sacrificing flavour.

Using rapid circulation technology, this 1500W air fryer requires just a few pumps of cooking spray to cook food thoroughly by circulating hot air around anything you choose to cook – eliminating the need for calorie-laden oils. Easy to use, the temperature dial enables a range of heat settings from 80 – 200℃. Making this air fryer best for all your usual favourite foods such as chips, vegetables, chicken nuggets and fish, but without the guilt.

With the ability to roast, fry and grill, this kitchen appliance is great for quick TV dinners or busy single people. The generously-sized basket has the capacity to hold ample portions, but it must be shaken frequently to ensure everything fries evenly. The automatic shut-off and 60-minute timer are useful additions to any air fryer to keep your cooking schedule on track as well.

Once finished, the pull-out drawer and basket are simple to wash by hand, but cleaning any grease or food from behind the element is tricky. Unfortunately, several users have complained that the non-stick coating wears off quickly, so it’s recommended to use a light hand when cleaning.

7. Tower T17005 (Best Fast-Heating)

If you regularly find yourself too busy to prepare a healthy meal, the Tower T17005 can help you change that. Thanks to its Rapid Air Circulation System, this machine is one of the fastest on the market and also a great budget air fryer, too.

Featuring a 3.2-litre capacity able to produce up to five portions, this one is perfect if you need to prepare a quick meal for the family. Furthermore, this air fryer has a manual 60-minute timer and a useful dial which easily controls the temperature anywhere between 80-200 degrees for great meals no matter what you’re cooking.

Offering an automatic switch-off function, as well as an overheat protection feature, it prevents your dish from overcooking or burning, which will give you peace of mind when the air fryer is in use. Because of this, you’ll be able to turn it on and get on with your other tasks without having to worry about ruining your meal.

Unfortunately, though, there are some negatives to this air fryer. Most notably, it can be quite noisy during use, which you may find tiresome. Also, the non-stick coating isn’t the most durable – with some users complaining it comes off rather easily.

8. Duronic AF1 /B (Best Compact)

The Duronic is another great, compact air fryer that is suitable for smaller kitchens. In line with other air fryers on our list, this model is capable of cooking a huge variety of meals and fried foods quickly and easily without necessarily requiring any oil.

Featuring a maximum temperature of 200 degrees Celsius with an easy-to-adjust timer, this makes cooking your favourite food simple. You won’t need to worry about over-cooking your dish either, thanks to a clever auto-shutoff function and a sound alarm that alerts you when it is ready to serve. Despite its compact size, it still boasts a generous 4.5L capacity for all your cooking needs. However, it is worth pointing out that this air fryer doesn’t include a stirring paddle, therefore, will not mix your food for you, so you will need to remember to do this to ensure it is cooked through.

Unlike others, this air fryer also offers a steam function which gives you the option of even healthier meals. Just like a standard steamer, simply put some water into the basket and switch it on – the heated air will evaporate the water and create a perfectly steamed dish, although some meat and fish may take a while to cook evenly. With dishwasher safe parts, this air fryer is also easy and hassle-free to clean.

A further benefit of this fryer is that you can also use it to heat food straight from the fridge without compromising on crispiness. This is particularly useful if you often find yourself with soggy leftovers that have been reheated in the microwave. But don’t worry, it also comes with handy instructions to guide you through everything you need to know.

9. Pro Breeze 4.2L (User-Friendly Option)

Craving oven chips or chicken wings but watching your weight? This digital air fryer by Pro Breeze is our top choice to cook all your favourites recipes without the added calories.

Boasting a beautiful digital display and generous 4.2L capacity, this high-quality air fryer creates delicious, crispy foods with little to no oil. Instead, using cyclonic technology, hot air circulates around your foods, to effectively cook it for healthy, low-fat, and tasty meals whether you want to be frying a fish filet or baking chicken goujons and potato wedges.

Featuring a variety of useful heat settings, this low fat air fryer offers independent temperature controls so you can experiment with different meals. It also has 7 preset cooking modes to make your choice of time and temperature easier for quick and simple dinners. These modes aren’t perfect, though, so expect some trial and error before getting perfect results.

The large fry basket offers enough capacity to feed the whole family, while the handy timer and a range of cooking programs, it makes it easy to keep track of the time and temperature. However, should you be running late, the intelligent auto shut-off and overheating protection feature will prevent any accidents.

One thing we really like about this air fryer is the detachable basket that’s dishwasher safe for once you’ve finished using it. On the downside, the non-stick coating doesn’t last terribly well.

This air fryer is perfect for families, but it’s quite bulky, so it may take up a lot of room on your kitchen worktop and can’t easily be hidden away in your cupboard.

10. Philips HD9216/41 (Best Temperature Range)

The stand out feature of this is its unique starfish design, which enables superheated air to circulate around the contents, ensuring it fries more evenly than some other air fryers. If you’re looking for something that can get food on the table quicker, this unusual internal shape provides great results in a much shorter time – one of the fastest on the market!

If you like to prepare a wide variety of dishes, you will also find the range of available temperatures very convenient. Able to grill, fry, bake and roast; the Philips HD9216/41 fryer offers a fully adjustable temperature range of between 80℃ and 200℃ – so you will certainly not be limited in what you can create, although some people found the instructions confusing. If you get stuck for meal ideas, you can download the companion app which has hundreds of easy to follow recipes.

This appliance also offers a built-in timer which can be set up to 30 minutes, a sound indicator and an automatic switch-off function for protection against overheating and burnt food. You will need to give your food a stir occasionally though, as this doesn’t include an automatic stirring paddle like other models.

Even though it is an unusual shape, it is very easy to clean. The basket and drawer are simple to detach and are even dishwasher safe, too.

How Do Air Fryers Work?

There are so many ways to prepare your meals like using an induction hob, a halogen oven or a slow cooker. How is an air fryer different? It is essentially a small, air-powered version of a convection oven. In contrast to regular fryers, instead of the food being submerged in hot oil, an air fryer uses superheated air circulation that fries your food as quickly as possible with little to none required.

Many models of modern air fryers you can buy come with a number of different functions depending on what exactly it is that you’re cooking. Some models of air fryer offer the option of steaming and, ‘frying’, and even to grill or bake, but these are all based on the same principle, everything will be cooked by circulating extremely hot air around your food and all will come with a handy guide to explain the different functions.

Compared to cooking with regular fryers, an air fryer offers a much lower-fat option which still creates high-quality results without being detrimental to your health.

Are Air Fryers Any Good?

Now we have taken the time to review some of the best air fryers on the market, and understand how they work. Let’s take a look at some of the day-to-day benefits of using an air fryer.

Healthier Method of Cooking

Clearly, one of the biggest benefits of an air fryer is the fact that they provide a much healthier alternative to conventional frying with the ability to make all of your favourite foods but a less greasy version – there’s almost nothing these air fryers can’t cook!

Firstly, food cooked in an air fryer will contain much less fat as it is not submerged in oil during cooking. Secondly, since you’re using a lot less oil, food cooked in it will contain fewer additives than food cooked in a traditional deep fat fryer.

A diet high in fat and additives is well known to be one of the main causes of obesity, heart disease, strokes and diabetes which can affect your wellbeing, as well as dramatically shorten your life. By using an air fryer, you are adopting a healthier way of life without having to cut out fried foods altogether.

Fewer Odours

Many people find that when they cooking fried foods with a traditional fryer, greasy odours can permeate the room, as well as any textiles that are nearby. This unpleasant smell can be difficult to eliminate quickly, so if this is something you find frustrating, switching to an air fryer is a great way to reduce this issue while also being able to enjoy your fried favourites.

Easier To Clean

Deep fat fryers are notoriously difficult to clean. After you have enjoyed a delicious meal, the last thing you want to do is start scrubbing a smelly, greasy fryer.

Air fryers offer a much more convenient, mess-free solution to this problem. Not only are they less messy due to the lack of oil, they often come with easy to detach components which can be quickly wiped clean in the sink or are even sometimes dishwasher safe, too.

Versatility

An air fryer cooks a much wider range of ingredients than a typical fryer. Whereas a deep fat fryer cooks chips, sausages and a few other items, an air fryer can be used to prepare chicken, bacon, casseroles, curries and even desserts. This gives you much more culinary versatility than a typical fryer, whilst still watching the calories.

Economical

Because an air fryer uses very little oil and it cooks multiple meals, it saves you the expense and inconvenience of using a number of kitchen appliances for just one meal. Thus, saving you a small fortune over time.

It also fries foods a lot faster than a typical oven which can take up to 20-30 minutes to properly preheat. In contrast, air fryers can reach the required temperature within a couple of minutes. This is because air fryers are also much smaller, and therefore require less energy to heat up. Not only does this mean you can enjoy your meal sooner, but it also means you can save money on your electricity bills.

Convenience

A further benefit of air fryers is that they are a much more compact option than a traditional stove or deep fat fryer. This means they are a great choice for people who have limited space in the kitchen. After all, not everyone has the space to have a traditional oven. When you buy an air fryer, you can cook a variety of dishes as you would in an oven. At the same time, you still save room, which is highly convenient. They’re also often easy to use and come with a recipe booklet for inspiration and a guide on all of the different controls.

What To Look For When Choosing An Air Fryer

In addition to our extensive reviews, here are a few things that you need to look out for when browsing through the best air fryer brands, although some of these may come down to your personal preference.

Size

The first big consideration when you buy is the size of your air fryer. They are available in many different sizes, suitable for single people all the way up to larger families. You will want to be sure that the model you buy has the capacity to be able to provide for the number of individuals you are planning to prepare for. This is because if it is too small and overloaded, you may find that the dish cooks unevenly or takes significantly longer than expected.

Additional Features

If you are cooking larger amounts of food, you should make sure you look for an air fryer that includes an automatic stirring paddle. This prevents you from having to stir and turn the contents yourself and ensures that the food is continuously moved around for evenly cooked results. You could also opt for a model that has a viewing window so you can keep an eye on your meal throughout the process.

A further consideration is the variety of meals you are planning to prepare with your air fryer. If you are just going to be using it to make healthier chips, then versatility will not be especially important to you. However, if you would like to use it to cook most of your meals on a daily basis, you will want to make sure that you buy an air fryer which offers a wide variety of time and temperature settings as well as multiple cooking methods.

If you are after versatility, cooking racks are another feature you’ll want to look out for. In essence, this means that you can cook two, or more, different things in your air fryer at any one time, saving a whole load of time and effort when it comes to organising your food preparation.

This is also great when it comes to fussy eaters, as you can simply put on two different meals and keep everyone happy, without having to put too much extra effort into cooking.

Conclusion

Each and every one of the air fryers on our list will make great choices for healthier cooking. However, after taking our time to review the top 10, we think the best air fryer in the UK has to be the Pro Breeze 4.2L Air Fryer.

Not only does this air fryer look attractive, with its sleek appearance and large digital display, but it performs excellently, too. The use of cyclonic technology, and the use of circulating hot air, creates dishes that replicate the taste of traditional frying, but without the added calories of excess oil.

The large 4.2L basket is perfect for family cooking, while the seven preset cooking programs are perfect for evenings when you’re short on time. We also love the choice of independent temperature settings that allow for versatility. Thus, you can take control of your cooking and try out new recipes. Once you have enjoyed your meal, the dishwasher-safe cooking basket makes cleaning up stress-free.

As if these features weren’t reason enough, this top quality model also boasts a useful cooking timer and overheating protection for added convenience and safety.