Best air fryer 2025: Reviewed by our experts

Best air fryer 2025: Reviewed by our experts

Air fryers have surged in popularity in recent years as more and more people have opted for this healthier method to create delicious fried food. 

An air fryer is a countertop kitchen appliance that makes it possible to achieve similar results to a pan or fryer without submerging food in oil. Instead, air fryers only require a small amount of oil to circulate hot air around the drawer and crisp up food in a short amount of time. 

However, with so many air fryers available to buy right now, where do you start? We’ve rounded up the best air fryers we’ve tested to help you narrow down your search to only our top picks. 

Every air fryer on this list has been rigorously tested in real-world settings. Our reviewers measure the performance of an air fryer by examining how well the appliance cooks a range of foods, from chips and frozen hash browns to meat and more. 

We also look at other important factors like ease of use and key features. The number of drawers and how much they can hold are crucial details for those cooking for large households, as is the physical size of the appliance for anyone frying with limited counter space. 

There are also additional features you’ll want to consider when picking up a new air fryer, such as grill functions and temperature probes. 

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Keep reading to discover our favourite air fryers for different use cases, along with pros, cons and links to our in-depth reviews with photos of the fryers in action.

If you’re moving to a new home or in the process of upgrading your kitchen with the latest appliances, you might be interested in our other best lists. These include the best microwaves and combi ovens, the best toasters, the best kettles and the best coffee machines.

Best air fryers at a glance

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How We Test

We use standard tests with air fryers, so that we can compare performance between different models. We always test by cooking home-made chips, sausages and frozen convenience food, such as fish fingers. Depending on the model, we’ll also test additional features including reheating pizza and drying out herbs.

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  • Excellent results

  • Huge amount of cooking controls

  • Brilliant controls


  • Can be fiddly to turn food with dual-layer cooking

One of our favourite air fryers of 2024, the Ninja Double Stack is a seriously impressive appliance that offers exceptional cooking results from its cleverly designed, mammoth 9.5-litre capacity.

Rather than placing its two 4.75-litre capacity drawers side-by-side like traditional dual zone air fryers such as the Ninja Foodi Max (AF400UK), the Double Stack instead places its drawers on top of each other.

Not only does this clever design mean the Double Stack only takes up the same counter space as a single-zone air fryer but at just 38.5cm high, it should fit comfortably underneath kitchen wall cabinets too.

Each drawer can be used individually, which effectively gives you two separate air fryers, or together thanks to Ninja’s Match and Sync options.

With Match mode, you can assign both drawers the same cooking settings which is perfect if you want to make a larger portion size at once, or enable Sync mode for making different foods but have them finish simultaneously.

Ninja’s new dual-layer cooking function allows you to cook foods across two layers in each drawer with the provided wire racks, which means you can make entire meals at one time.

Dual-layer cooking is a seriously useful tool, however just ensure each ingredient will cook at the same temperature within the drawer and that you turn food carefully mid-way through cooking, as the wire racks can make this fiddly.

Otherwise, the Double Stack is fitted with six pre-set cooking modes including Air Fry, Roast, Max Crisp, Reheat, Bake and Dehydrate. Each mode, apart from Max Crisp which is fixed at 240°C, can have its temperature adjusted depending on the recipe.

Overall we were seriously impressed with the Double Stack and found foods were perfectly and evenly cooked, with results that rival air fryers “simply can’t match.”

Hailed as one of the most useful dual-drawer air fryers we’ve tested, you’d be hard pressed to find a better option than the Ninja Double Stack.


  • Easy to use

  • Excellent results

  • Huge amount of cooking space


  • Entire drawer has to be washed, even if you use half

The Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L AF500UK is a huge air fryer perfect for when you need to cook a lot of food at one time.

Unlike a conventional dual-drawer air fryer, the FlexDrawer features one massive container with an optional divider that effectively turns the appliance into a dual-basket cooker when needed.

This means that you can cook large amounts of one food using the full drawer or separate it into two zones using the divider to cook multiple items with different settings and timings. There’s even a Sync mode that ensures the two zones finish cooking at the same time, allowing you to have a complete meal ready for when you need it.

The machine is equipped with an array of cooking modes, each with their own temperature settings and timers. The list includes Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Reheat, Dehydrate and Prove. There’s also a Max Crisp mode which produces super crispy results by cooking at 240°C.

We found that hash browns came out perfectly crispy using the Max Crisp mode, while the roast setting produced moist chicken breast. We also tested the air fryer’s Dehydrate mode on some fresh herbs to keep them usable throughout the winter.

The AF500UK’s large capacity is both a huge perk and the biggest drawback to this air fryer. If you’re in need of a larger appliance to cook large portions and complete meals, the AF500UK is powerful enough to produce excellent results and features a versatile two-in-one design.

However, if you’re looking to cook smaller portions and don’t want to clean both drawers when you’ve only used one, a traditional two-drawer air fryer such as the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK may be a better choice.


  • Max complicated meals fast

  • Versatile range of cooking options

  • Steam air frying is incredible


  • Crisper plate fiddly to remove

  • Lower max temperature than some air fryers

For sheer versatility and the option to make complete meals in as little as 15 minutes, the Ninja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer is a fantastic choice that will suit most households.

Although it can’t reach Ninja’s typical air fryer’s top temperature of 240°C, and instead caps out at 210°C, the Speedi 10-in-1 makes up for this with its numerous cooking modes. In fact, as its name suggests, the Speedi boasts a total of 10 functions, including Air Fry, Grill, Bake and Steam.

Its 5.7-litre cooking pot comes equipped with a crisper plate that’s used for both air frying mode and for dual-layer cooking. Simply open the plate’s fold-out legs and this allows the Speedi to cook complete meals across two levels.

Using the Speedi is incredibly easy, with a switch at the top that moves the appliance between its Rapid Cooker and Air Fry/Hob settings. For extra help, Ninja includes a helpful manual that advises you on the optimum settings to choose from.

While there is a pre-heat function for all cooking modes that use steam, unlike other air fryers, this isn’t available on regular programmes. Although this isn’t necessarily a major issue, just keep in mind that you’ll need to factor in additional pre-heat time when cooking.

We were impressed with the Ninja Speedi’s abilities, taking anything from chips cooked on Steam Air Fry mode to multi-level cooking rice and kebabs in its stride. Our biggest issue with the Speedi is that when it’s in multi-level mode, the crisper plate can’t be easily removed to check on the bottom layer, which means you can’t be certain of how it’s cooking.

Otherwise, if you’re looking for a mighty kitchen gadget that’s so much more than just an air fryer and can cook entire meals at once, then the Ninja Speedi Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer ON400UK is one for you.


  • Air fries, bakes and grills quickly

  • 10 preset functions

  • 22-litre capacity


  • Hard to clean by hand

  • Larger footprint than an air fryer

  • Pricey

Most air fryers tend to look a lot like deep fat fryers, but the Sage the Smart Oven Air Fry looks a lot like a microwave oven. This design lets you spread out food, so that it’s evenly cooked, rather than having to shake food as you do in an air fryer.

The oven can also employ its Element iQ tech to direct power where it’s needed to eliminate cold spots in food. In practice, it worked perfectly, leaving us with evenly cooked home chips that had a crispy outside and fluffy inside.

And, the size the oven means that you can use it for larger items, including chicken legs or even an entire pizza. Just be careful with the preset options, as we found that our pizza began to burn after 15 minutes, although the programme was set for 20 minutes.

With a higher-than-average temperature option of 230C, rather than the usual 200C, the Sage the Smart Oven Air Fry can cook food faster than many other air fryers, although it does take a bit longer to heat up.

Comparatively expensive, this model won’t be for everyone, but its unique design lends itself to foods that other air fryers can’t even think about.


  • Excellent selection of accessories

  • Easy to operate

  • Automatic programmes


  • Some accessories are fiddly

  • Maximum temperature 200ºC

  • Takes up space/storage issues

The Tower T17076 Xpress Pro Combo 10-in-1 Digital Air Fryer can tackle an impressive range of cooking tasks, assisted by plenty of accessories. These enable the appliance to work as a grill, griddle, toaster or mini-rotisserie. It’s straightforward to operate, has an impressive 11-litre capacity and features a selection of automatic programmes for grilling, roasting and baking, as well as a function for dehydrating fruit.

The rotisserie oven-style window sets the Tower T17076 10-in-1 apart from other air fryers. Being able to view food while it’s cooking is a boon, even if you’re not grilling a whole chicken. Accessories include three air-flow racks (which allow you to cook food on three levels at the same time), a rotisserie fork with handle, 10 skewers with rotating wheels, a wire rack, a reversible grill plate (functions as a hotplate and a griddle), two heat-proof silicone mitts and a drip tray.

Performance was on the whole good: chips were nicely browned and crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. We also had great success cooking slightly oiled corn on the cob using the grill plate on top of the wire rack. To try out the rotisserie function, we put halloumi, courgette and pepper pieces onto the skewers fitted into the rotating wheels. The griddle also produced excellent results, making the Tower T17076 10-in-1 a fine all-rounder.


  • Seven preset programmes

  • Good-sized cooking area

  • Dishwasher safe


  • Not suitable for large households

  • Substantial worktop footprint

With a 5.5-litre capacity, multiple cooking modes and a space-saving design, the Dualit Air Fryer is perfect for smaller households that don’t need a mammoth machine.

While other air fryers favour a tall design, the Dualit opts for a squat, square shape instead, offering a larger surface area for cooking bigger items or more portions at once. At just 31.4cm, it’s short too and can tuck seamlessly below kitchen wall cabinets.

There are seven cooking modes to select from, including French Fries, Vegetables, Meat on the bone, Frozen Food, Meat, Bakery and Fish. There’s also a manual mode that allows you to set a time and temperature between 50°C and 200°C, letting you to add extra time if necessary.

To begin our tests, we started with the French Fries function and made homemade chips. Even though we cut our chips perhaps slightly larger than pre-made alternatives, they still ended up golden brown with a soft middle. We then moved on to the Meat programme, which has a preset of 15 minutes, to cook a steak. Our reviewer found this was too long to cook a steak to their liking of medium rare, so we’d recommend keeping an eye on your meats to avoid overcooking.

The Frozen Food setting is a welcome addition to the Dualit Air Fryer as many alternatives, like the Salter Fusion Dual, miss out on this choice. Using this mode, we were very pleased with how our frozen hash browns turned out. It’s worth noting that the Frozen Food programme is preset to cook for 20 minutes at 180°C, which we felt seemed slightly longer than usual with a lower temperature than we’d typically choose. However, it still worked well.

There were some slight issues that we identified while testing this air fryer. Firstly, there’s no option to easily preheat the air fryer, which is a frustrating omission as most air fryers should be preheated before use. Another is to do with the crisper plate. While it is both dishwasher-safe and can be easily cleaned by hand, the crisper plate is prone to getting stuck in the basket which can be a bit of a faff, especially when you’re cooking dinner in a rush.

That said, if you’re part of a smaller household and want a reliable and easy-to-use air fryer, the Dualit Air Fryer is still a fantastic choice.


  • High maximum temperature

  • Crispy air fry results

  • Powerful grill

  • Precision cooking with temperature probe


  • Doesn’t reset interface when probe is unplugged

The Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer EG351UK is a powerful single-bay air fryer and grill that features a built-in temperature probe for perfect results every time. 

The Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer EG351UK is relatively compact at 430 x 280 x 355mm but features a decent 5.7l capacity, which is enough space to cook up to four servings and fit bigger items such as large whole chickens. 

You can switch between the crisper plate for air frying and the grill plate for grilling and control the kitchentop appliance using a series of simply labeled buttons on the front. There are five cooking modes – grill, air fry, roast, bake and dehydrate – along with temperature and cooking time controls for more conventional cooking. 

However, the highlight here is the precision cooking mode which is controlled via the integrated temperature probe. This mode automatically stops the cooking programme when the target temperature has been reached, whether that is a manually chosen temperature or based on the type of food you’re cooking and how well you want it done. There’s even a resting timer that beeps when your food is ready to serve. 

We found the performance of the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer EG351UK to be excellent, with the air fryer producing evenly cooked chips and hash browns that were soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. We also cooked salmon with the grill and temperature probe and found the results to be perfectly done with crispy skin and good colour to it. 

If you want consistently perfectly cooked food, the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer EG351UK is a great air fryer/grill combo.


  • Great value

  • Lots of cooking modes

  • Crispy results


  • Doors a bit sticky

  • A little slow to cook

While the name might be a bit of a mouthful to say, all you need to know is that when it comes to making dishes that benefit from a crispy finish, like chicken wings or garlic bread, the Cuisinart AirTwin XXL Dual-Zone Air Fryer AFD100 is the right appliance for the job.

The reason why the AirTwin XXL is so great at adding that extra touch of crispiness to your favourite foods is because of the Max Crisp setting which cranks the cooking temperature all the way up to 210°C. While this could be used to simply cook meals at a faster rate, it works best when adding that extra layer of crunch that friends and family are sure to love.

Speaking of which, if you are planning on cooking for several people at one time then the AirTwin’s dual drawer set-up will have you covered. Having two separate drawers means that you can use one for cooking the main star of the dish, while the other is used for heating up any accoutrements like chips or mixed vegetables.

With 5.2-litres of space in each drawer, you’ll have plenty of room to include all the key items of a dish within this air fryer, and once the cooking process starts, you can set it so that both drawers are synced to finish at the same time. This means that every part of the dish will be ready to go at once, so you won’t run the risk of having one element cool down whilst you wait for another to cook.

When it came to the core cooking process, we found that the AirTwin XXL does a great job with an array of dishes – producing a wonderfully cooked salmon fillet, as well as deliciously crunchy fish fingers in next to no time. It also helps that, when compared against the competition, the AirTwin XXL is very reasonably priced, so you won’t have to part with much for the pleasure of using it.


  • Solid capacity

  • Reasonably fast and crispy results

  • Decent array of functions


  • Needs to pre-heat every time

  • Controls not as intuitive as rivals

If you don’t have too much kitchen space to work with but you still want all the benefits that a dual drawer air fryer can bring then this option from Instant Pot has been made with you in mind. In spite of its dual drawer function, the Instant Pot Vortex Dual Drawer 8L Air Fryer is surprisingly compact, so you won’t have to worry about it dominating your countertop once installed.

It also helps that the Instant Pot Vortex happens to be one of the more stylish air fryers we’ve tested, so it should help to complement the overall decor in your kitchen as opposed to diminish it. What’s probably most impressive is that, in spite of its size, this particular air fryer is still bursting to the brim with all the key features you could want.

There are six cooking modes in total, including air fry (as you’d expect), roast, dehydrated and grill. Again, this is perfect for maximising limited space as it means the Instant Pot Vortex can take on many roles during the cooking process, so you have the freedom to take on more adventurous recipes without needing to bring additional appliances into the mix.

On the topic of recipes, we were very much impressed by the results that the Instant Pot Vortex was able to deliver. From our testing, crinkle-cut chips came out wonderfully crispy, while several steaks still came out with just the right amount of juice to really bring forth their flavour.

As a final point, once all of the cooking is done, you don’t need to worry about spending too much time cleaning up after the fact. The baskets and crisper plates are all dishwasher safe, so you can quickly fling them in and get back to spending time on the things that you’d much rather be doing.

Test Data

 Ninja Double Stack XL 9.5L Air Fryer SL400UKNinja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L AF500UKNinja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer ON400UKSage the Smart Oven Air FryTower T17076 10-in-1 Digital Air FryerDualit Air FryerNinja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer EG351UKCuisinart AirTwin XXL Dual-Zone Air Fryer AFD100Instant Pot Vortex Dual Drawer 8L Air Fryer

Full Specs

 Ninja Double Stack XL 9.5L Air Fryer SL400UK ReviewNinja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L AF500UK ReviewNinja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer ON400UK ReviewSage the Smart Oven Air Fry ReviewTower T17076 10-in-1 Digital Air Fryer ReviewDualit Air Fryer ReviewNinja 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer EG351UK ReviewCuisinart AirTwin XXL Dual-Zone Air Fryer AFD100 ReviewInstant Pot Vortex Dual Drawer 8L Air Fryer
UK RRP£269.99£269.99£248.99£329.95£139.99£129.99£198.99£127.99
ManufacturerNinjaNinjaNinjaSageTowerDualitNinjaCuisinart
Size (Dimensions)280 x 470 x 385 MM496 x 316 x 327 MM330 x 350 x 310 MM470 x 410 x 288 MM324 x 339 x 382 MM379 x 326 x 314 MM280 x 354 x 430 MM407 x 444 x 309 MM400 x 380 x 310 INCHES
Weight24 KG9.4 KG5.5 KG13 KG5.1 KG5.3 KG7.25 KG
ASINB0BQCL5GVQB07YSZ8V9KB09CDT23ZV
Release Date202420232023201920222023202520252024
First Reviewed Date16/05/202423/11/202323/03/202304/10/201923/03/202204/12/202327/03/202528/03/202517/04/2025
Model NumberNinja Double Stack XL 9.5L Air Fryer SL400UKNinja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L AF500UKNinja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer ON400UKTower T17076 10 in 1 Digital Air FryerDualit Air FryerEG351UKCuisinart AirTwin XXL Dual-Zone Air Fryer AFD100
Accessories2x crisper plates, 2x wire racks2x crisper plates5.7-litre cooking pot, crisper plateRotisserie fork and handle, chargrill plate, 3 x air-flow racks, 10 x rotating kebab skewers, non-stick oil tray, multi-function wire wrack, heatproof finger mittsCrisper plate5.7 litre cooking pot, crisper plate, grill plate, temperature probe2x 4.7-litre drawers and crisper platesCrisper plate
Stated Power2470 W2470 W1760 W2400 W2000 W1700 W1760 W2400 W1850 W
Number of compartments211111122
Cooking modesAir fry, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate, Max CrispMax crisp, air fry, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate, proveSpeedi Meals, Steam Air Fry, Steam Bake, Steam, Grill, Air Fry, Bake / Roast, Dehydrate, Sear / Sauté and Slow CookRotisserie, pizza, chargrill, kebabs, air frying, toast, bake, dehydrate, grill and roastAir fryGrill, air fry, roast, bake, dehydrateAir fry, grill, roast, bake and dehydrateAir Fry, Roast, Grill, Dehydrate, Bake, Reheat
Total food capacity9.5 litres10.4 litres5.7 litres22 litres11 litres5.5 litres5.7 litres10.4 litres8 litres
Special featuresDrawer dividerTemperature probe cooking
How important are temperature settings?

Most air fryers work at a standard temperature of 200C, which is required to crisp the outside of your food. If you find air fryers with higher temperature settings, they can cook food faster, which can be handy when dealing with frozen foods.

Can an air fryer do everything a deep fat fryer can do?

Not quite. While you’ll get similar results for most food, air fryers aren’t very good when it comes to wet batters, such as for fish and chips. Here, you’ll find that the batter drips off and you won’t get even results.

Most air fryers require you to remove the food and regularly shake it, too, in order to evenly coat food in oil. Some models have clever features and layouts to reduce this, but it’s something to be aware of.

What accessories do I need?

Accessories vary by device. Some air fryers have optional basket separators, which let you cook different foods at the same time. Grill pans can help you cook other types of food. Some models even have muffin or cake trays, although you’ll probably find it easier to just use a regular oven.

Is size important?

Make sure that you buy an air fryer large enough for your needs. If you’ve got a large family, then you’ll want a model that can cook enough chips for you all.

Most budget models suffer from small baskets that are good for one or two people, so you may need to up your budget to get a larger model. A larger basket also upgrades what you can cook, with some models even managing an entire chicken.

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