Why you don’t need to spend more than £60 on an air fryer

Now a staple in any modern kitchen, air fryers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, at a range of prices.

There's nothing quite like an air fryer for quick, crispy meals. Plus, you need less oil compared to traditional frying, making it a healthier choice. They’re also fantastic for reheating leftovers without turning them soggy (like in the microwave), and they often use less energy than an oven. 

While top brands like Ninja and Tefal can cost £200 or more, you don’t need to spend a lot. One of the best air fryers from Which? tests costs just £60.

Is a cheap air fryer as good as an expensive one?

Jamie Darlow, Which? cooking appliances expert, says:

'Price really isn’t a good indication of performance when it comes to air fryers. Sure, plenty of models costing north of £150 score highly in our lab tests, but so do those that sell for well under £100.

What makes an air fryer great has a lot to do with its cooking performance, and probably more accurately for us Brits, how crispy and golden brown its chips are. An air fryer is essentially a small convection oven, so those that can blow hot air around the food evenly and consistently have a good chance of scoring well. 

What makes an air fryer expensive, then? They often have more features, such as smart temperature probes, viewing windows, app connectivity, dual cooking zones, and a higher power output. 

Oh, and don’t forget that some brands just charge more for their logo.'

The £60 air fryer loved by Which? experts

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What are the different types of air fryer?

There are a couple of different types of air fryers, suited to different family sizes.

• Basket air fryers: Have a cooking bowl or basket with a handle so you can easily shake the food while cooking. They tend to take up less space on the kitchen counter and are better for small families.
• Oven-type air fryers: Come with one or more trays to place different foods on, as you would in an oven. You can usually use them to cook for large families.

What is the best size air fryer to buy?

The size of the air fryer you buy will depend on how big your household is, how much you intend to cook with it and how much kitchen space you have. 

• For two people or fewer: A compact air fryer under 5 litres is a good size.
• For a family of three to five people: An air fryer between 5 litres and 7 litres is big enough to cook meals without overcrowding the basket. 
• For large families of more than five: Get something bigger than 7.5 litres, but be aware that it may take up a significant amount of space on your countertop.

What can you cook in an air fryer?

Air fryers can cook all sorts of food. 

Anything frozen is perfect for the air fryer, such as fries, nuggets or onion rings. 

You can cook your vegetables in the air fryer, including broccoli, asparagus and potatoes. Your main protein will come out well from an air fryer too, such as chicken breasts, steak, salmon and more. 

Some use it instead of a microwave to reheat food without it becoming soggy, while others even whip up delicious baked goods in the air fryer. 

What can’t you cook in an air fryer?

Anything that needs to be submerged in water won’t cook well in an air fryer. That includes uncooked rice and grains. 

You may also want to avoid putting wet batter directly onto the tray, as it’ll seep through the holes to the bottom. The same goes for anything too cheesy. 

Popular air fryers under £100

You'll need to log in or sign up to see how well these air fryers scored. Below are some of the most popular models with our readers.

Tefal Easy Fry Pizza FW4018G0 

• Oven air fryer
• 4.5L
• 20 x 40 x 35cm (HxWxD)

We like: Viewing window

We don’t like: No dedicated preheat program

This Tefal air fryer looks more like an oven and is designed for making pizzas. But it does much more than that, there are 10 auto programs to choose from for fries, nuggets, chicken drumsticks, fish, vegetables, cookies, bacon/beef bacon, dehydration, frozen pizza and fresh pizza. 

There’s also a viewing window to check your food as it cooks, and digital controls to adjust the time, temperature and other settings. 

Read our Tefal Easy Fry Pizza FW4018G0 review.

Instant Vortex ClearCook 140-4101-01-UK 

• Oven air fryer
• 38 x 36 x 40cm (H x W x D)
• 13L

We like: Comes with a rotisserie

We don’t like: Heavy and bulky

Thanks to stacked shelves, the Instant Vortex ClearCook lets you cook multiple foods at once, and its large viewing window lets you keep an eye on your meal as it cooks. 

There are seven cooking functions, including air-fry, roast, bake, dehydrate, grill, toast and proof. Unlike most other air fryers, this one includes a rotisserie to rotate chicken.

Read our Instant Vortex ClearCook 140-4101-01-UK review. 

Bosch MAF671B1 

• Basket air fryer
• 32 x 32 x 40cm (H x W x D)
• 7.2L

We like: Good range of auto programs

We don’t like: Single drawer only

Bosch’s basket air fryer claims to hold between five and six portions of food, plenty for a small family.  

It has a viewing window and internal light to watch over your meal as it cooks, a digital timer and a selection of pre-set programs for bread, fish, fries, meat, poultry, pastries, vegetables and to keep your food warm. 

Read our Bosch MAF671B1 review. 

Tower T17181AFR

• 32 x 39 x 37cm
• Dual cooking zones
• 8L

We like: Not too bulky

We don’t like: No viewing windows

Dual-zone air fryers allow you to cook two different foods at different temperatures at the same time, perfect if you’re cooking your whole meal in it. 

This one from Tower can air fry, bake and roast, plus there are food-specific settings for fries, steak and bread. It also has reheat and dehydrate functions. The meal setting synchronises both compartments so they finish cooking at the same time. 

Read the Tower T17181AFR review.