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- Best air fryers: At a glance
- How we test air fryers
- The best air fryers you can buy in 2026
- 1. Philips 5000 Series (NA555/09) Dual Basket Steam air fryer: Best overall
- 2. Instant Vortex Plus Dual Drawer air fryer: Best mid-range air fryer
- 3. Ninja DoubleStack XL: Best for smaller kitchens
- 4. Our Place Wonder Oven: Best looking air fryer
- 5. Ninja Air Fryer Max Pro 6.2l AF180UK: Best air fryer for frozen food
- 6. Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer: Best for Sunday roasts
- 7. Ninja Foodi Dual Zone: Best Ninja air fryer
- 8. Tefal Easy Fry Pizza (FW4018G0) air fryer: Best air fryer for pizza
- 9. Cuisinart AirTwin XXL: Best for avoiding ‘forever chemicals’
- How to choose the best air fryer for you
- We’ve tested and reviewed more than 30 air fryers here at Expert Reviews
- As part of our review process, we run cooking tests with chips, hash browns and a whole chicken – noting how long these foods take to cook, how evenly they are browned and if there are any burnt bits. When recommending an air fryer, we also take into account capacity, cooking modes and presets, and power usage.
- Our top air fryer is the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Steam air fryer, which won Air Fryer of the Year in Expert Reviews’ Product of the Year Awards 2026. Standout features include steaming and a self-cleaning function.
- Read on for our full roundup of air fryer recommendations, for a range of budgets and household sizes
Here at Expert Reviews, our favourite air fryer is Philips’ 5000 Series (NA555/09) air fryer: it offers plenty of cooking capacity, makes light work of frozen snacks, and its steaming feature makes it a great option for cooking healthier meals. But the best air fryers come in all shapes and sizes: from simple budget fryers to XL capacity models and surprisingly attractive appliances, there’s something for everyone.
We’ve put more than 30 air fryers through their paces, with rigorous testing and everyday use, separating the excellent from the mediocre and highlighting the best models for specific needs. We’ve tested every air fryer we recommend here and know that each one is worth the investment. Be sure to read our “how we test” section below to see exactly how we put each model through its paces.
If you want to know more about what to look out for when choosing an air fryer for your kitchen, you can skip to our buying guide at the bottom of this page. Here, we talk about all the specifics to consider including features, energy saving, cleaning and more. Alternatively, our at-a-glance list below highlights our top picks, or you can head straight to the mini reviews of our top-tested fryers.
Best air fryers: At a glance
- Philips 5000 Series NA555/09: Best overall | Check price at Philips
- Instant Vortex Plus Dual Drawer: Best mid-range air fryer | Check price at Amazon
- Our Place Wonder Oven: Best looking air fryer | Check price at Our Place
- Ninja Foodi Dual Zone: Best Ninja air fryer | Check price at Ninja
- Ninja DoubleStack XL: Best for smaller kitchens | Check price at Ninja
How we test air fryers
Every air fryer we review goes through a rigorous set of tests to ensure they’re up to the most basic cooking jobs, whether that’s chips, vegetables or even whole chickens.
Our tests include cooking a portion of chips, prepared from 500-750g raw potato, peeled and chipped. We note how long they take to cook and at what temperature, observe how evenly they are browned and check for any burnt bits. When it comes to frozen snacks, we cook a portion of hash browns – using the manufacturer’s recommendations for frozen potato products or, if there isn’t any guidance, cooking at 190°C for 18 minutes.
We also test the air fryer’s roast setting by cooking a whole chicken – or chicken leg quarters if there’s not enough space for a whole bird – again following manufacturer instructions where available. We assess skin colour, crispness and whether or not the meat has cooked through without drying out.
We run our tests on both the manual cooking settings, as well as any automatic presets they might have for common ingredients or dishes, to see if they’re up to the job. Some air fryers come with additional functions, such as baking, roasting or steaming. In these cases, we use a similar testing method, looking for speedy, even results.
Finally, we run an energy test on our air fryers, noting the kWh usage at 200ºC for an hour while empty. For dual basket models, we also test the energy usage when using one drawer vs both using the same time and temperature. The air fryers we’ve tried and reviewed have all passed our in-depth testing. We’ve also taken into consideration everything from budget and capacity to style, so we’re confident there’s something for everyone here.
READ NEXT: Best Ninja air fryers
The best air fryers you can buy in 2026
1. Philips 5000 Series (NA555/09) Dual Basket Steam air fryer: Best overall
Price when reviewed: £190 | Check price at Philips
- Cooking healthy meals
- Ease of cleaning
- Unintuitive controls and poor instructions
by Rachel Ogden
Philips’ NA555/09 air fryer came out on top as our Air Fryer of the Year in Expert Reviews’ Product of the Year Awards 2026. Its unique combination of air frying and steaming makes it a great option if you’re looking to cook healthier meals. In our tests, we steamed some tenderstem broccoli with good results. But the NA555/09 really shone when it came to its combined steaming/air frying mode, which we used to cook a whole chicken. In the words of our reviewer: “The chicken had beautifully juicy flesh, with no pink remaining. It wasn’t overcooked, and the skin was crisp, bubbled and golden.”
You’ve got two drawers – one 6l and one 3l – and the larger of the two produced “some of the best chips I’ve ever made in an air fryer”. Both of these drawers are dishwasher safe, and the steam also doubles as a self-cleaning function: while we found this doesn’t necessarily offer a complete clean, it’s very helpful at loosening grease after cooking.
The controls aren’t the most intuitive, and the instructions could be more helpful. But provided you’re not a total newbie, the Philips NA555/09 is a winning air fryer.
Read our full Philips 5000 Series air fryer review for more details
Key specs – Power: 2,750W; Capacity: 9l (combined); Controls: Digital; Max temp: 200°C; Dishwasher safe drawers? Yes; Accessories: None
2. Instant Vortex Plus Dual Drawer air fryer: Best mid-range air fryer
Price when reviewed: £80 | Check price at Amazon
by Danielle Amato
- Great value
- Easy to use and clean
- Delicious results
- Touchscreen prone to scratching
- No recipe booklet included
The Instant Vortex Dual Drawer won Air Fryer of the Year at the 2023 Expert Reviews Product of the Year awards and for good reason. In our testing, we found the Vortex to be extremely capable of cooking everything from vegetables and tofu to legs of chicken. It cooked 500g of homemade potato from raw in just 25 minutes, one of the fastest times we’ve seen, but its 7.6l capacity is large enough to cook much more. In fact, it can cook a full breakfast, which our reviewer tested in her review, with bacon and sausages in one drawer and hash browns and mushrooms in the other. It also performed well in our power tests, using just 0.99kWh at 200ºC, with both baskets running.
The Vortex also has an excellent variable temperature range of up to 205ºC and can air-fry for up to an hour, meaning you can go beyond just oven food. Other features that set this apart from similar models include its clear viewing windows and internal bulb, allowing you to check on your food without removing the basket. Like many dual-drawer air fryers, the Vortex also has a sync cook and finish feature, which allows you to sync up the two drawers, even if they use different times, temperatures or cooking modes. It can also dehydrate for up to 72 hours at a time, roast, bake and more.
In our opinion, this is one of the best air fryers you can buy in this price range and we’d highly recommend splashing out on a model such as this if you’re able to.
Read our full Instant Vortex Plus Dual Drawer air fryer review for more details
Key specs – Power: 1,700W; Capacity: 7.6l; Controls: Digital; Max temp: 205°C; Dishwasher safe drawers? Yes; Accessories: Two non-stick grill plates
3. Ninja DoubleStack XL: Best for smaller kitchens
Price when reviewed: £270 | Check price at Ninja
By Danielle Amato
- Impressive capacity
- Compact form
- Pricey
- Uneven browning compared to some models
While they offer great cooking performance and a host of other benefits, most air fryers, especially dual air fryers, are undeniably bulky. The Ninja Double Stack XL aims to address this common bugbear by arranging its two baskets vertically, instead of horizontally. This simple change means it takes up much less of your precious countertop space, measuring a slim 28cm in width compared to the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone’s 41cm span.
Despite achieving a compact set-up, the DoubleStack XL doesn’t compromise on capacity, with each of its 4.75l drawers being able to fit larger items, such as a whole 1.2kg chicken. Alternatively, each drawer can each be split into two cooking zones with wire racks and crisper plates, allowing you to cook up to four separate foods at once. As well as being impressively capacious, the DoubleStack XL also has the same well-executed functions as other Ninja models. These include six cooking modes: Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Reheat and Max Crisp, which raises temperatures to 240ºC to quickly crisp frozen items.
Though we did have some quibbles with the DoubleStack’s price and occasional inconsistent browning, we found it a highly recommendable option from a reliable brand. Overall, it’s a consistent all-rounder that handles the usual air fryer fare well. As our reviewer noted: “I found that it made fantastic crispy roast potatoes and coated tofu during day-to-day testing.”
Read our full Ninja DoubleStack XL reviewfor more details
Key specs – Power: 2,470W;Capacity: 9.5l;Controls: Digital; Max temp: 204°C; Dishwasher safe drawers? Yes; Accessories: Crisper plates x2, Multi-layer rack x2
4. Our Place Wonder Oven: Best looking air fryer
Price when reviewed: £195 | Check price at Our Place
By Danielle Amato
- Stylish
- Easy to use
- Steam infusion option
- Long preheat times
- Parts aren't dishwasher safe
While they speed up cooking times and make healthier meals, some air fryers can be a bit of an eyesore. If you run a particularly style-conscious kitchen, the Our Place Wonder Oven is the perfect solution to this problem. A decidedly cutesy oven-style air fryer, the Wonder Oven comes in four attractive pastel colours sure to suit any kitchen set-up: Steam (beige), Char (black), Blue Salt (baby blue) and a limited edition Spice (pink).
As well as looking the part, the Wonder Oven also feels great in use, with three pleasingly tactile dials allowing users to adjust time, temperature and cooking modes. The Wonder Oven has six cooking functions: air fry, bake, roast, grill, reheat and toast, all of which performed well in our tests. Like the Philips 5000 Series air fryer, the Wonder Oven also has a steaming function: a 5ml steam cap sits on top of the appliance, allowing users to create steam inside to improve moistness and fluffiness during bakes.
With a generous 12l capacity, the Wonder Oven is capacious enough to cook a larger item like a whole chicken or multiple items spread over its different racks and trays. A pleasing marriage of style and substance, the Wonder Oven’s easy-bake aesthetic belies its solid air frying chops.
Read our full Our Place Wonder Oven review for more details
Key specs – Power: 1,400W; Capacity: 12l; Controls: Manual; Max temp: 232°C; Dishwasher safe drawers? No; Accessories: Bake pan, air fryer basket, wire rack, crumb tray
5. Ninja Air Fryer Max Pro 6.2l AF180UK: Best air fryer for frozen food
Price when reviewed: £150 | Check price at Ninja
By Rachel Ogden
- Heats up to 240°C
- Good for busy lifestyles
- Dishwasher safe parts
- Limited programmes
- Pricier than some
Cooking food straight from the freezer can result in soggy dinners, but not so with the Ninja Air Fryer Max Pro 6.2l AF180UK. While it’s pricier than some single drawer models, the combination of convenience and versatility make it a great value option. Its range of programmes include Air Fry, Bake, Roast, Dehydrate and Reheat, as well as Ninja’s Max Crisp programme: this works rapidly using a combination of a hotter air frying temperature (240°C). In testing, it produced perfectly crisp hash browns in less than 10 minutes, impressing us with a speedy performance, as well as a crunchy exterior.
Another benefit is the crisper plate’s capacity: it’s wide enough for up to four chicken legs or multiple chicken breasts and cooked the poultry thoroughly. We weren’t as wowed with making chips from scratch, as the browning wasn’t as consistent as I’d hoped but the recipe included can be tweaked to improve the results.
It’s also great for busy households. Named buttons for specific cooking programmes make it easy to set, while time and temperature can be easily changed. There’s a simple, clear display and it heats up quickly. Better still, the crisper plate and drawer can be popped in the dishwasher when you’re done.
Read our full Ninja Air Fryer Max Pro 6.2l AF180UK review for more details
Key specs – Power: 2,000W; Capacity: 6.2l; Controls: Digital; Max temp: 240°C; Dishwasher safe drawers? Yes; Accessories: Dual-height crisper plate
6. Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer: Best for Sunday roasts
Price when reviewed: £270 | Check price at Ninja
By Danielle Amato
- Fantastic results
- Flexbile, spacious cooking
- Useful functionality
- Very expensive
- Too big for dishwasher
Having the flexibility to switch between dual- and single-drawer cooking, without having to buy a separate air fryer is about as good as it gets. That’s why we rate the Ninja FlexDrawer so highly. Its removable divider allows you to quickly switch between a full 10.4l capacity drawer or two 5.2l drawers. Whether it’s cooking chips from scratch, roasting an entire chicken for a Sunday roast or baking cupcakes, this fryer did not let us down throughout our extensive testing. In fact, we’d go as far as to say the results were the best on this list.
Like its predecessor, the Foodi Dual Zone, the FlexDrawer is jam-packed with an array of functions that allows you to use your air fryer in a variety of ways. This includes thoughtful settings such as match and sync and the Megazone button, for when you’re using the model in single-drawer mode. You also get all the classic Ninja Foodi air fryer settings including Max Crisp, air fry, roast, dehydrate and more. Our reviewer was also impressed with the FlexDrawer’s energy consumption, which used 1.206kWh at 200ºC, with both sides running. It’s a bit heavier on the power usage than other models we’ve tested but given its size, it’s still impressive and far better than turning on your oven.
Our main concerns are its size and the price. Despite the drawer being dishwasher-safe, it’s just too big to justify popping in your dishwasher. Our reviewer found that it took up about two-thirds of the bottom drawer of her full-sized dishwasher – not particularly eco-friendly. The price tag is also pretty eye-watering and likely a bit too much for the average person. Despite this, if you can afford to splash out or nab it on a deal, this is one of the best air fryers you can buy right now.
Read our full Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer review for more details
Key specs – Power: 2,470W; Capacity: 10.4l; Controls: Buttons/dial; Max temp: 240°C; Dishwasher safe drawers? Yes; Accessories: Drip trays, removable divider
7. Ninja Foodi Dual Zone: Best Ninja air fryer
Price when reviewed: £200 | Check price at Ninja
By Danielle Amato
- Dual functionality
- Great results
- Easy to use
- Capacity could be better
- Large footprint
Ninja is well known for its high-quality air fryers, but when it comes to a perfect balance of price, features and capacity, I think the Foodi Dual Zone comes out on top. We were really impressed with the cooking results of everything I tested. This dual basket model keeps different elements of your meal separate, while the handy sync feature ensures foods finish at the same time, even if they’re cooking at different start times and temperatures. Our reviewer was able to cook classics such as chicken and chips in the same appliance, in as little as 30 minutes. You can also double up and air fry the same thing in both baskets, using the match function to cook everything at the same time.
As well as air frying, the Dual Zone can also reheat, roast, bake and dehydrate. However, its standout function is the Max Crisp setting. This allows you to cook thinner frozen foods such as chips and onion rings in a fraction of the time of a standard air fryer or convection oven. In our tests, a single portion of frozen potato lattices came out perfectly cooked in just six minutes. That’s less than half the recommended 15-minute time stated on the bag.
If you’re after a bit more cooking space, consider Ninja’s Dual Zone Max model. This has a 9.5l capacity, compared to the standard Dual Zone’s 7.6l, as well as all the same features. However, this inevitably comes with a higher price tag.
Read our full Ninja Foodi Dual Zone review for more details
Key specs – Power: 2,400W; Capacity: 7.6l;Controls: Digital/buttons; Max temp: 240°C; Dishwasher safe drawers? Yes; Accessories: None
8. Tefal Easy Fry Pizza (FW4018G0) air fryer: Best air fryer for pizza
Price when reviewed: £100 | Check price at Tefal
- Compact
- Wide drawer can fit 11-inch pizzas
- Tricky controls
- Limited height
by Rachel Ogden
Here’s something a little bit different. While Tefa’s Easy Fry Pizza air fryer won’t fit a whole chicken, its wide drawer is perfect for fitting an 11in pizza and it’s a very compact option.
So, how well does it cook pizza? In our tests, we used a pre-made thin crust with plenty of cheese: “the pizza emerged with good browning on top. Underneath, it wasn’t hugely crispy but neither was it doughy. The edges were firm and crisp, and I didn’t feel it needed additional cooking time.”
Results were also excellent for chips, with consistent browning and only a few pale pieces, as well as chicken drumsticks.
Whether the Tefal Easy Fry Pizza air fryer is best for you depends on how often you eat pizza. It’s a great alternative to a full-blown pizza oven, takes up very little space on the kitchen counter and can also be stored easily when not in use.
Read our full Tefal Easy Fry Pizza FW4018G0 air fryer review for more details
Key specs – Power: 2,200W; Capacity: 4.5l; Controls: Digital; Max temp: 230°C; Dishwasher safe drawer? Yes; Accessories: None
9. Cuisinart AirTwin XXL: Best for avoiding ‘forever chemicals’
Price when reviewed: £150 | Check price at Cuisinart
- Huge capacity
- Non-stick coating free from PFAS and other ‘forever chemicals’
- Bulky
by Jamie Stedmond
The main draw of Cuisinart’s AirTwin XXL air fryer is not so much a feature as an absence. Its metal drawers and inserts are non-toxic and free from harmful synthetic ‘forever chemicals’ such as PFAS, PTFE, PFOS and PFOA – which, in a world in which we are increasingly wary about what’s going into our bodies, will no doubt give consumers peace of mind.
As its name suggests, the AirTwin XXL offers a huge cooking capacity, with two 5.2l drawers. Of course, this means that it’s a bulky appliance, measuring 40.7 x 44.4 x 30.9cm (WDH) and weighing 8.5kg. But if you’ve got enough kitchen space, it’s a great option – and great value too at just £150 full price.
In our tests, the AirTwin handled itself well when it came to roast chicken and frozen chips, though its 210°C Max Crisp setting can’t quite rival Ninja’s 240°C. We were also very impressed with how well the AirTwin baked some chocolate chip muffins, which our reviewer labelled a “solid success”.
Read our full Cuisinart AirTwin XXL review for more details
Key specs – Power: 2,400W; Capacity: 10.4l; Controls: Digital; Max temp: 210°C; Dishwasher safe drawers? Yes; Accessories: PFA-free inserts
How to choose the best air fryer for you
How do air fryers work?
Air fryers work similarly to electric convection (fan) ovens, rather than deep fat fryers, which submerge food in oil. This is because they have a heating element inside the appliance at the top and a large fan that usually sits above the element.
The main difference between an air fryer and an oven is its size. They have a much smaller capacity than your average oven and because of this, the intensity of the fan is greater. They allow hot air to circulate at a rapid speed, heating up and crisping food quickly. This is why you’ll often see suggestions to cook food in your air fryer at a lower temperature and for less time than an oven.
Read more about how air fryers work and what makes them such a useful kitchen appliance in our full “What is an air fryer?” guide.
What types of air fryers are there?
Basket style
This type of air fryer typically has a removable basket that pulls out from the front of the appliance and a perforated tray insert to syphon off excess oil. Dual basket air fryers will have two of these, usually side by side. These are the easiest air fryers to use and often the entire basket can be put in the dishwasher.
Oven style
These air fryers look more like mini tabletop ovens and don’t have a removable basket. Instead, they open up like an oven or microwave and have removable tray inserts that sit inside. These air fryers usually have a see-through door, which is ideal for checking on your food as it cooks. Some, such as the Our Place Wonder Oven, also come with additional accessories for cooking rotisserie chicken and more.
What can I cook in an air fryer?
Air fryers can cook pretty much anything an oven can cook, albeit in a smaller capacity. Favourite things to cook in an air fryer include homemade chips, breaded fish and tofu. However, there’s so much you can do with your air fryer, especially if it comes with additional functions such as dehydrating, proofing or sauteing.
For more information and inspiration about what you can and can’t cook in your air fryer. Read our article on the best things to cook in an air fryer.
Can I put tin foil or baking paper in an air fryer?
Generally speaking, yes you can. However, it’s important to make sure that the foil or paper is not restricting airflow or coming into contact with the heating element; if you’re not careful, you’ll burn it. To avoid this, make sure it’s weighed down with the food and that you don’t use too much.
Features to look out for
Sync and match cooking
On dual-drawer air fryers, this is really important. The sync function allows both baskets to finish at the same time, even if they are set to different times and temperatures. The match function simply matches the time and temperature in both baskets, helpful; if you’re cooking the same thing on both sides and don’t want to input the information twice.
Bake/roast
If you also plan on using your air fryer as your oven, these features are really handy. The bake and roast settings run the fan at a lower speed than the air fry function. This means the heat will build more slowly and helps to avoid food browning too quickly on top, ideal for cakes and delicate proteins.
Proof
If you’re a keen baker, you might want to consider an air fryer with a low heat proofing setting. This is useful if you want dough to rise quickly and don’t have any warm spots in your house.
How much do air fryers cost?
Air fryers can start at £50 to £80 but the most expensive models can cost up to £270. If you’re looking for a budget model, we wouldn’t recommend spending any less than £50 and anything up to £100 will see you through.
If you can splash out a bit though, the sweet spot is around £150 to £200, if you want the best performance and features.
How much does it cost to run an air fryer?
Air fryers are far more energy efficient than your average convection oven over short periods. The majority of models we’ve tested use between 0.52kWh to 1.206kWh at 200ºC when run for an hour. The average that we calculated from our tests, for instance, is 0.74kWh. And according to the current energy price cap (24.67p per kWh), this will cost you around 18p.
Air fryers also heat up more quickly than ovens due to their small size and large fans, which move hot air around the cavity much faster than an oven. That said, while the average oven takes longer to heat up, it might be more economical to use if you’re planning on batch cooking over several hours. This is because ovens use less energy to maintain their level of heat once at the correct temperature. For short cooking times (up to an hour) though, an air fryer remains the most energy-efficient choice. See how an air fryer compares to your more traditional oven in our comparison article.
How do you clean an air fryer?
Exterior
The best way to clean the exterior of your air fryer is with a gentle soap and warm water. We recommend giving your air fryer a wipe down after each use.
Interior
If you don’t have a dishwasher, you should clean the baskets and trays with dish soap and hot water. Be sure to use a non-scratch sponge to protect the coating.
Heating element
Food debris, oil and other grime can get stuck on the element. This can cause your air fryer to function incorrectly and can even be a fire hazard. Clean the element when the air fryer is unplugged and completely cooled with dish soap and warm water. Be sure to read our full guide on how to clean your air fryer heating element correctly.
Dishwasher safe parts
Some air fryers, but not all, have baskets that can go in the dishwasher. If you’ve got a particularly small kitchen sink, you might want to look out for one of these. We’re speaking from experience when we say that hand washing air fryer baskets without enough space to do so is a real hassle.
For more detail on this, check out our separate article on putting your air fryer baskets in the dishwasher.
