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Next-level crispiness awaits, with a little help from these mealtime marvels
Air fryers have become a must-have kitchen appliance. These handy gadgets offer a healthier way to cook, as they can be used with little to no oil, but still deliver that delicious, crispy fried finish we all love.
The technology is constantly improving, and air fryers now do much more than just fry food. They’re incredibly versatile, with most models offering different cooking methods, including roasting, baking, steaming and even pressure cooking, enabling you to condense all your kitchen gadgets into one handy machine.
Whether you’re cooking for one or feeding the whole family, air fryers can help you whip up healthier meals in less time, compared with using a traditional oven, which means they’re often more energy efficient, too.
With so many air fryers on the market offering different functions, the choice can be overwhelming. If you’re struggling to decide which is the best air fryer for your needs, keep scrolling, as we walk you through our top picks for 2025, from budget-friendly options to premium powerhouses.
We put each air fryer through a series of trials, from cooking basic items such as fries to cooking chicken and reheating meals (if that function was available). However, our main test came down to the humble chip. We wanted to see how fast they cooked, how well they crisped up and whether there was any difference in the taste and texture, depending on the air fryer being used. We also considered how easy each machine was to maintain and clean, as well as how noisy the air fryers were during use. Read on to find out which ones performed best and offer good value for money.
Rachael Penn is a journalist who specialises in lifestyle, tech and food and drink. She has been writing product reviews for IndyBest since 2021, covering a whole range of home and kitchen appliances, from the best toaster for your morning slice to the best microwaves. For each review, Rachael prioritises quality, high performance and, of course, affordability.
If you want to take the stress out of cooking, the Daewoo AI air fryer is the ideal choice. Yes, you read that right - AI. We don’t always trust AI at IndyBest. It’s been used as a gimmicky buzzword in everything from vacuum cleaners to washing machines, so we weren’t expecting much. But however odd it sounds, this AI air fryer is legit.
This model has a built-in camera which can recognise 12 common foods. It automatically adjusts the temperature and time based on the food type and quantity present. Want chips, sausages, fish fingers, chicken thighs? Just throw them into this air fryer - it will recognise them and cook them for you. It may take a little while to get used to the AI features, but once you’ve got them sussed, it’ll save you plenty of time.
This air fryer consistently provided good results during testing, especially with chips and chicken. It’s a joy to use, too – the digital display is bright and clear, and there’s a handy viewing window, so you can check on the progress of your food. There’s also an optional internal lamp, which you can turn on and off. It’s not dishwasher safe, but the non-stick coating makes it easy to clean, as you can just wipe it with a damp cloth. We also found the 8l capacity incredibly generous, especially when cooking family-sized portions.
Looking for a basic, easy-to-use air fryer? You’ll love this Judge model. It has a 4l capacity, which is ideal for couples or small families, and is operated by just two dials – one for the time, the other for the temperature - no fancy AI features here.
It cooks really well, too – our chips came out crispy, and the device did a good job of evenly cooking chicken. This faff-free appliance is also easy to clean, thanks to the non-stick coating, while its compact size means it won’t overwhelm your countertop. It won’t work for large families, and you’ll need to rely on recipes for all your cooking, but it’s a perfect option for couples on a budget.
This is a great solution for anyone who likes to keep kitchen appliances to a minimum. Although this microwave-cum-air-fryer is quite large, its 26l capacity means you can cook multiple items or large portions effortlessly.
During testing, we found the combination of features super useful, as you can microwave your items a little before crisping them up with the air fryer function. It’s easy to operate, and the touch controls are responsive. It also has 10 preset options for common dishes, taking the guesswork out of cooking. It’s also easy to clean - unlike some air fryers we’ve tested, all the inserts are dishwasher-safe, and you can just wipe around the inside after each use.
With a whopping 10l capacity, this air fryer is ideal for larger families. It uses a divider to split the drawer in two, or you can keep it as one large space, if you’re cooking a leg of lamb or whole chicken, for example. There are heating elements above and below, for a good, even cooking experience – we found this dual-heating system was particularly effective when cooking meat.
This air fryer is easy to use, too – the digital display is clear and simple to operate, plus there’s an app that shows real-time monitoring of what’s cooking. The app is a good idea but can be a big buggy, so we wouldn’t rely on it. This model is so good, it even took the top spot in our dedicated guide to the best dual air fryers.
The K20 is one of the most versatile dual-drawer air fryers we’ve tested. Although this isn’t the cheapest air fryer on the market, we think it offers excellent value, as it has a very large capacity, and the six presets cooked food to perfection during testing.
Thanks to the dual-drawer design, you can cook each side separately, at different temperatures, while the sync feature means your dishes will finish cooking at the same time. This air fryer did a superb job maintaining consistent temperatures and handled all dishes well, including crispy chips. Considering its size, it also runs quietly – we could barely hear it working, so it won’t drown out any conversation you may be having while cooking.
This capacious model is great for anyone who wants to whip up whole meals in their air fryer. It has a generous 10.4l capacity, which is split into two 5.2l drawers. During testing, it consistently delivered crispy results and really excelled at cooking chips and chicken. It’s easy to use, too, with the control panel sitting at the front of the air fryer. It has one-touch functionality, and you simply lightly touch the setting you need to get going.
You can cook at different times and different temperatures in each drawer, and it also has a synchronised cooking setting that means everything will be ready to serve at once. It takes up a substantial amount of counter space, but the dual-zone functionality is enough to justify this.
If you’re looking for an air fryer that looks as good as it performs, you’ll love this Dualit model. During testing, we were blown away by its robust construction and precise temperature control, but keep in mind that the maximum temperature is just 200C.
It cooked food quickly and evenly, handling everything from chips to chicken with consistent ease. The digital control panel is easy to use, and it has seven preset programs to choose from, which takes the guesswork out of cooking. All removable parts are dishwasher-safe, too.
If your kitchen lacks counter space, this could be the air fryer for you. With precise temperature control, it cooked food well, especially chips, which came out perfectly crispy. It’s operated with a one-touch control panel, which is based at the top of the machine, but we found this a bit fiddly – especially when our hands were a bit greasy from the food.
However, when it works, it works fast. This machine has a 4l capacity, so it is best suited to those who are cooking for just a couple of people. It’s easy enough to clean, but be sure to leave the basket to cool, as the insert is quite tricky to remove.
This is a premium air fryer that uses steam to create crispy, crunchy dishes. It comes complete with 11 preset menus that show up on the LED panel. Like many air fryers, there are chips and steak settings, but the steam feature means this appliance can also handle doughy foods like pizza and toast without drying them out. The LED panel is easy to use, and the buttons are highly responsive. On top of that, the air fryer uses 360-degree air flow, so the food cooks evenly – you don’t need to shake or turn your food as much as in other air fryers.
One thing we really loved was the fact that the cooking plate drained away any excess fat. There is also a handy viewing window, so you can check how your food is progressing, without opening the drawer and letting out the heat. It’s a lovely-looking machine, too, and its square-like design will fit neatly into most kitchens with ease. Clean-up is also a breeze, as the removable parts are dishwasher-safe.
More than just an air fryer, this Ninja model has 15 functions, including one for making yoghurt. It uses a SmartLid system, which makes it easy to switch between the different functions. As an air fryer, it is fantastic – it goes up to 240C, so you can get a good crispy finish, and it even sounds an alert halfway through cooking, so you know when to give the basket a little shake, to get a good even cook.
One thing that really stands out, though, is the internal probe – if you’re cooking meat, the preset functions will alert you when your protein of choice reaches the perfect internal temperature, depending on your preference. If you like your beef medium-rare, you won’t have to guess at timings ever again. With a 7.5l capacity it handles large amounts of food with ease, and it’s straightforward to clean, as you can remove the inserts and pop them in the dishwasher.
After extensive testing, our reviewer found the Daewoo accurate smart AI air fryer to be the best air fryer overall, thanks to it being a joy to use and consistently providing good results, especially with chips and chicken.
An air fryer is a mini convection oven designed to recreate the taste and texture of deep-fried food, without the need for excessive amounts of fat. The heating element is accompanied by a powerful fan, which gives food its crispiness in next to no time.
Food doesn’t actually fry. Rather, it is placed in a basket (or drawer) in which the airflow is designed to replicate that of deep frying in hot fat. The force of the air produces a convection effect that cooks, crisps and browns food.
When using your air fryer, there are certain steps we’d recommend you take for excellent results – after reading the instruction manual, of course. First, heat it as you would an oven. Second, it’s important to make sure there’s plenty of space around your food, so don’t overcrowd the basket. Third, when adding oil, less is more, as it has a tendency to make food soggy. Fourth, you’ll want to shake the basket frequently to make sure the food crisps evenly. Finally, use kitchen foil or baking paper to make the clean-up quicker and easier.
When it comes to using an air fryer, you can cook just about anything you’d ordinarily prepare in an oven or deep fryer. The general rule is: if you can bake it, grill it or fry it, you can cook it in your air fryer. Some foods are known to excel, including pre-frozen foods (for example, chicken nuggets), vegetables that you roast or grill, potatoes (including chips) and meat (sausages, bacon and chicken). Some models also have a function that enables you to toast and bake food.
One of the selling points of an air fryer is that food is cooked in substantially less oil, compared with a deep-fat fryer, making it a healthier alternative. We spoke to registered dietician Megan Hilbert MS, RDN, about the health benefits of cooking in an air fryer, and she said that it “reduces the amount of fat content by up to 70 to 80 per cent in foods, this can also drastically reduce the number of calories eaten, without sacrificing the crunch and texture that frying provides”.
Air fryers are easy to clean. The basket, tray and pan can be washed in the same way you’d wash any other utensil, either with soap and warm water or by putting them in the dishwasher. With the latter, it’s worth checking your specific model’s specification, just to be safe. As for the exterior, wipe it down with a damp cloth, making sure your appliance is unplugged.
The best air fryer for you will depend on your needs and budget, but there are a number of things to consider:
Yes, you can put foil in an air fryer, as well as parchment paper. This will help to make sure your appliance stays clean.
Air fryers use much less oil than frying or regular ovens, so they can be a healthier way to cook some foods. An air fryer also offers a more energy-efficient way to cook, compared with turning on the oven. Because they get so hot, they’re also much faster than an oven. Whether they’re worth it is, of course, down to personal preference, but through testing, we’ve found air fryers can speed up cooking time and deliver delicious dinners.
According to our expert-led guide to the best energy-efficient appliances, an air fryer is a fairly cheap home appliance to run, especially when compared with a traditional oven.
Choosing the best air fryer for your needs, from the vast choice on the market, can be a difficult task. For us, the Daewoo accurate smart AI air fryer came out on top. This air fryer uses AI technology to scan the food in the basket and adjust the time and temperature accordingly, and it produced consistently good results, regardless of what we were cooking.
If you want to cook a whole meal using your air fryer, or if you’re cooking for a large family, the Cuisinart airtwin XXL dual-zone is a perfect fit. With a generous 10.4l capacity, it can cook plenty for everyone. Plus, with seven cooking functions, including roast, air fry, bake and dehydrate, there’s not much you can’t do with this air fryer.
For more recommendations, check out our guide to the best dual air fryers