15 best air fryers for quicker, healthier dinners in 2026, expert-tested

Score: 95/100

Barely dropping a point on test, this air fryer will feed a crowd quickly, and feed them well. Our fairy cakes were evenly baked and ready to enjoy in a speedy 15 minutes, while it scored perfect marks for chicken Kyivs – they were crispy on the outside yet juicy in the middle after 25 minutes. Our chips were fluffy, too.

It's a fairly hefty appliance, so if your kitchen is compact it may not be for you, but you can fill its two drawers with different foods and sync the programmes so everything is ready to eat at the same time – a process we found intuitive on test. A great family fryer.

While this air fryer is technically a joint winner with the three models below, we think of this model as our overall winner thanks to its large family-friendly capacity, dual drawer design, and general popularity. It’s our bestselling air fryer by far!

Score: 95/100

Ninja changed the air fryer game once again when it released this first portable air fryer. It’s made up of a 1700-watt ‘PowerPod’, which snaps onto one of two glass cooking containers (1.4-litres and 3.8-litres). Testers found this easy to do and quickly got to grips with the responsive controls. There are only four cooking modes – air fry, re-crisp, roast and keep warm – but this gives you all the versatility you need to cook up a storm (which we did).

Our chicken Kyivs crisped up in 10 minutes, but remained juicy on the inside, and, while we could only fit a smaller, one kilogram chicken, it cooked brilliantly within 30 minutes. Our chips came out evenly browned and light and fluffy, too.

It’s not perfect, though. The CRISPi’s small size is limiting, and we found the exterior got quite hot during cooking so make sure you stick to holding the heat-resistant areas when using.

And while it is the most portable design on the market (and would be great for family Airbnb staycations for example), it still weighs 7.1 kilograms, which is difficult to carry around. Read more in our Ninja CRISPi air fryer review.

We’ve also tested the larger Ninja Crispi Pro 7-in-1 XL Air Fryer (RRP £249.99), which scored 84/100. While the chicken and chips were excellent in it, our fairy cakes didn’t turn golden brown, and the glass container reached almost 100-degrees while baking.

We also loved the Cuisinart 8.5L ClearView Air Fryer (81/100) and the Salter Crisp & Go Air Fryer (80/100), both of which are great budget alternatives to the Ninja Crispi. The Cuisinart model aced our chicken and chip tests and was incredibly easy to use. It is quite bulky though. The Salter air fryer produced fantastic chips too, but cooking a chicken took longer than suggested. The crisper hub on top didn’t sit securely either. However, they’re good alternatives for small households if you don’t want to splash out on the Ninja Crispi.

Score: 95/100

This single-basket Breville machine combines air and steam frying to achieve healthier meals and a range of textures. Our experts tested its steam frying capabilities by popping in a whole chicken and cooking for an hour at 170C. The result? Well-cooked, nicely browned and great-tasting meat.

When air frying, all our chips had a golden, even colour with a perfectly crisp exterior and our cupcakes were a baking triumph too, emerging nicely risen in just 12 minutes.

We would have liked a viewing window to check on our dinner as it cooked and the water tank was slightly awkward to empty. But that’s nitpicking – this is a reliable, efficient buy.

Score: 94/100

This latest model from Instant was impressive on all fronts in our tests – it turned a 1.3kg whole chicken into a golden, moist and tender feast, while cupcakes came out beautifully cooked and fluffy.

What makes it unique from Instant’s other models is that it can be switched between two independent 4.25L cooking baskets to one XXL 8.5L basket simply by removing the divider. While each basket has separate controls, they can be paired with the SyncFinish function so all your food will be ready at the same time.

Our chips came out well cooked but – and we’re being picky here – about 20% lacked that golden brown shade we were looking for. The only other thing to note was that the wells in the bottom plate created an uneven surface, which led to some misshapen cupcakes, but those are minor issues.

In almost every other sense, this air fryer is an excellent buy. Our testers loved the handy alert that reminds you to turn your food at crucial cooking points and were pleased with how easy it is to use, programme, and clean (it’s dishwasher-safe).

We’ve also tested the VersaZone’s predecessor, the Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer, which also scored 94/100. It has a slightly smaller capacity, at 7.6L, and you can’t combine the two drawers. However, you can sync them to prepare multiple dishes at once and the handy viewing window lets you check on your food as it cooks.

Score: 92/100

This 9.6-litre air fryer is a box-ticker for large households or anyone keen on meal prepping. A removable divider adds flexibility, while the sync function ensures different dishes are ready at the same time.

There are eight cooking modes, including dedicated pizza and fermentation settings, and the roast setting worked a treat, delivering a perfectly cooked small chicken in half an hour. Our chips were slightly uneven in colour, but still crisp, light, and fluffy inside.

First-time air fryer users will appreciate the easy-to-follow recipes and clear instructions with details on cooking, cleaning, and troubleshooting. Our experts also found the controls responsive and intuitive, and liked the wide viewing window, which makes it easy to check on the progress of your food.

Score: 92/100

Our highest scoring stacked air fryer comes from Tefal, but it’s not just its space-saving design that we love. This clever model features a detachable front that makes it easier to fit those bulky air fryer baskets into the dishwasher (the brand claims it can save up to 40% of dishwasher space).

Its performance matches its smart design too – it scored full marks for baking cupcakes with no soggy bottoms and delivering crisp, fluffy chips. It dropped marks because the automatic cooking programme took much longer than with other air fryers, needing half an hour to cook the chips. Schedule in plenty of time for making dinner though and this won’t be an issue.

Overall, it’s easy to use, well-built, and an ideal size for families.

Score: 92/100

The roast setting on this air fryer produced beautifully moist chicken thighs as well as that all-important crispy exterior – helped by a baking plate that drained away an impressive amount of fat and grease. But, this machine really impressed when it came to chips. They emerged perfectly cooked; even the smallest portion didn’t burn – a common air fryer pitfall. Finally, it nailed our dessert course too, with well-risen, fluffy cupcakes.

If there's a downside, it would be with the size – the dual basket design means you can’t fit an entire roast chicken inside. However, the option to sync the drawers is handy if you’re cooking for a large group. And this easy-to-use, efficient air fryer has one final party trick: you can switch the internal lights on to check out your food through the viewing window whenever you want to take a peep.

Score: 92/100

Fed up of your air fryer whirring loudly as it cooks? This Cosori air fryer fixes the problem by using a DC motor that keeps the noise level to a minimum. In the lab, we recorded it at 29.1 decibels when in air fryer mode – like the noise of quiet rustling of leaves.

Onto its cooking performance, and this was just as impressive. Frozen chips cooked in just 14 minutes and came out beautifully crisp, while a whole chicken achieved full marks for its juicy, tender meat. This versatile model also has proving and dehydration settings, which both worked a treat in the lab.

Our cupcakes weren’t cooked as evenly as we’d have liked, but it was tricky to fault otherwise. While it didn’t score as highly as the Breville Halo Steam Air Fryer (our top pick for a single basket model), it’s more versatile and much quieter.

Score: 91/100

This great value air fryer proves you don’t need to spend lots to get fantastic results. Marinated chicken came out evenly browned with a slightly crispy skin yet stayed moist and juicy inside. It was a similar story with our chips, which were browned, fluffy, and tasty within 18 minutes.

While the 9L capacity provides plenty of space, we’d have liked a removable divider between the two baskets for added flexibility as a whole roast chicken didn’t fit inside. Throughout cooking, the air fryer was easy to use though, with a timer that was straightforward to set, clear controls, and dishwasher-safe accessories that made clean-up simple.

Score: 91/100

We couldn’t wait to put Tefal’s ‘pizza in six minutes’ claim to the test and we’re pleased to share that it fully meets expectations. We cooked a simple cheese and tomato pizza using the pre-set function and it came out with crisp edges and oozy cheese. A frozen pizza took just 10 minutes too, so quick mid-week meals have never been easier.

Note, it can only fit pizzas up to 27cm (or 11 inches) in the single 4.5-litre basket. That said, the wide, narrow basket is deceptively spacious – we managed to cook two chicken Kyivs in there in 25 minutes, and a kilo of frozen chips in 35 minutes. The wide basket helps crisp everything up evenly too, as the food can be nicely spread out.

Its design does mean it takes up a lot of precious countertop space though, and the narrow drawer makes the interior tricky to clean.

Score: 91/100

It’s giving toy oven vibes and we’re not complaining. This oh-so-cute and aptly named Wonder Oven from Our Place is essentially a six-in-one mini oven designed to sit neatly on your countertop, saving you from needing multiple appliances. It can bake, roast, grill, reheat, toast, and of course, air fry – and it preheats in just two and a half minutes.

An entire 2kg roast chicken cooked in less than 40 minutes on the air fry setting, emerging evenly-browned, with crispy skin. Not all our chips were crunchy on the outside, but they were still golden, well-cooked, and tasty.

Cleaning up after cooking was more faff than we’d have liked as parts can’t go in the dishwasher, but that’s a small niggle for a well-designed, stylish and intuitive air fryer. We just adore the colourways, too!

We’ve also tested this air fryer as a multi-cooker and it scored an incredible 94/100.

Score: 91/100

Equipped with eight preset programmes, this dual drawer air fryer makes it easy to nail tasty family dinners. Our chicken was ready in less than an hour, with testers tucking into golden, crispy skin and juicy meat. Our fairy cakes were also even in colour.

There’s one 6-litre drawer for cooking family-sized mains (including room for a 1.5kg roast chicken) and one 3-litre drawer for sides (we’re thinking roast potatoes and veggies). All this means delivering a full (and delicious) meal in one go is a breeze. But note that testers found the baskets a little tricky to empty as they aren’t removable (so you have to tip the whole drawer or use tongs).

While testers would have liked a child lock, extra credit should go to the timer and shake functions, which they found easy to use and set, so you don’t need to hover over the fryer to monitor cooking progress. There’s an accompanying app full of recipes too, making this air fryer suited to anyone wanting to flex their culinary skills.

This is our best Philips air fryer for families; however, if you’re mainly cooking for one or two people or need an air fryer for a smaller kitchen, we recommend the Philips 2000 Series Airfryer instead. It’s a single-basket model with a 6.2L capacity and viewing window. In testing, our chips came out nice and crispy, and while our 1.3kg chicken didn’t come out as golden-brown as we’d have liked, it was very easy to use, achieving a score of 83/100.

Score: 91/100

Not just an air fryer, this multi-cooker also grills, sears, roasts, bakes and slow cooks, making it a smart choice if you’re after a space-saving do-it-all appliance.

It claims to air fry up to 70% quicker than earlier Russell Hobbs models; this wasn’t tested, but it did cook our chicken to succulent, golden perfection in a faster-than-most 30 minutes (simply press the chicken icon on the casing and it presets the optimal temperature and cooking time.)

Simple and modern in design, it couldn’t be easier to set up and use. The buttons are responsive, it’s compact for storage in smaller kitchens and it’s lightweight enough to move around. It scored a perfect ten in our chips and chicken tests, only dropping a few marks for its patchy cupcakes (not all rose well and some came out paler than others) and fiddly iron basket, which proved tricky to remove while wearing oven gloves.

Score: 91/100

At nearly £100 less than our winning Ninja (and sometimes more, we've seen this drop to £99), this is a more affordable design from the premium kitchen appliance brand. It also proved its worth on test, with perfectly cooked chicken Kyivs inside and out. Chips were scrumptious too, but we recommend cooking them in smaller batches for best results.

The compact design is ideal for cooking for one or two people. It also has a clear display, is stable in use and lightweight if you’re storing it in a cupboard. But unlike most fryers, the basket doesn’t have a proper handle, which means oven gloves are needed when removing it.

There are also plenty of recipes and food charts included, so you can cook up a storm as soon as you set it up.

Score: 90/100

The unique basket stack design of the Ninja Double Stack is an obvious bonus if you’re short on counter space but still want a large 9.5-litre capacity. Testers managed to cook a roast chicken in each drawer and both came out beautifully juicy in under an hour. You can split the air fryer up further using the crisper plates and metal racks, which divide the drawers and essentially create four cooking levels.

Testers found that this wasn’t as effective for optimum air frying results though so you may need to play around to find the best set up – on first try, our fish fingers and chips were crispy but unevenly cooked. There’s no viewing window to help with this either, but otherwise, the preset functions did a great job – so much so that we couldn’t fault its performance when it came to cooking frozen chips: simply delicious and oh-so crispy.

Ninja also has a 7.6-litre version for smaller households, so if this model isn’t quite right but you like the sound of the stacked design, keep an eye out for the brand's new releases.

Read our full Ninja Double Stack Air Fryer review for more details and for alternative models, including our experts’ best budget stacked air fryer and the best stacked air fryer for families.