Air fryers are a common sight in kitchens these days, but plenty of homes are still on the fence. While these appliances boast convenience and energy efficiency, many consumers are still sceptical about what an air fryer actually brings to the table.
That’s why we’ve broken down what you can expect from these mini convection ovens – the good and the bad – so you can decide for yourself whether you should invest and make the change.
Pros of air fryers
1. Efficient
Air fryers are more energy efficient than ovens, but that’s based on cooking a smaller amount of food. Ovens require more energy and time to heat up the entire cavity compared with the single basket of an air fryer. So if you can fit the food into one batch in the air fryer, it’s the cheaper way to go.
On the flip side, if you’re cooking multiple batches, or enough food to fill your oven, that’s going to be the more efficient method. According to the Energy Saving Trust, it would cost 14p to cook a 600g chicken breast in an air fryer, while an electric oven would cost 20p for the same portion of food. So choose the better method based on the quantity of food.
2. Quick and convenient
There’s no doubt about it, air fryers are speedy to use, and they couldn’t be much more straightforward to operate. Simply add your food to the basket, set the time and temperature and your food will be ready shortly. French fries can take as little as 15 minutes to cook, while frozen chicken nuggets only need around 10-12 minutes.
And as your air fryer only needs to heat the basket, there’s no harm in opening it up to peek at your food’s progress; it will recover quickly. It’s nothing like losing all the heat when you open up the oven door!
3. Versatile
While some people may challenge this, there’s a lot you can do in an air fryer. They were initially advertised as a quick way to cook fried foods, but nowadays they’re used to prepare all kinds of air fryer recipes, from chicken and broccoli pasta bake all the way through to carrot cake. That’s right, you can even bake desserts in your air fryer, including cookies and lemon drizzle cake.
And if you opt for a model with two baskets, such as the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone 9.5L AF400UK, you can cook two dishes at once to finish at the same time. This design provides much more cooking space and saves you from cooking separate batches of alternative foods one after the other. This almost bridges the gap between an air fryer and an oven, giving more of the benefits of the latter, without using up so much energy.
4. Easy to clean
Air fryers need cleaning after each use. Thankfully, that’s easy to do, as the accessories can generally go straight into the dishwasher. There are also liners you can place directly in the air fryer basket to make cleaning up a breeze, such as Ctizne Air Fryer Paper Liners. Air fryers need deep cleaning once in a while, too (we recommend every few weeks with regular use). This involves cleaning the housing of the basket as well as the exterior, with a damp microfibre cloth. You can also give the heating element a scrub with a dry, soft bristled brush if needed.
While you will need to deep clean your air fryer, this is still nothing in comparison to cleaning the oven. Depending on how dirty it is, an oven can take hours of scrubbing to fully clean, and the wait time for cleaning solutions can take it out of action for the day. So air fryers definitely take the win for ease of cleaning.
5. Less oil versus deep frying
Air fryers only need 1tbsp (15ml) oil to cook food. This is naturally much healthier compared with deep-frying your foods, and it won’t leave you with a large quantity of oil to dispose of afterwards.
Do not add more oil than this to your air fryer unless specified by the recipe; it would be a waste and could create a lot of smoke. Apply oil directly to your food rather than into the basket for best results and to make cleaning up easier.
Cons of air fryers
1. Capacity is not as big as you’d think
While the design of air fryers is definitely getting bigger, the capacity is still not as large as you’d think. Food needs to sit in a single layer in the base of the basket to cook evenly, because the hot air current needs to be able to reach all around each item. So items shouldn’t be bunched up or stacked if you want them to cook properly – they need to be spaced apart instead. The only exception to this rule is French fries, which can be stacked to an extent, but definitely not as high as the roof of the basket. Refer to your manual for quantity recommendations and remember to shake the basket when prompted.
Because of this, if you want an idea of the actual capacity, consider the width and length of the basket. If the model has two separate baskets, this is definitely worth checking, as the area of each can be reduced accordingly to fit them.
2. Not convenient for lots of courses of food
It’s worth keeping in mind that if you’re looking to cater for a large party, you’ll need to cook repeated batches in your air fryer to make large quantities. Even if you’re only making small portions, but there are multiple courses, your air fryer will need to make batch after batch, and the first servings may be cold by the time you’ve finished. In these cases, the oven is the better way to go.
3. Takes up counter space
As air fryers get bigger in design, they’re taking up more space on our kitchen counters. Such a sizeable appliance means it’s likely to stay on display wherever placed, so you need to be prepared to find a suitable position for it. Keep in mind, these bulky appliances need a small gap around them to vent and avoid overheating (refer to your manual for specific guidance on this). You also need to make sure nothing sits in front (or above if applicable), for clearance when removing the basket.
If it has two baskets with a side-by-side design, it will be much longer, too. So whichever air fryer you’re thinking of buying, it’s always best to confirm the dimensions beforehand and measure them out to see how it will look in your kitchen. You could opt for a two-basket stacked design to save on space, such as the Ninja Double Stack XL Air Fryer, but you still need to consider overhead clearance. These are sizeable appliances, so you need to be sure you’ll get the best use out of it to make it worth buying.
Shop the GHI's best air fryers
Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer MAX
Score: 95/100
Our joint winning Ninja’s two drawers have a combined 9.5L capacity and delivered perfectly cooked chicken Kyivs in just 25 minutes on test. There are six cooking modes, as well as a handy sync programme that ensures both drawers finish cooking at the same time.
Score: 95/100
Smaller, but no less mighty is Breville’s steam fryer. In under an hour, it steamed and cooked an entire chicken that was deliciously tasty. Our chips were evenly golden and crispy too – a sign of a good air fryer.
Score: 95/100
Well risen cupcakes, golden chicken, and well cooked chips are easy to whip up with Haier’s model. Testers also liked the feature that reminds you to shake your food mid-cooking, ensuring perfectly consistent results.
Score: 86/100
If you’re looking to dip your toe into the world of air-frying, this is a great budget buy. It’s easy to use with clear controls, and its cooking performance was difficult to fault in testing. At only 4.5L, it’s fairly small but still offers plenty of cooking space for one or two people.
