If you’re looking for a healthier way to cook your food while still achieving that crispy, deep-fried taste, hail the almighty air fryer. The highly popular appliance has gained plenty of traction in the past few years, and with good reason. Unlike the name suggests, air fryers don’t actually fry food. They work similarly to convection ovens, but the result is more akin to fried food, without being drowned in oil–in fact, most air fryers achieve 80% less fat than deep-fried food.
If you haven’t yet gotten around to buying an air fryer, you’re not the only one. With so many options on the market, it’s tricky to decide which air fryer is best for you. We’ll walk through the key things to look for in an air fryer.
Different Types of Air Fryers
Wondering what type of air fryer is best? Although there are a few different air fryers, there are two main types to consider–a basket air fryer or an oven air fryer. We will compare air fryers and help you decide which type is the best for your kitchen.
Basket Air Fryer
As the most popular and recognisable air fryer, the basket air fryer is compact, portable, and convenient. Easy to use, basket air fryers are perfect for a quick meal for one or two people. Basket air fryers feature a basket that slides in and out like a drawer, with tiny holes at the bottom which allow air to enter, heating the food. Usually, they feature plenty of presets to ensure your food is cooked to the perfect temperature, including fish, red meat, chicken, chips, and vegetables.
Basket air fryers are perfect for cooking chips and other frozen foods, a piece of salmon, chicken or red meat, or a handful of veggies.
DEVANTI AIR FRYER 8.5L AIRFRYER
With 360° air circulation and a large 8.5L capacity, this air fryer can cook for 4 to 6 people. With features like an LCD touch control panel for ease of use, temperature and timer settings, 7 preset recipes, a 2-hour heating function, a heat shield vent, a non-stick coating pan, and dishwasher-safe parts, this air fryer packs a punch.
NUTRIBULLET 7L XXL 1800W DIGITAL AIR FRYER
This air fryer is medium size, with a 7-litre capacity cooking basket. With 360° vortex convection technology, 8 preset modes, an easy-to-use digital LCD display, and the ability to adjust cooking time according to heat loss, this is a user-friendly air fryer suitable for 4 people. If you’re after something that not only air fries but roasts, bakes, and dehydrates, the NutriBullet 7L XXL 1800W Digital Air Fryer is a great option.
HEALTHY CHOICE 6.5L AIR FRYER
With a 6.5 litre capacity, this air fryer is perfect for one or two people, featuring a touch digital control panel, temperature controls, food-grade tempered glass pot, and easy-to-clean parts. The Healthy Choice 6.5L Air Fryer temperature ranges from 40°C to 200°C.
Oven Air Fryer
Oven air fryers work like mini ovens and are often multi-functional, so you can toast, roast, bake, grill, and fry your food. Generally, oven air fryers are more suited when cooking for more people and can accommodate larger foods. You can cook the same kinds of foods as a basket air fryer, but with fewer limitations. Some oven air fryers with a high volume and capacity can even cook a whole rotisserie chicken and 12-inch pizza and often come with accessories and tools for different foods.
KITCHEN COUTURE 25L 1600W FRENCH DOOR AIR FRYER
The Kitchen Couture 25L 1600W French Door Air Fryer has a huge capacity of 25 litres, allowing you to cook a full 12-inch pizza or whole chicken for the family without the oil. Featuring 7 built-in smart programs and 22 smart pre-set functions, an easy-to-read LED display, dishwasher-safe parts, glass windows and an interior lamp to view your food without letting the heat out and a range of accessories to help with cooking, this oven air fryer is perfect if you’re planning on cooking full meals for the whole family.
HEALTHY CHOICE 25L 1700W French Door Digital Air Fryer
The Healthy Choice 25L 1700W French Door Digital Air Fryer Convection Oven is multifunctional–not only does it air fry, but roasts, grills, bakes, broils, toasts, dehydrates, reheats and keeps food warm. It features 16 pre-set programs, an LCD touch panel, a glass viewing window, a built-in light, a non-stick coating pan, dishwasher-safe parts, a heat shield vent, and anti-slip feet. If you’re looking for an air fryer with various cooking functions, the Devanti 18L Air Fryer Convection Oven Fryer may be a good option for you.
EUROCHEF 16L DIGITAL ELECTRIC AIRFRYER OVEN
The EUROCHEF 16L Digital Electric Airfryer Oven offers frying, defrosting, dehydrating and grilling, baking and toasting functions. It features 16 pre-programmed settings, includes a digital touch panel, and comes with 3 trays, a drip tray, stainless steel internal walls, a rotisserie function and 1800W of cooking power. All accessories are easily removable and easy to clean. This is perfect if you want a multifunctional air fryer in a compact size.
What to Look For in an Air Fryer
When searching for an air fryer, there are a few key things to consider–the capacity, size and features of the air fryer, its maintenance, the type of food you want to cook and how many people you usually cook for.
SIZE
A small, compact air fryer is more portable and easier to fit in a busy kitchen, however, this limits the amount of food you can cook. Air fryers can be pretty bulky appliances to keep on your kitchen bench, so be sure to consider the size and dimensions if you plan on using them regularly.
FEATURES
Depending on what you want from your air fryer, you go for a simple air fryer or one that has toasting, roasting, broiling, baking, and grilling functions. For multi-functional use, opt for an oven air fryer. If you’re after a basic air fryer to cook up chips, salmon, vegetables, and frozen food, a basket air fryer will do just fine.
VOLUME OR CAPACITY
The typical basket air fryer size can range between 3.5 to 8.5 litres. Depending on how many servings you need, you may need something bigger than a basket air fryer. The smallest basket air fryers (around 1 to 2 litres are suitable for 1 to 2 people, while the 3 to 4 litres will suit 2 to 3. The largest basket air fryers on the market are around 6 to 8.5 litres and can cook for 4 to 6 people.
Oven air fryers can range from 8 to 25 litres, allowing you to cook an entire 12-inch pizza or rotisserie chicken.
CLEANING
Consider buying an air fryer that is easy to clean and easily fits into your sink. If you prefer to use the dishwasher, look for an air fryer with dishwasher-safe parts. You can also use foil when cooking to reduce the mess.
TEMPERATURE
Look for an air fryer that gets up to 200°C to ensure foods like chicken are well-cooked and safe to eat.
Which Air Fryer is Best for You?
Ultimately, the type of air fryer you choose is entirely up to you. Consider its size, capacity, and its key features. Do you want an air fryer that can cook an entire meal for a family or a compact air fryer that cooks for 1 to 2 people? Make your decision on how you plan to use your air fryer and how often.
