Ninja's Dual Zone air fryer was released way back in 2020 but there's a good argument that it's still the UK's most favoured air fryer, as well as one of the best Ninja air fryers in the brand's line up.

It's a fixture in hundreds of thousands of kitchens across the country but there is one thing I think you should know as Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor before you buy it: it's mighty powerful. So much so, it takes a bit of a learning curve to get used to!

I commented on its strength when I first reviewed it back in 2022, and since then, I've recommended it to many friends as the air fryer to beat. To see if my advice is still good and if this appliance stands up against all of the other air fryers out there, I was sent a sample (kindly provided by AO, where it's £179) to see how it holds up. This is what I found.

After re-testing the Ninja Dual Zone air fryer, it's still the one I'd recommend it to all of my friends and family when they're on the hunt for a two-drawer model. Of course there's been whole new generations of air fryers since then, including the unbelievably helpful multi-zone versions, but a lot of people still like to stick to two zones – which is where this air fryer excels.

The ability to match, sync or use each side individually is the ideal design for those catering to fussy eaters. And one of the great benefits of buying a Ninja air fryer over any other is that the interface is hard to beat. It's very simple so even those less inclined to get involved with any sort of cooking have no excuse.

But the one thing I always have to warn people about when I do recommend this air fryer to them is that you have to proceed with caution on your first few cooking attempts with it because if you're not used to its power levels, things will come out a lot crispier than you bargained for.

This air fryer is so powerful that even the usual calculations you have to do with air frying something over putting it in the oven (which usually means cutting down cooking times by 1/3) need to be calibrated. You'll find that this air fryer is a lot quicker than you might have expected, especially on the very popular MAX CRISP setting.

This is something I'd forgotten about in my gap between re-testing this air fryer and I got a surprise on my first experiment with chicken and some vegetables. Though I've still been testing air fryers across the last few years, none of them (not even rival Ninjas like the Crispi or the DoubleStack) come close in terms of sheer cooking ability.

It's not surprising that this air fryer puts on such an impressive performance when it comes to cooking given its wattage. With a 2,400-watt number in terms of power, it's a market leader for packing a punch when it comes to energy. But that doesn't mean its a huge energy guzzler necessarily. Remember, it cooks things in very quick times so you won't need it on for as long compared to a less powerful alternative.

So if you're thinking of investing in a dual zone air fryer and you want to maximise power, I've found in my tests that the Ninja Dual Zone is as impressive as ever – even if it's 6 years since its first release. Just remember you probably need less time than you think for cooking to begin with!

Glass air fryers are the newest kitchen appliance on the block and if you're short on space, you'll want to know all about them. Not only do these smaller versions of the best air fryers have the benefit of being non-toxic, but some also give flexibility to those who want to cook and store foods in the same container to save space and time.

If you're a meal prep obsessive, then you've probably heard about the Ninja Crispi already – which I awarded five stars to in my review – but if you've found it a little out of your price range, with an RRP of £149.99, then I have good news for you.

There is a range of glass air fryers hitting the market right now, all with modular designs. Here's how they work and three reasons why you might want to take part in this new batch cooking trend.

1. The benefits of glass for cooking

The Ninja Crispi was a viral hit when it launched thanks to the fact that its glass material makes for perfect social media clips (like this one via Ninja's Instagram).

Whether you want to watch a block of cheese melt in quick time or see what it looks like when a frozen croissant springs into life, the 360 vantage of the Crispi certainly makes for an interactive cooking experience. But when I tried it, I found there's plenty of practical reasons for opting for glass over the usual air fryer basket when it comes to cooking too.

If you, like me, hate getting to the end of a work day and being stuck for what to make for dinner, then meal prep is the answer. The fact that you can cook meals in the Crispi and then pop them straight in the fridge is a winner for this, especially in the larger 5.7 litre size as it allows for more than one portion.

The 'take the shelf out' hack that I learned from Jamie Oliver is perfect for this too. You can cook an entire lasagne, pasta bake or a batch of brownies directly into the glass and then store your leftovers without any dish transferring.

If you like the sound of that effort-free cooking but you're on a budget then Salter's new Crisp & Go, which is strikingly similar to the Crispi, is a lot more affordable and so far has only gleaned 5 star reviews, both via Amazon and Salter's website.

I got a first look at it recently at Salter's unveiling of it and I was impressed by its size and versatility, though the control panel is not quite as sleek as Ninja's. For the price however, I think it's going to be a hit.

2. Ease of cleaning

If you're the designated washing-upper or dishwasher-loader in your house, then glass has many benefits over your usual air fryer basket, too. In my testing, I've found it's a much easier surface to keep from getting grimy long-term, and day-to-day is much easier to wash by hand too. I've also become obsessed with using Fairy's Skip the Soak Spray (£3.86 at Amazon), too, which easily lifts anything that might be troublesome off the glass surface.

All of the portable, glass air fryers featured above have dishwasher-safe glass containers, which is a real treat. Compared to how gross air fryer baskets can get after a long time (even with frequent cleaning), switching to glass has been a revelation in terms of cleanliness for me.

3. Ease of storage

There's always a debate as to whether an air fryer deserves a place on a kitchen worktop. While I think an air fryer is arguably the most useful kitchen appliance out there, I understand people's desire to find ways to hide their air fryer.

With these modular glass air fryers the ability to stack and store the parts is built in. When not in use the smaller container can slot into the larger one and the air fryer lid can be stored alongside it. It's small enough that it'll fit into a compartment of standard kitchen cupboards with ease.

While this air fryer is marketed as portable, I personally don't think it's the kind of thing you'll want to carry around in your bag with you. But I do think it's the air fryer to opt for if hiding it for most of the time is high on your priority list.

So if you want something that's tailor-made for making lunches and dinners for the week ahead easier as well as an appliance that's easy to stash away, I think one of these glass buys will do a wonderful job.

Aldi's kitchen range is always coming up trumps with small, affordable problem-solving buys. The next example that deserves its moment in the sun (or the air fryer) is the supermarket's new dedicated range of accessories for everyone's most time-saving appliance – all priced at just £2.99 each.

Available in store right now, this line of accessories for the best air fryers is going way further than previous iterations thanks to its versatile set of designs, including liners without sides.

These flat-laying inserts are the perfect buy to pick up if you've previously despaired over how to master cookies or pizza in liners with raised sides or if your existing inserts have lost their non-stick coatings after years of use. Here's a closer look, as well as alternatives you don't have to rush to the Specialbuys aisle in order to nab.

The flat liners are the star of the show here for me, especially after my many failed attempts to bake cookies in my air fryer and immediately having them break as I try to lift them out of the basket.

Aldi's version has a raised helper grip on one side to make them easier to lift off an air fryer plate, which can also help when reheating pizza or pita breads. But it's not just the ability to properly cook flat foods that people are loving this type of liner for.

In the reviews of versions from John Lewis and Dunelm, it's clear that many customers are using these liners as a stand-in for their old air fryer trays (which is the insert that sits in the bottom of the basket).

After you've had an air fryer for a few years, these elements can lose their non-stick coating, especially after countless washes or turns through the dishwasher, and these affordable liners are offering people an easy alternative to getting a whole new appliance.

'Because the plates on my ninja are no longer non stick they make a very good alternative,' reads one review of the Dunelm liners, while another says that 'These are amazing products. Saves my plates getting broken'.

John Lewis' air fryer liners are slightly different, with two mesh liners and two silicone within the multipack. These can be cut to the exact size of your dual-zone air fryer, which is great if you don't have a massively popular model, so that you can customise them to your needs.

Unsurprisingly, Aldi's versions are the cheapest on offer, and it's not just the flat liners that they've designed either. If you've got a sweet tooth, you might be tempted by the waffle and doughnut maker moulds instead, which are also priced at just £2.99.

The waffle version is available in two different sizes, in case you only have a very compact air fryer. Or if you'd rather stick with the traditional air fryer liner design (as they're great for self-contained foodstuffs, like a lasagne or a cheesy pasta bake) then there's some size choice available to you there too.

If you're yet to try out an air fryer liner and your appliance is in need of a bit of a refresh, then I'd definitely recommend trying out a reusable one rather than the disposable versions. They're better for the planet and for everyday use!

Stacked air fryers are a huge help for cutting countertop clutter and there was one standout product that started the whole vertical cooking trend: Ninja's DoubleStack air fryer.

Released in 2024, it was a triumph for tidy kitchen lovers who also couldn't bear to lose out on the merits of one of the best Ninja air fryers. I definitely count myself as one of its fans – it's yet to be superseded on my kitchen worktop.

But, while it's undoubtedly one of the best air fryers out there, at £269 I totally see why it's too expensive for many. That's where Salter's £99 alternative – the VertiCook – comes into the frame. I've tried both to show you the difference in the two given their relative RRPs.

1. Quality of controls

A huge pro to dual-zone air fryers is the ability to program each drawer at different temperatures or for different cooking times (or to do both at the same time). But of course, to get there, you need to punch in the controls first.

To put it plainly, this is harder to do with Salter's more affordable version than it is with the NinjaDoubleStack. Both use vaguely confusing language on their control panels (unless you have a natural knack for knowing what VertiCook Ultra or DoubleStack Pro mean off the bat), but that learning curve is definitely a little steeper with Salter's product.

The control panel with the VertiCook favours symbols for the presets over words which I'm not such a fan of, especially when I'm in a rush.

Trying to match the small images with the presets is a bit laborious compared to Ninja's alternative, where the 6 settings (Air Fry, Max Crisp, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Reheat) are plainly laid out in words instead and you use the air fryer's control knob to select the right one.

As I mentioned before, this is a learning curve so if you do end up opting for Salter's version, it's definitely something you can get to grips with quickly. Our tester Annie didn't have an issue with it in her in-depth review of the VertiCook View model from Salter in her review, which is extremely similar.

One of the big pros of spending more money on Ninja kitchen appliances is that they're so easy to use, which means on the controls front, there's a clear winner for me.

Winner: Ninja's DoubleStack

2. Evenness of cooking

The fan, which is the element in an air fryer that allows it to cook food so fast, is recalibrated in a stacked design – sitting along the back rather than at the top of the unit.

In my experience, this can prove to be a little problematic when it comes to the evenness of cooking, as it means you must shake the contents of each drawer more frequently to stop food at the front cooking more quickly (which is where the heat, pushed from the fan, ends up gathering).

With my Ninja DoubleStack, this means I have to stay vigilant with shaking and turning food to prevent burning (as it's super powerful) and I found the same with the Salter VertiCook when I took it for a spin at our test centre. Our reviewer Annie also found that shaking was imperative with the VertiCook for everyday family cooking in her review.

In the VertiCook's favour however, I didn't find that kind of heat unevenness when I tried it with a shorter cooking task (baking breakfast muffins).

In short then, it's unfortunate that both of these air fryers have a bit of an issue with cooking evenness that means you must be vigilant with keeping an eye on cooking progress. Neither have shake reminders either, which is a missed oppurtunity. For the higher price, I'd like to see more from Ninja.

Winner: Salter's VertiCook

3. Overall finish

It's my job to try and tell people why it's worth buying one, but even I can admit that an air fryer isn't the most sightly of kitchen appliances. That's why the design of a stacked version appeals to many – they're easier to make space on a countertop for or even to hide away, if you so wish.

If you have no choice but to keep yours out on display, the finish and look of an air fryer is going to matter a lot. And I think both Salter and Ninja's offerings bring a lot to the table on the looks front (within reason).

My DoubleStack is white, which makes such a difference to the brightness of the kitchen in my rented flat, especially given that my toaster and kettle are the same sahde. You can also pick it up in Grey, Black or Black with gold accents.

Salter's range is similarly impressive within the Vertical range, especially with the offering of faux wood accents on the handles to match the brand's Toronto kettle and toaster range.

The overall winner is hard to award here, as the value of Salter's range is just so good (there are so many excellent picks under £100), but I think Ninja has the edge on the quality of finish overall with the handles and drawers.

Winner: Ninja DoubleStack

The winner

For me the Ninja DoubleStack, which is the original stacked air fryer, has to win the battle here. It's more expensive by miles, but it's more enjoyable on the whole to use (especially if you'd reach for it multiple times a day).

That's not to say Salter's version isn't worth your time, especially if you're on a budget. I've been super impressed every time I've tried it given the price and I love the option to pick a colour to suit your kitchen. For under £100, it's a great option for those looking to save on space.

It seems that John Lewis is eyeing up IKEA's crown when it comes to affordability with the launch of its £150 air fryer microwave, which is just £1 more expensive than the Scandinavian retail giant's version released a few weeks ago.

As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor I've seen the appetite for microwave air fryers growing massively, with people looking to save money and worktop space by combining these two essentials into one purchase.

But can the power of the best air fryers and the best microwaves really be combined efficiently? Here's a look at the specifics of this John Lewis air fryer microwave so you can decide for yourself.

Just last week premium Italian appliance brand Smeg dropped its very pretty pastel microwave air fryer while Ikea's GÅTEBO version caused a flurry of excitement last month before prompty selling out. So, one thing is for sure: shoppers like the idea of getting two functions for their money with this style of appliance.

While Smeg's offering is more of an attempt to replace the need for a built in oven altogether, this John Lewis version looks much more like a standard microwave. It's boxy and finished in stainless steel with its basic control panel running along the right hand side. While it does feature an LCD timer, its programmed via buttons and a control knob.

This appliance features 14 Air Fry Menus & 10 Presets Menus, which means that plenty of foods, like chips and vegetables, should be able to be cooked at the touch of just one button. It also has one-touch defrost settings as you would expect.

We haven't been able to get our hands on this combi appliance to test just yet, but we're hoping to try it out for ourselves to get a grip on how the air frying works alongside the expected microwaving features.

The price tag of this John Lewis own-brand product is seriously competitive, especially when compared to other appliances of this type sold via John Lewis. Sage's Combi Wave retails for £359 while Panasonic's version is £349 on sale.

If you've been looking to snap up an air fryer microwave without breaking the bank, it seems that this John Lewis version is the (in-stock) one to go for. And if it doesn't quite fit your kitchen aesthetics, I'm sure there are plenty more appliances of this type coming down the line this year. Keep your eyes peeled!

A brand new Ninja air fryer has arrived on the scene: the Ninja Crispi Pro (available from today for £249 via Ninja).

Its tagline promises that this is the 'XL glass air fryer designed for non-toxic prepping, cooking and storing' and I was lucky enough to get hold of a sample early to let you know if that's actually the case.

Ninja is routinely ahead of the curve when it comes to tapping into cooking trends and fun and imaginative colour ways, but this upgrade to one of the existing best Ninja air fryers goes even further than that with its somewhat kooky, futuristic design. Here's how it works and the upgrades it offers on the original Crispi (which we reviewed this time last year).

Increased functionality

The original Ninja Crispi was a kind of weird sell – it doesn't look or operate like a normal air fryer and one of its USPs is puzzlingly, portability – but it went down a storm with Ninja fans on its release. Plus it held up to the hype upon testing, earning itself a spot on my list of the best air fryers (which is only 3 products in total).

But one of the big bugbears people had with it was the rigidity of the functions. On the OG Crispi, there were just 4 modes: Air fry, Roast, Reheat, Keep Warm and each of these came with a preset temperature attached which wasn't changeable.

That's all changed with the Crispi Pro, which boasts a souped up control panel (complete with separate temperature and timing buttons) and three new modes: Max Crisp, Prove and Dehydrate. Max Crisp is a fan favourite mode from the brand's larger air fryers (like the FlexDrawer) which has a preset temperature of 200°C.

The standard Crispi also had a much simpler LCD screen, which just counted down minutes until cooking completion. The Pro version is much more user friendly if you're not used to an air fryer just yet.

More cooking space

The capacity of the Crispis works differently to other Ninja air fryers, as all of the cooking is done in glass containers over standard drawers. It makes it so easy to food prep and store foods in them, though the capacity was a bit of a limiting factor in the old version with the maximum cooking space being 3.8 litres.

With the XL, this is amped up to 5.7 litres, though the container felt much bigger than that when the Crispi arrived. It's paired with a 2.4 litre version too, which is good for single portions. These are made interchangeable thanks to a small fitting that you can slot into the back of the unit which holds up the smaller container to the heat element.

So far in the limited tests I've done (with my full review still to come) I've found the larger container much more useful, though I haven't utilised it to its full ability yet. I'm sure it could fit a small joint of meat or something similar, which I'll be giving a go soon.

With oven chips it worked well, though you're limited to the space across the crisper plate inside – with something like a dual zone air fryer you can obviously pack more across two zones.

But for a single or two person household, there's plenty of space. The Crispi Pro also seems like it would hold up very well in a student kitchen situation and of course remains so useful for food prep thanks to the fridge-ready glass containers.

It's available in pink!

While the original Crispi was eventually released in a number of pastel colours, only more neutral shades were available on the launch. That's not so with the Crispi Pro, which looks like it'll include a pink option from the offset. Perfect if you're looking to execute a pink kitchen colour scheme!

Could you see yourself giving the Crispi Pro a go? Or is it a little too modern for your liking?

Prue Leith's career in cooking spans the writing of bestselling recipe books, a long stint as a much-loved judge on The Great British Bake Off and now... air fryer advice, of course.

For many, taking to one of the best air fryers isn't a straightforward process. In fact, they can take a bit of getting used to – with Nigella Lawson's gradual warming to these ultra-useful appliances serving as just one example – even despite all of their well-documented time-saving benefits.

Luckily Prue Leith has imparted some excellent advice for those out there who have invested in an air fryer but might not be using it as much as they need to get their money's worth – and it's all about placement. Here's what she had to say.

During an appearance on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show to promote Prue Leith's Cotswold Kitchen, the culinary star discussed her newfound appreciation for air fryers, after initially shunning them.

Prue told of how she was loaned an air fryer by a friend but was skeptical of their merits – stating that she couldn't see what appeal it held over using her oven or a simple frying pan instead. But in time, she was encouraged to at least give one a trial run.

To get into using it, Prue had one simple tip that made all the difference: moving it to 'where she could see it', rather than hiding it away in her kitchen. Once it was more visible to her, Prue says she started to understand the benefits of an air fryer everyone had been raving about for so long.

For Prue, the biggest highlight is the ease of cleaning of an air fryer's small removable baskets over the monumental task of cleaning an oven (which let's be honest, gets done far less than all of us would like to admit to).

In the clip, Prue discusses the pitfalls of the high maintenance of an oven, saying 'If you've roasted something in the oven, the oven is a mess. And it takes longer to clean the oven than it did to roast the chicken!'.

The renowned chef goes onto say that with an air fryer, she likes how there's no such fuss. 'So the wonderful thing about an air fryer' Prue says, 'it's like a non-stick frying pan – you just rinse it.'

If you've struggled to get into using your air fryer – maybe you received one as a gift or invested a little while ago – switching up your placement of it can help tenfold. I reckon one of the worst places to put an air fryer if its gathering dust is somewhere out of your direct eye-line, so if you can sacrifice a little bit of worktop space (even as part of a trial run) then I'd recommend giving it a go.

Of course, we'd all love to have the space for an appliance garage in our kitchens (or even pantries!) but if your space is a little on the cosier side, like mine, then there are other innovative solutions I've seen work. Below you can find a selection of product ideas that might help you kick your air fryer usage into gear.

Can you see yourself converting to using an air fryer like Prue Leith has? These appliances can certainly save you a lot of time and clean-up energy if you do.

Smeg has unveiled two new countertop appliances, including a shiny new Combi Microwave with a Grill, Oven & Air Fry setting for £449.95 (via Smeg).

It seems the trend for these 2-in-1 appliances, which combine the power of the best air fryers with the convenience of a microwave, is picking up speed. IKEA unveiled its version (the GATEBO) last month, John Lewis just released its spin on one for the same price (£150 via John Lewis) and now Smeg has arrived to the party to show us how to do it in style.

Because of course, the thing that this much more expensive version from Smeg has over the others is that it'll look much nicer on your worktop. Here's a closer look at how it could streamline your kitchen.

The appeal of Smeg countertop appliances isn't going anywhere. Whether it's the brand's bestselling kettle and toaster set (which we've tested) or its coffee machines (our favourite from the ones we've tested is the EGF03 bean-to-cup coffee machine), this Italian brand has serious sway over the design direction of our kitchen appliances.

There are colour choices available with this Combi air fryer microwave mash-up, including two pastel blue colours that I think will prove a hit. And crucially, the functionality goes beyond that of the brand's earlier 10-in-1 model, which we awarded 4.5 stars to in our review, thanks to the addition of a microwave setting.

Rather than a boxy, black appliance this new Combi model features Smeg's signature curves and brand lettering as well as an LCD display and an integrated, concealed handle.

The accessories sold with the MOC02 combination microwave go a long way to help with the various cooking processes, including a crisp pan, air fry basket and a high grill rack. The automatic programs also help to get you into this style of cooking, with Smeg saying that there are air fry settings in particular for 'golden homemade chips, crisp bruschetta topped with fresh tomatoes, or tender panko-breaded chicken fillets with a delicate crunch.'

As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor I've yet to see or test a combi air fryer oven that's really impressed me – certainly the ones we've tested so far have fallen short, including the Drew & Cole 3-in-1 Microwave Air Fryer Oven Combo.

So it'll be interesting to see how this version from Smeg performs and whether it's about to usher in a new era of 2-in-1 appliances in our kitchen. Would you go for a combined version to cost costs and countertop space?

There's a new air fryer on the scene: Tower's 'Elite' Flexi Drawer model, which has swept in with the stylish good looks and game-changing design of competitors that usually have a much higher pricetag. This new buy is currently on sale for the bargain price of £99.98 on Amazon, down from £149.99.

If you're looking to elevate your experience of one of the best air fryers at home without breaking the bank, then this new release is worth your attention. As well as a sleek digital control panel, it's has a lot in common with our top-rated air fryer ever, the Ninja FlexDrawer (as per our five star review), when it comes to versatility.

Here's a closer look at why this multi-zone air fryer has an exceptionally handy design for family cooking.

So what is a multi-zone air fryer? Essentially, it's a mini oven with removable dividers but unlike your built-in oven, which you divide into zones horizontally using racks and trays, it has attachments that allow you to split it up vertically into two sections.

With this all-important divider, you can switch on the the Tower Elite air fryer from one megazone to two disparate ones easily. You can then program each side to a different temperature and to run for different times – an excellent weapon to have in your arsenal if you're cooking for fussy eaters.

Another key feature of this air fryer is the ability to match and sync up the sides, so that you can bring everything to the table, still hot, at the same time.

If you're less of a button pusher and more of a dial-user, there's an amped up version of this air fryer on sale made with you in mind: at £149.99 via Amazon, it is a little pricier but might be more intuitive to program.

Both versions have preset cooking programs, which are built-in to help you easily get the right temperature and timings for whatever you're cooking whether it's fries, chicken or a whole pizza.

If this air fryer is anywhere near as good as the model it bears so much similarity to (the Ninja FlexDrawer) it might be worth a try in your kitchen. After all, our expert reviewer called the original multizone air fryer 'worth every penny of its premium price tag'.

All that's left to decide now is which one to install on your kitchen wortkop.

Nigella Lawson has long been a home-cooking inspiration, but one ultra-popular kitchen appliance that took her a while to convert to was the best air fryer.

With the exciting news that the food writer extraordinaire is now set to feature as a judge on the next series of The Great British Bake Off, it's hard to believe the chef last graced our screens way back in 2023 with Nigella's Amsterdam Christmas on the BBC.

In that program, she made genius use of Amazon brand COSORI's 5.5L Air Fryer (which was £99.99, now £78.67 at Amazon) to turn chicken skin into crackling for her biriyani recipe like a seasoned air fryer pro.

But it wasn't always smooth sailing with her air fryer, with Nigella admitting earlier that year that she had been a 'longtime doubting hold-out' when it came to these game-changing countertop ovens. Here's a closer look at the air fryer that made her a convert.

In the Christmas special, Nigella uses a red version of COSORI's 5.5 litre air fryer in order to put the finishing touches to one of her festive recipes.

As she comes to plate up, she says that she's 'whopped' her chicken skins into her air fryer at its max temperature and right on cue, the crackling emerges perfectly crispy and ready to top her dish.

This particular air fryer is especially good for jobs like crisping as it has a clever detachable basket which you can pull away from any oil that's formed in the bottom of the appliance. That means healthier air fried foods and a more convenient method of serving.

The COSORI's screen is also extremely easy to program, with a simple touch screen with icons, which surely helped Nigella get over her beginner's air fryer fear. In September 2023, she had posted a blog entry on Nigella.com detailing her journey with air fryers, confessing that she 'borrowed an air fryer from a friend' in order to try out recipes from Poppy O'Toole's The Actually Delicious Air Fryer Cookbook (now £10, was £20 at Amazon).

It seems it was this fantastically-reviewed cookbook that sparked Nigella's turnaround on air fryer altogether, calling herself a 'convert' and saying it 'banished my fear, eradicated my doubts, and led me to discover how to use the air fryer in a way that suits me'.

Nigella's change of tact with her air fryer shows that sometimes all it takes is a good cookbook and a little bit of courage to change the way you approach cooking.

Here's to hoping an air fryer week might one day grace the Bake Off tent so we can learn even more from Nigella when it comes to these super convenient appliances.

In honour of the New Year, and the many resolutions made, committing ourselves to a healthier lifestyle, Aldi has launched its healthy kitchen range - and amongst the goodies, I spotted a 6.5L air fryer for under £35.

One of the best things about owning one of the best air fryers is that it makes healthy cooking so easy. Negating the need for oils, air fryers produce crispy, tasty food without the extra calories - ideal if you're using the New Year to kickstart a diet or healthkick.

On sale now, it’s no secret that the Aldi air fryer is one of the supermarket’s most popular specialbuys. And it’s for this reason that I think this bargain kitchen hero will sell out fast.

Given the popularity of air fryers, they have become more accessible over the past few years, with shoppers now able to pick up some of the best air fryers for under £100. However, what Aldi is offering is a 6.5L capacity air fryer under £35 - and that is pretty impressive.

We’re not only pleased that this cult air fryer is returning to stores because of its price. Its huge 6.5L capacity makes it larger than most supermarket budget air fryers (which are normally around 4L), and means it’s big enough to handle cooking for large, busy families without fuss.

Not to mention, it has temperature control ranging from 40 to 200 degrees and 11 preset functions to choose from, so you can use this appliance for everything from roasting a chicken to baking brownies - although of course, not at the same time.

As you would find on higher-end models, this air fryer also has a sleek touchscreen for ease of use and an impressive keep-warm function to stop food from going cold. It also has a detachable non-stick frying rack, again increasing the number of different meals you can create.

As well as the air fryer, Aldi is also selling Air Fryer Liners (£3.49) to make clean-up even easier. These silicone liners slot happily into your air fryer, preventing sauces, marinades, batters and crumbs from making a mess of your appliance. They are much easier to clean than the air fryer baskets.

Aldi’s air fryers are always popular when on Specialbuy, so I don’t think these will be around for long. So, if your local store has sold out, or you don’t have one local to you, these are the affordable air fryers we recommend.

If you haven’t yet invested in an air fryer or are looking to replace an older model, for £34.99, Aldi is certainly worth a try!

Presenter and current I’m a Celeb star, Vogue Williams, frequently blesses my Instagram algorithm, sharing recipes and glimpses into her home life. And it was during one of her recipe tutorials that I spotted Vogue was making a huge air fryer mistake - and it turns out I’m guilty of it, too.

It seems the best air fryer is an important part of any working kitchen these days, as everyone from the top chefs to our favourite influencers and ourselves uses one to whip up quick, easy and healthy meals. Honestly, I’m not sure what I’d do without mine.

But these handy appliances are not indestructible, unfortunately. And if, like Vogue, you're guilty of storing items on top of your air fryer, air fryer experts want you to stop right now.

In an Instagram post demonstrating how to make chicken dust chicken and broccoli, I was quick to spot Vogue’s cult Ninja Foodi (was £119.99, now £99.99 at Argos). It’s easily one of the best budget air fryers as well as one of the best Ninja air fryers, and a popular choice in the kitchen amongst members of the Ideal Home team (myself included).

One reason the air fryer stood out to me is that it’s currently less than £100 at Argos, which is the lowest price we’ve ever seen this year, and the other was that her toaster was stacked on top of it.

‘Vogue's Ninja air fryer has been a bestseller since its launch in 2020, and even though we've tested dozens here at Ideal Home in the years since, it's remained our favourite two-drawer model. That's because it's supremely powerful and has plenty of room for family cooking as well as a good mix of settings. The 200-degree setting Vogue is using is the MAX CRISP function – a favourite in our tests too!' Molly Cleary, Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor, said.

But Molly was also quick to tell me that placing a toaster on top of the air fryer was a big air fryer mistake. In fact, when I asked, experts quickly told me that you should not be putting any items on top of your air fryer. Given that there are currently two cookbooks on top of mine, I’m also making this big mistake.

‘It’s not the best idea to store anything on top of an air fryer since they get very hot at the top and sides while in use. Storing items can just cause heat damage, and since many models vent through the top, blocking this area can simply lead to overheating,’ said Isabella Forgione, small appliance expert at AO.com.

‘Keeping items on your air fryer will also put pressure on the lid or drawer mechanism over time and reduce its lifespan. In future, it’s a far wiser idea to always keep the top of your air fryer clear and treat this appliance the same way you would your oven or hob.’

And specifically a toaster? Absolutely not.

‘You should refrain from storing other appliances like your toaster on top of an air fryer. For the same reasons, storing smaller appliances could block vents, damage the casing or even force overheating in some instances. You should really be storing your appliances separately and not stacking any of them,’ says Isabella.

Air fryer essentials

Well, that’s me off to find a new home for the clutter currently sitting on top of my Ninja air fryer. Have you also been guilty of making the same mistake?

There's a new air fryer design on the market, one which which offers not one or two, but three different cooking zones and a whopping 13.6L of cooking space. It even offers 9 different cooking programmes.

There aren't many people out there who don't own one of the best air fryers now, but in case you need any convincing, it's a great investment if you hate waiting for your oven to preheat, and if you want to speed things up. Some air fryers, like this one from Cuisinart, also double as a toaster, a grill, a dehydrater and more — so there's heaps of versatility there.

This innovative Cuisinart air fryer (which is reduced for Black Friday down to just £123.49 via Amazon) ticks all our boxes, and it even has a cooking tray for pizzas, cookies and more. It's ideal for families, as you can use it to cook 3 things at one time, and the best part? All accessories are dishwasher safe. With all of the added bells and whistles — viewing lights, a shake food reminder — it's super intuitive, and it has definitely earned a spot on my kitchen countertop. Here's what I've used it to cook...

In a nutshell

If you've got the countertop space, the Cuisinart AirTwin XXL Dual-Zone Air Fryer is a total game-changer, whether you're a budding chef or you'll be using it for fish fingers and frozen chips. Design-wise, it offers 3 drawers for cooking, two glass viewing windows and a light.

One drawer sits at the bottom of the unit and is a tray, which is perfect for cooking things like pizza, cookies, toast and more. All parts of it are dishwasher-safe, too, even the drawers. It boasts a shake reminder, as well as a 60-minute timer.

What about cooking? It offers 6 functions, from air fry to roast, grill, bake, dehydrate and max crisp for its baskets. Then, there are a further 3 cooking programmes to choose from for its tray. Its touchscreen controls are intuitive, and I didn't even have to refer to the manual. Better yet, it alerts you to shake your food halfway through cooking, plus it preheats while your food is in the baskets.

There are some things I didn't like about this air fryer, but they weren't enough to put me off keeping it in my kitchen. It does make a loud humming noise while it's cooling down after cooking. I do think this is smart, because it ensures that you switch it off at the socket for safety. Also, when you open one of the drawers, all of them automatically pause, which can be a little annoying.

Product specs

• Type: Tri-zone
• Dimensions: ‎D42.2cm x W39.9cm x H40.4cm
• Cooking area: W16.5cm x L23cm x H 12cm (baskets)
• Weight: 13.6kg
• Maximum temperature: 230°C
• Cooking modes: 6
• Power: 2400W
• Size: 13.6L
• Colour: Steel & Black or Black
• Material: Metal, Plastic (PFAS-free)

Who tested this air fryer?

Unboxing

This air fryer arrived in a very large box that was quite heavy, and inside that box was another box. In this box was the air fryer, all its parts and the manual. The packaging was, admittedly, excessive — each accessory was inside a plastic foam bag, which is recyclable, but depending on your local authority.

These definitely could have been packaged inside a cardboard sleeve, in my opinion. Otherwise, all of the drawers were taped shut, and there were lots of stickers to remove on the main unit, which was inside a plastic bag. The cord was wrapped in a bag, too.

My first impressions were overall positive. It is large, but it offers a lot of cooking space, hence its size. The bottom basket is undeniably handy, especially for cooking pizza, and it just feels high-quality.

It did have a subtle chemical odour, so it suggests cleaning all accessories and baskets before first use, in soapy water. I did just that, and then dried them all and put them back in the machine. I did struggle to fit the bottom tray back, as it felt and looked like I was putting it in wrong — the manual was pretty useless, so I looked at photos online to see what I was doing wrong. Luckily, I found an unboxing video on the Cuisinart website, and I realised that the crumb tray sits underneath the heating element.

Otherwise, the manual doesn't say that you have to use this air fryer before the first use, so it's ready to go once it has been washed and dried.

You'll also find information in the manual explaining where to safely put your air fryer in your kitchen. BTW, these are the worst places to put your air fryer, which could potentially be a fire hazard.

Testing

I used this air fryer to cook various foods, fresh and frozen. I loved that it has 3 different compartments, so I can cook several meals at one time. It's very easy to work — I didn't even need to refer to the manual.

The maximum temperature for this air fryer is 230°C. The maximum time limit you can set is 1 hour, or on the dehydrate setting, it's 12 hours.

There are 6 preset programmes available for the two smaller cooking baskets. These are:

Air Fry
Roast
Grill
Bake
Dehydrate
Re-Crisp (or Max Crisp)

For the cooking tray, there are 3 options:

Toast
Pizza
Manual

Chips
I first tested this air fryer with frozen chips. They cooked so fast and so well — they were lightly browned and crispy. They did take a little longer to cook than the packet instructions recommended; however, after around 15 minutes in the air fryer, they were perfectly cooked.

I also made homemade chips — chopped potatoes, olive oil, salt — and cooked them for 18 minutes at 180°C. After 18 minutes, the chips were perfectly cooked. Fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside and slightly browned.

Bacon
We usually test the ability of an air fryer by cooking bacon. I managed to fit three rashers in each basket, so I could cook 6 at one time over the two baskets.

I cooked this bacon according to the packet instructions, and it was definitely cooked when the timer alerted. I also appreciated the shake reminder to alert me to flip the rashers.

Once they were cooked, I wanted them just a little more crispy, so I turned the setting to Max Crisp for a few minutes, and the result was perfect.

Other foods
I used this air fryer in place of my other model, which is four tiers. So, I also used it to cook fish fingers on several occasions, which I found cooked fast thanks to the high wattage of the air fryer.

I also cooked frozen chicken nuggets, which again cooked in good time, according to the packet instructions.

I also used it to cook sausages as well as Mediterranean vegetables. The sausages took longer to cook than their packet instructions, perhaps because I cooked 8 in one basket and they were quite chunky. Alas, the result was impressive, and both effort and cleanup were minimal. I then cooked the vegetables in the tray next to the sausages, which took around 20 minutes. The basket was quite full. I did shake them several times while cooking, and overall, they turned out evenly cooked.

Tray
I used the bottom tray and the toasting function to toast a bagel which had ham and cheese inside. The timer was set on 8 minutes, and it was perfectly cooked — melted cheese and a lightly crunchy bagel.

I used this pan for my toast, the entire time I was testing it, so I've cooked several pieces of bread in it, and every time, they've come out well-toasted. You do need to flip bread, and there isn't a shake food reminder for the bottom tray, just an FYI.

I also used this tray to cook a mini pizza, and it cooked in the time it would take in the oven, of course, without needing to wait for preheating. You could definitely fit a regular-sized pizza in here, but obviously, you can only use it to cook one pizza at a time.

Cleaning

All parts — except the main unit — of this air fryer are dishwasher-safe. Even the drawers can go in your dishwasher! I washed all parts by hand several times, and I had no issues! The same goes for dishwashing — the parts even fit in my slimline dishwasher, and I definitely wouldn't hesitate to put them in my dishwasher again.

You can wipe the exterior down with a cloth, if needed. There's also information about cleaning the interior in the manual — use a damp cloth and a mild soap solution.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

There are 6 different air fryer models to choose from at Cuisinart, with this one being the most expensive, at £199.99.

Starting with the most affordable option, the Cuisinart Compact Max Air Fryer is £99.99. It's PFAS-free, and it offers one drawer of cooking space that's 7.6L in total — that's enough for 8 portions. It has 7 programmes, while its accessories are dishwasher-safe.

Next up, the PFAS-free Cuisinart AirTwin XXL Dual-Zone Air Fryer at £149.99, which is black. With 2 baskets to feed up to 12 people, it offers 10.4L of cooking space. You can match cook these baskets, and there are 7 programmes. It's also dishwasher-safe, its baskets and trays, and it heats to 210°C, with a 60-minute auto-pause timer if you need it. This also comes in a steel and black combination, for £159.99.

The Cuisinart Basket Air Fryer is £150, and for this price tag, its capacity is admittedly small. It's only 5.7L and has just one basket, while it has just 5 cooking functions. Its basket features a handy viewing window. It's not clear whether this is PFAS-free, but its accessories are dishwasher-safe.

Should you buy the Cuisinart Tri Zone 13.6L Air Fryer & Oven?

If you're after an easy-to-use air fryer for a family, then this is a great choice. Especially if you've got the worktop space. Thanks to its 13.6L of cooking space, it could easily replace your oven, and it offers so much versatility thanks to its tray, which can double as a toaster.

Its feature range is impressive, and the shake food reminder is handy. As are the viewing windows and interior lights. There are 6 programmes for the two cooking baskets and 3 for the tray. All accessories are dishwasher-safe for convenience. I found that this air fryer cooked foods both evenly and fast, thanks to its high wattage, and it could fit an impressive amount of food in each basket — I cooked 8 sausages in one basket, at one time, and then 3 rashers of bacon in one basket, too.

If you've got the money and the countertop space, it's great. Just bear in mind that it does make a slight humming noise while in its cooling-down period, so you'll want to switch it off at the socket when not in use (which is recommended anyway). And, when you remove one of the baskets from the main unit, all others will automatically pause cooking, which can be a little frustrating.

To cut the faff out of my midweek dinner making process I've been turning to Jamie Oliver's Easy Air Fryer cookbook for a dose of inspiration.

As well as being filled with simple recipes to use in one of the best air fryers, it's also opened my eyes to a totally different method of air fryer cooking: removing the shelf from the basket altogether.

One of my favourite cooking hacks from last year was Jamie's tip to cook above and below the air fryer shelf, which is not only a great space saver but ideal for maximising flavour. Now, in the course of using his air fryer-specific recipes for myself from his cookbook (which is currently on sale for £13 via Amazon), I've discovered that using my air fryer basket as a stand-in baking dish (without the tray) is another hack that goes a long way in my kitchen. Here's how it works.

Jamie Oliver's air fryer method

In the foreword to Easy Air Fryer Jamie Oliver does a great job at breaking down in simple terms what an air fryer is and how to change your thinking around using one. Thinking about these appliances as small, countertop ovens with removable drawers is the first step to finding better ways to use them day-to-day.

Jamie goes to great lengths to explain that while each air fryer comes with removable shelves inside each individual basket, these don't always have to sit in your air fryer. Instead, taking them out can open up a whole new set of recipes for you.

Some examples from Jamie's cookbook where removing the air fryer shelf is essential to the recipe includes teriyaki pork ribs, cauliflower cheese pasta and Sicilian aubergine pasta.

In many of these recipes, removing the air fryer drawer allows ingredients to cook in oil (usually olive oil) when roasting, rather than allowing the oil to seep away (due to the gaps in the shelves). I've found this method supremely helpful for mastering my roast potatoes in the air fryer too.

The other reason this method can be so helpful is for quick 'all-in-one' meals. One recipe calls for removing the shelf, roasting onions and herbs and then adding a sheet of puff pastry on top for a quick sticky onion tart for dinnertime.

If you want to try out this method for yourself but don't like the idea of extra air fryer drawer clean-up, there are accessories you can pick up to make the process less messy. These silicone air fryer liners from Amazon (£6.65) are the right shape for those with Ninja air fryers with two drawers while this Astonish spray for kitchen appliances (£7.39 at Amazon) can help rid your air fryer of excess grease.

In adopting the 'take the shelf out altogether' attitude, there'll be loads more recipes you can try out in your air fryer, especially with all things sweet. Jamie's cookbook even features an Eton mess trifle all made in one air fryer drawer.

It might sound simple but this method of cooking in my air fryer has definitely helped me to broaden the number of cooking tasks I use it for. Or, if you've resisted the pull of an air fryer thus far, now is a great time to invest thanks to Black Friday deals. Here's a selection of some excellent ones running right now.

Is this hack something you're already doing in your kitchen or is it a method you might give a chance to?

Who said kitchen appliances had to be boring and ugly? Not Lidl, as a brand new beige air fryer is landing in their middle aisle, and its classic neutral colourway is designed to suit any kitchen.

I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t have one of the best air fryers in their kitchen. But one thing air fryers all seem to have in common is that they come in shades of black and grey, which isn’t always the most aesthetically pleasing.

Landing in stores today (13 November), Lidl’s Silvercrest Beige Dual Basket Air Fryer (£69.99) is both very pretty and large enough to feed the family. Here’s everything you need to know.

This dual air fryer is clearly most similar to the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer (Was £229.99, now £178 at Ninja), which, coincidentally, is Ideal Home’s best-rated dual zone air fryer, and the air fryer I personally chose for my kitchen. But what sets Lidl’s apart is its gorgeous beige colourway; it’s a perfect choice for those who prefer a pretty kitchen.

If you have a neutral kitchen colour scheme, a great big black or grey appliance can look jarring, which is why we’ve seen a rise in popularity of the ‘pretty air fryer’ trend. The main drawback of air fryers (on a superficial level) is that they can look bulky and unsightly on a worktop. Lidl’s new neutral air fryer negates this.

It’s not just a pretty face, either. Like the classic Ninja model, you can synchronise both baskets on different programmes to finish cooking at the same time. It has a simple touch display and 11 preset programmes including: preheat, chips, steak, chicken wings, meat, cake, prawns, fish, pizza, vegetables and defrost.

The Silvercrest Beige Dual Basket Air Fryer is made with a high-quality non-stick coating and is also resistant to corrosion. Each basket has a capacity of 4.35L, making it a decent size for families, and it comes with an instruction manual, ten recipes and a three-year warranty.

The beauty of Lidl and Aldi air fryers is that their prices are often unmatched. At £69.99, this is a bargain, and looks great, too. While I’m not convinced you’d get the same level of quality as a Ninja air fryer, this is an affordable and reliable choice.

Alternatively, I’ve found a few more neutral air fryers, with good reviews, to make your kitchen worktops look a little prettier.

While I’m not prepared to part with my Ninja dual zone air fryer, I do wish it were available in prettier colours - which is why I would recommend getting yourself down to Lidl’s middle aisle if kitchen aesthetics are a top priority.

Whether you're warming up leftovers for one, cooking up a family-sized batch of chips, or even baking a cake, there's an air fryer that can do the job.

Our kitchen appliances editor Molly Cleary is our resident expert – there's not an air fryer model in the UK that she or her team of testers haven't tried out, both at home and in our test kitchen. On this page, you'll find the results of all their research into buying and using the best air fryers for the very best results.

To make your life easier, we've split our best list out into price brackets (our under £100 air fryer guide is a must-see); into family-sized models (dual-zone air fryers are incredible versatile); and into the most trusted brands – Ninja air fryers are a favourite.

And below our top guides, you can discover the very latest air fryer releases and reviews, cooking tips, and care and maintenance guides. Happy cooking!

• The 3 best air fryers to buy now
• Best dual-zone air fryers for flexible cooking
• The four very best air fryers under £100
• Best Ninja air fryers of 2025

Ninja, the brand behind recent sell-out ice cream makers and slushie machines, has unveiled three new limited-edition looks for its very popular mini air fryer the Crispi. Frosted Lilac, Ginger Snap and Cherry Crush are now available to buy via the Ninja website for £149.99 apiece, but be warned: these one-off shades won't be around forever.

The best Ninja air fryers have won over shoppers up and down the country with their show-stopping cooking performances but now the brand is leaning into making these appliances collectibles too. Here are the shiny new shades.

I've been using my own Ninja Crispi at home for almost a year now and as per my five star Ninja Crispi air fryer review, I love how convenient it is to stash away in a cupboard and for storing leftovers. My Crispi is in Stone, which is one of the standard first-released colours and matches the rest of my kitchen appliances so well.

But if you have a brighter colour scheme in your kitchen or if you want to use your air fryer to add a pop of pastel to your worktops, then this Crispi collection might appeal.

Due to the very unique design of the Crispi, which consists of an air fryer lid and glass containers to hold your food, the addition of colour wouldn't be as overbearing as with a full-sized appliance. So if you are thinking of experimenting with the bright pink or yellow on offer here, you could always find a cupboard to hide the lid away in when its not in use.

Along with the recent release of Ninja's very popular stone air fryer, it looks like there's no end to the number of new colours you'll be able to buy from the brand. And with the Ninja Cripsi Pro XL also just dropped, there's bound to be more treats in store from this very trend-led retailer.

I can't wait to see which colour they take on next!

Ninja's stone air fryer is finally back and available to buy after the popularity of this air fryer skyrocketed earlier in October. Currently in stock on Amazon for £228.99, I'd recommend checking out on this one in double quick time if you've had it on your wish list.

Released as part of Ninja's array of new air fryer colours earlier in the year, this stone shade proved by far to be the most popular, especially with Ideal Home readers. The best Ninja air fryers are renowned for their excellent quality, but these limited-edition colour runs are really adding to the design appeal of these appliances too.

This particular version is an Amazon exclusive, but Ninja also has its own limited edition colours available right now, including the navy cyber space (£229.99 at Ninja). For the neutral lovers, here's a closer look at the particular stone shade.

If you have a neutral kitchen colour scheme, appliances that match your design vision is essential. That's why this stone Ninja air fryer has proved so popular, ranking as Amazon's bestselling air fryer this month.

Specs-wise, this is the standard Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer that caused so many sellouts way back in 2022 and which we've reviewed to great acclaim, but repackaged in colours far more suiting to most kitchens than black.

With two drawers that you can control separately to different temperatures and times, this Ninja is seen by many as an ultimate kitchen upgrade – though it's not quite as versatile as our favourite air fryer ever, the Ninja FlexDrawer, which impressed our reviewer and has the edge on space and design.

Seeing as this stone gold version is an Amazon exclusive, it'll be especially enticing to Prime members, as you could have this air fryer in your kitchen as soon as tomorrow.

We're certainly hoping that this stone gold Ninja air fryer can stay in stock long enough to feature in Amazon's upcoming Black Friday sale. After all, there's nothing better than scoring a bargain on something you've had your eye on for a while!

One thing I’m pleased to see hit the shelves recently is the increase in pretty air fryers, and the latest from VQ, the Laura Ashley Digital Air Fryer (£89.99 at Amazon), is a real beauty.

By now, there aren’t many kitchens that aren’t home to one of the best air fryers. The game-changing appliances have quickly become the faster and healthier alternative to a standard oven, and honestly, I couldn’t live without mine.

The drawback of air fryers, however, is that they can be both bulky and unsightly on your kitchen countertops. That is, until this stunning Laura Ashley design arrived on the scene.

The Laura Ashley air fryer shares many of the same features as standard air fryers. It has LED controls, multiple cooking functions and a non-stick basket. It has a 4.5L capacity, making it ideal for couples and small families, too.

But what sets this air fryer apart is its stunning China Rose floral print, which is well-suited to any cottagecore kitchen ideas. What’s more, this print has been hand-applied for an added personal touch.

'I've reviewed dozens of air fryers in my time as Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, but it's only in the last year or so that I've seen brands dedicate more time to the design of air fryers,’ comments Molly Cleary, Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor and Certified Expert on Cookware.

‘This Laura Ashley version is a standard small digital model, but the pattern makes it very striking. The print won't be for everyone, though it would suit an eclectic farmhouse vibe, but I'm all for brightening up these essential appliances – especially if it means you don't need to hide yours away in future!'

As this air fryer is on the smaller size, I’d recommend opting for something larger if you have a big family or frequently host dinner parties. Ninja air fryers are excellent for this, especially the Ninja FlexDrawer (£199 at Amazon), which has a whopping 10.4L capacity and can even fit a leg of lamb in it (our reviewer checked).

Unfortunately, these fryers are not as pretty as the Laura Ashley air fryer. So, if you need a larger appliance or your air fryer does not need an upgrade, I’d recommend investing in an air fryer cover, which can make it look ‘pretty’ when not in use.

These can be picked up on Etsy and not only keeps your air fryer clean, but also makes them look more attractive on your worktops. The Tutolipy Round Dust Cover (£10 at Amazon)has a range of different patterns to choose from, including daisies, sunflowers and cacti.

However, the Our Place Wonder Oven (£195 at Our Place) is another stunning air fryer. Featuring pretty pastels and a retro design, our review found it great for grilling, steaming, baking and air frying.

Other patterned appliances

This is not the first time Laura Ashley has applied her statement prints to kitchen appliances.

The Laura Ashley air fryer is a chic take on traditional air fryers, and I hope to see more fun and quirky patterns hit the shelves. What do you think?

If you’re looking for ways to elevate your BBQ game this year, then look no further, as Lidl has a new air fryer with grill and smoker that is perfect for cooking up a storm this summer.

No kitchen is indeed complete without one of the best air fryers on your countertops, and this now rings true for your BBQs, too. If you’re looking for the perfect char on your veggies or a delicious smoky flavour, sometimes even the best BBQs can’t quite compete with a special smoker and grill.

Available in Lidl’s middle aisle right now, the Silvercrest Kitchen Air Fryer With Grill & Smoker (£99.99) has everything you need to elevate your summer eating experience, and it’s more than £100 cheaper than Ninja’s Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker (was £299, now £229 at Ninja).

The Lidl air fryer with grill and smoker works as an air fryer when you have the lid closed and as a grill when you have the lid open. The smoker can be switched on separately when the lid is closed.

Like most modern air fryers, this one comes with a touchscreen display to make operation easy and simple. With the simple panel, you can choose to smoke, grill, air fry, roast, bake, dehydrate and reheat as you desire. The added smoker and grill make this air fryer hybrid perfect for BBQ season, especially if you’re hosting large parties and feel like showing off your superior cooking skills.

While a charcoal BBQ is great for chargrilling and smoking BBQ food, the Lidl air fryer with grill and smoker will do all the hard work for you, so you can achieve perfectly grilled and smoked food every time.

The Lidl air fryer with grill and smoker is both non-stick and scratch-resistant and includes a grill plate, frying basket and plancha. You can set a timer from just one minute to 12 hours, and the frying basket has a capacity of 3.8L, making it large enough for families.

Ninja’s Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill & Smoker may carry a heftier price tag, but it was excellently reviewed by our expert reviewer, who said it was easy to use and produced wonderfully flavourful food. If you’ve been looking to invest, Ninja air fryers are renowned for being some of the best you can buy, so if you can afford it, I would recommend opting for the Ninja grill and smoker.

Both Ninja and Lidl’s grill and smoker require outdoor electrical access, so if this is not available to you, it’s best to hone your BBQ or opt for a kamado BBQ (such as this Habitat one for £206. 25 at Argos), which is an expert and locking in smoky flavour.

If you don’t manage to track the Silvercrest Kitchen Air Fryer With Grill & Smoker down at your local Lidl, I’ve found a few more purse-friendly alternatives.

Can you see this air fryer becoming a part of your BBQ set-up?

It's long been true that Ninja air fryers are the very best available on the market, but one thing that's always been lacking is the range of colours from the brand. That's all changed with the release of new colour ways across the range of the best Ninja air fryers.

The headline news with these colours is that the very popular stone version of the Ninja Dual Zone is now finally back in stock for £228.99 on Amazon. It's an Amazon exclusive, so head over there as soon as you can if that's the air fryer you want.

Or if you've had your eye on the Ninja FlexDrawer instead, which is currently our top-rated best air fryer ever, then you can finally pick it up in white rather than just black. Here's all of the new colourways together so you can get a feel for the colours.

This new set of colourful Ninja air fryers were released on the 8th of July to mark Amazon Prime Day, which is when you can always expect limited edition products.

That makes these sales events a great time to shop if you're looking for alternative colourways. After all, finding an air fryer that actually matches your kitchen colour scheme means you don't need to look for ways to hide an air fryer in your kitchen.

Whichever colour takes your fancy, after testing every type of Ninja air fryer out there, we can wholeheartedly recommend them based on performance. Could any of these new shades sway you? If you're willing to look outside of the Ninja brand, these other colourful alternatives might also tick your boxes!

Here's to hoping more colourful air fryers are coming in the future, too!

If you've resisted the call of a Ninja air fryer thus far, that might be about to change as the brand's very popular Ninja Crispi is now on sale for just £124.99 on Amazon, down from £179.99. And this isn't some inflate-the-price-to-bring-down-the-price situation – I've consulted price-checking tool CamelCamelCamel to be sure.

I tested the Crispi, as per my 5-star Ninja Crispi review, back in March, and I loved it. For small kitchens, meal prep and for those who have resisted getting an air fryer so far, this is the perfect deal on one of the best Ninja air fryers around. Here's why.

The Crispi is novel for a few reasons. For one, it features a set of interchangeable glass food containers that you can air fry the food in, which can then be popped straight into your fridge.

That's because, rather than a conventional air fryer design, it has an air frying lid, which connects to power via a plug. Importantly, though it's advertised as 'portable', it's not battery powered, so it won't work for air frying at a picnic or at the beach unless there's a power source around.

If you've been put off from buying a Ninja air fryer due to the expense, this deal is a great way to see what all the fuss is about with this brand for less. If you're precious about your kitchen decor, it's also an ideal choice thanks to how easy it is to stash away in a cupboard or deep drawer.

That doesn't mean it doesn't pack a punch when it comes to capacity though. It's largest container is 3.8 litres in size and I comfortably air fried chicken wings, a large portion of chips and reheated dinner for two with it. I also enjoyed the best mozzarella sticks of my life with the crisping function.

If you want to see what all the fuss is about too, then this is a great time to pounce ahead of Amazon Prime Day (from the 8th to the 11th of July), where demand is only going to get higher.

I'm not the only fan of this particular Ninja offering either, with it gaining a 4.3 star rating on Amazon to date, from 212 reviews. Several of those who have purchased it comment on how beneficial it is for small kitchens and appreciate the glass containers, which are much easier to clean than plastic.

One review reads 'a well-made, well thought out, modern day cooking miracle' – I can only agree. For an air fryer that's more versatile than you might think, the Crispi gets my vote.

Lidl has issued an urgent recall for the Tower 8 Ltr Dual Basket Air Fryer and urged customers to 'stop using it immediately'.

The affected air fryer model is the T17129L. It has been recalled by Tower due to a risk of overheating, which could present 'a fire hazard'.

These air fryers were incredibly popular when they launched due to their budget-friendly price compared to the best dual-zone air fryers on the market, such as the Ninja Dual Zone Air Fryer.

Lidl has said that no other Tower products in store have been affected by this recall. If you do have one of the Dual Basket Air Fryers, Lidl is urging you to check if it's affected by contacting the supplier, Tower. You can do this by visiting www.tower-safety.co.uk and providing them with the product number.

This number can be found on the white sticker on the bottom of the air fryer, also known as the rating label. In order to confirm if you have an affected model, you will need to submit a picture of this label on the air fryer.

The Tower safety website says that after confirming your air fryer has been affected, it will look into replacement options for you.

Argos issued a recall on the 19th June for the same Tower Air Fryer, sold between September 2023 and November 2024, and asked customers to follow the same process.

Argos has said, 'A manufacturing defect has been identified that could cause the air fryer to overheat and pose a fire risk. To minimise any potential safety risks, please stop using the air fryer immediately.'

Previously, Tower has issued a product recall for a batch of its single-drawer air fryers manufactured between January 2022 and April 2023. It affected the 2.2L Manual Air Fryer, 4L Manual Air Fryer, 4L Digital Air Fryer and 2L Compact Manual Air Fryer.

The recall was issued after a similar overheating fault was found in a small number of them. While Tower said the fault had been deemed 'low risk' by trading standards, the 'safety and well-being of our customers is our top priority, and we have made the decision to voluntarily recall these models as a precautionary measure.'

If you have a Tower air fryer double-check the model number to check you don't own an affected model.

A family friend recently asked me for an air fryer recommendation, with the caveat that it needed to match the exact dimensions of the drawer she planned to keep it in. My face instantly gave away my confusion, and I blurted out, 'Why would you store an air fryer in a drawer, not on a worktop?'

I have one golden rule in my kitchen: everything must be easy to use. Putting even the best air fryer anywhere other than on a kitchen worktop goes directly against this in my book.

My rule came from growing up with a kitchen where you'd have to carefully rearrange half the kitchen to access any of the small appliances.

I didn't want this to be the case in my kitchen, so when I bought my Ninja air fryer, the squat black box went straight out on the worktop. But what I lost in space and aesthetics, I got back with an easy-to-access appliance I use almost daily.

Our Kitchen Appliance Editor, Molly Cleary, who has tested nearly every air fryer on the market, has a similar opinion. 'I end up talking to people a lot about appliances even when I'm not working, and it does surprise me how many people stash their air fryers under their worktops,' she says. 'I use mine way too much to not have it on my worktop and I'm seriously pressed for space in my flat'

Even after moving to a larger flat with more storage options, you'll still find a coffee machine, air fryer, stand mixer, microwave and Soda Stream all on display. I find that it's not just ease of use, but if I can't see it, I won't use it.

But my cluttered worktops are my Editor-in-Chief's worst nightmare. She instead uses clever kitchen storage ideas to tuck her stand mixer and other small appliances out of sight.

'I find as soon as anything lives on the kitchen worktop, other things quickly gather, which is one of the big reasons I like to keep them completely clear,' says Heather.

'I also like the feeling of openness and space that clear worktops creates. I have light-coloured worktops that blend in with the wall behind them, so keeping them empty of stuff makes the whole area feel larger. And lastly, as a family of keen cooks, I want to maximise all available worktop space for food prep, rather than giving it over to appliances.'

Where do you stand on the debate: should an air fryer and other small appliances be on display in a kitchen or neatly hidden away?

Or are there some exceptions to the rule? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Futuristic-looking and with 15 different modes, the Typhur Dome 2 is an air fryer supposedly inspired by professional pizza ovens. With the brand behind it claiming it can achieve 360 degree all-over cooking, I just had to try it out for myself to see if it could join our list of the best air fryers. Here's how I got on with it.

In a nutshell

The Typhur Dome 2 claims to be ‘bigger, faster and quieter’ than the version that came before it, and definitely ticks all those boxes, offering 15 cooking modes that cover pretty much everything and doing them well, along with extra functions like wifi capability and self-cleaning.

Its large capacity and multiple modes means you can do everything from fries to wings, as well as a whole pizza, steak and more, so it lives up to the dream of replacing your oven and does so quietly and easily.

Product specs

• Type: Air fryer
• Dimensions: 50 x 39.6 x 26.2 cm
• Weight: 9.07 kg
• Maximum temperature: 232.2C
• Cooking modes: 15-in-1 appliance including Pizza, Bacon, Steak, Wings, Fries, Frozen, Air Fry, Toast, Grill, Bake, Griddle, Roast, Broil, Dehydrate, and Reheat
• Power: 1750W

Who tested this air fryer?

Getting started

The term ‘space-age’ was basically created for the Typhur Dome 2. While its box isn’t particularly larger than some other air fryers out there, once you find your way in, the contents definitely look different from other similar gadgets. The dome shape that’s akin to a spaceship, the silver colour. It certainly stands out from the crowd.

With just one pull out drawer and a grill plate that sits inside it, it’s fairly easy to set up and even if you just want to ignore some of the tech wizardry that it involves, you can literally ‘plug and play’ if you want to cook something straight away. There’s a digital display with a selection of specific presets - pizza, bacon, steak and wings, as well as the option to select cooking modes of air fry, toast, grill, reheat.

You can also manually adjust the temperature and time like most air fryers, so it’s pretty flexible. Typhur claim the Dome 2 is a 15-in-1 appliance that will help you save space because it combines the functions of an air fryer, convection oven, toaster, griddle and more, allowing you to declutter your kitchen, and it’s fair to say this is pretty versatile and can do quite a lot of the jobs you might be using other gadgets or kitchen appliances for.

The digital display is easy to navigate, though not the most responsive I’ve ever used, so you’ll need a firm press to get the functions to work. At first glance, I’m a bit confused to see that the temperature is measured in fahrenheit rather than celsius, but a gander at the instructions shows that it’s fairly easy to switch to celsius, and it’s not a bad call having the option of both.

One of the big selling points of the Typhur Dome 2 is its wifi capability which allows you to connect it to your phone and control it remotely. Again, it’s fairly easy to set up and pair, and while you need to be standing by the machine to actually hit start - which I think is pretty wise in terms of safety - you can adjust it, and stop it all using the app.

So if you’re midway through that brilliant drama and realise you want to change things up, there’s no need to even get up. Absolutely vital in your life? Maybe not. But a fun extra bit of functionality you can have.

The app also has plenty of recipes and ideas, so might be handy for a bit of inspiration. And if you love your gadgets, Typhur also do a wireless meat thermometer that you can use in conjunction with this air fryer - something for someone who wants to be super accurate with their cooking, or maybe someone who just loves as many toys as possible for their kitchen gadgets.

The drawer itself is pretty big - fitting a 12-inch pizza, or multiple wings for example. So if you’re cooking for a family, you won’t struggle to fit relatively large volumes of food in.

Cooking

Chicken

The first test for me is always a simple chicken breast. A staple in my diet, I want to be able to pop it in the air fryer and for it to cook quickly and efficiently, be browned nicely as if I’ve roasted it, but also still moist.

I set the Typhur Dome 2 to ‘air fry’, and 180C for 20 minutes which is my go-to time. There’s no window like some air fryers, so if you want to check on things you have to slide the drawer open which stops the cooking, but it then starts automatically once you pop it back in, so it’s a fairly easy process.

According to the advertising spiel, Typhur have created a signature airflow system that uses two heating elements - one on the top and one on the bottom - to ensure even, efficient cooking without you having to shake or flip. My chicken definitely cooks evenly and efficiently. It’s done long before the 20 minutes and is nicely browned but still moist.

Chips

The second test is homemade chips. I cut peeled potatoes into fairly thick chips, toss them in oil and salt and then pop in the drawer. Its size means they’re spread out well, without sitting on top of one another, which always helps them cook quicker and get crispier.

Again, I use air fry, and go with 200C for 15 minutes. There are very few air fryers I’ve tested that manage to cook chips in this time, but the Typhur nearly gets there. They’re brown and pretty crispy on the outside but need a few more minutes. Not many more though, and I’m thrilled to find them cooked evenly, all with the similar brown, crisp skin but still flurry inside. Almost as easy as oven chips (apart from the peeling and chopping bit, obviously).

Frozen food

Another advantage of the large drawer is that I can actually cook a frozen breaded cod fillet at the same time as my chips. The flip side is one drawer means everything’s got to go in at the same temperature.

Technically the fish needs longer than the 15 minutes I’ve planned for the chips, but assuming the latter will take a bit longer anyway, I pop them all in at the same time.

The fish is actually done in 15 minutes, confirmed by a quick temperature probe check, and it’s quicker again than most other air fryers. I also haven’t had to turn it over. I leave it in for the extra minutes that the chips need, and while the outside stays nice and crispy the inside hasn’t dried out, though I guess it could if I left it in for much longer. Still, again, it seems the Typhur Dome 2 is living up to the claims that it cooks more efficiently than some other air fryers out there.

It’s also pretty quiet. For a big beast that cooks things so quickly, one of its big claims to fame is that it features ’s a brushless motor that contributes to it being quiet. They claim 55dB, though my decibel meter captures about 61dB - which is still pretty quiet for something this big and powerful. And anecdotally, it definitely sounds less full-on than some of the gadgets I’ve tried in the past.

Bacon

Bacon is always a go to for an air fryer test. I hit the bacon setting and press start, and even before the 8 minutes it allows, a quick peep shows the bacon is done.

Crispy, cooked evenly, fat nicely rendered, and I haven’t had to faff about turning it or anything.

Pizza

The Typhur Dome 2 claims to be inspired by professional pizza ovens, hence working on the airflow and circulation, using dual heating elements rather than just one.

This means the bottom heating element apparently ensures evenly baked crusts and perfectly melted cheese on both frozen and fresh pizzas. It’s also big enough to fit a 12” pizza, so it seems a no brainer.

I test it using a supermarket frozen pizza, using the pizza preset, which automatically puts it at 170c for 14 minutes. I feel like it’s a bit low so I manually adjust the temperature to the instructions on the pack, and am pleased to see it perfectly cooked after the allotted time.

The crust is crispy, the cheese melted, and while I could have achieved the same result in the grill in my kitchen, I’d have had to wait longer for it to preheat, so the fact I can add another option to my air fryer’s capabilities is a bonus.

Steak

Among its many promises, the Typhur Dome 2 claims to be great for ‘fresh griddled goodies’ like pancakes. This claim, combined with the fact it has a dedicated steak preset, makes me want to try it for a steak.

I use a supermarket fillet and pop it in on the steak setting which whacks the temperature up to 230C and suggests 10 minutes. In it goes and I check it after about 7 minutes, to find the bottom heating element has produced the same Maillard reaction and browning on the bottom that I’d achieve from a pan - just with less mess. I turn the steak over and pop it back in for the remaining time, adding a few minutes that I think it will need.

This is quite easy to do as the Typhur allows you to adjust cooking time while it’s actually cooking, without you having to stop it and start from scratch. When the ten minutes are up the second side is nicely browned too. I cut into it, and while I love my steak rare, my slightly thick fillet is more like blue, so in it goes again for about 3 minutes more, and ends up perfectly rare. Another use - and way less messy than searing a steak in a pan.

What's it like to clean?

The drawer and grill of the Typhur Dome are made from PFA-free ceramic and are non-stick, so any mess is fairly easy to wipe off or wash out, as I find after my bacon jaunt. They’re also dishwasher safe, so if you can’t be bothered to do it by hand you can chuck them in .

Even better, the Typhur Dome also has a self-cleaning mode. A bit like some ovens, it heats the air fryer super hot to basically get rid of the grease and grime that sits in the top cavity.

Another function that can be controlled from your phone, you just select the self clean mode and it sets it to clean mode for two hours. You can definitely smell the grease burning off, but there’s no big puffs of smoke or anything like that, and afterwards, the element in the top looks shiny and new without that sticky grease you get after several uses.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

If you like the sound of Wifi capability and an app but don't want to spend nearly £500, then our Dreo Chef Maker review details a capable alternative (even if it is still pretty pricey).

This is large capacity air fryer, so if it's catering to a crowd you need then something like the Ninja FlexDrawer (which you can read more about in our review of it)

and it’s got plenty of capacity to cater for families and bigger groups of people.

They seem to have thought of pretty much everything, making it a versatile gadget that can mimic plenty of different cooking styles and help you out with everything from bacon and wings, to pizza or cooking a steak. It’s pretty hard to fault in terms of usage, though perhaps the display could be slightly more responsive. But the big sticking point is the price point - at £499 it’s not a cheap air fryer, and the question is whether the extra couple of hundred pounds are worth it.

Should you buy the Typhur Dome air fryer?

The Typhur Dome 2 is a good-looking gadget that not only offers plenty of flexibility in an air fryer, but does it well, cooking all sorts of different foods efficiently and easily. One for the tech lovers, it’s pretty advanced and has a few extra features that arguably aren’t necessary but are fun, along with the option of purchasing extras like a temperature probe.

Its large capacity makes it useful for families, but it could also be used by couples or people who just want to check everything in one drawer and cook it.

Its single dishwasher drawer along with the self-clean mode makes it easy to keep clean too, which is a winner for everyone from busy singletons to mums who don’t want to spend their lives washing up.

However, the £499 price tag puts it right up there as one of the most expensive air fryers I’ve seen, and however good it is, this is an issue as it makes it inaccessible to some people.

Ultimately, it's one for people with money to spare and who love to play around with tech gadgets, but for people without that kind of cash to spend, there are other air fryers that might be more suitable.

Fans of the all-hailed Aldi middle aisle, stop what you're doing. Aldi is launching a new £30 air fryer, and they’ve drenched it in 2025’s ‘it colour’.

If you told me you weren’t aware of pistachio shades being absolutely everywhere this year, I simply wouldn’t believe you. The fresh shade of green has dominated colour trends this year and is now making its mark on the best air fryers.

Landing in the middle aisle on Thursday (3 April), the Aldi 3.5L air fryer not only looks the part but has embraced many of the high-tech features you see on higher-end air fryers - this is everything you need to know.

The main thing that stands out about the Aldi 3.5L air fryer is the trending shade of green it’s been drenched in. Pistachio has cropped up everywhere this spring, from Fearne Cotton’s pistachio green shelves to Victoria Beckham’s pistachio sofa.

The Aldi 3.5L air fryer is also available in a sleek powder blue, another huge trend this year. Pistachio works wonders with most kitchen colour schemes, so you don’t have to worry about it clashing with your other appliances or kitchen cabinets.

The features of this air fryer also make it worth more than its incredibly cheap price point. Like higher-end models on the market, the Aldi 3.5L air fryer has a digital LED panel so you can select programs directly by touching the icon.

It has eight programs to choose from, a keep-warm function and even a 24-hour digital timer with a shake reminder. I’m also impressed with how the air fryer has been optimised for storage. It has cable store on the back of the device so you can tuck away loose cables (which can be a bit of an eyesore) when the air fryer is not in use.

With a 3.5L capacity, the Aldi air fryer is ideal for couples, those who live alone or are working with a small kitchen. It’s big enough to cook up to three portions of food, without taking up too much space on your side.

It’s not often a kitchen appliance looks as pretty as it is functional. Now, while I haven’t tried the Aldi 3.5L air fryer myself, Aldi’s middle aisle is known for delivering on quality. In its new pistachio shade, it could be one of the most stylish air fryers on the market.

Shop air fryer accessories

After selecting your favourite green air fryer, you'll want some accessories to optimise your cooking.

But like all middle aisle offers, when it’s gone, it's gone - so be quick if you want to grab one of these pistachio green air fryers.

George Home has a new multi-drawer air fryer that could rival the Ninja FlexDrawer - and you’ll want to check it out fast, as it’s currently £30 off.

Nowadays, owning one of the best air fryers comes as naturally to a kitchen as owning a kettle. In a few short years, they’ve cemented their status as home essentials. But let’s be real, some air fryer models can be pretty pricey, which is where George Home’s multi-drawer air fryer comes in.

The George Home 11L Multi-Drawer Air Fryer is currently on sale at £58.88, down from £89, and it’s clever multi-zone design and purse-friendly price point make it a worthy alternative to the coveted Ninja FlexDrawer.

The best dual zone air fryers sit in many kitchens for good reason. Rather than being limited to one cooking space, you have at least two zones to tailor your cooking and ditch your oven in the process. They’re energy efficient and cook faster than a traditional oven, which I think makes the design perfect for busy families.

George Home’s multi-drawer air fryer has a whopping 11L capacity, and you can adjust your drawer based on your cooking needs. It comes with a divider so you can have two independent cooking zones or the full 11L cooking area, which you could use to roast a whole chicken.

Like more expensive models on the market, the 11L Multi-Drawer Air Fryer features a touch screen LED display, 10 cooking functions and non-stick coating for easy of cleaning. And if you are using the divider to create cooking zones, there are match and sync functions to time your meals perfectly.

‘This air fryer from ASDA caught my eye when I was looking up Ninja's very popular FlexDrawer model and I was so struck by the similarity as well as encouraged by the positive user reviews (so far!),’ says Molly Cleary, Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor and Certified Expert for Cookware.

‘The FlexDrawer is our top-rated air fryer ever, thanks to the clever design that allows you to switch from one drawer to two drawers at will, plus it has excellent cooking power. The only downside to it is the high price (£269.99 at Ninja). In comparison, this ASDA alternative is a total steal price, so if you can't stretch to the FlexDrawer, it might be worth giving a go for the genius of the multi-zone design!'

The George Home 11L Multi-Drawer Air Fryer matches many of the features of Ninja’s FlexiDrawer. However, the Ninja FlexiDrawer is an outstanding bit of kit, which is we we awarded it five stars in our Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer review.

Our reviewer loved the Ninja because of it’s ability to whip up tasty (and crispy) meals very quickly. It was even able to roast a 2.2kg leg of lamb to perfection in it’s 10.4L drawer. Now we haven’t had a chance to test the George Home air fryer, but it does have a number of glowing reviews.

‘Was not sure whether to buy this, as it's just a George brand item compared to a well-known brand name... however, I've used it only a small number of times so far, it's been great to use! Handy having one big drawer, but also 2 separate drawers. The middle divider and base grill plates are sturdy,’ reads one review.

‘To be honest, it doesn't feel cheap, it feels/works like a good brand. Worth buying! Will see how it goes with future uses.’

I don’t think you’d be making an air fryer mistake by investing in the George Home 11L Multi-Drawer Air Fryer. It’s incredibly affordable and matches many of the features of higher-end brands.

All you need now is some stellar air fryer accessories to elevate your meals even further…

Instant Pots are very popular in the US, but on this side of the Atlantic, the brands' air fryers really steal the show. So much so that the Ideal Home ranking of the very best air fryers has had an Instant air fryer near the top for years now. So how does this new release fair?

In a nutshell

The USP of the Instant Pot Vortex Dual 8L is that it has two 4L drawers that can be set to different temperatures. Synced together, these different elements can be ready at the same time, or mirrored to create an 8L capacity.

When I was testing it, I found that it has a range of usefully different cooking modes, is simple to use, and easy to clean. I think on the whole, it makes a good family gadget that’s pretty affordable compared to some others on the market.

I put this air fryer through its paces, testing it on staple air fryer ingredients and trying out the various features, most of which came off as a success.

Product specs

• Type: Air fryer
• Dimensions: 40 x 38 x 31 cm (WxLxH)
• Weight: 7.25kg
• Cooking modes: 8: – Air Fry, Bake, Grill, Dehydrate, Roast, Reheat, SyncCook and SyncFinish
• Power: 1550-1850W

Who tested this air fryer?

Unboxing the air fryer

The Instant Vortex Dual Drawer 8L Air Fryer isn’t a small box, which is unsurprising given its size and the fact it claims to cater for up to eight people.

That said, it’s surprisingly light for a gadget quite so big, which is refreshing not only in lugging the box into the kitchen but unboxing it too. Simplicity seems to be the watchword here - no unnecessary packaging, and far fewer bits and bobs than some other similar air fryers. Just the air fryer itself, a very brief instruction manual and the base trays for each drawer.

However, there is possibly such a thing as ‘too’ simple in some cases - not in terms of the air fryer itself, but that oh-so-simple instruction book.

Yes, it’s nice not to have reams and reams of pages to read through, but this is at the other end of the scale and has a few brief key instructions then refers you to several QR codes to find more in-depth guidance.

A great option, but for some of us, we just want to pick up an instruction book and find out what to do without having to faff around with QR codes. I gave up in the end, and decided to wing it.

Fortunately, it's intuitive and I like the simple display.

Numbers one and two denote which drawer you’re controlling, along with presets based around cooking style including air fry, bake, grill, dehydrate, roast, and reheat.

There’s also SyncCook and SyncFinish options which do what they say on the tin - either sync the drawers to the same temperatures and cooking time, or cleverly line them up so the contents of both will be ready at the same time.

Those features are great if you’re cooking dinner for a gang and want it all to be ready at the same time. According to the advertising, you can simply ‘set and forget’ which you kind of have to, given that - unlike so many modern models - this air fryer doesn’t have windows to look through.

Not a huge deal, but some people do like to watch their food or have a little peep. If the windows are a dealbreaker, the other air fryers in Instant's range are perfect for this.

Cooking

Chicken

My go-to first test for an air fryer is a simple chicken breast. For this, I only need drawer number one, so in I pop the chicken on top of the tray that sits in the bottom (and is a bit of a squeeze to get in, it turns out, but does fit nice and snug if you push it in).

A few sprays of oil and on I pop it at 180C for 20 minutes - the temperature and time I usually set for something like this. It preheats super quickly, and soon we’re well on our way to cooking.

As mentioned, unlike some air fryers, the Instant Vortex Dual Drawer 8L Air Fryer doesn’t have windows in the front of its drawers so if you want to take a look you have to open it up, not that that’s a big deal.

The cooker pauses automatically and the display helpfully informs you that it’s ‘open’, so you can take a look, use a temperature probe, or whatever else you want to do. I check periodically, and it’s definitely up with the more efficient air fryers I’ve used.

Instant claim this cooks up to 50% faster, using up to 80% less energy, than a traditional oven, and while I haven’t done the maths on the energy consumption, it definitely seems to cook quickly.

After about 15 minutes the chicken looks done, and a quite probe test proves I’m right. Despite the speed, the air fryer is fairly quiet at 55dB, and the chicken is cooked evenly and still pretty moist. I’ve also only got to clean one drawer which is handy, so while it’s suitable for catering for big families, it’s also fine if you just want to cook for one or two people.

Bacon

The next test is bacon, so I decide to take advantage of both drawers and pop a couple of slices in each, using the SyncCook setting to set them at the same time and temperature.

Again, the bacon cooks super quickly and is evenly done, with the little trays inside ensuring any fat or water drips away, leaving behind crispy bacon with well rendered fat. Another win.

Homemade chips

My next go-to is homemade chips - made from scratch by peeling potatoes and cutting them into fairly chunky chips, then tossing in oil and seasoning. We always start with a standard 15 minutes, and in most air fryers I’ve tested this isn’t enough and they need to go back in.

I give them the occasional shake to move them around, and I’m thrilled to find that the Instant Vortex Dual 8L has pretty much done the job of cooking them in the initial 15 minutes. A few of the thicker ones need a few minutes longer, but for the most part my chips are done nicely - crispy on the outside, fluffy inside.

This air fryer apparently has EvenCrispTM Technology that creates the perfect crunch with 95% less oil compared to deep frying - and while these aren’t quite the same as deep fried chips (are air fried chips ever comparable?), they’re pretty good.

It’s worth pointing out that my test has been with a relatively conservative amount of chips, since I’m only doing enough for one person, so trying to cook more could potentially affect the crispiness, but you could always use the second drawer if you’re catering for more people.

Frozen food

I team my chips with another air fryer testing staple - frozen breaded cod. The Instant Vortex Dual blurb reminds us that it’s great for cooking both fresh and frozen food, so this is the perfect test. It also means I can try the SyncFinish function as the instructions on the fish say to allow 25 minutes, which is 10 minutes longer than my chips.

I don’t find this setting the easiest to sort out, but it could be operator error and a little bit of me thinks it’s just as easy to get one drawer started, then manually start the second one. But I suppose if you want to leave the room and not have to worry then it’s a good feature.

With both drawers going, it’s still pretty quiet, registering a few decibels lower than some other air fryers. I check the fish before the end of the allotted time and am pleasantly surprised to see it’s already cooked - confirmed by my trusty temperature probe. The bread crumb is nice and crispy and the fish moist inside, with the bonus that it seems to have cooked even quicker in this air fryer than it should.

What's it like to clean?

Like most air fryers, this is fairly easy to clean - its exterior wipes clean and the drawers are apparently dishwasher-safe, but in fairness are pretty easy to just pop in the sink and give a wash. Their non-stick finish means nothing’s really stuck to them, so any bacon fat or residue from the chicken washes off easily.

How does it compare to similar models and predecessors?

As dual drawer air fryers go, this is pretty impressive. It looks good, has bigger cooking capacity than some rival models and previous models, and cooks super efficiently - exceeding my expectations in terms of cooking times.

It’s fairly simple to use, without over-complicating things, but has handy features like being able to cook two elements at different times and temperatures, as well as setting them to align, or setting them to finish at the same time.

It’s pretty handy for cooking for one, but I imagine would be useful for a whole family too. It’s also easy to keep clean, and has all the safety features you’d expect from a family-friendly kitchen gadget.

If you do want an Instant with windows, our top-rated choice with that feature is detailed in our Instant Vortex Plus Dual Basket Air Fryer review. Our favourite Instant air fryer ever? The very reasonably priced Instant VersaZone (as per our review).

Should you buy the Instant Pot Vortex Dual 8L Air Fryer?

This air fryer keeps things simple with the addition of some handy features to make cooking multiple elements or family-sized amounts easier. It cooks efficiently, is easy to clean, and is a bit simpler than some of the more over-complicated models out there.

Its ease of use makes it perfect for families, but the two-drawer design means you could use it for smaller meals too if you wanted. At £129.99 with free delivery, it’s not a bad price at all for a gadget of this size and quality, doing what it says on the tin without breaking the bank.

Ninja air fryers are endlessly popular for good reason. They cook food quickly and well, are packed with innovative features and are easy to use. As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, I think Ninja is far and away the air fryer brand to beat.

You can't escape that it is also one of the most expensive. The priciest model will set you back a huge £269.99, though it's no coincidence that this is the product that I've rated better than any other in our list of the best Ninja air fryers for years now (a fact you can read all about in our Ninja FlexDrawer Air Fryer review).

So in this case then, it's true that you get what you pay for. In that spirit, these are the lessons I wish I'd applied before I bought my Ninja to get even more value out of the money I spent.

1. The smaller options are still just as powerful

Ninja's most hyped air fryers will probably be familiar to you by looks alone. Arguably, the brand's Dual Zone air fryer with its two drawer design is the most popular air fryer in the country – you see it in kitchens everywhere.

And while the bigger options certainly deserve praise, if I were picking an air fryer all over again, I'd be seriously considering Ninja's air fryers with a smaller footprint.

Though lesser known, when we've tried them here at Ideal Home, we've loved the smaller versions every time. Recent examples include my five-star review of the Ninja Crispi and our expert Home Economist Helen's glowing review of the Ninja Air Fryer MAX PRO (which confusingly is one of the smaller ones in the range).

Why do we like these compact versions? For one, the cooking results are great, especially with the Crispi (£179.99 at Ninja). In a smaller space, the huge amount of power goes a long way to help with crisping. Homemade chips will never be the same again!

They are also deceptively capable if you need more portion availability. Though something like the PRO MAX (£109.99 at Ninja) is a lot smaller than the double drawer products, with 6.2 litres of cooking space, you could still make dinner for four without being stretched.

There's still plenty of choice if you opt for a small model too, with different models to suit households up and down the country. Here are some of my favourites I've tested over the years.

2. There is such a thing as too many functions

Usually when I'm steering someone towards buying a Ninja appliance, the number of functions is one of the big selling point, as you get so much more built in for your money.

Take the Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 Multifunction Oven for example (£269.99 from Ninja). With it, you can air fry, roast (in two different ways), grill, bake, make pizza, dehydrate, reheat, toast and use the bagel function. After trying it, our reviewer Helen said she couldn't fault its cooking ability and versatility in her 4.5 star review.

At the same time, she also warned that it's only the type of appliance worth investing in if you'll actually use most of those settings. Otherwise, you're just paying an excess for something that you don't need.

It's why I like that Ninja are also opting to bring out appliances with less functionality that you can pick up with a smaller price tag as I explained in my first look at the new 4-in-1 AF200UK air fryer. The TLDR? It's £50 cheaper (at £149.99 from Ninja) than the original two drawer version, just without the two least used settings.

When it comes to functionality then, my message is to think about what you really need and what you'll actually use and spend your money from there.

3. The design of the drawers makes a huge difference

I've tried dozens of air fryers and from those experiences, one thing I'd caution you not to overlook is the configuration of the drawers on whichever Ninja air fryer you choose.

Whenever I have a straightforward two-drawer model in my house to test, I do feel like there are limitations as to what I can cook. For family cooking, I think they can work well as they can bring elements of meals together when you need bigger portions but for single dishes, I'd prefer one larger cooking space every time.

It's another thing to weigh up in your buying decision then. Or, if you want ultimate flexibility, it's a good reason to opt for a multi-zone design, as with the Ninja FlexDrawer (£269.99 from Ninja). The big USP with the FlexDrawer is that you can change from one cooking megazone to two smaller spaces whenever you like.

4. There are more colour options than you might think

It's not as important as cooking power or ability, I know, but if you're design conscious, then the colour of your air fryer is something to consider.

The only available colour of the Ninja Dual Zone for a long time was black, but in recent years, there's been an extended range of shades available. I recently tested the Ninja Double Stack in white, which I think looks much better in a neutral kitchen than the black version. Plus, there's limited edition versions on Amazon including the Ninja Double Stack in a rose gold colourway (£229.99 at Amazon).

While I'm still holding out hope for some pastel colours from Ninja soon, it is worth noting that there's options other than black that you can try out right now.

Is there one thing you wish you had known before you invested in your Ninja air fryer?

A TikTok hack has been blamed for a fire in Bournemouth last month after its owner attempted to clean an air fryer using a viral cleaning hack - now, experts are urging owners to understand the importance of cleaning your air fryer properly.

If you’ve invested in one of the best air fryers, then you’ll already know that they are a lifesaver for cooking up quick, tasty meals at home. But to get the most out of your appliance, you’ll need to know how to clean an air fryer properly.

There are plenty of TikTok hacks claiming to have found the easiest way to clean an air fryer. But these are not always safe to use, which is why experts are warning against this TikTok air fryer cleaning hack.

On 15 February this year, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to a property in Bournemouth after fire alarms had been set off, the BBC reported.

Thankfully, the fire had already been put out via the property's sprinkler system when emergency services arrived. The fire service revealed the fire had started when a resident had attempted to use a TikTok cleaning hack on their air fryer.

After filling the air fryer’s drawers with soap and water, the appliance was switched onto steam clean mode. While not all air fryers have this cleaning mode, the same hack has been replicated with people filling their machines with soap and water and then putting it on low.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service have warned air fryers should be cleaned as stated in the appliance’s manufacturing instructions.

‘All high power electrical devices can be dangerous if used outside of their intended purposes, which includes following manufacturer cleaning instructions, not TikTok users infinite wisdom,’ says Dale Allen, health and safety expert and founder of The SafetyVerse.

‘Whatever sparked the fire, the original cause was user error by using the product outside of its intended purpose. Stick to the instructions and you benefit from a safe home and a product warranty replacement.’

It’s also recommended that you clean your air fryer after every use, as the build up of grease and food can be a fire hazard in itself. To do this, we recommend switching your appliance off, and using a cloth with dish soap and water to clean it.

‘We've tested pretty much every air fryer under the sun here at Ideal Home, including a very popular one from Philips (as seen in our Philips 5000 Dual Basket Steam Air Fryer review) which has a steam cleaning setting which actually works pretty well,’ says Molly Cleary, Kitchen Appliances Editor and Certified Expert on Appliances and Cookware at Ideal Home.

‘However, this is not a standard mode on most air fryers, so it's extremely inadvisable to try it out on any appliance that doesn't advertise this mode in the materials you get in the box. As a general rule, turning on your air fryer with water inside is a big no no – don't try it!’

We can’t stress the importance of cleaning your air fryer properly enough. Not all CleanTok hacks are usable (or safe) and this is proof. If you want to know the best way to clean and look after your air fryer, the answer is waiting in your air fryer’s manufacturing instructions.

Ah, the Ninja Crispi. A strange concept you have to admit – a mini glass-bottomed air fryer with a removable lid that contains a heat element and a fan. Is it the future of cooking or just a bit too far?

I intended to find out when I reviewed it as Ideal Home's curator of the list of the very best air fryers. Here's how I got on.

(P.S The new and upgraded Ninja Crispi Pro XL dropped in the UK as of March 2026, if you want to check out our first try of it!)

In a nutshell

You have to give it to them, the Ninja Crispi is every bit as useful as the brand claim – it has the power of a full-sized air fryer but without the bulkiness. Instead, it has fabulous easy clean glass containers in two sizes and an easy to use Power Pod which sits on top of whatever you're cooking.

I was expecting the Crispi to be gimmicky, but the glass containers are far more convenient than a regular air fryer drawer with the added benefit of being free of PFAS (which stands for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, otherwise known as microplastics).

There are four modes to use here: Air Fry, Roast, Keep Warm, Recrisp. Though there are Ninjas out there with plenty more functions (like Max Crisp or Dehydrate), this smaller selection is all you really need for day-to-day cooking. All of them performed excellently in our tests. I air fried succulent chicken wings, perfectly oozing mozzarella sticks and wedges, crisped a pasta bake and roasted chicken and green beans.

This is a versatile buy, though even the biggest container (3.8 litres) won't suffice for cooking for a crowd. I think it's a perfect secondary air fryer for perfect crisping or ideal for students, one-to-two person households or those looking for an air fryer to make the speediest possible lunches.

Specifications

• Capacity: 1.4L & 3.8L container
• Modes:  Air fry, roast, reheat, keep warm
• Weight: 6.6kg
• Power: 1700W
• Dishwasher safe: yes, the containers
• Size: 34.5 x 30.4 x 34cm (h x w x d)

Getting started

This is no normal air fryer and there are plenty of parts to get to grips with when the Crispi is out of the box.

The main element of the Crispi is the PowerPod - in other words the lid. It's this that contains a heat element and fan for circulating that hot air that is going to crisp your food.

The PowerPod fits neatly onto the smaller of the two glass containers (the 1.4 litre capacity one) but it doesn't firmly attach on like you might expect. It's easy to lift off.

If you want to use the larger 3.8 litre container then you have to use the PowerPod and the included adaptor, which fits like a neat skirt around the bottom. Both of the glass containers feature heat-resistant edging, so that you can place them down on surfaces without worrying.

Another plus point of the glass containers altogether is the fact that you're getting away from using entirely-plastic air fryer drawers. I find that concerns about microplastics difficultt to soothe given how ubiquitous they are, but if this is a step you want to take then the Crispi is a good choice.

The PowerPod itself is seamless to use. You can pick it up easily thanks to the moulds around the top and then pick from the four different modes. These modes will give you a preset cooking time and temperature but these can be changed with the controls.

The included materials are great for guidance on what foods require a 'Recrisp' as opposed to 'Keep Warm'. Plus, though the Crispi is maybe not the most design-led appliance of all times, I do love this Stone colour (and the Sage Green option is also lovely) and it's small enough to stash away with ease if you're a minimalist.

I mistakenly thought that the Crispi was a battery-powered device which you recharge so that you could take it out and about with you, but this isn't the case. The PowerPod must be plugged into the mains for this air fryer to operate, so while you could take it to the office with you you'll need a power source at hand.

Cooking

I tried every setting on the Crispi whilst alternating between using the large and small glass containers, starting off with mozzarella dippers.

Mozzarella dippers

I figured mozzarella dippers would be a fitting first test as a party food that you might air fry out and about.

I started with the smallest container and found that all but two of the dippers in the pack could fit in to the space. I then popped the PowerPod on top and set them to cook on 'Air Fry' for 8 minutes at 180.

One thing that's gone viral about the Crispi is that you can see the air frying process in action because of the glass containers. This has led to various flimsy foods flying around inside the container, much to users' delight. This will happen in a normal air fryer too due to how the heat circulation works - you can just see it with this one.

Luckily these dippers were clearly weighty enough to withstand the powerful fan and stayed rooted to the spot.

When I returned they were perfectly crispy and browned on the outside with the perfect stringy cheese consistency inside.

Maybe I just forgot how much I love a mozzarella dipper, but I really was immeadiately blown away by how effective the Crispi was. I was slightly skeptical of the lid design before this test, as the Pod doesn't feel like it fixes on securely, but this worry clearly made no impact on this device's cooking power.

Chicken wings

Next, I switched to the larger container to try my hand at chicken wings. One important aspect of this test was that I wanted to try to air fry the wings without adding oil to see if they would get sufficiently crisped. That's one of the advertised USPs of this fryer, with the claim that its '75% less fat' than other methods.

The large container is really surprisingly spacious. Though 3.8 litres doesn't sound like a lot, I felt I could fit a heft of wings in comfortably with room to spare.

I added the wings in to crisp up on the Air Fry setting once again. 20 minutes later I added a sauce and popped them back in for a few minutes and the results were delectable.

No oil was needed and the wings crisped just as they were meant to.

Pasta bake

Next up was using the 'Re-Crisp' setting, which fits with the portable vibe of the Crispi. You can use it to 'revive leftovers with gentle heat' on cheese-topped dishes or veg, according to Ninja, so I tried it out with a pasta bake.

I then left the preset temperature and timings to work their magic.

Suitably cheesy, this was the perfect showing of how the Crispi works for quick lunchtime refreshes without using a microwave.

The pasta was warmed through and the topping was well melted. Though carrying around the Crispi and the plug might get tiresome fast, I can see where the portable element might be enticing.

Bacon

Next, it was onto bacon, which is always a good litmus test of how quick a crisp can be achieved.

I switched back to using the smaller container here for a one-person portion, which allowed for three rashers.

Less than ten minutes later, what I think is perfectly done bacon was ready to eat. It was another showing of how surprisingly powerful this little appliance is. It really does pack the punch of much larger Ninja air fryer, which I wasn't expecting.

Roasting

I then tried the roast setting with a piece of breaded chicken and green beans. I used my go-to layering trick (that's also a favourite of Jamie Oliver) to squeeze both into the smaller space.

The results were fine, though less crispy and speedy than using the air fry setting.

I've kept hold of the Ninja Crispi for further testing and I think the big question will be to see if it can truly roast a whole small chicken as the brand claims. Stay tuned for that.

This combination would be the perfect thing to have for a lunchtime, which is where the included lids from Ninja also come in so handy. Pop the lid on and you can pop it straight into the fridge.

What's it like to clean?

Cleaning the glass air fryer elements was far easier than a normal air fryer tray. I just popped both into the sink for five minutes with washing up liquid to soak and came back to remove any sticky parts. The glass gives you the obvious benefit of being able to really see how clean things are too.

The containers and inserts are also dishwasher safe if that's more to your liking.

How does it compare to similar products?

As usual, with the brand's more-is-more approach, Ninja is the first brand that I know of to try anything like this in terms of portability and design.

So rather than compare like for like, let's have a look at how it compares to other Ninja air fryers. The Crispi comes in at £179.99 (which is admittedly pricey), but our top-rated air fryer ever the Ninja FlexDrawer (5 stars in our review) costs far more at £269.99. The difference is the capacity though, with family cooking much easier with the FlexDrawer's huge 10.4 litres of space.

If you'd prefer a classic air fryer design but still want compact, then the Ninja Pro (which also was awarded a hard-won 5 stars in our review) is a winner.

Should you buy the Ninja Crispi?

I was skeptical about the Crispi and assumed that it would be more gimmicky than anything else, but I'd have to admit it exceeded my expectations at every turn.

I prefer the glass far more than my current air fryer set up (which involves trays that I can never seem to get fully clean) and the cooking results were truly amped up, probably due to the small space that the hot air has to circulate in.

Ninja can sometimes get carried away with packing appliances full of functions you don't need. The four that this air fryer has is everything you really need, in my opinion, and I just love the addition of the two lids for popping leftovers into the fridge.

For one or two person households, the Crispi would make a great fit. Also, in an increasing age of minimalist clutter free worktops, it's a really easy thing to stash away until you want to use it again. I have to say that, surprisingly, I'm sold on the Crispi. Could you see this air fryer in your home?

Just when you feel like every type of air fryer has been done, another one crops up. That's the case with this Lakeland 2-in-1 air fryer, which combines the mid-week-meal-friendly drawer design with the usefulness of a classic built-in oven.

I put it to the test to see if its worthy of joining the ranks of the best air fryers. Here's how I got on.

In a nutshell

This air fryer and oven from Lakeland offers a mixture of cooking methods, making it super flexible, along with a range of presets and the option to sync and match each compartment, making for easy use and efficient cooking.

It looks pretty good and is easy to use, with thought given to making it pretty intuitive and not over-complicated, and is also easy to clean, which is always a bonus.

I tested it out on the Ideal Home testing protocol recipes of homemade chips to bacon, freezer food, and a simple chicken breast, and it met the mark on all of them. And all for a £129.99 price tag, which isn’t bad at all.

Product specs

• Type: Air fryer and oven
• Dimensions: 41 x 39 x 31cm
• Cooking area: 11L (3.5L & 7.5L)
• Weight: 7.5kg
• Maximum temperature: 200C
• Cooking modes: 8
• Power: 2400W
• Colour: Black
• Material: Aluminium, plastic

Who tested this air fryer?

Unboxing and first impressions

At first glance, the Lakeland 2-in-1 Air Fryer Oven stands out from the crowd, thanks to the fact it’s a hybrid of the drawer-style air fryers, and the ones that resemble an oven. With this, you get both.

A 3.5L crisper drawer, as well as a 7.5L air fryer oven. Not only does this mean you can cook different elements of your meal separately in the same way you can with air fryers that have multiple drawers like the Phillips dual-basket steam air fryer, or a handy separator like the Salter XL Air Fryer Oven, but you can use the compartment that lends itself best to certain items - like chips in the drawer section, vs fish fillets or chicken in the oven side.

Packaging wise, it’s well-protected without being overkill, and it’s easy to unbox and get set up. It’s fairly big, which it would be with a total 11L capacity, but also looks pretty good on the side thanks to its sleek appearance and digital display.

The oven side comes with two racks and two trays, so there are plenty of options when it comes to cooking.

There are eight preset functions, and it’s fairly easy to navigate cooking in either compartment, thanks to the simple case of being able to switch from easy to read number one and number two.

If you want to swerve these, there’s also the manual option, where you can simply adjust the temperature and time - and do this for each one individually.

Or ‘match’ and ‘sync’ options, either to just set everything for the same temperature and time, or to let it work things out for you so everything is cooked at the same time. Looks good, sounds good, but is it really that simple?

Cooking

Chicken

I start with the basic test of a chicken breast. I go for the oven side, though I could easily use either.

There’s a chicken preset (along with fries, fish, seafood, steak, pizza, chicken wings and vegetables) so I pop it on this. In the chicken goes using one of the trays, and there’s a light that automatically comes on so you can see what’s going on through the viewing window.

The oven automatically stops when you open the door to check progress, which is a nice touch, then starts again once everything’s back in and the door is shut. After the allotted time the chicken isn’t quite up to the temperature it should be to be cooked, but it’s fairly easy to increase the temperature and time while it’s cooking to add on some minutes.

After around 20 minutes, my chicken is cooked and looks easily as good as if I’d cooked in a traditional oven - I just didn’t need to worry about preheating a whole built-in oven for it, which is always useful.

Homemade chips

The second test is homemade chips from scratch.

I chop potatoes into fries, toss them in oil and seasoning and put them in the crisper drawer on the fries setting.

This sets it to 200C for 23 minutes - given the standard Ideal Home test is 15 minutes I check them after that period of time and while they’re on their way, they’re nowhere near cooked, so I trust the Lakeland presets and pop them back in.

Like other air fryers, the drawer makes it easy to shake the chips to ensure they cook evenly. They’re actually still not quite done when the 23 minutes is up, though that could be due to the amount I’ve got in there. It’s worth remembering that this drawer is only 3.5L so if you overload it you’re going to affect the cooking time.

About five minutes more and most of the chips have crisped up and we’re ready to go. So like any cooking, it’s just a case of checking your food to make sure it’s as you like it, since so many of these things vary depending on how much you’re trying to cook and your own preferences.

Bacon

Bacon is another staple Ideal Home test, and I decide to take advantage of the different cooking areas to test a rasher in each. One goes in the drawer, one in the oven, and I compare them.

I pop them in at 200C for 10 minutes, using the ‘match’ function to make it nice and easy. Both cook easily in that time, and pretty evenly too, without any real need to turn them over.

The oven side - given the bacon is on a rack sitting above a tray - is a tiny bit crispier, though not much. And it comes with the disadvantage that I now need to scrub the rack where it’s slightly stuck, whereas the non-stick insert in the drawer is indeed non-stick and super easy to clean.

Either way, it’s good to know that if I had a whole house full I could probably use both sides to do bacon sarnies for everyone, and the difference wouldn’t really be that discernible.

Frozen fish

A frozen food test is always useful when it comes to gadgets like this. My go-to is a breaded fillet of fish, mainly as it goes perfectly with homemade chips.

So while my chips are crisping away in the drawer side (as above) I pop the fish into the oven side.

Given there are cooking instructions on the pack, I follow those and put it in for 35 minutes at 180. It’s the first time I’ve had both sides cooking for a prolonged period of time but it’s not annoyingly loud at all.

My decibel meter reads 64dB for both sides - and when I later check for an individual reading of the drawer, it’s 61dB, which is higher than some of the more quiet gadgets on the market, but also less than others - and not distracting really for a kitchen gadget.

What's it like to clean?

Unlike some air fryers, it seems like someone somewhere has thought about cleaning.

The oven side is easy enough to do - though it’s worth remember that nobody likes scrubbing oven racks, and you may have to do so if you cook something that’s going to stick.

What this does have, though, is a removable door which is a nice touch, making it easy to slide out and remove to clean, before popping back in. The drawer side is super easy, removing completely to allow you to give it a wash, along with the non-stick insert that is also easy to clean. Both elements actually live up to their non-stick promise too, which is refreshing.

How does it compare to similar models and predecessors?

This is the first air fryer and oven I’ve come across that has the flexibility of both styles - drawer and oven - and while I’m concerned at first that it’s just a gimmick, it’s actually quite useful.

Despite these different cooking methods, it’s still quite simple though - especially compared to some of the more swanky air fryers out there, and is refreshingly easy to use.

It hasn’t got some of the bells and whistles that some more upmarket (and expensive) versions have, but it’s got everything you need to cook different foods at the same time, but properly and easily. It’s easy to clean, and seems to be well thought-out, which again isn’t always the case.

Should you buy the Lakeland 2-in-1 Air Fryer and Oven?

The Lakeland 2-in-1 might not boast any game-changing technology or crazy gimmick beyond it’s combination of two different cooking methods (drawer and oven), but it doesn’t exactly what it says on the tin, and provides an efficient, easy way to cook meals using just one gadget.

It’s intuitive without being over-complicated, and sleek without being over-engineered. And at £129.99 it’s fairly reasonably priced, making it a worthwhile purchase in my opinion.

Lidl is launching a brand new double-stack air fryer that we think could rival the popular Ninja Double Stack.

Over the past few years, air fryers have proved they’re more than a cooking gimmick and have rightfully earned a place on our kitchen countertops. I can speak for the Ideal Home team when I say we couldn’t live without an air fryer - which is why we’re always on the hunt to find the best air fryers on the market.

However, we’re also partial to a budget buy, so spotting the Lidl Haden 11L Double Stack Air Fryer with Window (£89.99) was launching in stores on 20 February this year, we couldn’t resist bringing it to your attention, too.

Lidl's Haden 11L Double Stack Air Fryer

At £89.99, the Haden 11L Double Stack Air Fryer is more than £100 cheaper than the Ninja Double Stack. While Ninja is certainly an Ideal Home favourite and a household name when it comes to air fryers, it’s hard to resist such a huge saving - especially if you’re looking for air fryers under £100.

The main thing that sets the Lidl model apart is the inclusion of a window, allowing you to keep an eye on your food as it cooks. Window features are often seen on higher-end air fryer models, so the inclusion in the Haden 11L Double Stack Air Fryer means you don’t have to scrimp on the best air fryer features.

The Haden 11L Double Stack Air Fryer features two 5.5L cooking baskets as well as racks to optimise cooking space. Like the Ninja Double Stack, the Haden air fryer also has Match and Sync cooking features to time your meals perfectly.

Lidl’s Haden air fryer has a larger capacity than Ninja’s 9.5L capacity and has a total of 12 cooking features compared to Ninja’s six. That being said, we haven’t had a chance to try the Haden 11L Double Stack Air Fryer (although I do plan on getting my hands on one), whereas we have reviewed the Ninja Double Stack and put it through its paces with our trusted team of reviewers.

Rating the Ninja Double Stack four stars out of five, our reviewer found this fryer was space-saving compared to other duel zone air fryers and was able to cook more than other air fryers. However, they felt it didn’t quite live up to Ninja’s high standard of air fryers. Because of this, if you’re looking to invest in a top-of-the-range air fryer, I’d recommend the Ninja FlexDrawer Air Fryer, which is Ideal Home’s best-rated air fryer.

'Lidl's version of the Ninja Double Stack is quite startling in its similarities (even down the control panel on the side), but it's hard to say exactly what the performance will be like without taking it for a test run,’ says Molly Cleary, Kitchen Appliances Editor and Certified Expert for Appliances.

‘I've tried the Ninja Double Stack in white and was so impressed by its design and performance and while I think Ninja still holds the title of the prettier option, I can see why people might want to take a chance on this Lidl alternative for the price!'

Ninja is hard to beat in terms of quality, so if you were looking to invest in an air fryer, I’d suggest spending a little more on an iconic Ninja fryer. However, if you’re looking to save a few pennies, Lidll is renowned for providing high-quality alternatives to our favourite brands - I think the Haden 11L Double Stack Air Fryer is certainly worth a try.

Alternatives

This Salter XL air fryer oven review will put this very large air fryer through its paces, using a set menu of foods to see if it scores well enough to join Ideal Home's list of the best air fryers.

In a nutshell

The Salter XL air fryer oven is a big beast, but with the option of being split into smaller compartments that can be set to different temperatures or synced together, giving flexibility and versatility that makes it great for all sorts of meals.

In a nutshell, it’s simple to use and a nice looking kitchen gadget, as well as being easy to clean.

Specifications

• Type: Air fryer oven
• Dimensions: W37 x D27.5 x H38cm
• Capacity: 15L
• Weight: 11.1kg
• Maximum temperature: 210C
• Cooking modes: 6
• Power: 2300W

Getting started

The Salter isn’t a small box to take delivery of, but what would you expect for an XL version of an air fryer oven?

Tucked inside pretty sustainable packaging, it’s an easy product to unbox and get set up. The air fryer itself is pretty good looking, with black and silver styling and two doors that open outwards rather than drawers or a flip down door like a conventional built-in oven.

This style is called a French door air fryer and is very popular in the US. It's something we've covered before on Ideal Home in our feature on the arrival of the French door air fryer in this country.

The double doors aren’t just for aesthetic reasons, but because one of the bonuses of this gadget is the fact you can use it as one big air fryer oven with an impressive 15 litre capacity - or add a removable divider that splits it into two smaller 7.5L cooking areas that can be used separately for different items, with a ‘match’ setting meaning you can sync them up so everything’s ready at once.

Great for family cooking if you’re doing different elements and don’t want to wait, while the larger capacity is handy for chucking everything in and knowing you can feed everyone.

Similarly, if you’re not in need of using the whole space, you can pop the divider in and only use one side. In keeping with the versatility of the size inside, you’ve got different sized trays too - a non-stick drip tray, a mesh flat tray and a mesh basket - with one of each in the larger size and two for the smaller sizes.

It’s all fairly self explanatory and well thought-out - everything fits, works and is quite intuitive to use. Even the rotisserie bar with forks and handle to lift it out, which is simple to put together and get set up inside the air fryer.

The same goes for the controls. The digital display is easy to understand, and usable probably even for those people who refuse point blank to read instructions and just wing it (don’t worry, there are instructions for those of us who like to check!).

The buttons are responsive, with clear guides to the six different presets - air fry, roast and bake, as well as dehydrate, ‘manual’ and reheat. Unlike some space-age air fryers out there like the AI-informed Daewoo Actuate you don’t feel like it’s rocket science to get something cooked, and it feels like it takes less time to get the show on the road than with some new kitchen gadgets.

Cooking

Chicken

The first test is a simple chicken breast - something I once would have cooked in my oven but now am an air fryer girl through and through. For this I only need one 7.5L half of the Salter, so keep the divider in and pop the chicken on to the drip tray which can double as a small roasting tray.

I set the temperature to 180C and pop it in for 20 minutes, keeping an eye through the handy viewing window which means I don’t have to keep opening the door. After 20 minutes the chicken’s cooked and is still nicely moist.

The Salter is pretty quiet too, only getting up to about 46dB on my decibel metre which is a fair bit lower than some air fryers out there.

Rotisserie chicken

Given the Salter XL comes with a rotisserie attachment, it’s only fair to test it out. I whip out the removable divider and pop the large drip tray in the bottom.

The rotisserie itself is fairly easy to get sorted out, and sits nicely in the specially-designed holes inside the oven. Within a fairly easy amount of time, I’ve set it to air fry at 180C for 1 hr 24 minutes - the time recommended on the packaging of my supermarket chicken, and I’m watching it steadily turning, courtesy of the light that comes on once it gets going.

One thing I do work out is that the Salter doesn’t automatically register that you’ve removed the divide, so you have to basically set the ‘match’ function so it cooks both sides at the same temperature and time - rather than it realising you’re using one big oven space and would obviously need them to be the same.

No big deal, but a nice treat would be if it somehow realised what you needed and just automatically treated it as one oven, one temperature, one time. Another small downside is that the light seems to turn off once you open the door - which isn’t necessarily what you want if you’re just, for example, checking the temperature.

The plus side of everything stopping when you open the door is that you’re not going to have a hot chicken whirring round, or an air fryer frying away, with the door open, saving energy and preventing any accidents.

A decent safeguard, especially if little ones are around. By the time it’s done, my husband declares it’s ‘just like those rotisserie chickens you can buy ready-cooked’, which I figure is as high praise as you can get.

He’s right - it’s cooked perfectly, up to temperature as proven by our probe, but with a lovely crispy skin all round. It’s the advantage of cooking on a rotisserie over a tray, where inevitably the underside doesn’t crisp up in the same way. The future of roast chickens in my household, perhaps.

Chips

The Ideal Home air fryer chip test sees me making potato chips from scratch by chopping potatoes into uniform sizes then tossing in oil and seasoning and popping in for 15 minutes.

They’re nowhere near done, and the fact the Salter XL is so quiet leaves me a bit concerned that maybe it’s broken. I try another 20 minutes, but they still aren’t making the progress I’d like.

For the final 15 I move the basket they’re in up to the top of the oven and then we get there. Crispy and evenly cooked thanks to the fact the size of the mesh basket allows me to spread them out in a single layer, which also means I haven’t had to shake them.

That said, I can’t help but feel that other air fryers have done chips a bit more efficiently and I’m not sure why.

Bacon

The bacon test means I get to take advantage of one of the smaller compartments for an easy two rashers of bacon for my solo breakfast sandwich. I pop them in on air fry at 200C for about 10 minutes, which does the trick.

I turn it halfway and while it’s cooked evenly, it’s not quite as crispy as I’d have liked and feels like it’s dried out a bit. Not the end of the world, but I’ve had better air fried bacon.

Frozen food

My frozen food of choice for a test like this is breaded fish. You want it crispy on the outside, but without drying the fish out inside.

I pop it in at the top for the 30 minutes suggested by the packaging, but it’s cooked sooner than that, and has dried out a bit, which is strange since this didn’t happen to the chicken. Possibly my fault for putting it too high up in the oven though, so I’ll try it on a middle level next time. Another learning curve is not to put it on one of the mesh trays the breadcrumb coating fused itself to the mesh.

What's it like to clean?

If you think of this as more similar to an oven than to some drawer-style air fryers out there, cleaning is a similar process as learning how to clean your oven. You need to get your racks clean but also the interior of the oven itself and door.

However, this really isn’t hard. The whole thing is helped by the fact that the racks are all removable and dishwasher safe, and then it’s just a case of wiping out the inside and the door and cleaning the removable divider.

The racks themself did need a bit of a soak after certain things like breaded fish which stuck to the mesh of the tray, but the non-stick drip tray cleaned up super easily like a dream.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

When it comes to air fryer ovens - and big ones at that - the Salter XL does what it says on the tin, with the added flexibility of that removable divider that not all of these types of air fryer ovens have.

It’s better looking than, say, the VonShef equivalent, and quieter and easier to clean too. That said, it’s a bit more expensive at £129.99 so if you want cheap and cheerful you can suck up a bit of noise and extra cleaning.

In some ways it doesn’t feel quite as efficient in cooking terms as some other air fryers or air fryer ovens, and some elements seem to take a bit longer to cook, with a few elements feeling like they dried out a bit. If it's the fastest cooking results possible you want, something the Ninja FlexDrawer is our ultimate choice.

It is super easy to use though, and you won't need to juggle an instruction manual while you try to work out what’s going on, with a simpler six-function system and intuitive controls.

Should you buy the Salter XL Air Fryer?

The Salter XL will undoubtedly have great appeal for families thanks to its large capacity, along with the flexibility that means you could cook different elements of a meal at the same time, and even set it up so they’re all done at the same time.

It’s fairly good looking so if aesthetics is your thing, that will count for something, and if you want an easy life when it comes to cleaning, this seems to fit the bill. If you want to spend less, there are cheaper alternatives out there, but the extra bit of spend will get you a better looking, quieter, easier to use and easier to clean machine.

Not quite as high spec as some out there, but something that does what it says on the tin, and gets your food cooked without too much hassle.

Do you think the Salter XL Air Fryer would be a good fit in your home?

Ninja has released a 'new' version of its bestselling Dual Zone air fryer with one difference: it has 4 cooking functions, instead of 6. And the good news is, that makes it far cheaper than the original.

This new contender for title of best air fryer, the Ninja Foodi 4-in-1 Dual Zone Air Fryer 7.6L AF200UK, is available now from the Ninja website for £149.99.

That's £50 cheaper than the current RRP of the original Ninja Dual Zone, which has been a 5-star favourite here at Ideal Home for years since we tested it in our review. The original has been the barometer we've tested all other dual-zone air fryers against, so we're excited to see Ninja introducing a more affordable option into the mix.

Of course, there has to be a trade-off, so you're sacrificing the dehydrate and bake settings for the lower price, which seems like a fair trade considering how much you'll likely end up using them.

Here's the full low-down on this pared-back release from Ninja.

The great thing about this new release from Ninja is that it makes the Dual Zone far more affordable than its been before. So if you've had it on your wish list for a while or you've always wanted to upgrade but been held back by the cost, then this is likely welcome news.

For your money, you're getting 7.6 litres of cooking space, which is still a lot as far as the best dual zone air fryers go, as well as the features that made the original a sell-out, like the ability to perform two separate functions in the independent drawers.

Ninja has been on a role these last few months with a range of new and exciting launches including the new Ninja crispi, a unique portable air fryer and the viral Ninja slushi which is finally available to pre-order at Currys. But sometimes its the launches that take it back to basics like this new affordable version of the dual-zone that are the best ones.

So if you've been waiting for your chance to pick up this cult kitchen buy, I think now's the perfect time. Will this new look Ninja be gracing your kitchen any time soon?

You might think that finding new ways to use your air fryer to cook is a tall order, but not for celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who is encouraging us all to rethink how we use this very popular appliance.

Ahead of the release of his new cookbook Easy Air Fryer, Jamie has been sharing his favourite space-saving and flavour-enhancing hack. And the best bit is, there's no extra equipment needed.

So, unless you still need to pick up one of the best air fryers, you're ready to cook like Jamie does in his air fryer.

Jamie's air fryer hack

To save time and to capitalise on space, Jamie's air fryer hack focuses on 'Being able to use the drawer in cool ways,' he says. He does this by cooking things both on AND under the air fryer tray at the same time.

He uses the example of cooking chickpeas under the air fryer tray, and then placing a seasoned chicken leg over them on the tray. 'They’ll slowly reheat and bubble while the chicken is getting tender and crispy, all of that spiced rendered fat flavouring the chickpeas,' Jamie explains.

But it doesn't end there, Jamie Oliver takes it one step further by using the same drawer to quickly cook something else. 'Once you’ve plated up the chicken on top of the chickpeas, you can quickly put a bag of washed spinach in the drawer for 1 minute to wilt it down in the flavours, before serving up, finishing off with a sprinkling of bashed-up roasted cashews that you’d cooked earlier,' he adds.

That means you effectively get a whole meal with three elements from one air fryer drawer.

As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, being creative with the air fryer tray is a hack I've tried and loved myself. I'm a huge fan of allowing the design of an air fryer to complement your recipes, rather than just sticking to the prescribed way of using it.

Jamie's pick of air fryer, which he has curated in collaboration with Tefal, is one we've tried and loved ourselves here at Ideal Home - The Dual Air Fryer by Tefal. It achieved an impressive 4.5 star rating in our review, with our expert tester finding plenty of selling points, including the unique division of the two drawers.

Opting for the Tefal air fryer is a good choice if you want to put Jamie's hack into practice, especially thanks to its large capacity. There are also other air fryers that have layered designs built in to encourage this type of cooking.

I'm thinking in particular of the Breville Halo Flexi Air Fryer, which has a selection of accessories you can use at the same time in order to bring elements of a meal together.

However, what I love about Jamie's hack in particular is that anyone with an air fryer that has a tray inside the drawer can do it with no extra equipment required. It is the biggest gamechanger for a single-drawer air fryer allowing you to cook a whole meal in one. It also encourages people to use their air fryers in a way that suits them, rather than sticking to the prescribed way in an instruction manual.

Jamie goes on to say 'It’s a holistic way of cooking. You can also raise it on a heatproof ramekin or two cookie cutters, so you can get the crispiest duck skin. Or roast veg with stock in it to make a soup.'

Jamie Oliver's cookbooks have been a staple in kitchens since 1999, and I'm willing to bet that this new air fryer-specific book will be a hit with anyone who finds these mini ovens an invaluable addition to the kitchen.

Will you be picking up Jamie's new book to discover more hacks like this one?

This VonShef Air Fryer Oven review puts this 28 litre product through a series of cooking tests to see how it'll perform in your home.

From cooking homemade chips to a rotisserie chicken, my aim with all of these tests was to determine whether this was worthy of a spot in our list of the best air fryers. Here's how I got on.

In a nutshell

The VonShef air fryer oven is a large (read: huge) capacity combination air fryer, with elements of a traditional oven. It aims to combine 360° air circulation and a range of presets with the versatility of a conventional oven.

It’s relatively budget-friendly and cheaper than some other gadgets out there on the market, and even has a rotisserie too. It's packed with functionality and a heap of presets to make cooking as straightforward as possible. I found that it lived up to expectation when it came to cooking, achieving my expectations pretty efficiently.

It's not as kitchen-friendly as other more compact, better-looking air fryers on the market from the likes of Ninja or Tefal, say, but it does have a truly huge capacity if that's what you're looking for. It's also free from PFAs (which is a type of plastic commonly found in items such as non-stick pans) which will be important for anyone looking for a non-toxic air fryer option. And all in all, the various presets and manual mode work pretty well.

VonShef 28L Air Fryer Oven product specs

• Type: Air fryer oven
• Dimensions: (H)42.9cm x (W)45.2cm x (D)38.9cm
• Cooking area: (H)25.2cm x (W)35cm x (D)31.9cm
• Weight: 11kg
• Maximum temperature: 230C
• Cooking modes: 14 different modes
• Power: 1800W
• Size: 28L
• Colour: black
• Material: steel, double tempered glass door, silicone base.

Who tested this air fryer?

Unboxing the product

At first glance, the VonShef 28L air fryer oven is big. The box hardly fits through the front door, and I realise why the delivery man looks so grumpy when I see the ‘heavy’ sticker on it.

Safe to say, the new additions to the VonShef range from VonHaus are catering to people for whom size matters. The two new air fryer ovens are 18 and 28 litres - bigger than their other models and certainly not for anyone with a small kitchen.

The 28L model definitely has an industrial look about it compared to some of the more aesthetically-pleasing air fryers out there. It’s bulky and square, with a flip-down door and shelves and racks, just like a built-in oven, rather than drawers or flip-up lids that you get with other air fryers.

It doesn’t feel particularly high end, but neither is the price tag, with the 18L model available at £79.99 and the 28L for £99.99 - so a fair bit cheaper than some others on the market.

While it resembles a conventional oven, it claims to combine its ‘cutting-edge’ 360° air circulation with the versatility of a conventional oven. As a consequence, you can air fry as well as bake, reheat, dehydrate, ferment and ‘broil’ (which pretty much means grill).

There are 14 presets for ease of use, plus a rotisserie option that is a bonus - especially given this is actually big enough to take advantage of it and roast a whole chicken rather than a partridge, which is about as far as you’d get with some air fryers when it comes to cooking a whole bird.

The VonShef comes with a baking tray that also doubles up as a crumb tray/drip tray for ease of cleaning, as well as a normal oven rack, an air fryer basket, and a rotisserie fork and handle for removing it. The multitude of accessories is great, similar to the appeal of the Breville Halo Flexi Air Fryer with its many trays.

It’s also apparently been designed with safety in mind, so has a non-slip base, active fan cooling, and overheat/overcurrent protection. It’s also PFAS-free, which will appeal to some.

Cooking tests

Cooking chicken

The first test of the VonShef is a simple chicken breast. One of the presets is chicken so I scroll through to that - which in itself isn’t the easiest process compared to some gadgets.

You have to scroll through the functions, rather than just pressing the particular preset, and the buttons need a big old press to get them to respond. The preset puts the temperature at 230C (450F) for 35 minutes. For some reason my oven is only showing Fahrenheit but I’m fairly sure there must be a way to change it, I just can’t work out how just yet.

The oven starts by preheating and helpfully highlights the word ‘preheat’ so you know what it’s doing - which is handy because at first I wonder if it’s broken, then up pops the ‘add food’ instruction before it kicks into proper cooking mode.

The instructions helpfully mention that you can put the food in when you first turn the air fryer on, and don’t have to wait until the preheat mode is done, but they recommend you should. I don’t, because I don’t want to be waiting around the moving food. I just want to turn it on and leave it to it. Which is exactly what I do.

As it gets on to the cooking process, while it’s louder than the silent preheat mode, it’s still quieter than some other air fryers at 59dB on my decibel meter.

Cooking homemade chips

Again, there’s a ‘chips’ option among the various presets offered by the VonShef. This sets the temperature to 160C for 18 minutes - slightly longer than the 15 minutes we initially aim for in the Ideal Home test, but I let it run.

I use the air fryer basket but it’s clear as they cook (helpfully illuminated by the internal light that you can turn on and off) that they’ll need to be moved around to ensure they cook evenly. Even after several good shakes, some verging on overcooked and a few are still raw.

Perhaps I overloaded the air fryer basket, or perhaps the 360-degree claims aren’t quite as great as they seem to be. Either way, I’ve seen other air fryers do a better job with my chips.

Cooking bacon

The Ideal Home test for bacon is a simple one. We want the rashers cooked evenly, the fat rendered so we’re left with a nice crispy bit of bacon. I use the bacon preset which whacks the temperature up to 230C (450F) and sets the time as seven minutes.

I lay the bacon on the normal rack, with the baking tray underneath to catch the fat. Five minutes in it’s already done, and hasn’t even needed turning. It’s nice and even, crispy and done in decent time. All I need to do is clean up the mess on the tray below.

Cooking frozen food

Freezer food is another common test of mine, and the freezer food of choice is a breaded fish fillet. You want it to be crispy on the outside without drying the fish out inside. I go for the manual option, setting the oven to 220C at 25 minutes.

As per the instructions. It does the job, and at the end of the time the fish is cooked, and the breadcrumbs crispy. I just feel like I’ve used an oven, which I kind of have, so if you’ve already got one built into your kitchen I’m not sure you’d need to bother with this.

Rotisserie chicken

The VonShef comes with a rotisserie option and thanks to its size, the 28L version is plenty big enough to fit a medium supermarket chicken.

The rotisserie function can actually be used with various other cooking functions, so it’s fairly flexible and you could get imaginative with various cooking methods if you wanted to. The accessories are fairly easy to get to grips with - push the spit through the chicken, hold it in place with the forks that screw tights, then pop the spit into the holes inside the oven.

Given I can use any function I opt for air fry, then go with the temperature and timings recommended for the weight of chicken. It actually proves to be rather delightful watching my chicken casually rolling around, gradually turning brown and crispy, and filling my kitchen with the most delightful smell.

By the end of the cooking time, after I’ve used the handy special rotisserie handle to lift the spit out of the holes and out of the oven, it’s perfectly done. Crispy skin, moist meat, and I’m overjoyed at my own indoor rotisserie.

Cleaning up after isn’t quite as joyful, given I need to clean not only the spit and the forks that hold the chicken in place, but also the full inside of the oven and the tray at the bottom.

What's it like to clean?

While the racks are easy to remove and clean, the whole cleaning experience when it comes to the VonShef reminds me of cleaning the oven. It feels like a lot of scrubbing, and the fact that any fat or crumbs or general liquid from whatever you’re cooking is free to drip down from the rack or air fryer basket to the tray below means you’re most likely going to be left cleaning multiple racks.

Not the end of the world, but also no easier than cleaning your conventional oven, so don’t be thinking this gadget will be an easy answer.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

For people who don’t already have a built-in oven, an air fryer that also serves as an oven might be an appealing option, and this gadget that combines both is fairly reasonably priced compared to some models on the market that may look better, but do less, like the Our Place Wonder Oven.

It’s got a decent array of presets and allows you to use it like a traditional oven, which adds plenty of versatility, though arguably no more than some similar air fryer ovens out there.

Should you buy the VonShef air fryer oven?

The VonShef air fryer oven is a big beast with a reasonable price tag, making it appealing if you’re feeding a large family, but might make it a bit awkward if you haven’t got a big space to put it in.

It does everything it claims, offering a range of presets and functions and cooking food efficiently. It does as much as plenty of other similar gadgets on the market, and with a smaller price tag than some. It’s not the best looking air fryer or air fryer oven out there, but what it lacks in looks it makes up for in size and could be a good option either as a substitute for a built-in oven, or as extra oven space if you want to feed a big family.

So who will this air fryer suit, then? Given how well the rotisserie chicken worked and the good results with bacon and frozen food, it's a safe bet for those who rely on frozen components to put a midweek meal together, as well as someone who might spend a little more time cooking a roast at the weekend. It was less capable at chips (though this could be down to overfilling the tray) which might suggest the huge size means it doesn't get as hot as competing air fryers (like our top-rated air fryer ever, the Ninja FlexDrawer).

If you're looking for a substitute for a built-in oven, it shapes up as a good pick. Especially if you're renovating your kitchen or planning to do so and need a family-sized alternative. For frozen meals and convenience of use without bending down to an oven, it's also a winner. If you're looking for a small, super fast air fryer, then you're better off looking elsewhere.

Ninja's newest product, the Crispi, finally has a release date confirmed for the UK.

The Crispi, which will be sold for £179.99 on the Ninja Kitchen UK website, will be available to buy from the 5th of March.

In a nutshell, it's a portable glass air fryer that offers handheld air frying for the first time. So whether you want to take it to the office or a picnic, you can.

With a 3.8 litre capacity, the brand claims it can feed up to 6 people at a time. It also should have space for cooking a small 1.2kg chicken.

Just from a glance, it's pretty obvious that as far as the best air fryers go, the Crispi is a very different beast. Here's our first look at what the Ninja Crispi can do, so that you can decide whether you want to snap it up when it is finally released.

What is the Ninja Crispi?

The Crispi is advertised as a 'complete cooking system', which means it's got far more going for it than just acting as a lunchbox, despite appearances.

With your purchase you'll get a PowerPod (which contains the heat element for air frying), a large glass container, a smaller one (with a 1.4 litre capacity) and storage lids.

The lid (which is called the Ninja Crispi PowerPod) is where the magic happens: with 1700-watts of power for cooking anything you like speedily on the go.

Once you're done with air frying, if you don't want to eat the food immediately, you can then take off the PowerPod and pop one of the included lids onto the glass container.

If you often face long queues at your office for the microwave, then the Crispi offers a solution with the option to crisp up your leftovers in minutes yourself instead.

With the dawn of air frying on the go, it's easy to see the appeal of the Crispi for sprucing up alfresco dining too. It'll certainly make a picnic in the park a more appealing option.

Here at Ideal Home towers, we're pretty intrigued as to the portability of the Ninja Crispi. But if you just can't wait for the Crispi to come into stock, then here's a pick of the other air fryers from Ninja that we've already tried and loved.

Now the Ninja Crispi has a confirmed release date, do you have any interest in one of these small glass air fryers?

The Panasonic Air Fryer NF-CC600 is an air fryer with an array of presets and an added steam function, which promises to keep food both crispy and moist. Steam functions are becoming more and more common in air fryers, as brands look to pack more functionality in new releases.

At £129.99 it’s not unreasonable on price and after testing it at home using several different foods, I've found it does that job just fine, whilst looking fairly stylish at the same time.

I tested it over the course of a week to see if it was worthy of joining our coveted list of the best air fryers, trying various functions and carrying out the standard Ideal Home air fryer tests to put it through its paces. Here's how I got on.

Panasonic NF-CC600AXC Air Fryer product specs

• Size: H:35.5 x W:26.7 x D:35.7cm
• Weight: 5.4kg
• Max temperature: 200C
• Functions: 11 presets
• Power: 1450W
• Capacity: 6 litres

Who reviewed this air fryer?

Unboxing the product

The Panasonic Air Fryer NF-CC600 comes in the standard air fryer packaging you’d expect. It’s not entirely sustainable thanks to some plastic within the packaging, but they promise it contains less than 2%.

There’s an early niggle as one of the shiny labels on the gadget turns out to be attached with the kind of adhesive that stays stuck and needs to be scrubbed off, but once it’s removed, the air fryer is a fairly nice looking bit of kit, its rose gold handle a nice touch.

It feels a bit taller than some other air fryers, with a basket that’s not noticeably bigger in terms of surface area but looks a bit deeper.

At the outset it feels fairly basic compared to some of the complicated gadgets out there, but does boast 11 presets to make life easy - including fries, chicken, fish, seafood, steaks, sausages, veggies, potatoes, pizza, cake and toast - along with the option of manually adjusting the temperature and time.

Panasonic says its air fryers provide 360° heating thanks to top and bottom heating and a fan, apparently ensuring uniform cooking with less turning or shaking. This model also uses ‘Gentle Steam Technologies’ that add water from a little tank on top of the machine to prevent food from drying out.

The LED display lights up for easy navigation of the settings and there’s a viewing window as well as a light inside that can be turned on and off so you can keep an eye on your food while it’s cooking.

It comes with instructions and a recipe book - though I’m not sure I need specific guidance for a toastie - which is useful to get you started and as a bit of inspiration.

Cooking

Chicken

The first test is chicken. The chicken breast I’ve got is pretty big so I cut it in half before popping it in the drawer and setting the chicken preset. The digital controls aren’t the most responsive I’ve ever experienced on an air fryer, but soon we’re up and running, without having had to faff with changing the time or temperature.

It’s fairly quiet too, registering 58dB while it’s cooking, which is a fair bit lower than some others on the market.

By the time the cooking’s finished, the chicken’s nicely browned and seems cooked through. A quick check with a temperature probe and one half is definitely done, while the other is just about there and is only a few degrees off.

Easily solved with a few extra minutes. Simple and effective, and the chicken is nicely browned on the outside as well as moist inside - presumably thanks to the gentle steam function.

Homemade chips

Homemade chips are the next test. The standard Ideal Home air fryer test is to cut potatoes into chips and toss them in oil and seasoning before air frying them. We’d usually start with 15 minutes as a standard, but the fries preset on the Panasonic sets them to 20 minutes. So I go with it.

Despite the 360° claims, after watching the process through the viewing window I decide they definitely need a shake to make sure they cook evenly. Like most air fryers, the Panasonic pauses automatically when you open the drawer then restarts when you put it back in, so checking or shaking the food doesn’t affect the timing, which is handy.

At 20 minutes they seem cooked. Soft inside and fairly crispy on the outside. So it ticks the box with this test.

Bacon

Bacon is a great air fryer test. Simple smoked back bacon goes in the drawer and I pop it in at 200C for 10 minutes. Probably a bit long, but the handy light and viewing window means I can keep an eye on it.

It looks done after about five minutes but on closer inspection it’s definitely more cooked on one side than the other, so needs turning over to ensure it’s cooked evenly. Not quite the uniform cooking Panasonic promises.

Once turned, the final product is crispy and well cooked, so overall it’s pretty similar to what you’d have to do with a conventional grill, though not quite as effective as some other air fryers on the market.

Frozen food

Freezer food is one of the go-tos for an air fryer so I try supermarket breaded fish fillets from the freezer section. The instructions say to air fry for 25 minutes at 200C. I used the opportunity to go manual with the Panasonic, which is straightforward.

Despite the claims of uniform cooking, the fillets definitely crisp up more on one side than the other and need turning halfway through. My trusty temperature probe tells me they’re definitely above the 60C that means fish is cooked long before the 25 minutes is up, but I leave them in for the proper time to ensure the right crispiness.

It does a decent job, so for this task it gets my vote. However, the fact it’s only got one drawer means if you’re doing something like fish and chips with different cooking times you can’t do it all at the same time and have to juggle your timings or squeeze everything into the one drawer.

Toast

The Panasonic Air Fryer NF-CC600 has a toast setting so I decide to check it out. Like most households, I’ve got a toaster but I guess if you’ve got limited space and don’t want multiple gadgets, an air fryer with a toast option could be useful.

The bread goes from soft to crisp, but I don’t get the golden brown colour you would with a toaster. It feels a bit like it’s been dehydrated rather than toasted. I’ll stick to the toaster for now I think.

What's it like to clean?

While the plate that sits inside the Panasonic air fryer is dishwasher safe, the basket itself isn’t. So you’ll still be running a sink of soapy water to clean it the old-school way. Not the end of the world, but slightly more work than some other models on the market.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

In the general landscape of air fryers, the Panasonic is a fairly good looking product with a reasonable price tag and offers as much as some others on the market. Price-point wise, you could compare it to the Ninja MAX Pro, which is also a similar size.

It’s fairly easy to use, and doesn’t over-complicate things. But when it comes to cooking, it’s not necessarily the best out there in terms of evenness and efficiency. Our top-rated air fryer ever for even, quick cooking is the Ninja FlexDrawer, but that's a far bigger, more expensive product.

Should you buy the Panasonic Air Fryer NF-CC600?

When it comes to air fryers, this Panasonic product generally does what it says on the tin. It’s definitely not the most expensive on the market, but is also fairly simple so doesn’t have the wow factor of some of the other gadgets in this area.

It ticks the box, but if you want more bells and whistles, or the option of cooking different things at different times, you’re going to have to invest in one of the more upmarket air fryers that are out there.

My air fryer is the most-used and most useful appliance in my kitchen. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't turn to it for quicker, more convenient cooking.

But as essential as my air fryer is, its position on my kitchen worktop means it's almost always in my eyeline, magnifying the little annoyances that come with using it so much.

That's why I set out on a mission to identify and fix all the things that bother me about my pick of the best air fryers so that my everyday cooking experience runs even more smoothly. Plus, drawing on my years of experience as Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, I've also got plenty of experience from testing that might help you diagnose any problems with your air fryer.

The 3 things that annoy me about my air fryer

1. It needs more cleaning than an oven

Cleaning an air fryer after every use is recommended by pretty much every expert I've ever interviewed. Most recently, a spokesperson from the household cleaning brand method warned 'Without cleaning after each use, small crumbs and grime can burn during the next time you cook - leaving your food with an unpleasant taste.'

I'm militant about cleaning my air fryer trays every use but even with this effort, I find that marks on the exterior or grime I can see through the window catch my eye throughout the day. Though I'm cleaning it a lot more than I clean my oven, it can sometimes feel hard to keep on top of.

Going forward, I'm hoping to overcome this niggle by penciling in a dedicated time to thoroughly scrub the interior and exterior of my air fryer.

A spokesperon from cleaning brand method reckons that a deep clean every month should do the trick, saying 'Regular care will ensure your air fryer stays in tip-top condition and ready to deliver delicious meals. We also suggest avoiding putting the air fryer basket and tray in the dishwasher as the high heat can damage the non-stick coating on the basket.'

2. Using a manual timer feels like guesswork

My current air fryer is the Our Place Wonder Oven (which I gave 4 stars in my review), a product that's won me over with its adorable design, colour, and interface. However, the downside of its simple 'turn the dial' controls is that the manual timer can be hit and miss. The biggest problem is that it's hard to program down to the minute, or even the nearest few minutes.

The same can be said of other inexpensive air fryers we've tried, including the Swan Retro Air Fryer and the Magic Bullet Air Fryer. While it's great that these cheaper options mean you can bag an air fryer for under £100, it can be a food-burning hazard, especially given how quickly air fryers crisp up foods.

If you've been running into issues using a manual timer, it might be time to read my explainer on how to upgrade your air fryer. If you do decide to replace your existing air fryer with one with digital controls, you'll probably find your experience programming timings much easier.

3. There's limited space for baking dishes

Though air fryers are getting bigger and bigger, I still often find myself stung when trying to squeeze one of my baking dishes into a smaller space than my oven. This is especially true in the past when I've reviewed some of the best dual zone air fryers, as those two smaller spaces can be very tricky to fill.

While replacing your bakeware is the easiest fix, if you're sick of not being able to use larger ovenware or cook bigger portions, one solution is looking into multi-zone air fryers, like the Ninja FlexDrawer. With this type of air fryer, you can remove a divider and get access to a much larger, singular cooking space – perfect for cooking pasta bakes or bigger joints of meat.

Another option is to invest in an air fryer that comes with tailored accessories. One of my favourite things about the Breville Halo Flexi Air Fryer when I tried it was the selection of trays you could use in a variety of ways, including together.

I might be biased, but I think air fryers are here to stay. So, if these air fryer annoyances are turning into bigger problems, it might be time to think about saving up for a more multi-functional version.

That way, you can focus more on what you're cooking rather than what you're cooking with.

This steam air fryer from Philips aims to tick all the boxes, offering two drawers, various functions including steaming, and all sorts of presents to cover various foods - as well as meals incorporating different ingredients you can cook at the same time.

On top of that it has a few extra functions, from alerts to remind you to shake food to a steam clean function, and is pretty quiet compared to some gadgets. But on the down side it’s not a cheap bit of kit, neither is it small. It will take up a fair bit of space on your counter without necessarily allowing you to cook huge meals or big joints of meat thanks to the division of its capacity between two drawers.

To put it through its paces, I tested it out the classic best air fryer recipes of homemade chips to bacon, freezer food, and even roasted a whole chicken - one of its boasts. It does it all adequately, but neither did it leave me in love, especially for a £249.99 price tag.

Philips 5000 Series NA555/09 Dual Basket Steam Air Fryer specs

• Type: Steam air fryer
• Dimensions: 382.5 x 443.9 x 351.7 mm
• Cooking area: 1 x 6L drawer, 1 x 3L drawer
• Capacity: 9L
• Weight: 8.8kg
• Maximum temperature: 200C
• Cooking modes: 12 presets
• Power: 2750W
• Colour: Silver
• Material: Brushed steel

Who tested this air fryer?

Ellen Manning is a freelance journalist specialising in food and drink, writing about everything from restaurants to home cooking, and the all-important kitchen gadget.

She is a regular gadget tester for Ideal Home, having put everything from blenders to coffee grinders, microwaves and air fryers through their paces. She tests each gadget extensively to make sure it’s worth spending your hard-earned cash on, and gives her honest opinion on what the results are from the point of view of an average, amateur home cook.

Unboxing the product:

Like most air fryers on the market, especially ones of this size, the Phillips comes boxed up in a fairly hefty package. And while some products are a fair bit smaller than the box initially suggests, this feels like a big old bit of kit.

Slightly less slick looking than some competitors on the market, it has a slightly industrial feel to it and the water compartment on the top that enables the steam function adds to its size and means it’s not only less easy than some others to fit in a gap on your counter, but is more intrusive aesthetically, too.

That said, it has all the digital displays you’d expect from the air fryers of today, and even the instructions are available via a QR code that takes you to the manual via a website. A good idea, though I’ll admit I’m a fan of a quick start guide on a bit of paper to be honest.

We spend a while trying to find the right instructions and what’s what, whereas I can’t help but think that some other brands come with easier to follow instructions, or are simply more intuitive and easy to use with no instructions at all.

In terms of design, the fact it’s got two baskets has me wondering if I’ve been missing out in the past with only one cooking area. Plus, one of those baskets is equipped for steaming, which adds an easy extra cooking method.

It also gives you the freedom of cooking two different parts of your meal with separate cooking methods at the same time. One gadget, two ingredients, two methods, one mealtime. Sounds good in theory, if it delivers.

It promises to cook up to 40% faster than a conventional oven (don’t they all), is healthy because the baskets help the fat drain off the food, and has a few handy additional functions like a reheat button, alerts that remind you when to shake the food, and a steam clean function that I’m hoping will save me previous time cleaning out the baskets.

Cooking

Roast chicken

As its name suggests, the Phillips dual basket steam air fryer has two baskets - a smaller 3L drawer for sides and snacks, and a bigger 6L drawer for mains, fries and favourites - or a whole 1.2kg chicken apparently. Something I decide to test.

After in-depth examination of the online instructions, I find the advice on roasting a whole chicken and pop mine in for the suggested time of 60 minutes at 180C. I’m not sure this is any more efficient or preferable to using my oven, though I guess I don’t have to wait for it to preheat. The chicken fitted well in the basket - it was only a fairly small one so I’m not sure you could do a roast dinner for a huge family in this, but for one or two people it’s fine.

A tiny gripe emerged as I tried to get the time up to 60 minutes, watching it crank up slowly without going up in bigger increments to get to 60 quickly. A small thing, maybe, but in a world where we know stuff like that can be made easier, it’s a bit irritating.

Nevertheless, after 60 minutes the chicken was cooked perfectly, confirmed by a temperature probe test. Not just that, it was still moist and tender with perfectly crispy skin. Impressive.

Given the Phillips boasts an additional steamer function, I’m keen to try it, so decide some steamed tenderstem broccoli with my roast chicken might be nice. Except there’s a problem.

Only one drawer has the steam function, and it’s the one the chicken’s in. So unless I want to air fry my broccoli I’ve got to wait until the chicken’s done and then steam my broccoli - kind of rendering the excitement of cooking everything at the same time null and void.

Homemade chips

My standard Ideal Home air fryer test of homemade chips is a simple one to prepare. Peel and cut potatoes into uniform sized chips, toss in oil and seasoning and cook for 15 minutes. The shaking reminder comes into play at various points, reminding me to give them a wiggle, and while it’s useful if you’re distracted I’m not sure it’s entirely necessary.

Most of us tend to remember to give stuff a shake when we’re eagerly awaiting it to be ready - especially when it’s chips. After 15 minutes, they’re on their way but not done, though that’s not unusual or any different from plenty of other air fryers. A further 10 minutes and they are, and pretty good too. Crispy on the outside, fluffy inside, and any oil has drained away from them so they don’t feel greasy. A decent job.

Frozen food

I team the chips with some breaded fish from the supermarket freezer section. And here is where the bonus of two drawers comes in as it can be cooked while the chips are on. In they go to the smaller drawer while the chips are in the bigger one, and I set it to the same temperature.

However, 15 minutes in I can’t help but feel convinced that this smaller drawer somehow doesn’t get up to the same temperature as the larger one.

One to test in the future, but something to bear in mind maybe and to make sure you check the progress of the food rather than just blindly trust that it’ll be done in accordance with the cooking time. In line with this, rather than rely on timing recommendations I rely on a temperature probe and am relieved that the fish is done by the time my chips are too.

It’s crisped up nicely on the outside without drying out the fish inside, so no complaints there. I also notice that the Phillips is pretty quiet, only hitting the low 60s on a decibel reader, unlike some other models that make a lot more noise. A plus for the Phillips for sure.

Bacon

I test bacon in the larger drawer, laying rashers of streaky inside. I say the larger drawer, but I still can’t fit loads in. The joys of a cooking area divided into two drawers rather than one large one, I guess, but again something to bear in mind. It cooks it swiftly and evenly, to the point that it’s slightly overcooked at the point I would usually expect it to be done.

It doesn’t really need turning, thanks - I assume - to the RapidAir Plus Technology that is basically a star-shaped design that claims to circulate hot air around and through the food with faster airflow to make sure it’s cooked evenly. It seems to work, and is certainly efficient.

What's it like to clean?

I’m overjoyed that most air fryers these days seem dishwasher safe, but the messaging around cleaning the Phillips is a bit mixed. While its baskets seem to be dishwasher safe, the cleaning advice is to hand wash, so I err on the side of caution and run a sink of water, lamenting a return to the old days when washing up was a thing and feeling like any time and effort I’ve saved with my swanky air fryer has been eaten up by needing to lovingly scrub the baskets out.

Of course, the Phillips does offer an automatic Steam Clean function, which could be a game changer and save any effort. I try it, and it’s not half bad, though it doesn’t get it as clean as dishwashing or washing it by hand, so while it might be useful for a quick clean, you’re probably going to have to do it properly once in a while. And, a bit like cooking, the steam function only applies to one of the drawers, so you’re never going to be able to escape cleaning duties, I’m afraid.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?:

The Phillips Dual Basket Steam air fryer is as efficient when it comes to air frying as similar gadgets on the market, and the steaming option is a nice idea. However, when you think that plenty of air fryers can offer roasting, baking, dehydrating, frying, air frying and all sorts of other functions, I’m not sure it’s an utter game-changer to offer steaming and air frying.

It’s not quite as good looking as some other similar models, such as the Ninja FlexDrawer, nor is it quite as intuitive to use. It’s also less easy to clean, and with a fairly hefty price tag of £249.99 I’m not sure it offers the same level of high-end gadgetry that other similar models on the market do.

Should you buy the Phillips Dual Basket Steam air fryer?

The Phillips dual basket steam air fryer does what it claims, and cooks food well, whether that’s your crispy bacon, homemade chips, freezer food or even a whole roasted chicken.

The steamer function works well - but be aware you can only do this in one of the drawers, so you might have to plan your meals accordingly and may not have as much freedom as you think. It’s a big old gadget, so not one for someone with a small kitchen, but be mindful that you may not be able to cook huge meals as by the time the 9L capacity is split between two drawers you can’t fit quite as much in as you may imagine.

Possibly one for a smaller family or couple rather than a big family feeding plenty of mouths. Also not one for someone on a budget, as you’ll be parting with a not-insignificant sum for it.

No matter how prepared I am in the run-up to Christmas Day, there's always a point when I'm more than a little stressed while trying to cook several dishes at once.

There are a few ways I try to reduce flapping over a hot stove at Christmas. The big one is using my pick of one of the best air fryers as well as my oven. Not only does this help me max out on possible cooking space, but everything I cook in my air fryer takes significantly less time than it does in my oven.

So when the originators of the air fryer Philips (whose new air fryer is now available for £249.99 via John Lewis) got in touch to remind me of the reheat setting on my trusty air fryer and how it can be used to save Christmas dinner, I was all ears. Here's how this overlooked setting might just be the hero of your Christmas dinner.

How the reheat setting on your air fryer can come in handy at Christmas

The air fryer hack that can help to ease cooking-related tension in your house this Christmas comes courtesy of Philips' air fryer chef Martin Senders.

Though many people rely on cooking charts from chefs to guide them on Christmas Day, one thing that those lists overlook is the power of cooking ahead.

Martin reminds us that getting ahead is one way of banishing stress, saying 'A brilliant time-saving hack is using your airfryer to beat the Christmas rush by cooking your stuffing in advance.'

I reckon this rule doesn't apply to just stuffing, either. Dishes like pigs in blankets could also benefit from the reheat treatment rather than taking up precious real estate in your oven in the crucial half an hour before serving. Martin adds, 'Your favourite side dish can then be fresh and table-ready after just five minutes of reheating at 180 degrees.'

If you take the example of our sister website woman&home's handy Christmas dinner plan, then using this reheating hack could save you an hour and a half of cooking time on the day (accounting for the parsnips, pigs in blankets and stuffing being precooked).

What's more, as my air fryer is small and heats up in super quick time, I often find it a more useful way to reheat things than my microwave. On Christmas Day I plan to have the majority of meal components cooking away in my oven whilst I reheat other elements I've cooked ahead (like stuffing and pigs in blankets) on the back burner to reheat in my air fryer.

With an air fryer under your belt, I think there's no doubt Christmas dinner will be much more straightforward this year.

Dehydrated fruit is a simple and effective way to create beautiful Christmas garlands and wreaths. While traditionally you'd either have to buy a pack of dried orange slices or pop them in the oven for hours, an easier alternative is learning how to dehydrate fruit in an air fryer.

Whether you want to learn how to dehydrate orange slices in an air fryer or shake things up with lime or apple slices to spruce up your Christmas garland ideas. You should be able to achieve that with one of the best air fryers, as long as it reaches the low temperature required or has a dehydrating function.

Ninja Kitchen has reported searches for dehydrated fruit recipes’ were up by 90% in the last month and they say we can do away with traditional ovens, explaining an air fryer is perfect for the job. It’s not just garlands either, dehydrated fruit can adorn your festive cocktails, garnish desserts or even to snack on. Here's the best way to do it.

What you'll need

• An air fryer with a dehydrator setting or can be set to 55–60°C
• You choosen fruit - oranges, apples and limes all work well
• Sharp knife

1. Slice your fruit

'Wash and dry your fruit thoroughly, then slice it evenly, about 6mm thick. Uniform slices help the fruit dehydrate properly and prevent uneven drying,' says Dean Harper, Chef at Harper Fine Dining.

A sharp knife is essential to get nice neat slices. You can also try scoring a few oranges to dry them whole, but the process will take a bit longer.

2. Set the air fryer to lowest temperature

Fruit needs to be dehydrated at a low temperature over a couple of hours for the best results. Some air fryers, like the Ninja Foodi Max, feature a dehydrating setting which works at a low temperature to remove moisture from the fruit. The dehydration setting will typically set the time and temperature your fruit needs to hydrate.

However, if you don’t have an air fryer with a dehydration setting don’t worry - simply pop your fruit in the air fryer and set it to the lowest temperature, ideally 55–60°C.

3. Spread out evenly and wait

Pop the slices into the air fryer, Dean says to 'arrange them in a single layer so the air can circulate freely.'

Once they're in all you have to do is wait, and regularly check the fruit - every hour or so - to avoid burning.

'This process usually takes 8 to 12 hours. Compared to traditional dehydrators, air fryers offer a compact and efficient way to dry fruit,’ says Dean.

‘I dehydrated oranges in an air fryer last year to make a very inexpensive Christmas garland at home and it was so easy to do,' says Molly Cleary, Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor.

'The trick is that you need to dry the oranges out low and slow by picking the lowest possible temperature and leaving them for a long time. Once that's done you can thread your slices onto a garland - plus, the whole process makes your house smell divine!'

Ninja Kitchen recommends adding glycerine to your fruit - if making a Christmas decoration - to make it last longer.

What is the best fruit to use?

Oranges, limes and apples are all classic fruits to dehydrate as decorations at Christmas time. But you can try other fruits too if your goal is more for culinary purposes than decorating.

‘Certain fruits work especially well for this. Stone fruits like plums and apricots turn soft and chewy, mango becomes wonderfully tangy, and apples or pears are reliable classics. Steer clear of high-water fruits like watermelon, which can end up too flimsy, and prick small fruits like blueberries to help them dry evenly,’ recommends Dean.

‘For an extra twist, try adding spices. Cinnamon pairs beautifully with apple slices, while a sprinkle of lime on mango can brighten its flavour. Dehydrating fruit in this way isn’t just a technique—it’s a creative way to elevate their natural taste.’

Using an air fryer is a fuss-free method for achieving beautiful dehydrated fruit that also makes your home smell delicious - will you be giving it a try?

Ninja brands this product ‘more than a grill’, and it truly is given that it has six functions including air fry, bake, roast, reheat, dehydrate and grill. But it’s probably the last one of these that’s the piece de resistance.

Thanks to what it calls its ‘Smart Cook System’ including a built-in digital cooking probe that monitors your food’s temperature while it cooks and tells you exactly when to take it out, and how long to rest it for.

It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you get the hang of it it could be a game-changer versatile iteration of the best air fryers for amateurs among us, holding your hand to make sure you manage a rare steak or don’t overcook meat again.

Ninja Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer AG551UK

• Function: Air fryer & grill
• Measurements: H:27 x W:39 x D:41 cm
• Weight: 10.18kg
• Maximum temperature: 260C
• Wattage: 2460V
• Colour: Grey & silver

Who reviewed this product?

Unboxing the product

There’s something exciting about unpackaging a hallowed Ninja product, especially if you’ve never had one before. They’re the name that’s synonymous with all things air fryer, and are showing no sign of stepping aside, so it’s exciting to see how they’re trying to stay on top and the new things they’re introducing.

The Ninja Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer has a bit of an air of the old-school George Foreman grills about it, combining all the state-of-the-art 2024 air fryer design with a classic flip-top oven style cooking gadget. The packaging is as you’d expect from Ninja, all sleek pictures and design, combined with sustainable packaging that’s refreshing to see.

The machine itself feels quite heavy when you take it out of the box, which is unsurprising when you see it tops the 10kg mark. But despite being a chunky bit of kit, it looks quite sleek thanks to the design and swanky digital display. It comes with a fair few bits, including cleaning brush, various instruction manuals and all sorts of trays for its many cooking functions.

The added extra compared to some air fryers is the digital cooking probe, which is carefully hidden away in a little compartment that might be hard to find unless you read the instructions. There’s even a removable splatter guard that’s quite a nice touch, and makes it easy to clean.

While it’s only a grill and air fryer, it still has six different modes so you can do your roasting, baking and dehydrating too. There’s comprehensive instructions with it, plus various reminders stuck to the gadget itself, as well as a book of recommended marinades and sauces, suggesting that Ninja really do want you to be maximising the grilling capability of this gadget.

Cooking

Chicken & steak

Given the Ninja Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer comes with a built-in temperature probe so you can check the exact temperature of your food rather than just nuking it, it seems to make sense to test it out on meat that you might want at a very specific temperature.

I figure if I can grill a piece of chicken to exactly the right temperature without having to worry, this could save me a lifetime of overcooked or undercooked chicken. Maybe I can even nail a rare steak super easily.

I start with a chicken breast - that way I won’t waste an expensive steak. As well as using the temperature probe manually, you can pop it into the meat and shut the lid on it, then set the grill to a preset for rare steak and lo and behold, it should cook it perfectly.

It takes me a while to work out how to get it all set up. These days, we’re used to gadgets being fairly intuitive, but this is a bit more complex so I find myself resorting to the instruction manual.

I pop it in, think I have it set up right, though it doesn’t quite seem as the instructions suggest but on I plough. Twenty minutes later I open the lid to a shrivelled, dry piece of chicken but when I cut it open, it’s raw inside.. Epic fail, but somehow I think it’s user error.

I try again later, and this time pay attention. It turns out I hadn’t quite plugged the probe in properly so the preset option hadn’t actually activated. As I do it right properly the second time, my mistake becomes obvious and it’s actually quite easy to set up.

Find the meat you want to cook, and it does it for you. On the air fryer goes, whizzing into preheat mode before instructing me to add the meat. One thing I do notice is it’s loud - louder than some other air fryers I’ve tried. When I measure the decibels it’s around 65dB, compared to the last one I tried which was around 63dB. No wonder I think it’s loud.

Unlike the first time, the attempt at the chicken breast is much more successful. The probe’s in properly this time, so I can see the temperature rise on the display. And when it hits 75C - when chicken is properly cooked, the air fryer switches off. I lift the lid and it instructs me to let it rest, counting down as I go.

Yes, maybe this is less important than for a steak or joint of meat, but it’s handy to know your hand is held every step of the way. The one downfall is the metal wire connecting the probe - designed not to be damaged when the lid closes on it - gets pretty hot. I learn this the hard way as I grab it, remembering the salutary lesson that I should be more careful before touching it next time.

I’m on my way to being convinced, but decide a rare steak might be the way forward. So I test it on a simple fillet. In the probe goes, and I use the presents to set the meat type, and my cooking preference. The same goes, except this time I get too cocky and wander off, which means that although it turns itself off after the right amount of time, instead of resting in ambient temperature, it rests in high heat.

So when I finally remember and come back to retrieve it, cutting into it reveals it’s done slightly more than rare - but I’m 99% confident that had I removed it from the grill when I was meant to, and let it cool out in the kitchen, it would’ve been fine. The grill insert for the air fryer also proves itself as great for steak, giving it the same effect as searing it in a pan or on a barbecue would. The only downside is the kitchen has the same smell - whereas more classic air frying keeps things a bit less smoky and meat-smelling.

Chips

A classic creation, homemade chips would be my test of the Ninja’s normal air fryer function. I swap the grill tray for the deeper tray designed for stuff like this, chop my potatoes into chips and toss them in oil and seasoning.

I’ve already got a frozen fish fillet in for 30 minutes (see below) so wait until it’s halfway through and start with 15 minutes - on previous air fryer tests this hasn’t been quite enough, but here’s hoping. The Ninja advises you to give food a shake mid cook time, which I do, and at 15 minutes they’re cooked perfectly. Crispy on the outside, soft inside, and completely cooked. A triumph.

Bacon

The next experiment is bacon. I choose streaky, because it goes nice and crispy in an air fryer (and tastes great). In it goes into the normal air fryer pan and on I pop it at a fairly high temperature (200C) for ten minutes.

It comes out cremated - more fool me. This thing is efficient for sure. I try again, and it’s done in about four minutes. Quick and easy, but be warned, you need to keep an eye on small things because this gadget gets hot quickly and cooks things at pace.

Frozen food

As the easy answer for frozen food, it’s important to test the air fryer on something from this category. Breaded cod fillets are the ones. The instructions say to oven cook at 200C for 30 minutes, so I opt for the same time, putting the homemade chips in halfway through.

I notice at this point that the fish looks done, so give it a little check with a temperature probe. It is indeed done. In half the time the packet said. Efficient cooking indeed - and a reminder that if I’m using this I should check up on food as it may cook quicker than I think.

What's it like to clean?

I’m thrilled to find out the inserts are all dishwasher proof, though I’m not always convinced when things with meat juices glued to them.

However, these come out nice and clean, and it’s a relief compared to having to try to scrub out inaccessible air fryer insides or trays.

How does it compare to similar models and its predecessors?

Having never used a Ninja before, it’s hard to compare, but when stacked up against a basic air fryer, this definitely takes things to the next level.

The ease of putting the temperature probe in and having the wizardry do the cooking for you is quite welcoming, especially to an amateur cook like me, though the flip side is having to get used to various digital instructions and get the probe in right.

If you want a more standard simple air frying product, our Ninja FlexDrawer is our top-rated air fryer ever. Or, if you like the sound of the merits of this grill, but would like to use it outside instead, the Ninja Woodfire BBQ is a great shout.

Should you buy the Ninja Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer?

As a newcomer to the world of Ninja, I was pretty impressed by this product. Basic air frying is pretty easy, and seems super efficient, with clear instructions on preheating, when to add food and when to turn it.

But the real bonus is in the grilling function, which holds your hand through exactly how to cook a piece of meat, using the temperature probe to remove any guesswork and stopping the grill at the right moment, even reminding you to leave it to rest.

That said, like any space-age creation, it takes a bit of getting used to, and you might actually have to follow the instructions to nail it.

It took me a few goes to work out the best way to use the Smart Cook System, but persistence paid off and I’ll confess to being a convert. There’s scope for more experimentation too, including bigger joints of meat.

In the battle of Ninja vs Tefal air fryers, there's a lot to like, with both brands producing high-quality appliances that will go the distance in your kitchen.

While neither of these brands enjoys the accolade of being the first brand to sell an air fryer (that belongs to Philips), both have made significant steps in the design and performance of these appliances.

So, as Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, I felt it was my duty to put them head to head to establish which has the best air fryer offering.

And the good news? Whichever brand you ultimately decide to shop, you're guaranteed a great quality buy.

Tefal vs Ninja

Here are the main points of comparison you should know about before you invest, all gauged from our extensive testing of both Ninja and Tefal air frying products.

Which brand has the best product range?

Tefal has a more varied range of air fryers than you might think, ranging from small single-drawer models to dedicated pizza-sized products.

The brand also sells an air fryer with a steam function, which our reviewer tried out in our Tefal EasyFry 3-in-1 air fryer review as well as a countertop oven-style product as showcased in our Tefal Easy Fry Multifunction Oven review.

Tefal's products, similarly to Ninja, pack a lot of functions into one appliance which saves you countertop space and money long-term, as you won't feel the need to splash on another buy down the line.

By far the most popular Tefal air fryer we've tried is the Tefal Easy Fry Dual Air Fryer & Grill, the star of Jamie Oliver's Air Fryer Meals TV show. Our expert reviewer and home economist Helen McCue was very impressed with it in our review, saying that it was far more useful than she anticipated.

Its quirk is that it has one 2/3 sized drawer and one 1/3 sized drawer. Helen wasn't expecting to enjoy its design, but found that it was actually pretty useful for mealtime cooking. She also made space for an entire chicken in the larger drawer, which something that Jamie Oliver showcased on TV too.

Let's now take a look at Ninja's product range, which is endlessly being updated with innovative new air fryer designs. The original sell-out model from them is the Dual Zone air fryer, which has two drawers and cooks everything fantastically fast. Though we love the Dual Zone, the air fryer that took over from it in our list of air fryers is the Ninja FlexDrawer, which is the most versatile product on the market in my opinion.

You can read about Helen's adventures in testing this air fryer in our Ninja FlexDrawer review, but the bottom line is that the ability to switch between one large cooking zone and two smaller ones makes this product unbeatable.

As far as functionality goes, Ninja takes the biscuit there too. Whether it's oven style models (like the Ninja MultiFunction Oven) or products with the ability to slow cook and saute (I'm looking at you, Ninja Combi), there's no doubt this is the brand doing the most.

WINNER - Most product choice - Ninja

Cooking performance

The performance of Tefal's air fryers across our tests has been solidly good, with 4 and 4.5 stars given across the board. In general, the takeaways that our expert reviewer gleaned from her tests were that Tefal products have good, family-sized capacities and are easy to use.

Our highest scoring review of a Tefal air fryer (the Easy Fry Dual) saw Helen comment that this was 'ultimately a decent air fryer that cooks well', adding that 'it was nice to be able to air fry a whole chicken without cramming it in or having to buy the smallest chicken I could find'.

Importantly, the build quality of all of the Tefal air fryers we've tried has been impressive. The brand has a recognisably good reputation in the UK (A YouGov poll found that 95% of answerers knew of the brand and a huge 75% of those had a positive opinion).

Ninja's performance in our tests has also been impressive across the board. To date we've tested 8 different standalone air fryers and plenty more multicookers from the brand with an air fryer setting.

Along with the FlexDrawer, one of the brand's other top-scoring products is the Ninja Air Fryer MAX PRO AF180UK. It earned 5 stars in our review, with Helen remarking that it was a great find for a two-person household. It's a winner if you're looking for something with a small footprint but still packs a punch. Helen still squeezed a small chicken in it.

All in all, I think that the air frying performance of both of these brands is exemplary. However, thanks to the innovation of the features available with Ninja air fryers, I think they just take the crown on this one.

WINNER - Performance - Ninja

Price

A brand could be producing the greatest air fryers in the world but if they're overpriced, then many people won't be able to access them.

Ninja and Tefal are two brands that I would say take up the more expensive end of the air fryer pricing spectrum, but both also have the quality that makes investing more worth it. After all, you get what you pay for when it comes to appliances.

Going off RRPs, Ninja's most expensive air fryer is the FlexDrawer (£269.99), while Tefal's priciest pick is the Easy Fry Oven (£250.00). On the other end Ninja's cheapest is the AF100UK (£99.99), while Tefal goes as low as (£80.00).

On the whole, I think Tefal's selection is the more affordable, not taking into account sales discounts. Therefore, it gets my vote for affordability.

WINNER - Price - Tefal

Should you buy a Ninja or a Tefal air fryer?

Ultimately I think that if you pick a Ninja or a Tefal air fryer for your kitchen, you're in safe hands.

The brand that will suit you will depend on your price range and how many people you need to cater to and catching any of these products on sale is a great way to invest for less.

Aldi has a new air mini fryer hitting the middle aisle today, promising to be the perfect size for tiny kitchens and even for students.

With Black Friday right around the corner, now is the time to buy one of the best air fryers currently on sale, but Aldi has outdone the competition with the Aldi Mini Air Fryer available for less than £20.

This 1.9-litre air fryer is the ideal size for knocking up meals for one or cooking a batch of chips for two in a small kitchen. We've even seen some use mini air fryers for on-the-go cooking.

The Aldi mini air fryer i one of the cheapest air fryers available on the market right now, but is it all it's cracked up to be?

'I'm intrigued by Aldi's 1.9-litre air fryer. One of the smallest air fryers I've ever tried was the Lakeland 2L Digital Compact Air Fryer, which was seriously tiny, though it's still larger than this Aldi version,' says Molly Cleary, Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliance Editor, and Certified Expert for air fryers.

'For one person, a 1.9 litre air fryer will work just fine, but if you have the cash I'd recommend sizing up to the Ninja 3.8 litre air fryer, which is currently on sale for Black Friday and can cater to a small family if used wisely,'

The Ninja AF100UK Air Fryer is Ninja’s smallest air fryer available and on offer for £69. Ninja is highly rated at Ideal Home - there’s rarely anything we rate higher and with loads of the best Ninja deals currently on offer, it’s a hard brand to beat.

Aldi’s air fryer stands at 21cm by 24.5cm making it perfect for your small spaces. The Ninja is only bigger at 36cm by 32cm but considering the Ninja alternative holds a lot more food, it beats Aldi here.

The Aldi Mini Air Fryer has seven automated cooking features so you achieve everything from perfectly crispy chips to moist and evenly cooked chicken. However, the capacity is very small at 1.9-litre capacity.

But where Aldi has the advantage over Ninja air fryer beat is the price tag, with the Ninja air fryer rarely dropping below £69 when on sale. It's these incredibly low price tags at Aldi that caused the website to crash in 2022 when 80,000 tried to buy Aldi’s Dual Basket Air Fryer.

The Aldi mini air fryer will only be available to purchase in stores. If you don't live near an Aldi or are looking for a mini air fryer with more flair these are three of our other top picks.

Shop mini air fryers

You can’t argue with an Aldi price tag, so if you’re looking for a cheap and small air fryer, it’s a great choice - but you'll have to act fast as once it's gone, it's gone.

As Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor, I can sometimes have a hard time believing that there are people out there who don't own an air fryer. After years of hype, if you've resisted thus far, the thing that might be about to break you out of it is this year's Black Friday deals, where the price of any given air fryer is bound to fall considerably.

If that is you, and you're teetering on the edge of full-blown air fryer ownership, then allow me to steer you in the right direction. I've tested dozens of air fryers in my day job, and I get all the insights into the newest, shiniest, most advanced new products.

Here's what I wish I'd known when I first bought one of the best air fryers and what any prospective owner will want to have in mind as prices start to drop.

My top-rated air fryers after testing

1. Carefully consider the design

In many ways, waiting to buy an air fryer might have been a wise decision. Since the huge hype of a few years ago, there's been an explosion of different designs on the market. That means that now more than ever there's bound to be an air fryer to suit you.

If you've always thought that standard air fryers looked too small for say cooking an entire Sunday roast, then the Ninja FlexDrawer will suit you down to the ground. It can fit an entire leg of lamb inside (trust us, our reviewer Helen checked) and once you're done, you can turn it into a dual zone air fryer for the rest of your cooking.

If, alternatively, you've always thought that air fryers are too big and bulky for your small kitchen, then there's been some smart innovation on that front too. The Ninja DoubleStack takes the two-drawer design and makes it space-saving, with the two halves stacked one on top of each other.

2. It's basically a small oven

People often try to intellectualise using an air fryer, but if you remember that it's just a smaller, countertop oven and use it like you use your built-in oven (while remembering that it cooks faster), you won't have a problem with getting to grips with it.

3. Factor in space on your kitchen countertop

Turning it on and using it aside, there are so many things I wish I knew to make my day-to-day dealings with my air fryer run more smoothly. The first being where to place it in order to maximise its usefulness, and in all likelihood this is going to be on your countertop.

If you really hate have your air fryer in the best position on your worktop, there are ways to keep it out of site. Since adding my first air fryer to my kitchen I've discovered the hack of putting your air fryer on castor wheels which means I can easily pull it into a safe place to cook on the kitchen counter, away from walls and other appliances.

4. Make sure you like the look of it

Your air fryer will be most useful if it's stored out on your kitchen countertop, so you need to pick an air fryer with a design you like. This will make assimilating it into your kitchen easier. The Our Place Wonder Oven is a favourite of mine and the rest of the Ideal Home team. It's as cute as a button and my review proves it has the performance to match.

If you need to opt for an air fryer you really don't love the look of for functionality reasons, then there are ways to hide your air fryer. One of the best being to hide it away in an appliance garage or a breakfast cupboard if you have the space.

5. Keeping on top of cleaning is essential

When you buy your shiny new air fryer, keep in mind that cleaning it well and often will make it last much longer in your home. Cleaning your air fryer after every use is the most hygienic way to use it, and I find that's easiest to do with a Dishmatic tool which you can pick up for £6.99 from Amazon.

If you're keen to cut down on grime, then many of the Ideal Home team swear by silicone air fryer liners to prevent oily residues from degrading the quality of the trays inside your air fryer. My mum, who swears by air fryer liners, just bought these ones for £5 from Dunelm for her dual-zone air fryer.

Of all of the air fryer lessons I've learnt, it's keeping it as clean as you can that I think is the most valuable. After all, you want to keep hold of this fairly expensive investment in your kitchen for as long as you can.

Owning an air fryer has many benefits, including faster cooking times and a more convenient appliance to navigate when cooking. However, the downsides of the best air fryer ownership are less discussed. One big drawback I've found as Ideal Home's Kitchen Appliances Editor is trying to wade through the number of things marketed as 'essential' for your air fryer.

Do you need them? Or are they just tat designed to get you to spend more? Just recently, we looked into whether air fryer covers are worthwhile (the short answer is no) while the debate over using air fryer liners is still alive and well in the Ideal Home office.

Next up on the seemingly endless air fryer accessories carousel are air fryer cleaners, which are dedicated sprays for degreasing your air fryer basket. Here's a look at what they are, and why I think you're best to swerve them.

What is an air fryer cleaning spray?

This summer, the popular cleaning brand Elbow Grease launched a dedicated Air Fryer Cleaner, which you can pick up for £1.29 from B&M. Elbow Grease call it a 'powerful degreaser', and claim it can make air fryer cleaning quick and simple, finished off with a lemon scent.

It's not the only brand jumping on the air fryer cleaning spray trend either, with picks from Atonish and HG also available on Amazon. The tagline on each is that these sprays are designed to lift grease, a common air fryer problem.

It is probably best to compare these cleaners to the popularity of oven cleaners. While they will all certainly help clean your appliance, there are so many other products you'll already have in your home that you can use to clean your air fryer just as well.

As we cover in our guide on how to clean an air fryer, there's a much easier way to get your appliance back to a brand-new state than investing in a new single-waste plastic spray. The crucial ingredient in many of these sprays, including the Astonish one, is baking powder, which is a miracle ingredient for cleaning all around your house too.

A much better (and cheaper) method for your air fryer would be to apply a paste made of baking soda to the inside of your air fryer baskets and scrub away at any grease. No single waste plastic or need to buy extra products in sight.

Or, another method (which is my personal favourite) is the most straightforward: filling the basket with hot water and washing up liquid, and leaving to soak before tackling with a non-abrasive sponge.

I'm not the only one unconvinced by the need to invest in a dedicated air fryer cleaning spray. One of the reviews left by a user called Andy on Amazon for the Elbow Grease Spray sums it up neatly, saying 'You certainly need lots of elbow grease using this product, fairly pointless tbh, I have better success with washing up liquid and some boiling water and leaving it a while to soak'.

I couldn't have said it better myself. What's your go-to method for cleaning your air fryer?

I’ve tested and reviewed my fare share of the best pizza ovens and they're great, but let’s face it, the British weather doesn’t always want to play ball. And even the biggest pizza craving isn’t enough to make me stand outside in the driving rain cooking an, albeit delicious, pizza.

So it’s easy to understand why indoor pizza ovens are becoming increasingly popular, especially taking into account the fact that many people don’t have any outside space in which to set up a pizza oven. So is the ProCook Electric Pizza Oven Air Fryer the answer?

We took a sneak peek at this oven when it launched and the bottom line is that his indoor pizza oven offers multiple cooking functions, so when you’re not making pizzas it’s still very useful. It can be used to cook meats, air fry chips, or even bake a cake. It’s got a lot to offer, so I set it up in my own kitchen for a week and tried to use as many of the functions as possible.

Product specs

• Pizza size: 12 inch
• Dimensions: 53 x 39.5 x 21.5cm
• Accessories included: stainless steel basket, pizza stone, wire rack, cast iron griddle
• Power cable: 107cm
• Warranty: 2 years

Unboxing and first impressions

There were no major surprises when I got it out of the box. I expected it to take up quite a bit of worktop space, which it does. But because it’s not very tall, it doesn’t dominate the kitchen.

It comes with a pretty straightforward set of accessories, a wire rack style shelf, a 12 inch round pizza stone, a similar size round cast iron griddle, and a mesh style basket shelf for air frying. There’s an additional removable bottom tray that slides in under the bottom element and collects any crumbs or drips to make cleaning easier.

Before the first use, the manual advises washing all the accessories, apart from the pizza stone. Then placing them into the oven and running the air fry function at the maximum temperature for 10 minutes.

The handle to flip the door open and closed is on the left and one thing I immediately noticed was that it’s easy to accidentally slam the door shut unless you carefully keep hold of the handle until it’s fully closed.

The door has a viewing window built in and there’s an internal light that’s activated by pressing the button on the control panel, which makes it super easy to keep an eye on how your pizza is puffing up.

All the controls are on the right hand side of the door. A central dial allows you to toggle through the menu of functions. Then it can be used in conjunction with the time and temperature buttons to adjust these settings.

Overall the settings are simple and intuitive to use. The five high temperature presets all include an auto preheat which is essential for them to perform properly. The other functions like air fry and bake however, don’t have a preheat built in to the settings.

There are a couple of confusing settings that are worth pointing out. Firstly ‘broil’, this annoys me because it’s an American term for a grill, and I do think ProCook could make more of an effort to get the terminology right for the country in which they sell the product.

The second confusing one is the ‘woodfire pizza’ setting. It’s confusing because there’s neither wood, nor fire involved. It’s simply a hotter pizza setting.

The instruction manual has detailed information on using the product, but I’d have loved some recipes or hints and tips for creating the best pizza or getting the most from the other settings.

What is it like to use?

Pizza

The fresh pizza program is designed for a slightly thinner crust pizza and has a preset cook time of 7½ minutes at 360C. Whereas the woodfired pizza program cooks at 400C and has a preset cook time of four minutes. The temperatures aren’t adjustable, but the time can be increased for different sized pizzas.

I tried both the wood fired and the fresh pizza programs on separate occasions. Both times my pizzas were around 7-8 inch which is a good size to fit on a plate and a bit easier to handle than anything bigger.

These pizza programs have a 15 minute preheat built in and you have to make sure the pizza stone is in place and gets preheated. Once it’s hot, it’s easiest to pull out the pizza stone by sliding the wire shelf out - that way you don’t have to touch the hot stone, but you can still access it to load on a pizza.

The problem I had was that the wire shelf doesn’t slide freely. I found it really tricky to force the shelf in and out when trying to access the pizza stone. That aside, to get a fresh pizza onto the boiling hot pizza stone, you’ll need some kind of pizza peel. I actually used a round cake lifter, which worked quite well. I used semolina under the pizza base to make sure it didn’t stick to the peel.

On both the fresh pizza and the woodfired pizza programs, the pizzas cooked really well. The crust puffed up and crisped beautifully and the bases were perfect too. I was very impressed with the results and they were comparable to some of the best pizzas I’ve made in outdoor pizza ovens.

After the first pizza, the oven stays on and ready to go for the next, you simply hit start again once you’ve loaded your next pizza in.

One thing that did concern me was that the exceptionally high temperature cooking might be using a lot of electricity, especially with the 15 minute preheat. So I plugged in an energy meter and was shocked at how little it actually used.

To cook two pizzas, including the initial preheat, it used 0.56 - 0.68kWh depending on the pizza setting. Based on the current average energy prices (22.36p per kWh), this equates to just 12.5 - 15.2p. This will obviously increase if you increase the cook times or make more than a couple of pizzas, but personally I think these numbers are reassuringly low.

I was also concerned that the exterior of the oven would get excessively hot. And right enough, the left hand side did reach 75C so you’ll have to take care there. But the top stayed below 45C and the right hand side stayed cool enough to touch.

I’m not sure why you would buy a pizza oven if you don’t want to explore the process of creating fresh home made pizzas. But just in case you find yourself cooking a frozen or ready made pizza, there are two other settings created especially for these.

The ‘crust pizza’ setting is designed for frozen shop-bought pizza with a stuffed crust. Or there’s also a ‘frozen pizza’ program for any other types of frozen pizza. Personally I was enjoying the home made versions too much to deviate from them, but judging on how well it makes fresh pizza, cooking a frozen pizza to perfection should be a doddle.

Air fry

The air fryer defaults to 230C for 17 minutes, and while this is hotter than I’d usually set my air fryer, I thought I’d just leave it on this and see how a piece of frozen breadcrumbed fish cooked up. It’s worth noting though, that the time and temperature are both adjustable.

I popped the fish onto the mesh basket and since there’s no auto preheat I put it in the cold oven and started the air fry function. It ended up taking 20 minutes at 230C which, despite the very high temperature, is a bit longer than in my usual air fryer. But it was cooked through nonetheless and had a deliciously crispy breadcrumb coating.

Fries

While it doesn’t specifically say so, I suspect the ‘fries’ preset utilises the air fryer function. This preset defaults to 25 minutes at 230C. I cut up enough potatoes for two portions of chips that I soaked in cold water for 30 minutes before drying, and then coating in a splash of oil.

Once again I used the mesh basket and added my home cut chips to a cold oven. A bit like the fish, the chips ended up cooking for a lengthy 35 minutes despite the higher-than-normal temperature setting.

Most good air fryers can cook this quantity of chips in 20-25 minutes, so it's a bit slow. That said, the chips were nicely browned and well crisped. And personally I’d rather wait a bit longer for a good chip than have mediocre or disappointing chips.

Bake

Due to its size and shape, this little air fryer pizza oven won’t be suited to every kind of cake or baked goods you might want to make. But a batch of scones felt like a pretty safe bet. Although my first hurdle was finding a baking tray that would fit. I ended up having to put my scones in a deeper brownie tin, so if you buy this pizza oven you might need to invest in some appropriately sized trays for baking.

I baked them at 180C. The bake function doesn’t have an automatic preheat, so I put them straight into the cold oven. Despite this, the scones cooked perfectly in 15 minutes. They rose beautifully and were light and fluffy, nothing short of a successful bake.

Bagel

No surprises here, I popped a bagel directly on the rack, cut side up. The manual says the rack must be placed in the lower shelf position, so that’s where I left it. The auto settings for toasting a bagel are adjusted by darkness, not time or temperature.

There are six darkness levels to choose from, but I left it on the default, which is number three. This was just right for my plain bagel and it took 3 ⅓ minutes to toast to a perfect golden brown.

Vegetables

I used this preset to roast red peppers and red onion that I intended to make into a tasty autumn soup. This time I made use of the mesh tray which can only be placed on the upper shelf position otherwise it brushes against the lower heating elements.

Again, there’s no auto preheat on this setting, so I popped the lightly oiled and seasoned vegetables into the cold oven and started the 20 minute default cook, at 220C. I gave them a stir after 10 minutes, but at the end of the 20 minute cook time they hadn’t roasted as much as I’d hoped.

In the end I left them in for a total of 35 minutes, and although this is longer than I expected, the finished result was nicely roasted peppers and onions with light charred edges.

Steak

The steak preset is one of the high temperature cooking programs and is designed to be used with the cast iron griddle pan. It auto preheats for eight minutes and then you place the steak on the hot griddle for just 50 seconds before it prompts you to turn it over and cook for the final 70 seconds.

At the end of the two minute cook time, my steak was seared on the outside but still very raw in the centre. I tried to put it back in for a bit longer but the steak mode went back into the eight minute preheat stage. I didn’t have much choice but to put it in anyway on the preheat for a further three minutes until it had cooked to medium rare.

It wasn’t an altogether unsuccessful endeavour, the steak was fine. But I’d suggest you’ll need to play around with the timings as well as the thickness of the steak, and it may take a few attempts to perfect it.

It’s not a noisy appliance. All the noise is coming from the fan, it’s about 60dB which isn’t too loud, but it’s certainly noticeable. And after most cooking sessions the fan stays on for between 15 - 40 minutes, depending on the setting and temperature you’ve been using. I found it annoying if I was still in the kitchen after cooking, sometimes it felt like it would never switch off.

How does it compare to competitors?

Leading pizza oven brand Ooni makes an indoor pizza oven called the Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven. It’s a dedicated pizza oven without all the extra functions you get with the ProCook. However it does offer the advantage of being suitable to use outside, so it can take the place of both an indoor and an outdoor pizza oven. The catch though, is that it costs around £800.

My personal favourite electric pizza oven is the Ninja Woodfire Electric Outdoor Oven. And while it is an outdoor model, it’s designed to be used in any weather. Plus it gives you the option to burn real wood pellets and create smokey flavours. And it’s way more than just a pizza oven, it can be used for smoking meats, even baking cakes.

What's it like to clean?

Only the metal rack and the metal basket accessories are dishwasher safe. Everything else has to be washed by hand, apart from the pizza stone. This should never be submerged in water and the best way to clean it is to scrape off any burnt-on residue with a spatula.

The removable bottom tray does catch any spills, drips, or crumbs and it comes clean easily, but you do have to remove and clean it after virtually every use. The thing I found trickiest to clean was the mesh shelf because of the way foods can get stuck in the mesh. I found that a good washing up brush is the best way of getting it clean.

Should you buy the ProCook Electric Pizza Oven Air Fryer?

If your primary objective of buying this pizza oven is to make great pizzas, then it’s absolutely a worthy buy and I can confirm that it does make an excellent pizza. Plus you can use it for other bakes and meals, so it’s more versatile than many of its peers.

I should reiterate that some functions such as steak, might be hit and miss or require you to fine tune the timings. And the air fry function is slower than a standalone air fryer. But on balance, I think that for the money, it’s a cracking little pizza oven that’ll elevate family pizza nights. And when you compare it to the cost of most others, it’s a bit of a bargain.

About this review, and the reviewer

After completing a Home Economics degree, Helen went on to work for the Good Housekeeping Institute and has been reviewing home appliances ever since. She lives in a small village in Buckinghamshire in the UK, where she reviews all sorts of home and garden appliances using her wealth of experience.

Helen set up the ProCook Electric Pizza Oven Air Fryer in her kitchen at home and used it for nearly two weeks. During this time, she tried out multiple functions and used all of the accessories. She made everything from pizza to steak, and even used it to bake a cake in an effort to put it through its paces.

Aldi has always done a brilliant job of keeping up with emerging homeware and appliance trends, and once again they've found a way to make the latest trend for multi-tasking air fryer ovens accessible for everyone with the new Aldi 9-in-1 air fryer oven.

The new air fryer oven is landing in stores on the 7th of November as part of the brand's Black Friday tech specialbuy drop. Featuring a drop-down door instead of baskets it has a striking resemblance to the design of one of the best air fryers we've tested - the Our Place Wonder Oven.

The Wonder Oven, along with Smeg's version of an air fryer, has been leading the charge for this new generation of air fryer ovens. Air fryer ovens are already a staple feature in many kitchens in the US, but they have gradually been making their way over to the UK with their drop-down doors and multi-tasking capabilities over the last year.

Aldi's version of the air fryer oven comes in at an incredible price of £49.99, which is almost £150 cheaper than the Wonder Oven which is already one of the more affordable versions of this style of air fryer at £195.

For that price, the Aldi air fryer oven includes 9 auto functions including air fry, dehydrate, rotisserie, fish, steak, wing, cookie, pizza and toast. It features a touch control panel and comes equipped with a rack, crumb tray, air basket, rolling cage, rotisserie fork and even a pizza stone.

Essentially, it has everything you'd need whether you're cooking up a roast chicken or treating yourself to a fakeaway pizza. However, the air fryer only reaches temperatures of 250 degrees, which isn't quite high enough to properly mimic the conditions of a true indoor pizza oven if the mention of a pizza stone piqued your interest.

The price is amazing and the equipment included is certainly impressive. However, if you've been eyeing up the Our Place Wonder Oven for your countertop and wondering if this could be a good alternative, there are a few things to consider.

Firstly, the Aldi oven is larger than the petite Wonder Oven (which many of the Ideal Home team have found is the perfect air fryer size for a small kitchen). Plus you'll have to think about where you'll be able to store all the extra accessories.

Then there are also the looks to consider, the Aldi air fryer oven is definitely on the clunkier side and only available in black compared to the pretty retro-style Our Place Wonder Ovens which is available in spice, steam, blue salt and char.

While the Ideal Home team hasn't tested the Aldi air fryer, nearly every team member owns one of the Our Place Ovens and has been really impressed by it. Its steam-infusion cooking preserves the moisture in food but crisps up the outside to perfection. Several of the team members have found it so effective at toasting bread and reheating food that they have gotten rid of their toasters AND microwaves.

Also if you are concerned about toxins and plastics, the Wonder Oven is free of plastics and made without any PFA chemicals. It is fully recyclable and biodegradable. So in terms of value for money, while it is more expensive than the Aldi version, in our opinion it more than delivers for its very reasonable price tag.

However, if you have the space on your kitchen countertop and you're simply looking for an affordable air fryer oven that will cook a bit of everything, you might want to mark the 7th of November in your diary to head down to Aldi.