Should you buy a Ninja or a Tefal air fryer? We've tested air fryers from both brands and this is our verdict
Get the lowdown on the difference between Tefal and Ninja air fryers, and which brand will suit you best


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.
This Tefal air fryer is a certified Ideal Home favourite. Not only have we reviewed it (awarding it 4.5 stars in our Tefal Easy Fry Dual Air Fryer review) but it's also the star of Jamie Oliver's TV show Jamie's Air Fryer Meals.
The OG sell-out Ninja air fryer still hasn't gone out of style, even all of these years after its release. In our review, it couldn't be anything less than 5 stars awarded.
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.
Get the Ideal Home Newsletter
Sign up to our newsletter for style and decor inspiration, house makeovers, project advice and more.
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.

Molly is Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor, the Ideal Home Certified Expert on Appliances. An all-around cooking and baking enthusiast, she loves finding the next must-have product for readers that will their kitchen a better place. She joined the team in September 2022 after working on the editorial teams of Real Homes, Homes & Gardens and Livingetc.
For the last 4 years, she's been reviewing hundreds of small appliances; conducting tests at home or in the Ideal Home test kitchen. She would be hard-pressed to pick a Mastermind specialist subject but air fryers are her ultimate area of expertise, after testing just about every single one released since 2022.
To keep ahead of trends and new releases, Molly has visited the testing and development spaces of multiple kitchen brands including Ninja Kitchen and Le Creuset as well as attended consumer shows such as IFA, hosted in Berlin to see the cooking innovations of the future.
-
The easy planting technique I always use to create stunning hanging baskets - it's the secret to a show-stopping flower arrangement
If you're not sure where to start when making up a hanging basket for the garden, the 'thriller, filler, spiller' method is worth a try
-
This £10 Amazon fix stopped pooling water from destroying the wall behind my kitchen sink – 6 months on, it still looks great
If you're struggling with pooling water around your kitchen sink, listen up
-
Invest in your rest and relaxation this spring while enjoying an exclusive discount at Christy
Upgrade with luxury bath and bedding icons and enjoy an extra 12% off all orders
-
Stacey Solomon’s new summer George Home collection has landed - these are the 6 things to look out for
The whole range is a careful blend of playfulness and stylish neutrals
-
Dunelm has just launched a heatwave-busting bed sheet that's only £9 – it will help eliminate hot and sweaty nights during the heatwave
Too hot and sweaty at night? Your bed sheets could be the problem, and Dunelm has a solution
-
Is your porch missing something to sit on? These 7 porch seating ideas will solve that issue for you in style
These are the top porch seating ideas to make your space more functional and stylish at the same time
-
I failed my no-buy month because of this Primark tableware collection - it looks so much more expensive than it is
My tablescape has never looked better - without taking a hit to my budget
-
Kilner's butter churner is back in stock – here's why it sold out in the first place
Make your own butter by hand with this fun addition to your kitchen gadget collection
-
I won't gatekeep – Magimix's new small kitchen-friendly mini chopper is my secret to delicious lazy dinners
My homemade pesto pasta has never been better
-
'I've now bought 3 different colours' – my favourite affordable linen bedding is currently half-price, and the 5-star reviews speak for themselves
The half-price linen bedding that owners can't stop raving about
-
Want to cook like Jamie Oliver? This is the top-rated casserole he uses from his own collection all the time on Instagram
Jamie's collaboration with Tefal has led to this casserole dish getting the best user reviews I've ever seen