Three air fryers that will cook all the meals and snacks you’ll ever need

Air fryers are the current hotness in cooking circles, with the mini ovens now present in over a third of kitchens according to one survey. Since they’re so popular, there muct be more to them than another gadget to clutter up your worktops and never get cleaned, so what’s the appeal?

Compact ovens that circulate hot air rather than traditional fryers, air fryers use less oil and can be cheaper to run than a full-size oven. They’re versatile, often with settings for specific recipes, and are suitable for cooking meals for one or two people when you don’t want to serve a feast. And because they can cook quickly, you’ll have them on for less time and so use less electricity. The downsides include taking up space and noise from their fans, but if you can put up with that, here are some of the best you can buy.

Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer

Price £270 / go.stuff.tv/FlexDrawer

What’s the story?

Ninja’s newest is large and flexible. Its 10.4L drawer works as one ‘megazone’ – or slide in a divider to split into two independent 5L zones. That’s the highest capacity on test, big enough for a 2kg leg of lamb surrounded by veggies, or a cake. There are seven functions to choose from, and the innards are all dishwasher-safe.

Is it any good?

It’s big… and it’s also easy to use. Tap the touch controls to select a zone (or both); then turn the dial to pick from seven intuitive functions; finally, tap the controls to adjust time and temperature. Our results were delicious and fast – and while this is the widest fryer on test, it’s shallower than the others thanks to the handle design.

Tefal Easy Fry Dual Air Fryer & Grill

Price £200 / go.stuff.tv/EasyFry

What’s the story

This is Tefal’s first ever two-drawer air fryer. Its 8.3L capacity is divided asymmetrically: the 5.2L and 3.1L drawers work independently, so you can save energy by just using one side. Or use both and sync them, with different temperatures and cooking times, to be ready at the same time. It’s all dishwasher-safe and the larger zone features a ribbed grill plate.

Is it any good?

The Tefal’s eight functions are essentially temperatures for six different foods, plus manual air fryer and grill. We liked the ribbed plate for cooking everything from sausages to grilled cheese, but skinny chips and veggies fell through the gaps. The controls are mildly annoying: once you’ve programmed one side, it’s hard to turn it off.

Instant Vortex Plus VersaZone with ClearCook

Price £220 / go.stuff.tv/ClearCook

What’s the story?

Like the Ninja but a bit smaller, the Instant has one 8.5L zone that you can split in two. The halves can be controlled independently and synced. This new VersaZone also has ClearCook, with a glass front and a light inside so you can keep an eye on cooking without slowing it down or losing energy. Again the drawer and trays won’t fear your dishwasher.

Is it any good?

We loved the glass front as it meant opening the drawer less, but controls were tricky: you have to double-tap the dial to switch between one zone and two. There are six presets, then you adjust temperature and time using the touch controls… but our display was dim and hard to read at times. Cooking was fine, but we preferred the Ninja’s larger capacity.