Air fryers · 6 models ranked

The best air fryers in the UK for real family cooking

Six air fryers that British kitchens buy most, scored on how evenly they cook chips and chicken, how much they really hold, what they cost to run and how long the washing-up takes.

TBBy Tom Beckett·Reviewed by Helen Marsh

Updated 15 September 202611 min read

Independent assessment. No brand paid to appear here, saw this page before publication, or can buy a better score. Independence

A dual-drawer air fryer on a kitchen worktop with chips in one drawer and sausages in the other

The short answer

Best for most families: the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone. Two drawers that finish at the same time, and the crispest results in the tests we read.
Best for small kitchens: the Ninja Double Stack XL. The same two-zone cooking stacked vertically, so it takes about a third less worktop.
Best if you cook more than chips: the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket with steam, which keeps chicken and reheated food from drying out.
Best under £100: the Russell Hobbs SatisFry Medium. Simple, even and easy to clean for one or two people.

The shortlist

Council's choice

Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone

Two drawers, one finishing time and the most consistent crisping in its class.

£179

Best for small kitchens

Ninja Double Stack XL

Two-zone cooking in a tower that takes about a third less worktop.

£229.99

Best for varied cooking

Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Steam

Steam plus hot air keeps food moist, and the steam self-clean saves real scrubbing.

£189.99

The full ranking

Rank	Model	Score	Price	Capacity	Drawers	Max temp
1	Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone	8.9	£179	9.5 L (2 × 4.75 L)	2, side by side	240°C
2	Ninja Double Stack XL	8.6	£229.99	9.5 L (2 × 4.75 L)	2, stacked	240°C
3	Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Steam	8.6	£189.99	9 L (6 L + 3 L)	2, side by side	200°C
4	Instant Vortex Plus Dual Drawer	8.6	£99	7.6 L (2 × 3.8 L)	2, side by side, with windows	205°C
5	Cosori TurboBlaze 6 L	8.5	£129.99	6 L	1	230°C
6	Russell Hobbs SatisFry Medium	8.2	£59.99	4.3 L	1	200°C

Prices checked on 15 September 2026 at UK retailers and rounded. Prices move often; a price change alone never changes a score.

How we compared them

We read the published cooking tests from British reviewers that cook the same foods in every model (chips, frozen snacks, chicken), their energy measurements where available, the manufacturers' specifications and thousands of UK owner reviews. Owner reviews were most useful for durability: coatings that peel and drawers that crack show up there first.

Every model was then scored out of 10 on the five criteria below, with the same weights for every air fryer. The Council score is the weighted total.

What counts, and how much

Cooking results30%
Crispness and evenness on chips, frozen food and chicken in independent cooking tests.
Usable capacity20%
How much food fits in one layer, and whether two zones can cook different foods at once.
Ease of use and cleaning20%
Controls, presets, dishwasher-safe parts and how quickly baskets come clean.
Running cost and build15%
Energy used per meal, coating durability reported by owners, guarantee.
Value15%
What the typical UK price buys compared with the rest of the field.

Model by model

Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone

Council's choice

Outstanding

Cooking results9.2
Usable capacity9.0
Ease of use and cleaning8.6
Running cost and build8.4
Value8.8

Two drawers, one finishing time and the most consistent crisping in its class.

The Foodi MAX Dual Zone is the air fryer other models are measured against, and it still earns that position. Two independent drawers let you cook a main and a side at different temperatures, and the Sync button staggers the start so both finish at once. For a family tea that is the feature that changes how you cook.

Results are consistently crisp. Frozen chips and breaded chicken come out evenly browned without much shaking, and the 240°C Max Crisp mode is useful for anything straight from the freezer. It is wide, so measure your worktop first.

What's good

Sync sets both drawers to finish together, so chips and chicken arrive at the same time
Max Crisp at 240°C gives the crunchiest frozen chips in independent tests
Each drawer is big enough for a family portion of chips
Tens of thousands of UK owner reviews with a consistently high rating

Watch out for

Wide: needs about 41 cm of worktop
Non-stick drawers need gentle cleaning to last
No window, so you open a drawer to check

Key specifications

Capacity: 9.5 L (2 × 4.75 L)
Drawers: 2, side by side
Max temp: 240°C
Programmes: 6, with Sync and Match
Dishwasher safe: Drawers and crisper plates
Footprint: About 41 cm wide

Best for: Families of three to five who want two parts of a meal cooked at once.

Typical price

£179

Model AF400UK

Sold at: Argos, Currys, Ninja

Ninja Double Stack XL

Best for small kitchens

Very good

Cooking results8.8
Usable capacity9.0
Ease of use and cleaning8.2
Running cost and build8.4
Value8.2

Two-zone cooking in a tower that takes about a third less worktop.

The Double Stack puts the two drawers on top of each other. The result is the same 9.5 litres as the Foodi MAX in a footprint about a third narrower, which is the difference between fitting and not fitting in many British kitchens.

Cooking is very close to the Foodi MAX. The racks add flexibility but need watching, as the top layer browns faster. If you have the worktop, the Foodi MAX is cheaper; if you do not, this is the one to buy.

What's good

Only about 28 cm wide, so it fits where side-by-side models will not
Racks let you cook on two levels in each drawer
Same Sync and Match functions as the Foodi MAX

Watch out for

Tall: check it fits under your wall cupboards
Cooking on two levels can overdo the top layer
Costs around £50 more than the Foodi MAX

Key specifications

Capacity: 9.5 L (2 × 4.75 L)
Drawers: 2, stacked
Max temp: 240°C
Programmes: 6, with Sync and Match
Dishwasher safe: Drawers, racks and plates
Footprint: About 28 cm wide

Best for: Narrow kitchens and flats where worktop space is the real limit.

Typical price

£229.99

Model SL400UK

Sold at: Argos, Currys, AO

Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Steam

Best for varied cooking

Very good

Cooking results8.8
Usable capacity8.8
Ease of use and cleaning8.8
Running cost and build7.8
Value8.4

Steam plus hot air keeps food moist, and the steam self-clean saves real scrubbing.

Most air fryers dry food out if you are not careful. The Philips adds steam, and in combined mode it produced some of the juiciest roast chicken in the tests we read while still crisping the skin. It is also good for reheating leftovers and bread, which tend to go hard in a normal air fryer.

It is less punchy on frozen chips than the Ninjas because it stops at 200°C, and it is the most power-hungry model here. If your cooking goes beyond chips and nuggets, it is the most versatile choice.

What's good

Combined steam and air frying gives juicy chicken with crisp skin
Steam cleaning loosens grease so baskets wipe clean
Large 6 L drawer takes a whole chicken

Watch out for

Steam only works in the larger drawer
Rated at 2,750 W, higher than most
Tops out at 200°C, lower than the Ninjas for frozen food

Key specifications

Capacity: 9 L (6 L + 3 L)
Drawers: 2, side by side
Max temp: 200°C
Programmes: Air fry, steam and combined modes
Dishwasher safe: Baskets
Footprint: About 44 cm wide

Best for: Households that roast, steam and reheat, not just crisp.

Typical price

£189.99

Model NA555/09

Sold at: Philips, Amazon, Currys

Instant Vortex Plus Dual Drawer

Best-value dual drawer

Very good

Cooking results8.4
Usable capacity8.6
Ease of use and cleaning8.2
Running cost and build8.8
Value9.0

Two drawers with windows for under £100, and low energy use in tests.

If you want two drawers without spending £180, this is the one. It cooked 500 g of fresh potato in around 25 minutes in one independent test and was economical with electricity.

The drawers are smaller, so a family of four may need two rounds of chips. The windows are genuinely useful, if you keep them clean.

What's good

Viewing windows let you check food without opening
Used just under 1 kWh at 200°C with both drawers running in one lab test
Often under £100

Watch out for

Smaller drawers than the Ninja and Philips
Window glass needs regular cleaning

Key specifications

Capacity: 7.6 L (2 × 3.8 L)
Drawers: 2, side by side, with windows
Max temp: 205°C
Programmes: 6, with Sync Finish
Dishwasher safe: Baskets and trays
Footprint: About 38 cm wide

Best for: Budget-conscious households who still want to cook two things at once.

Typical price

£99

7.6 L model

Sold at: Amazon, Argos, Instant

Cosori TurboBlaze 6 L

Very good

Cooking results8.8
Usable capacity7.6
Ease of use and cleaning8.6
Running cost and build8.6
Value8.6

A fast single-drawer fryer with five fan speeds and a 230°C top setting.

The TurboBlaze is the best single-drawer choice here. Its adjustable fan and 230°C limit make quick work of frozen food, and reviewers found it browned evenly without constant shaking.

The trade-off is one drawer. For a couple or a family that cooks one thing at a time, that is no problem, and it costs £50 less than the Foodi MAX.

What's good

Fast and even, with fan speed you can actually adjust
Compact for a 6 L drawer
Quieter than most at lower fan speeds

Watch out for

One drawer: mains and sides take turns
Square basket is shallower than it looks

Key specifications

Capacity: 6 L
Drawers: 1
Max temp: 230°C
Programmes: 9 functions, 5 fan speeds
Dishwasher safe: Basket and plate
Footprint: About 30 cm wide

Best for: Couples and small families who want speed without a second drawer.

Typical price

£129.99

Sold at: Amazon, Argos, Cosori

Russell Hobbs SatisFry Medium

Best under £100

Very good

Cooking results8.0
Usable capacity6.8
Ease of use and cleaning8.8
Running cost and build8.8
Value9.0

Simple, even and cheap, for one or two people.

Not everyone needs nine litres. For one or two people the SatisFry Medium does the everyday jobs well, and at around £60 it is the cheapest route to a good air fryer.

Reviewers liked how evenly it cooked and how simple the controls are. It is simply too small to feed a family in one go.

What's good

Cooks evenly for the price
Very easy controls
Small enough for a studio flat

Watch out for

Too small for a family meal
Basic build

Key specifications

Capacity: 4.3 L
Drawers: 1
Max temp: 200°C
Programmes: 9 presets
Dishwasher safe: Basket
Footprint: Compact

Best for: Singles, couples and students on a budget.

Typical price

£59.99

4.3 L model

Sold at: Argos, Amazon, Russell Hobbs

Before you buy

Size it to your household, not the box

Air fryers cook best in a single layer, so the useful size is smaller than the litres suggest. As a rough guide: 3 to 4.5 L for one or two people, 5.5 to 7 L for three or four, and a dual-drawer model of 8 L or more for bigger families or two-part meals.

One drawer or two?

Two drawers let you cook chicken and chips at different temperatures and have them finish together. That is the main reason to pay more. If you mostly cook one thing, a good single drawer is cheaper and easier to clean.

What it costs to run

A typical air fryer uses about 0.5 to 1 kWh for a family meal, which is less than heating a full-size oven for the same job. At current UK tariffs that is roughly 13p to 27p per meal.

Look for dishwasher-safe drawers and plates
Avoid metal utensils on non-stick coatings
Check the width against your worktop before ordering

Questions readers ask

Is an air fryer cheaper to run than an oven?

Usually, yes, for smaller meals. It heats a small space quickly, so cooking times and energy use are lower. For a large roast for six, the oven can still be more practical.

Which air fryer is best for a family of four?

The Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone. Each drawer holds a family portion of chips, and Sync lets you finish chips and chicken at the same time.

Are dual-drawer air fryers worth it?

If you cook two parts of a meal at once, yes. If you mostly cook one food, a good single drawer like the Cosori TurboBlaze is cheaper and quicker to clean.

Can I put foil or paper in an air fryer?

Yes, as long as it is weighed down by food and does not block airflow. Never preheat with loose paper inside, as the fan can lift it onto the element.

How long do air fryers last?

Three to five years is typical. The non-stick coating is usually the first thing to wear, so wash baskets gently and avoid metal utensils.