You might be thinking more about BBQing and less about air frying with the current weather, but with this deal you can have the best of both worlds. It's for the Ninja Foodi Max, which is now on sale at Amazon for £179.99 (was £229.99). That's the lowest price we've seen since Black Friday.

The Ninja Foodi Max is a highly-rated twin-drawer air fryer that can cook two foods at once, produce crisp, evenly browned results, and, after enjoying all that gorgeously cooked food, is super easy to clean.

And if you're concerned about eating too much oil or the cost of it, Ninja claims that the Foodi Max dual-zone air fryer reduces the amount of oil required by 75%. This is the complete package, now at a low price.

Today's best Ninja air fryer deal

Ninja sells a wide range of air fryers, and two of them boast a very similar design. You've got this deal for the Ninja Foodi Max that we awarded four stars and the very similar Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer that we gave a full five stars. The bottom line is that Ninja knows what they're doing.

The Foodi Max is a 6-in-1 beast that offers, you guessed it, six unique cooking functions: Max Crisp, air fry, roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate. This high level of versatility alongside the large 9.5L capacity means you'll be able to cook a wide range of meals for the whole family or when entertaining.

If the footprint of the Foodi Max is too big for your kitchen, then why not consider the Ninja Double Stack with its two-tier design? Alternatively, take a look at the latest air fryer deals, and I'm sure you'll find an air fryer to suit your requirements at a price you love.

• The Ninja Crispi Microwave helps avoid the problem of soggy reheated food
• It has a huge array of presets to easily handle common cooking tasks
• It's on sale in the US; international launch details are yet to be announced

Although they're fast and convenient, microwaves tend to make food soggy. That's where Ninja's new Crispi Microwave comes in, combining the fast heating of a microwave with the crisping effect of an air fryer.

Ninja's new release isn't the first combined microwave and air fryer on the market; brands including Samsung, Smeg, and even IKEA have all released their own two-in-one appliances that can defrost, cook, and crisp meals and leftovers.

There are two key things that set the Ninja Crispi Microwave apart, the first of which is its huge range of handy presets for common kitchen tasks. Not only does it come with the usual settings you'd expect for jobs like heating frozen dinners and bringing leftover pizza back to life, it also has dedicated modes for preparing soup, making popcorn, and even softening butter, taking the guesswork out of simple kitchen tasks that would usually require careful monitoring to ensure nothing melts or burns.

The second unique selling point is its use of non-toxic glass for air frying. The Ninja Crispi and Ninja Crispi Pro air fryers cook food inside resealable glass containers rather than a drawer, giving peace of mind if you're worried about non-stick coatings. The Crispi Microwave contains a deep dish made from the same glass, which has a capacity of 5.5 quarts / 5.2 liters. According to Ninja, that's big enough to hold an 8lb chicken, or four slices of pizza.

When you've finished cooking, both the dish and crisper plate are dishwasher-safe, and with no rotating plate, the interior of the microwave is easy to wipe clean.

The Ninja Crispi Microwave is available now direct from Ninja for $449 (about £330 / AU$640) in the US. International release dates and prices are yet to be announced, but we're hoping to test it soon to see whether it can earn a place in our full roundup of the best air fryers.

Ninja makes some of the best air fryers on the market, but considering how easy these appliances are to use, it sure is difficult to figure out which one to buy. This brand's air fryer range has grown to incorporate dozens of models with different capacities and capabilities.

We've tested ... okay not all, but a decent number of them, so we're in an ideal position to help. The good news is they almost always score highly in our tests, which means you're unlikely to come away disappointed, whichever one you go for.

However, some models will be better suited to your needs than others. Below, I've rounded up all the Ninja air fryers that we've tested and recommend, and which are still available — and if you hit the 'View details' button you can see exactly what we thought of each one. Skip to the bottom of the page for some top tips on how to choose the right one for your kitchen.

Let's fry, let's fry away

How do I choose?

If you're feeding larger numbers or want to create multi-component meals (and have enough counter space), look at the Foodi Dual Zone options — these feature-packed air fryers have two drawers that can be set to different temperatures, and the machine will sync up cooking for you so the food in both sections is ready at the same time. Or, for the same functionality but a smaller footprint, you can't beat the Double Stack, which puts one drawer on top of the other (there are a few capacities available).

Those with small kitchens should consider a Crispi model. These have an innovative design that's essentially a glass container onto which an air fryer hat attaches. The containers can be used as serving or storage dishes, for maximum versatility.

If you don't just want an air fryer, plenty of Ninja's appliances double up as different kinds of cooker. One of the most versatile additions to the range is the French Door Air Fryer, which offers 10 cooking modes and can fit a whole roast or pizza inside. Alternatively, you have things like the 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer, which come with a range of accessories including a griddle plate for an authentic chargrilled finish.

If you're still feeling overwhelmed, I don't blame you. There's a lot of overlap between what these air fryers can do, so I'd start by looking at how much space you have on your counter, and how much capacity you need in your air fryer, and use those requirements to narrow your options down.

• Air frying, steam cooking and steam frying in one device
• 9.5L in the MegaBasket or 3L + 6L in separate baskets
• It's on sale for £258.99 (about $350 / AU$500)

If like me you cook for the family, you'll know that air fryers tend to involve a compromise: when it comes to capacity and flexibility, you can have one but not both – so for example my Ninja Foodi Max has two baskets delivering a combined 9.5L of cooking capacity and multiple modes, but neither basket is big enough for me to roast a really big chicken. Philips' solution is what it calls the MegaBasket.

The MegaBasket is making its debut in the Philips Airfryer 5000 Series MegaBasket, which gives you a choice: you can use the single MegaBasket to get 9.5L of cooking capacity, or use split baskets of 3L and 6L respectively.

The 5000 Series also addresses another air fryer irritation: cleaning. Because this cooker has a steam function, you can get it to steam clean itself.

Philips MegaBasket air fryer: key features and price

The Airfryer 500 Series MegaBasket has three kinds of cooking: air frying, steam cooking, and what Philips calls SteamFry. That combines air frying and steam cooking to keep your food nice and juicy in the middle while the air fryer crisps the outside. It's particularly handy for food such as chicken breasts, which can get awfully dry in a normal air fryer if you don't marinade them for a good while first. It also helps vegetables retain their nutrients.

Steam offers another important benefit: it's brilliant for reheating last night's Chinese takeway, Indian curry or deep-fried pizza (I'm in Scotland) without drying it out. As someone who tends to over-order from the chippy and have leftovers the following day, that's enough to sell the Philips to me, and to differentiate it from the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer, which has slightly larger capacity but lacks the steam function.

This isn't the biggest air fryer you can buy — the aforementioned Ninja has 2 x 5.2l or 1 x 10.4l capacity – but the combination of air frying, capacity, steam and a small footprint – the Philips is just 49.6 x 32.9 x 35.5cm — makes this look awfully attractive for family meals and entertaining alike.

The Philips Airfryer 5000 Series MegaBasket with Steam has a price of £258.99 (about $350 / AU$500) and it's available from Amazon UK now.

Not all kitchens are made the same and I'm sure there are many of you who, like me, lament the lack of countertop space, think you need to compromise when choosing appliances like air fryers.

Not so, dear reader, as the Ninja DoubleStack proves. The XXXL version of this fantastic air fryer gets you two 4L drawers that can cook up to 4 dishes at the same time. And that's without taking up as much space as other two-basket air fryers. Better yet, it's discounted to its lowest price yet of just AU$189.05 on Amazon for Prime Day, which is excellent value.

At this price, it's arguably the best Prime Day air fryer deal I've seen so far, but I'm pleased to inform you that there are other just as good deals on different models that might suit you better. In fact, you can even opt for Philips' take on the DoubleStack if you want, although it is more expensive even with a discount. Still, it's a newer model with newer tech under the hood.

I'm even thrilled that the Ninja Crispi also has a great discount on Amazon. All in all, there are a fair few options to choose from, and I've listed my favourite 5 Prime Day air fryer deals below.

• Follow our dedicated live coverage of the best Amazon Prime Day 2026 deals for more great discounts

The best Prime Day air fryer deals in Australia

Amazon Prime Day is one of the best events for deals on home cooking appliances, including air fryers, which I turn to every time I lack the time or patience to use the oven.

If you love your air fryer just as much as I love mine, but think you could be getting more out of it, some of our highest-rated air fryers from our favorite brands are some of the star appliances in Amazon's monster sale — with the king of dual basket air fryers, Ninja, being one of them.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

One of our five-star appliances, the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone air fryer, has dropped to £164.99 from £239.99 in the UK — an advanced air fryer for less than £170 is a rather nice sight to see. On the other hand, the equally good Ninja Crispi portable air fryer is now $152.99 down from $179.99 in the US, so there's something for everyone on both sides of the Atlantic.

If Ninja isn't the brand for you, fear not, there's a plethora of other trusted brands with discounted appliances — most notably the Instant Vortex Plus air fryer which you can grab for just $69.99 (was $149.99). I've been using this model for the past two years, and there's a reason why I've stuck with it.

Today's best dual basket air fryer deals in the US

Today's best dual basket air fryer deals in the UK

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

Amazon Prime Day is imminent, but Argos has beaten Amazon to the punch with its catchily named 'Seize the sale' event, which includes offers on home tech, toys, garden essentials for the summer weather, and more. You can view the full Argos sale here.

• See all early Prime Day deals at Amazon UK

I have to say that Argos' sale is pretty light on tech deals, and sadly isn't even heavy on cooling options. However, there are a few nice deals in there, including the LG C5 55-inch OLED TV for a record-low £989 (down from £1,099) with free delivery, and the five-star Philips Baristina bean-to-cup coffee machine for a bargain £255 (down from £299), plus a Dyson AM09 Hot + Cool Fan for £289 (down from £399).

Argos 'Seize the sale' Quick Links

• See all Appliance deals
• See all Garden & DIY deals
• See all Health & Beauty deals
• See all Tech deals
• See all Toys & Games deals

My top 12 Argos 'Seize the sale' deals

More of the best Amazon Prime Day deals

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £21.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £27.59
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Headphones: up to 50% off
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock
• Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99

Early Amazon Prime Day deals are floating around ahead of the retail giant's big event which kicks off in less than 24 hours, but sometimes an early Prime Day offer goes a long way — especially with everyone's favorite kitchen gadget, the air fryer.

We've tested some of the best air fryers out there, and mine has been going strong for the past two years, but I'm at the point where I need a little more oomph. Dual basket air fryers are the answer, but they can be quite pricey (I'm looking at you, Ninja) — although right now, you can score the Philips 3000 Series air fryer for less than £100.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

This dual basket model is one of the latest stand-outs in Amazon's early Prime Day sale, and you can grab it for 53% less right now — I know, I can barely believe it either. That means that you can get your hands on one for £85.49 down from £179.99.

Though we're yet to give the Philips 3000 Series a proper hands-on review, our editor Max Langridge managed to try it a few months back, and his first impressions were highly positive.

Today's best Philips Series 3000 air fryer deal

As mentioned, we haven't reviewed the Philips 3000 series in its entirety just yet, however our experiences with the Philips 1000 Series and Philips 5000 Series went down swimmingly, so our trust in Philips' performance and delivery is very much there.

I've been using the smaller Instant Vortex Plus air fryer for the past two years, and while it's one of my favorite healthy cooking appliances for speedy and tasty results, I've found myself wanting to cook more for meal prepping. That in mind, cooking in batches just adds extra time on to how long you spend in the kitchen. The Philips 3000 Series takes away that pain point.

Size-wise, the Philips 3000 Series has two separate baskets, one at 3L and the other at 6L, totalling a spacious 9L. Admittedly, it's not one for smaller countertops, but it provides ample cooking space for you to speed through meal prepping, or for feeding multiple mouths at the table if you have a larger family. Additionally, you can cook separate dishes to finish at the same time, taking the guess work out of cooking.

With my Instant Vortex Plus, it has four solid cooking presets — six with its larger sibling — and though this may suffice for some users, it's always helpful to have more options in case you decide to experiment with new recipes, for instance.

With its generous eight presets on its touchscreen, the Philips 3000 Series sets the times and temperature for you based on whatever storm you fancy whipping up. You can also make the most of the HomeID app — which features more than 500 recipes — instead of scrolling through TikTok endlessly to find your next dinner party centrepiece (which I'm guilty of doing all the time).

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: sign up for a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire TV, Ring & Blink from £24.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: AirPods Pro 3 for a record-low price
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja, Tefal & Sage
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from under £10
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Father's Day: up to 50% off gifts & drinks
• Headphones: up to 50% off
• Laptops: from £149.99
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £125
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Eufy & Roborock
• Wearables: Garmin & Huawei from £36.99

Amazon Prime Day is next week (June 23-26), and we're already seeing some fantastic early deals — and if you haven't yet discovered the joys of air-frying, or you're an air fryer fan who's looking to upgrade, I found a great deal on the air fryer I rely on every day.

• Browse all the early Prime Day deals

We gave the Instant Vortex Plus 4.5 stars when we reviewed it, and it's been my reliable cooking companion for the last two years. As far as air fryers go, this model would usually sit on the pricier side, but thanks to Amazon's early Prime Day sales it's now $69.99 (was $149.99) — knocking off 58%, and saving you $80.

Over the last two years, the Instant Vortex Plus has been my absolute best friend in the kitchen.

As far as its cooking abilities go, its six presets (Air Fry, Broil, Dehydrate, Crisp, Roast, Reheat, and Bake) open the doors for you to whip up an endless roster of meals. No fiddling around with the temperature and timer settings — just tap a button and it does it for you.

It's a six-quart air fryer, so it can fit a fair amount of food. I own the slightly smaller version of this model, and one of my favorite things to cook are chicken thighs, and I've been able to fit up to six at a time and it still produces crispy yet succulent results every time. And to add to that, you really don't need a lot of oil for it to work its magic, making it a reliably healthy option.

As I've mentioned, I own the smaller version of the Vortex and I can already fit a decent amount of food in its basket. But its larger sibling has even room, so you can fit in enough food for the whole family. It does take up some space on the countertop, but serves as a solid cooking appliance if you've got the room.

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven: one-minute review

The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven is an efficient and flexible cooking appliance. It has 10 cook modes: Air Fry, Air Roast, Whole Roast, Bake, Pizza, Broil, Reheat, Dehydrate, Toast, and Bagel. You can quickly cook or heat up just about anything you can fit into its extra-large cooking area.

It pre-heats in seconds, and cooks your food faster than you would expect. Obviously we like fast-working appliances, but it also means you need to keep an eye on your food as it cooks. You can't just follow the directions on the prepared food box and walk away; I found that this appliance cooked some frozen items faster than the box directions indicated.

The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven uses "Cyclonic Air Technology." It does allow for speedy all-over cooking and eliminates the need to rotate your food mid-cycle that many air fryer require. However, if you like to put foil and/or parchment paper down on your cook tray, make sure it's anchored down with food on all four corners. Otherwise, it will go flying up into the upper heat elements. Ask me how I know that.

Overall, I was very happy with the The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven. While some parts of the foods got blackened while other parts remained pale, the difference wasn't enough to affect taste. Everything I made came out delicious.

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven: price and availability

• List price: From $279.99 (about £210 / AU$420)
• Only available in the US, unless imported

The The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven is available at many major retailers both online and in stores. Find it at Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Crate & Barrel, Ninja's own website, and more. It starts at $279.99 (about £210 / AU$420) but is currently only available in the US unless your import it.

The stainless steel version retails for $279.99 while the other shades are $20 more. It comes in four colors: Stone and Gold (mostly gold,) Black (with rose gold hardware,) Stainless Steel (as seen in my photos,) and Cyberspace (dark gray with gold hardware.)

• Value score: 4/5

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven: specifications

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven: design and features

• French doors open easily with one hand
• Spacious interior fits a pizza or whole chicken
• Simple, intuitive controls

The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven looks great on the counter. The French doors give it a more upscale look and the control dials are simple and uncluttered. I feared that French doors would require two-handed opening, but that's not the case. The doors work in tandem, so pulling or pushing either door handle moves both doors. The doors are glass, and there is a lightbulb inside, so you can easily see what's cooking.

The power button is on the top left side of the control panel. On the right, a large dial spins to select mode, time, and temperature. Press that same dial to start and stop cooking. Next to the dial are four buttons: Temp/Shade, Mode, Time/Slices, and the light bulb.

The rest of the control panel is black when not in use, but lights up when you turn the oven on. It shows all of the cooking modes (Air Fry, Air Roast, Whole Roast, Bake, Pizza, Broil, Reheat, Dehydrate, Toast, and Bagel) and pertinent information for your current mode. For example, when you're toasting, the panel shows the number of slices and the shade you've chosen. If you're using one of the oven or air fry modes, the panel shows the time and temperature.

The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven does take up a fair bit of counter space, but since it replaces both a toaster oven and an air fryer, I didn't mind. It's quite spacious inside, it easily fits my favorite frozen pizza and could fit a modestly-sized chicken. Included accessories are a five-quart air fry basket, sheet pan, broil rack, and a recipe booklet. The interior cooking rack can be moved up or down to accommodate your desired foods. According to Ninja, the cooking surfaces do not contain PFAS. The crumb tray at the bottom is removable for easy cleaning.

The Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven preheats in just 90 seconds and heats up to 450F / 232C. It cooks with cyclonic air, which does a couple of things. First of all, it cooks your food all over without you having to move your food around mid-cycle like you do with many air fryers. According to Ninja, the oven cooks up to 60% faster than conventional ovens and you can use 75% less fat than traditional frying in air fry mode.

This cyclonic air feature also means that if you like to place parchment paper or aluminum foil on your bake tray, you must use caution. The cyclonic air will suck it up into the heating element if you don't have it fully weighed down with food at every edge. Yes, I found that out the hard way. Luckily I was standing close by and cut the power before it caught fire.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven performance

I tested many of the Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven's cooking modes. I had to start with toast, of course. You can adjust for the number of slices and the shade you like, so it's easy to have toast exactly the way you like it. It does take some trial and error. I first did a single slice at level three and got one very dark edge. Later, I did two slices at level four and they both came out perfect.

I tested out Air Fry mode with a number of different foods. I made frozen French fries according to the package instructions (though I did end up adding a little more time) and they came out just right, crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy inside. Another time, I made frozen crinkle French fries. There were some very dark spots, but they tasted quite good.

I also made some sweet potato fries from scratch in Air Fry mode. They don't look pretty, they are covered with dark spots, but I like them that way. They were delicious, nice and soft on the inside. I wouldn't say they were super crisp on the outside, but I barely used any oil. The more oil you use, the crisper your food turns out.

I made tofu in Air Fry mode, with just a simple baking soda coating. It turned out beautifully, nice and crispy on the outside and soft inside.

I made frozen veggies several times, in a number of different modes including both Air Fry and Air Roast mode. I find that the 'air' modes dried out the frozen vegetables a bit, which was what I wanted. Frozen veggies can be quite soggy when cooked in other ways, and I was very happy with how they turned out.

I also made a one-pan meal in Air Roast mode. This included a veggie burger, frozen vegetables, and fresh vegetables. This came out great and only took 15 minutes.

I didn't roast a whole chicken, but I did make a couple of chicken breasts in Whole Roast mode. They came out perfectly, nice and juicy, and I can't think of an easier and faster way to make chicken breasts.

I made frozen pizza in Pizza mode. The first time, I followed the box instructions without watching, and it cooked so fast that it was nearly black at the end (though not too burnt to eat.) The second time, I watched it more closely and stopped it before the time the box indicated. This time it came out great. It's a bit dark around the edges, but it's a big, thick pizza and it was perfectly cooked in the center.

I made some very simple 'bagels' in Bake mode. The dough is just Greek yogurt and self-rising flour. These came out amazing — golden brown on the outside and fluffy inside.

I tried out Reheat mode on two different restaurant leftovers: chicken parmesan and a quesadilla. Both reheated beautifully in just five minutes, without getting burnt or dried out at all.

I was continually surprised by how quickly the Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven cooked a variety of foods. While some foods did get a bit blackened around the edges, they never tasted burnt. Everything I made was thoroughly cooked in the middle and tasted great.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven: also consider

If the Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven isn't for you, here are some other options you might consider.

How I tested the Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven

• I tested many of the different cook cycles
• I used it pretty much daily for a month
• I cleaned it as needed, which wasn't often

I cooked, heated, and reheated a variety of foods, both frozen prepared foods and fresh food from scratch. I used the Air Fry, Air Roast, Whole Roast, Bake, Pizza, Reheat, and Toast cycles multiple times. Over the course of a month, I used it daily, often multiple times per day. I made both fresh and frozen vegetables many, many times. I heated up frozen pizza. I made french fries, both from scratch and frozen, multiple times. I baked two-ingredient "bagels" many times. I reheated a couple of different restaurant leftovers. I air fried some tofu. I made chicken breasts and veggie burgers several times. I toasted bread just about daily.

Read more about how we test.

First reviiewed June 2026

Apart from investing in quality stainless steel cookware, no other piece of equipment has revolutionised my kitchen more than my air fryer. Despite it being a cheap no-brand hand-me-down, my air fryer has consistently produced delicious meals and revived leftover takeaway for close to zero effort.

I could only imagine how much better my meals could get with a higher-quality air fryer, and that’s prompted me to shop around for an upgrade during Amazon’s Mid-Year Sale. It turns out that there are plenty of air fryer deals and now I’m struggling to pick just one to buy.

The good news is that I can share these deals with you, if you’re also in the same boat as me, or if you’re buying an air fryer for the first time.

From some of the best air fryers across a range of use cases to some affordable options at the top of Amazon’s bestseller list, here are 7 deals I’ve found:

Take a look at my Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL Steam review and you'll know that I've taken a shine to having steam cooking in my air fryer. I still use this two-drawer steam fryer (I like calling it that), giving me the ability to steam only or steam and air fry (steamfry) at the same time. I'm miffed that steaming is restricted to one basket only, though.

As good as it is, the non-stick coating in the larger basket (which is used more often) is beginning to come off and, importantly, I really need a more compact option as I live in a small apartment with barely any countertop or cabinet storage.

Which is why Philips' newer 5000 Series Airfryer with Steam is so appealing to me as an upgrade — and it's back to its lowest price of AU$374.25 on Amazon, which isn't all that much more than the dual-basket's discounted price of AU$349.

Admittedly the single basket of the newer model might be a deal breaker for some, but its 7.2L capacity makes up for not having two baskets — I don't use the smaller basket in my air fryer anyway, so I personally wouldn't miss it much.

The compactness of the single-basket Philips 5000 Series air fryer with steam isn't the only reason I'm considering the upgrade. As I've already mentioned, the disappearance of the non-stick coating of the baskets in my two-drawer version is worrying me. I'm not too concerned that it's toxic — it's not — but the ceramic coating used in the newer model would just give me a little more peace of mind that it's safer and longer lasting.

Then there's the design of the new Philips air fryer compared to the dual basket — it looks so much more premium with the metallic trim and the little cooking window. I will admit I'm not too keen on the water reservoir on the side as it detracts from the appliance's symmetry, but that's me nitpicking. I'd very much prefer it if Philips had figured out a spot on the top or on the rear, but the vents at the back of the machine would make the latter a difficult task.

Moreover, my biggest complaint of only one of the two baskets having steam in the older model is taken care of here — it is, after all, a single-basket air fryer.

From a functionality point of view, it all seems to match up between the two 5000 Series air fryers, so I wouldn't miss much at all.

If the Philips 4000 Series Stacked air fryer had a steam functionality, I'd probably go for it over the single-basket 5000 Series, only so I still get the two 5L drawers. But I'll take the ability to steam over the dual baskets any day as it adds versatility to the air fryer, making it better value.

• If you're looking for more discounts, check out my live coverage of the best early EOFY sales and deals.

Today I've spotted a deal that speaks for itself. It's the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer at Amazon for £198.99 (was £269.99). This is almost as low as the record-low price we've seen before, and at under £200, it's an absolute bargain.

Maybe you've never owned an air fryer. If you've been waiting for a juicy deal, then this is it. Or, if you jumped on the air fryer train a few years ago but are now ready for an upgrade, the FlexDrawer won't disappoint. Our 4.5-star rating is evidence of that.

We called it "chunky yet funky," generous on capacity, super easy to use, and, best of all, it delivers "great results." We can't recommend this deal, or indeed this air fryer, more highly.

Today’s best Ninja air fryer deal

If you'd like a hands-on, impartial review of this air fryer, then take a read of our Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer review. The bottom line is that we awarded it an impressive 4.5 stars, with particular praise centring around how easy it is to use and the quality of the results. Ninja really does know what it's doing with air fryers, as evidenced by its strong representation in our best air fryers guide.

One of the reasons that you'll want to own an air fryer is that your friends can't stop going on about how good it is at delivering a crisp finish. Well, you'll be glad to hear that the FlexDrawer has a Max Crisp setting which delivers just that! There are also air fry, roast, bake, reheat, prove and dehydrate settings, meaning there’s very little reason to use your regular cooker while this lives in your home.

When it comes to air fryers, Ninja is the biggest name in the world, both in terms of quality and actual size. But there are other air fryer deals around, and it might be worth taking a look before you go all in with this deal. This particular offer ends on June 2, or while promotional stock lasts.

I've been using the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer XXL with Steam for over a year now and it hasn't failed me once in that time. Despite its mouthful of a name, I love its versatility, and that's all thanks to its headline act of having an additional steam function.

The steam serves two purposes: cooking and cleaning. For the former, you can use a steam-only option for, say, dumplings and vegetables, or you can air fry+steam, which allows you to cook cakes and meats without drying them out too much. Honestly, I've not needed to use the latter because I'm yet to get air-fried results that were disappointing — I've successfully had fantastic crackling on pork belly and crispy chicken skin on drumsticks while the meat inside was still succulent.

Perhaps what makes this air fryer an even more scrumptious option for your kitchen is the fact that it's currently discounted to AU$250 on Amazon right now — that's 50% off and just a dollar more than its lowest-ever price!

As I mentioned in my Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket XXL Air Fryer with Steam review, there aren't too many alternatives that offer the additional steam-cooking feature. That said, Philips has a successor to this model which is a single-basket (7.2L) air fryer, but I think many families will benefit from having two separate baskets for cooking a full meal in one go — cook meat in the bigger 6L basket while sides can go into the smaller 3L one.

As much as I love and recommend this dual-basket air fryer, it would be disingenuous of me to not mention certain caveats, and they're mostly to do with the steam function.

Firstly, steaming is only available in the larger basket, so you'll need to plan your meals accordingly. For example, if you plan to cook a large roast with steamed vegetables, the meat may not fit into the smaller drawer. On the other hand, steaming fish parcels with vegetables is easier in one drawer.

Secondly, the steam can be used as part of a self-clean cycle but, again, that's restricted to the 6L drawer only and it just helps loosen grease and caked-in foods. You will still need to wash the drawer yourself — or put it into the dishwasher (yes, it's safe to do so).

There are 19 preset cooking functions to experiment with, but there's no user manual or recipe book supplied in the box to help you get started. You'll need to download Philips' HomeID app for that.

In the larger scheme of things, my complaints are minor and I would still recommend this Philips 5000 Series dual-basket air fryer — in fact, it's one of the best air fryers in Australia. I've cooked a fair amount it in since I started using it in January 2025 — tackling cheese and garlic crumpet loaf, haloumi, stuffed mushrooms, dumplings and much more in addition to the chicken drumsticks and pork belly I mentioned earlier — and it's not disappointed. Take a look at the images on this page if you don't believe me.

If you've been keen on a new air fryer, whether it's your first or an upgrade, definitely consider the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket XXL with Steam, especially at half price.

Do you have a broken kitchen appliance lurking at the back of a cabinet? Perhaps an air fryer that's stopped heating, or a blender with a broken seal? You're not alone. According to research from appliance manufacturer Tefal, 88% of British people have at least one unused appliance at home, and over a third have three to five in what Patrick Lucereau, Marketing Director at Tefal UK, calls a "kitchen graveyard".

The problem is partly due to recycling awareness; people know they can recycle paper and glass, but many don't realize that small appliances can be recycled too.

However, the best thing to do is keep your appliances out of the "kitchen graveyard" in the first place by taking proper care of them, with careful cleaning and maintenance. Here's how to show your small appliances some love and give them a long and useful life.

Also remember that if a small part of an appliance breaks (like a lid or a seal), the manufacturer often sells replacements or can send you one if you write to their support department.

Air fryers

Air fryers get greasy — it's in their nature — but regular deep cleaning will help prevent dirt building up and causing problems like overheating and bad smells.

Most of your air fryer's components, including the baskets, racks, and trays, are removable for easy cleaning, and the basket almost certainly has a non-stick coating that prevents food and dirt from getting truly stuck on. Always read the instruction manual before you start washing, and avoid harsh and abrasive cleaning products that could damage the surface.

Don't have the manual anymore? Find your air fryer on the manufacturer's website, and you should be able to download a PDF copy.

When it's time to give your air fryer a proper deep clean, start by unplugging it and making sure it's cool, then soak a cloth in warm, soapy water, wring it out so it's just damp, and use it to clean any grease and fingermarks from the outside of the appliance. When that's done, rinse the cloth, wring it out again, and wipe the machine down to remove any soap left behind.

Don't be tempted to use glass cleaner if your fryer has a window; the next time it heats up, so will any residue left on the glass, releasing fumes. Instead, clean it the same way as the rest of the exterior, then buff away any streaks with a dry cloth.

Now look inside your air fryer. If you notice food stuck to the fan blades or heating element, clean it off with a new toothbrush. If the model allows it, remove the rubber or silicone seal, give it a good wash with warm, soapy water, rinse, and let it dry before replacing it. Dirty seals are a common cause of odors, so keep on top of maintenance to avoid unpleasant smells.

Whatever you do, don't be tempted to submerge your air fryer in water or try to clean it by using it to heat water or cleaning chemicals.

Espresso machines

Espresso machines also benefit from deep cleaning, which will keep them brewing like new. Every part of the machine that comes into contact with beans, water, or milk is a potential breeding ground for bacteria (and can even grow mold), so it pays to keep up with maintenance.

You should give your coffee maker a quick clean each time you use it, a thorough clean at the end of the day, and a descaling every month, or after brewing 100 cups of coffee (whichever comes first).

Each time you prepare a brew with a manual espresso machine, make sure you rinse the brew group, purge the steam wand, and wipe the outside of the wand with a damp cloth. At the end of the day, empty and wash the drip tray, wipe out the portafilter basket with a damp cloth, and hand-wash the handle and basket.

If you have an automatic coffee maker, things are more complicated because moisture and stray coffee grounds inside the machine create a perfect environment for things to grow. At the end of the day, remove the side panel, take out the brewing group, and rinse it according to the manufacturer's instructions. Remove the waste coffee grounds container, empty it, and wash it with soapy water. Empty and wash the drip tray, too, then use a damp cloth to clean up any coffee grounds you can see inside the machine.

When you're done, leave everything out to dry thoroughly overnight, and leave the side panel off the machine so moisture can evaporate.

Whatever type of espresso machine you have, also clean the water tank at night and fill it with fresh, clean water in the morning.

It's also worth cleaning the bean hopper and grinder from time to time, since oils from coffee beans can build up and eventually go rancid, while debris can get caught in the grinder burrs and cause them to stick.

Blenders

With the right care, your blender can last for 10 years or more — trust me, my faithful Dualit has been going even longer!

You should never immerse your blender's motor unit in water. Instead, detach the jug or blending cup and wipe the outside of the base with a damp cloth. If the jug is dishwasher-safe, this will be the easiest way to get it completely clean, but make sure you read the manual to see how you should clean the blade unit and seal.

If the jug isn't dishwasher-safe, fill your blending jug about a third of the way up with warm but not boiling water. You can add a very small amount of dish soap at this stage, too, but not too much, or you'll end up with a mountain of suds.

Turn the blender on to give the soapy mixture a good whizz around before emptying the jug and rinsing it with water. Leave the blending jug to fully dry before placing the lid back on, as this could cause damp odors to build up.

If there are any pieces of food left around the blade assembly, remove them with a small, stiff-bristled cleaning brush or an unused toothbrush.

Recycling

All of these tips will help ensure your kitchen appliances have a long, useful life, but eventually a motor will wear out, or a heating element will give up the ghost. When it does, don't stuff the broken gadget in a cupboard and forget about it — a surprising number of small household appliances can be recycled, and it's easier than you might expect.

In the US, Best Buy accepts small kitchen appliances for recycling in-store, or you can request a mailing box if you can't take them in person. Staples and Walmart also offer programs that will accept e-waste, including kitchen appliances. Take a look at MRM Recycling and Earth 911, where you can enter your ZIP code to see e-waste recycling facilities near you.

In the UK, Currys and B&Q take small electrical items for recycling, and your local recycling center might accept them, too. To see your options, visit recyclemyelectricals.org.uk and enter your postcode or address, then enter the type of appliance you want to get rid of. Depending on the type of item you have and its condition, you can choose whether you'd like to donate, repair, or recycle it, and the site will show you locations within a five-mile radius where you can do that.

An air fryer has become a necessity in the kitchen. The sheer convenience it provides by being a space-saving appliance that can cook food just as well as, and often quicker than, a conventional oven — and thus saving on energy usage — there’s pretty much no reason to not have one.

I can certainly attest to this, as I use my Instant Vortex air fryer on an almost daily basis. I published my Instant Vortex Air Fryer with Versazone review back in April 2024 and it’s still going strong today. I have no real reason or need to replace it, but having recently laid eyes on the Philips Series 3000 air fryer, I’m now not so sure. Throw in the fact that it’s been reduced to just AU$197 at Amazon (down from AU$399), I think I might find myself adding it to my basket.

A great first impression

Much of my decision to swap air fryer allegiances comes down to looks. I do like how my current Instant Vortex air fryer looks — the slanted top panel is a bit more interesting than a simple black box — but the fact that the Philips model is available in a fetching white with champagne accents on the handles has me hooked.

My kitchen is predominantly white, so the Philips machine will definitely blend better with the decor, making the space look ‘open’ or ‘lighter’. And who can say no to a bit of champagne gold? I think it looks even more premium than my current setup (which, incidentally retails for the sameAU$399, but is currently down to AU$299.99 at Amazon), and while it might just be a humble cooking machine, if I can add some extra luxe to my home in any way, shape or form, you best believe I’m going to do so.

Not just a pretty face

Now, while we’ve yet to review the Philips Series 3000 air fryer here at TechRadar, we have reviewed the Series 1000 and Series 5000, which sit either side in terms of features and usability. Both those models have received positive reviews from us, especially when it comes to delivering perfectly cooked dishes — ultimately what you’d want from any air fryer.

On paper, the Series 3000 has more in common with the Series 5000, albeit missing out on the higher-spec model’s ability to cook (and clean) with the power of steam.

And since that model is only available in black, I’m happy to forgo this added feature in favour of aesthetic appeal. The Series 3000 adopts a similar dual-basket design, whereby one basket is larger than the other, for a total cooking space of 9 litres.

The only slight catch here is that the baskets are individual. My Instant Vortex has one large 8.5L cooking basket that can be split into two when needed, with a divider that allows me to adjust the size of each as required. I do appreciate having one large basket, so there would be some compromise and a brief period of learning a new way to cook, but given the larger drawer on the Philips is a respectable 6L, I reckon I’ll fare just fine.

Otherwise, the two machines appear to be virtually identical. Both give the option to have two separate dishes finish cooking at the same time, and both offer a number of cooking methods. Although, since I tend to rely just on the main air-fry function, this is almost a non-issue.

And, as mentioned, now that’s it down 51% to a rather affordable AU$197, it makes my decision that much easier.

Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer: 30-second review

The Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer offers up a huge cooking capacity at a price which undercuts pretty much any other serious contender on the market. If you’re looking for capacity and flexibility bang-for-your-buck, look no further.

Is this the best air fryer out there? Not exactly, but for families on a budget it’s hard not to recommend Tower’s large basket machine.

Not only can you cook a whole chicken or pizza in this air fryer, it also comes with a handy divider transforming the single drawer into a dual-basket offering, allowing you to cook separate foods, at different temperatures, for different durations, simultaneously — and it works much better than I expected.

It does have a few key competitors including the premium Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer (with a 10.4L basket), and the almost equally affordable Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer (that only has a 7.1L basket), but with the Tower being the cheapest of the trio you’re looking at a unique proposition.

It’s not perfect. The large basket is heavy when fully loaded and is handwash only, while the controls aren’t overly intuitive, and the cooking presets don’t always deliver the results you want.

There is some trial and error required in the cooking process, but once you’ve got a feel for how it cooks, the Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer can deliver delicious food, from cakes, to chicken, to fries.

Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer: price and availability

• Affordable £119.99 list price, but…
• It’s often reduced to sub-£100, great value for such a large capacity
• Available in the UK, but not in the US or Australia

The Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer price is £119.99, although it is regularly discounted making this large capacity cooker even better value.

At time of writing (March 2026), I’m seeing it available for £99.99 on the Tower website, and £89.10 on Amazon, with similar prices at plenty of other third-party retailers.

That’s considerably cheaper than its main, single-drawer, larger capacity competitor, the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer, which is twice the price of this Tower.

The Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer is closer in price to the Tower, but still costs more and has a smaller cooking capacity.

The Tower Elite 11 air fryer's list price is equivalent to about $160 / AU$230, but it's not available in the US or Australia.

• Value score: 4.5/5

Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer: specifications

Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer: design

• Huge 11-liter basket is great for family meals, and divider provides dual basket flexibility
• Controls and overall look don’t compete with premium air fryers, but that’s expected at this price point
• Basket can be heavy when fully loaded, and it’s handwash only

With its sizable 11-liter basket the Tower Elite 11 Litre Flexi Drawer Air Fryer is, unsurprisingly, wide (39.2cm) and deep (39.8cm).

It can dominate the worktop in smaller kitchens, but its horizontal design (unlike the vertically tall Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket or Ninja Double Stack) means height is kept to just 30.5cm, allowing it to sit neatly under wall-mounted units, and slide into cupboards when not in use (assuming they’re wide enough).

The matte grey finish provides a sleek, modern aesthetic, while the large, glossy black front panel adds a splash of space-age to the look.

It’s smart, without pushing the boundaries of air fryer design, and on closer inspection I found areas where Tower has cut corners to keep the price point at a tempting level.

The buttons and dial felt a little cheap under my finger, with some travel and wiggle to them. Clicks don’t feel smooth, and having used premium Philips and Ninja air fryers recently, the lower quality finish here was even more noticeable.

This isn’t a massive negative though, and it’s to be expected at this price point. Plus, overall the air fryer feels sturdy so I don’t worry about long-term use, as long as you’re relatively gentle with the controls.

The main attraction is the massive 11-liter cooking basket though, which slides into the front of the machine, and there's a reassuring clunk when you correctly interest the basket, letting you know it’s snugly in.

What’s particularly nice is the addition of a removable divider panel which you can slide down the middle of the basket, allowing you to have two separate cooking zones. This gives you the flexibility of a dual drawer air fryer, while also giving you a single larger basket when you want to cook bigger items such as a pizza or a small chicken.

But with great size comes great weight. Fully load the basket, and you’ll find it gets rather heavy. This is especially problematic when cooking has completed and you’re attempting to remove the basket while it’s very hot.

I found that putting a couple of heat mats directly in front of the air fryer and pulling the basket straight out onto them helped alleviate the tricky maneuvring of the larger basket. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you’ve cooked a few times with the Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer, you should be able to find a process that works for you.

Another small frustration is the basket, grill tray and basket divider are handwash only, meaning you can’t just pop them in the dishwasher. The non-stick coating on these parts means grime comes off easily with a bit of elbow grease, but the size of the basket can be awkward to wash in smaller kitchen sinks.

• Design score: 4/5

Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer: performance

• Solid all-round cooking performance, but not always perfect
• Basket divider works surprisingly well for dual cooking
• Controls not overly intuitive and take time to get used to

The Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer, as its name suggests, offers excellent flexibility in its cooking chamber. It comes with a single base plate which sits across the whole drawer, but also a dividing panel you can slide down the middle to create two separate zones.

I was unsure how this one piece of metal in the middle of the drawer would perform at allowing foods to cook at two different temperatures, but to my surprise it works well.

There are two heating elements in this air fryer — left and right — allowing you to set different temperatures and cooking durations for left and right, and that’s exactly what I did with my veg (carrots and broccoli, thanks for asking) and homemade fries.

The fries had a much longer cooking time than the veg, and at a higher temperature, but I was able to cook both simultaneously without cremating the vegetables.

I used the vegetable and fries presets for this cook, and while the broccoli cooked well, the carrots and the fries could have done with longer. The carrots were still a little hard, while the fries weren’t as crispy as I would have liked — although they were cooked through.

It’s all part of the trial and error nature of air fryer ownership. It takes time, and several cycles, to understand how types of food cook in a new air fryer, with the details in the instruction manual more of a guide than a hard rule.

I was also able to use the Smart Cook function, where the air fryer will sync the two sides of the drawer to finish at the same time. It’s triggered by selecting the time and temperature for each basket and then pressing the Smart Cook button.

The only issue is, there’s no visual cue to tell you the mode has been selected until you press start to set the air fryer going. This led to me realizing once cooking had started that I hadn’t set it up properly.

When properly engaged, the digital display on the side with the shorter cooking time displays ‘HOLD’ (but only once you’ve pressed start) until the other side's cook time decreases and matches, at which point cooking will start for the shorter duration side as well. It’s a useful feature, but one I wish was easier to set up.

The controls aren't the most intuitive either, and I found myself checking the manual a few times during the first few days to remind myself of the order things need to be set. I’ve found the controls on Ninja and Philips air fryers to be more straight forward.

During cooking I found the sides of the air fryer get the hottest, with my temperature probe reading 38 degrees. That’s not as warm as some air fryers I’ve used, which is good news if you have other appliances or items close by.

Being able to remove the middle partition means you can fit large items into the 11L basket of the Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer. There is space for a whole chicken, or in my case a pizza.

Using the dedicated pizza setting (150 degrees C for 12 minutes), it cooked well on top, and the edges were crispy. However that crisp didn’t extend across the whole base, with the middle still a little doughy. I could have left it in for a few more minutes, but I fear the topping would have burnt.

Sliding the partition back in, the Tower Elite impressed when it came to baking. I made a blueberry loaf which rose wonderfully on one side of the basket, while on the other side my chocolate muffins also baked nicely. The muffins didn’t darken on top as much as I expected, but I can confirm they still tasted great.

With no window on the basket, you’re not able to keep an eye on things while they’re cooking, you have to remove the basket from the air fryer, which pauses the program. This isn’t a surprise considering the affordable nature of the Tower Elite 11 Litre Flexi Drawer, but if you want to see your food while it cooks you’ll need to look at more expensive machines.

I also cooked tempura chicken pieces using the chicken program (200 degrees C for 25 minutes), and these came out with a beautifully crisp batter, while the meat remained succulent on the inside.

The preset programs include a shake reminder, which the air fryer chiming part way through cooking to remind you to shuffle the food in the basket.

• Performance score: 4/5

Should you buy the Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer?

Buy it if

Don’t buy it if

Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer: also consider

How I tested the Tower Elite 11-Liter Flexi Drawer Air Fryer

• I used the Tower Elite 11 Litre Flexi Drawer for two weeks at home in my kitchen
• I cooked a wide variety of food with it, including chicken, pizza, fries, cakes and vegetables
• I tested the different cooking functions, and the cleaning process

I used the Tower Elite 11 Litre Flexi Drawer for two weeks at home, where I cooked a wide variety of food and meals.

From crispy tempura chicken, homemade and frozen fries, and various vegetables, to baking loafs and muffins, as well as an entire pizza, I ensured this air fryer was put through its paces.

I cooked using the whole basket, just one side with the divider in place, and on both sides, at different temperatures and durations, to experience the full versatility on offer. I tried out a number of the preset cooking options, as well as experimenting with my own settings to improve results.

I even slipped on a pair of marigolds to handwash the basket, tray and divider, as these are not dishwasher safe.

Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer: 30-second review

The Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer is an accomplished, premium air fryer which provides solid cooking performance in a space-saving design.

It finds itself in a currently small sub-market of air fryers, with only a handful of rivals also offering the dual-stack baskets on offer here. The leader, and our current best air fryer, is the similarly priced Ninja Double Stack XL.

Both of these models offer a large cooking capacity (across two baskets), without the wider footprint you get with the traditional, side-by-side baskets design.

The Philips beats the Ninja in a couple of key ways. First up, its baskets have windows and a light, allowing you to keep an eye on the food you’re cooking without having to open the basket to check.

Secondly, the controls on the Philips 4000 Series are easier to see, and more intuitive to use, taking the hassle out of working out functions, temperatures and cooking times.

What’s not quite as good though are the quick start instructions when you take the air fryer out of the box for the first time, and the full manual is only accessible via a smartphone app.

It’s also only available in one colorway; black and gold. It’s a bold choice and it does look smart — although it won’t be to everyone’s taste, nor will it sit as well in traditionally-styled kitchens.

Cooking performance is solid though, and it was able to handle the various meat, vegetables and sweet treats I threw at it.

For those looking for a stylish, statement air fryer that also delivers versatility and practicality, and are willing to pay a bit more for the privilege, I would recommend the Philips 4000 Series.

Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer: price and availability

• £269.99 / AU$449 list price makes it one of the most expensive air fryers
• But it’s regularly discounted by around £100 / AU$100
• Available in the UK and Australia, but not in the US

With a list price of £269.99 / AU$449 (about $360), the Philips 4000 Series Dual Stack is one of the most expensive air fryers on the market, but do keep an eye out for discounts.

I've seen it reduced to £169.99 at Amazon UK, Currys and John Lewis in the past, and AU$349 at Amazon Australia, making this double drawer air fryer a far more tempting proposition for families looking for a large capacity cooker.

That’s the same list price as the excellent Ninja Double Stack XL which we gave five stars to, but considerably more expensive than the £149.99 Tower Vortx XL Dual Stack.

This model is available in Europe and Australia, but is not on sale in the US.

• Value score: 4/5

Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer: specifications

Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer: design

• Vertically stacked baskets offers space-efficient design
• Premium build with a bold black and gold finish
• Clear, intuitive controls, although touch-sensitive panel won’t be for everyone

Ninja laid the foundations for the double stack air fryer back in 2024, and it’s no surprise other manufacturers have jumped on the trend, offering large cooking capacity with a narrower, space-saving footprint.

The Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket brings a premium black and gold aesthetic to challenge Ninja’s market-leading air fryer. It’s a striking look, and one that might divide opinion. It’ll look great in a modern kitchen that uses one of the two colors. With my white countertops and blue cabinets, it certainly stands out on the work surface. The glossy, reflective front of the fryer is also a bit of a dust- and fingerprint-magnet, and needs regular wiping to keep it looking fresh.

I was pleased to see both 5L baskets and their base plates were dishwasher safe, making cleaning up after cooking much easier (although the handles of the baskets do collect water). A damp cloth is all that’s needed for the exterior of the machine, and a soft brush to gently clean the heating element.

Another nice touch, and something the Ninja doesn’t provide, is a cooking window on each basket, and an interior light, allowing you to keep an eye on the food inside. I much prefer air fryers with windows, as it helps me gauge when I need to shake or turn food.

It’s especially useful to see what’s going on without opening the baskets and pausing the cooking when you're first getting used to new air fryer, and starting to understand cooking times. It’s not an exact science and each air fryer is different, so the windows are a great visual aid.

There aren’t any accessories included in the box, unlike the Ninja Double Stack, which comes with a pair of stainless steel racks, doubling the usable space in its baskets.

You’ll want to be mindful of what food you’re cooking too, as both baskets have holes on their rear wall for air circulation. That means anything particularly wet could ooze out of the back and into the machine.

What didn’t impress was the setup instructions, or lack thereof. You get an IKEA-style, printed pictorial guide in the box that covers the absolute bare minimum, but stops short of providing any explanations, details or cooking tips. Even IKEA instructions are better than these.

For the full details you are forced to download Philips’ free HomeID app, where you can register your air fryer and then access the full manual, along with cooking guides and recipes. The tips and tricks articles, along with the recipes are nicely presented and easy to follow.

It’s disappointing the same care hasn’t been given to the manual, which is just a PDF file requiring much scrolling and zooming on a phone to be able to read it. A printed copy would be far more useful, or even a digitized version with page-turning and a search feature.

A quirk of this particular air fryer design sees the air exhaust located on the left of the appliance, and you are warned not to position this side of the air fryer within six inches / 15cm of a wall to prevent overheating, or close to any food products. You’ll need to have a quick think about where you’ll be placing the Philips 4000 Series before committing to the purchase.

Thankfully, once plugged in the air fryer is easy to use. The touch-sensitive controls come to life with rear illumination on the large, glossy black section above the baskets. The layout and labelling are clear, making for an intuitive experience — unlike some air fryers I’ve used where the buttons aren’t always so self explanatory.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer: performance

• Sync and copy functions make using both baskets together easier
• Six preset cooking programs, but temperature and time can easily be adjusted

The Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer does well to provide a premium cooking experience.

You get six preset modes — frozen potato-based snacks, steak, fish, vegetables, chicken, and reheat — which give you a set time and temperature. You can fine tune these, and you'll probably find yourself adjusting these the more you use the air fryer and get an understanding of how long, and at what temperature, different foods require.

Copy and sync are both handy functions. Copy allows you to match the temperature and time settings for one basket, to the other. This saves you having to go through the setup process a second time, and it’s a handy time-saver if you’re cooking an extra large portion of fries for the whole family.

Sync is my personal favorite though, allowing me to set each basket to a different duration and temperature, but have them both finish at the same time. It’s easy to set up, and works very well.

There’s a shake reminder too, which has the machine beep during through cooking to have you slide out a basket and give the contents a toss to ensure even frying. For longer cook times, you’ll get multiple shake reminders. You can turn off this reminder though, which is useful when you’re using the air fryer for baking.

Another nice touch is the fact Philips says you don’t need to preheat the air fryer, meaning you can toss food into the baskets right away and get cooking.

Using the frozen potato-based snacks program, I loaded a basket with 18oz / 500g and set it going, at 390 Fahrenheit / 200 Celsius for 26 minutes. I was prompted to shake the basket twice, with 13 and seven minutes remaining.

The fries cooked well enough, with a crispy exterior and fluffy middle, but they didn’t brown as much as I’d like. Adding a few more minutes to the cooking time will get you a darker color and crispier finish.

I also tried cooking fresh fries in the air fryer. The manual (accessible via the app) suggests chopping potatoes into fries and then soaking them in water for 10 minutes. Once I had gently patted the excess water from the fries I added a splash of oil and popped them into the basket.

Results were similar to the frozen fries — they could have done with a few more minutes to gain color and extra crispiness, but they cooked well overall.

I was impressed with the baking prowess of the Philips 4000 Series as I used both baskets to cook chocolate muffins and a blueberry loaf simultaneously. Both bakes rose nicely, and produced a bouncy sponge.

Similarly to the fries, the muffins stayed quite light in color, as they missed the darkening you’d get in a conventional oven.

I put the dual-basket setup to the test once again when I cooked sausages and vegetables, which needed different cook durations. Thankfully, the time sync feature worked well here, with both baskets completing cooking at the same time, allowing me to focus on the mash and gravy.

The sausages were evenly cooked, while the broccoli had a delightful crunch to it. I par-boiled the carrots for a few minutes before adding them to the basket with the broccoli, to allow them to cook at the same rate.

A quick word of warning, the top of the Philips 4000 Series gets the warmest while cooking, and I measured temperatures of over 140 Fahrenheit / 60 Celsius during operation. Make sure you don’t leave anything sitting on top of the air fryer, and for those of you who have low-hanging wall units in your kitchen, be mindful of having enough space between them and the top of this air fryer.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer?

Buy it if

Don’t buy it if

Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer: also consider

How I tested the Philips 4000 Series Stacked Dual Basket Air Fryer

• I used the Philips 4000 Series for two weeks at home in my kitchen
• I cooked a wide variety of food with it, including fries, cakes, vegetables and meat
• I tested the different cooking functions, and the cleaning process

I spent two weeks using the Philips 4000 Series at home to cook a variety of food. I tried out the preset programs, and also freestyle the settings from time to time.

I air fried meat, baked cakes, and roasted vegetables during my testing, and used a temperature probe to record how hot the exterior of the machine got during use. I evaluated how each food item cooked in the two baskets, and assessed how the finished results were to eat.

I also followed the setup instructions and cleaning process, to understand how easy the machine is to get going and maintain. For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products on TechRadar.

• The Ninja Crispi Pro glass air fryer is now available in the UK for £249
• It's a countertop version of the portable Ninja Crispi with extra features
• These include new Prove, Roast, and Dehydrate cooking modes

Ninja has just launched a new extra-large version of its portable glass air fryer, the Ninja Crispi. Unlike the original Crispi, which was a portable fryer for use on the move (at the office, a hotel room, or anywhere else with a plug socket), the new Ninja Crispi Pro lives in your kitchen where it can cook up family-sized meals. You can even use it to prepare a full Sunday roast without an oven.

Ninja is known for making some of the best air fryers around — including the top-rated Ninja Double Stack — and the Crispi Pro is another winner. It received a near-perfect four and a half stars out of five from our reviewer Karen Freeman when it launched in the US thanks to its "quick and effective cooking" that left vegetables tender and fries crisp.

"I made a dozen different foods, utilizing all of the different cooking modes, and everything I made came out delicious," Karen wrote in her Ninja Crispi Pro review.

Like the original Crispi, the Crispi Pro cooks your food in non-toxic glass containers. These have removable lids, so you can also use them to store food before cooking and serve it once it's done. The air fryer comes in two containers as standard (5.7 litres and 2.3 litres), so you can cook and crisp different portions, and other sizes are available to buy separately.

The glassware is dishwasher-safe, too, which is another feature our reviewer particularly appreciated, "so you know they are totally clean" and have heatproof handles so you can safely move them as soon as you've finished cooking.

The Ninja Crispi Pro has three new cooking modes that you won't find on the original Crispi. These include a Prove setting, which provides gentle warmth for proving bread without deactivating the yeast, Roast, which you can use to cook a whole chicken, and Dehydrate for drying fruit or preparing jerky.

The Crispi Pro is on sale now direct from Ninja for £249, in three colourways Cyberspace, Pink, and Bone — with more options coming soon to suit your kitchen.

• Smeg has launched two new combi microwaves: the MOC01 and MOC02
• The MOC01 has microwave and grill options, with multi-stage cooking
• The more versatile MOC02 also offers air fryer and fan oven modes

Smeg has just launched a combination microwave, air fryer, fan oven, and grill that can prepare virtually any dish — and looks great while doing it. The Italian company is well known for its stylish appliances, including its iconic retro refrigerators, and the new MOC02 combi microwave is no exception. With sleek lines and a choice of four colors (matt black, white, emerald green, and storm blue), it would look perfect alongside kitchen gadgets like the BCC13 coffee maker, which received a full five stars in my review.

The MOC02 combi can do everything from defrosting frozen meals to cooking crispy chicken wings. Better yet, you can use multi-stage cooking to switch from one mode to another. For example, you could use microwave mode to quickly bake a potato, then switch to air fryer mode to crisp the skin once the inside is soft.

According to Smeg, the MOC02's fan oven mode uses microwave energy in addition to convection, enabling it to cook food much faster than a regular oven, cooking a salmon fillet to flaky perfection in just 10 minutes. It's available today direct from Smeg's online store for £449.95 (about $600 / AU$850).

If you don't need all of the MOC02's cooking functions, there's also a new microwave and grill combo, the MOC01, which has the same stylish looks but without the air fryer and fan oven functionality. Its multi-stage cooking makes it particularly good for dishes like pasta bakes that need crisping on top after cooking.

The Smeg MOC01 is on sale now from Smeg's online store and third-party retailers for £349.95 (about $500 / AU$700).

If your budget won't quite stretch that far, take a look at my full roundup of the best air fryers I've tested in the last few months, which includes some more affordable combi cooker options like the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer. Also consider the Smeg Combi Steam Oven, which offers air frying, convection cooking, and steaming all in one appliance, without a microwave option.

Air Fryers have moved beyond what many thought was a fad to become the mainstay of many kitchens — even superseding the humble oven. In fact, I have a friend whose oven broke a year ago, and she hasn't replaced it because her air fryer is all she needs.

One of the best on the market is the recently discounted Ninja Foodi Max at Amazon for £161.10 (was £229.99). That's the lowest price since Black Friday for this popular air fryer.

So, if you're late to the air fryer game or just in need of an upgrade, this outstanding deal on the Foodi Max is well worth a look.

Today's best Ninja air fryer deal

The Ninja Foodi Max is very similar to the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer that we reviewed at the end of 2024. We awarded that model the full five stars. This Ninja Foodi Max was given a slightly lower but still impressive four-star rating, so we have absolutely no qualms recommending it

The Foodi Max has six unique cooking functions: Max Crisp, air fry, roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate. That's everything required to cook complete meals for the whole family. In fact, you'll find yourself barely using your cooker or microwave. It also uses up to 75% less fat than conventional frying methods, which makes it significantly healthier.

This is one of the best air fryer offers around at the moment, but if you'd like to find out what else is discounted, then check out all the latest air fryer deals. You might also like to discover the best Dyson vacuum deals if you're in the mood for making upgrades at home.

• The IKEA Gåtebo is a microwave, air fryer, and grill in one
• It costs $199 / £150 / $299, which is much less than most combi cookers
• Paired with the compact Tillreda induction stove, it could replace your oven

IKEA's three-in-one Gåtebo microwave has proved incredibly popular since its launch in Europe last year, and now it's available worldwide for just $199 / £150 / $299. It's no bigger than a regular freestanding microwave, and is packed with so many cooking functions that it could easily replace a regular oven for a small household.

Just imagine what you could do with all that extra space. You could fit a dishwasher if you don't already have one (one of the greatest kitchen appliances ever created), have under-counter bins for sorting trash and recycling, fit a full-size water softener, or just have an extra cupboard for all your oils and spices.

Microwave and air fryer combos aren't a totally new concept, and they're a great option if you've resisted buying an air fryer due to a lack of space. Even the compact Ninja Double Stack still has a footprint of 11 x 18.5in / 28cm x 47cm, which is substantial when you're already coping with a cramped workspace.

The Gåtebo's cooking options include microwave, grill, air fry, defrost, warm up tea/coffee, and two combination cooking modes (microwave and grill, and microwave and convection). Not sure where to begin? The manual provides detailed instructions for favorites like french fries, potato wedges, chicken wings and nuggets.

But what about rice and pasta? Well, ditching your regular oven doesn't have to mean losing your stove. IKEA has a vast array of cheap induction hobs, including the portable Tillreda, which costs just $74.99 / £45 / AU$49, and can be hung up or tucked out of sight when you're not preparing dinner.

The Gåtebo is remarkably cheap, too. For comparison, our current top-rated microwave / air fryer combo is the Samsung Combi Smart Microwave Oven, which is more than double the price at £329 (about $440 / AU$660).

I've yet to get my hands on the Gåtebo to test its cooking powers for myself, but I'm hoping to review it soon, and see whether it deserves a place in our full roundup of the best air fryers. Who knows, it might even dethrone the Samsung Combi.

Is one of your new year resolutions to cook more from scratch? Simplify that plan with a great air fryer. Right now, you can buy the Ninja Crispi at Amazon for £99 (was £149.99), which is a record low for the highly regarded portable air fryer.

Even during Black Friday a few months ago, the Ninja Crispi didn’t drop this low. Previously, the lowest price we saw was £120, so this is a hefty drop outside of a major sale.

The Ninja Crispi has a space-saving compact design, which makes it more useful for those with limited space in the kitchen. While smaller, it offers all the essential cooking functions, such as air fry, roast, keep warm, and recrisp, so you’re all set for some delicious results. From my experience, a great air fryer soon stops you from ever needing to use your oven again.

Today's best air fryer deal

Our Ninja Crispi review goes into depth about why it earns four stars. We appreciated how portable it is, how easy it is to clean, and the fact that you can serve and store food in the glass dishes. The baking mode isn’t the best if you want to make something quite thick, but it’s otherwise very flexible and a good price for a Ninja-branded air fryer.

At heart, you’re buying an air fryer to cook dinner efficiently rather than baking, and the Ninja Crispi does this very well. It’s very fast, and our reviewer had great results when roasting vegetables and other foods, too.

There’s also the fact that it’s very easy to move around compared to the heft of other Ninja air fryers. That’s why it’s the best air fryer for portability, but also for anyone with a small kitchen.

While you’re finding devices that improve your 2026 immeasurably, take a look at the robot vacuum deals. Once your home is cleaned automatically, you’ll never want to dig out the manual vacuum cleaner again.

Air fryers cook your favorite foods with minimal oil, but they still get greasy and need regular cleaning to stay fresh. Even the best air fryers require maintenance, but the good news is that it's a lot easier than cleaning an oven, and with the right equipment, it'll only take a few minutes.

Air fryers use powerful fans to circulate hot air around your food, cooking it quickly and evenly. That also means crumbs and grease tend to spread inside the machine. Thankfully, many of your air fryer's components are removable for easy cleaning, including the basket and any trays, and the basket has a non-stick coating that helps prevent food and oil from adhering to the surface.

Before you get started, check your air fryer's manual to see whether the manufacturer recommends using or avoiding certain cleaning products. The methods listed below will be fine for almost all models, but it only takes a moment to check. If you don't have the paper manual, you can search the manufacturer's website to find a PDF version.

Clean the exterior

Before you do any cleaning at all, you need to make sure your air fryer has completely cooled down. Cleaning it while it’s still warm will not only risk you burning yourself on any hot elements, but it can also damage the machine.

Unplug your fryer and soak a cloth in warm, soapy water. Ensure you squeeze excess water from your cloth before wiping the exterior of your machine. Don’t be tempted to use any harsh cleaning sprays or disinfectants, as these could cause the outer shell of the appliance to peel off, or the chemicals could end up inside the machine.

If you’re using an air fryer that has a glass window, it might seem intuitive to use a glass cleaner spray to rid the window of any smear marks. However, when you next use your machine, and it heats up, the residue from the cleaning solution will also heat up and may release fumes you'd rather avoid. Instead, finish cleaning the exterior by using a dry cloth to buff away any smears.

Clean the inside

Many air fryers have removable parts that are dishwasher safe. This makes life a lot easier if you’ve just made dinner and need to clean up quickly. If there are large pieces of food stuck to your air fryer basket, however, it’s best to remove them first to avoid clogging your dishwasher's filter.

Because air fryers are designed to work without much oil, the cooking baskets are normally covered with a non-stick coating. In order to maintain your machine properly, it’s important not to damage this coating, and the best way to do that is by only cleaning it gently.

If you need to remove dried-on food, then you can soak the basket in warm water and dish soap, and then gently ease the food away with a wooden spatula. Steer away from metal utensils as they will damage the coating.

For the remaining parts, repeat the process using warm, soapy water and a cloth, and give them a thorough wipe without leaving excess water. If you notice any food stuck in the fan or elements, a clean, unused toothbrush is an ideal cleaning tool.

Never immerse your fryer in water, or try to clean it by heating liquids in the basket.

What to do if your air fryer smells 

If your air fryer is smelling strange, there are a few potential causes. First of all, if it's fairly new and it’s giving off a plastic-like smell, it’s likely that you just need to run it for a few minutes without any food inside to burn off any manufacturing residue.

If you’re getting a smoky smell or you can smell burnt food when what you’re making is showing no signs of burning, there may be crumbs or bits of food left in the machine or stuck in the fan. Follow our advice above for removing debris with a toothbrush.

Finally, the smell might be from a meal that you previously cooked, and despite your best cleaning efforts, the odor just won’t budge. In this case, wipe the inside with a sliced lemon, then rinse off the juice per our instructions.

One more thing...

Using silicone or paper liners in your air fryer can help keep it clean, but make sure they don't block airflow or touch the heating element. Paper liners can blow around inside the basket and will need to be weighed down with enough food.

Always make sure your air fryer is fully dry before storing it (especially interior components like the heating element) and keep it in a dry, well-ventilated place to avoid corrosion and bad smells. Closing the lid while the inside is still damp will result in bad odors, and if your machine has a plastic seal, this could become a home for bacteria.

Ninja Crispi Pro: one-minute review

The Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 Glass Countertop Air Fryer is the plus-sized version of the Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer Cooking System. Instead a traditional drawer-style air fryer, the Ninja Crispi Pro is a stand to which you can attach different-sized glass cooking containers. Since the glass containers are separate from the frying mechanism, they can be used for both storing and serving in addition to cooking. The handles stay cool so they can go directly from the fryer to the table without potholders or trivets. Lids are included for storing your food in the glass containers. The Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 Glass Countertop Air Fryer comes with two cooking containers, the small one has a 2.5-quart capacity and the large one holds six quarts and can even be used to roast up to a 7.5-pound chicken. There is also a medium four-quart size which is sold separately.

Six cooking modes let you make a variety of dishes: Max Crisp, Air Fry, Bake/Proof, Roast, Recrisp, and Dehydrate. Select your mode, temperature, and cook time as desired. Since the containers are glass and there is a light bulb inside, you can easily keep an eye on your food as it cooks. This is an easy-to-use, flexible air fryer, and all the food I made came out well. Note that with its multiple cooking containers, it does take up a good bit of storage space.

Ninja Crispi Pro: price and availability

• List price: $279.99 (about £209 / AU$421)

The Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 Glass Countertop Air Fryer is available at all major retailers both online and in brick-and-mortar stores such as Amazon, Target, Macy's, Best Buy, Ninja's own website, and more. Choose from four color options: Cyberspace (dark gray), Bone (off-white), Rose Quartz, and Ash Gray (light gray). The retail price is $279.99 USD and it comes with two cooking containers including crisping trays and storage lids: 2.5-quart and 6-quart.

• Value score: 4/5

Ninja Crispi Pro: specifications

Ninja Crispi Pro: design and features

• Small and large cooking containers go from air fryer to table to fridge
• Six cooking functions
• Interior light

The Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 Glass Countertop Air Fryer has a modular base that sits on the counter and two interchangeable glass cooking dishes, 2.5-quart and 6-quart. Ninja also makes a 4-quart medium size, but that will be sold separately. The cooking dishes have stay-cool handles so they can go right from the fryer to the table. Lids are also included so you can store your leftovers. The glass cooking containers, including the metal crisper plates and storage lids, can be washed in the dishwasher or by hand if you prefer.

The air fryer itself has a modular base, which can be moved up or down depending on which glass cooking container you'll be using. Place the base at the highest notch to use the small container or at the bottom notch for the large container. There is a middle notch for the medium cooking container (not included.)

Once you've adjusted your modular base to the correct height, put your food on the crisper plate within the glass cooking dish and slide the dish onto the base. This can be a bit fiddly, but once you get used to doing it, muscle memory kicks in.

The controls are quite intuitive. Power on the air fryer and turn the knob to select your cooking mode: Max Crisp, Air Fry, Bake/Proof, Roast, Recrisp, or Dehydrate. Tap the temp button and turn the dial to adjust the temperature. Tap the time button and turn the dial to adjust the time. Press the center button to start cooking. Illuminate your food at any time by pressing the button with the light bulb icon.

I wouldn't say the Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 Countertop Glass Air Fryer is the prettiest appliance I've ever seen; air fryers rarely are. It does take up a bit of counter space. You could store it away when not in use, but it's pretty heavy. The bottom is weighted to counterbalance the cooking mechanism at the top, making it difficult to take in and out for frequent use. You could keep one container in the air fryer on the counter and store the other away to minimize how much counter space it takes up, but either way, it's a space commitment.

Still, the Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 Countertop Glass Air Fryer is well-designed for maximum flexibility with its extra-large cooking container, particularly for people with larger families or who entertain frequently. The smaller container is perfect for snacks and smaller portions. Its six cooking functions cover all the bases.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Ninja Crispi Pro: performance

I made a dozen different foods, utilizing all of the different cooking modes, and everything I made came out delicious! As with any air fryer, you'll want to flip or rotate your food partway through cooking. And I noticed that using a small amount of oil or cooking spray made for better results; without it the food was a little bit dry.

I used Air Fry mode to make: potato wedges from scratch, frozen egg bites, frozen veggie burger, tofu from scratch, frozen french fries, fresh vegetables, and frozen "air fryer" Mexican corn. Everything came out well, crispy on the outside and tender inside. I'd actually never made tofu from scratch before and I was surprised how easy and delicious it was!

Roast mode worked beautifully for the Brussels sprouts and mixed peppers I made. Perfectly browned, tender, and delicious. As a vegetarian, I didn't make one, but the 6-quart container allows you to roast a whole chicken of up to 7.5 pounds.

I made a simple two-ingredient "bagel" (greek yogurt plus self-rising flour, and, ok, Everything Bagel seasoning makes three ingredients) in Bake mode, and it came out perfectly. Such a simple and delightful treat made quickly in the Ninja Crispi Pro.

Max Crisp mode gives you the highest temperature range, which is great for vegetables if you like them blackened as I do. The zucchini and tomatoes I made came out great. The sweet potatoes look frightening but they were deliciously sweet and tender inside!

I used Dehydrate mode to make dried fruit for the first time. It took a full seven hours on a low temperature, but it worked. The apple chips had a leathery rather than crispy texture, but they tasted good.

Cleanup is pretty easy. The air fryer mechanism doesn't really need to be cleaned other than wiping it down with a cloth occasionally, and it cannot contact water. The glass cooking dishes, metal crisping plates, and plastic lids can be easily washed by hand or in the dishwasher. Sometimes the spatter gets really baked on, requiring some serious elbow grease to remove. I'd imagine this is the case for all air fryers, it's just that you can't see all the spatters in a dark metal cooking drawer. I actually feel better knowing my cooking container is getting completely clean, so it's worth the extra scrubbing to keep it pristine.

• Performance score: 5/5

Should you buy the Ninja Crispi Pro?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Ninja Crispi Pro: also consider

If you're not sure about the Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 Glass Countertop Air Fryer, here are some other options to consider ...

How I tested the Ninja Crispi Pro

• I tested the various cooking modes multiple times
• I used it for weeks to prepare a variety of food items
• I cleaned it after every use

I love to eat and I do try to eat healthy even though I don't particularly enjoy cooking. I prepare the majority of my meals at home rather than getting takeout. So, I'm always looking for quicker ways to make healthy and delicious food. I tested the Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 Glass Countertop Air Fryer by making the following foods: lots of different fresh veggies using different cook modes, frozen egg bites, frozen french fries, fresh french fries from scratch, bagel from scratch, marinated tofu, frozen Mexican corn, frozen veggie burger patty, baked sweet potatoes, and dehydrated apple chips.

Read more about how we test.

You've got an air fryer for Christmas – welcome to the club! Now the only question is what to cook first. The possibilities are (almost) endless, but you need to get to grips with your new kitchen bestie with some easier dishes first. So, I've picked 10 things every air fryer newbie needs to try first - staples you can, and likely will, use most regularly.

There's no point in walking before you can run. Every air fryer is different, and each has its own quirks and features, but our list below is made up of things pretty much any air fryer can handle. Whether you want to feed the clan at breakfast, whip up a quick lunch, or impress your loved ones with a mouth-watering roast, this list has got you covered.

If you don't yet own an air fryer but are thinking of picking one up in the January sales, take a look at our guide to the best air fryers, which includes something for every household and every budget.

1. Bacon

Let's start with the basics, air fryer bacon is a must-try for every newbie - and it'll likely become something you do pretty regularly if you're a meat eater. Air frying bacon is quick, much less messy than oil frying, and results in crispy, delicious bacon almost every time. The best part of air frying bacon? You don't need any oil at all, the natural fat of the bacon is enough.

All you need to do is line your air fryer basket with a single layer of rashers, being sure not to overlap them as much as possible, and then use the bacon setting on your air fryer (if there is one). If there's no bacon setting, cook the bacon for five minutes at 200C/392F. If your air fryer is smaller, or you're cooking a lot of rashers, you may need to do this in batches.

2. Fries

Again, we're sticking with something more simple, to get you used to cooking with your air fryer. Fries are another staple of any air fryer owner - whether frozen or fresh. Making fresh chips doesn't take much longer than their frozen counterparts - especially with an air fryer – and can even be a cheaper alternative.

I find Maris Piper potatoes are best for making fries. Wash and peel one potato per person, then cut the potatoes into 1cm (0.3in) thick fries – in my experience, the easiest way to do this is to slice the full potato into about 1cm slices, then cut these chunkier slices into 1cm wide sticks lengthways. At this point, you can submerge the uncooked fries in a bowl of water for a few minutes to remove some of the starch, then pat them dry – but this isn't a necessity and you can just give them a quick rinse and dry.

In a clean, dry bowl, add a tablespoon of your chosen oil (I prefer olive oil) and toss the chips in them. At this point you can add some seasoning if you like, but not too much. Put your chips into the air fryer basket, ensuring it's not too overcrowded, and set to the recommended chips program or for about 25 minutes at 200C/392F. Give them an occasional shake to make sure they're cooking evenly.

Fries can be a bit temperamental so you may need to experiment with your air fryer to find the optimal temperature and time.

3. Grilled sandwich/toastie

Want a quick lunch? An air fryer grilled sandwich (or toastie for those of you in the UK) is just what you need. It takes just a few minutes and you can put damn near anything in a toastie - so what's not to love? There's not just one recipe for making a toastie in an air fryer, but I recommend Good Food's air fryer cheese and ham toastie, which elevates a classic. If you want to use different ingredients, simply ensure you butter the outside of your bread slices and put the filling on the non-buttered sides. Then, cook your toastie for 10 minutes at 190C/374F.

4. Chicken wings

While reviewing the Cosori TurboBlaze and Cosori Dual Blaze Twinfry air fryers, I tried out Cosori's own Louisiana dry rubbed chicken wing recipe - and it's now my ultimate air fryer go-to. Chicken wings are delicious in an air fryer anyway, but this one is my absolute favorite as it's easy to do and uses herbs and spices you likely already have in your cupboard if you're a keen cook. The result is succulent wings that are crispy on the outside and packed with flavor, making them perfect for when you're hosting or in need of a quick dinner.

5. Baked potatoes

A baked potato is an easy but delicious meal, and your air fryer is going to make it easier to cook them. Simply cover your baked potato in oil, salt, and pepper, prick the skin a few times with a fork, and put it in the air fryer basket for about 40 or 50 minutes at 200C/392F - it may take a bit longer if you want the skin super crispy. Once it's ready, you can slice it open and add your favorite topping - maybe even some of the bacon you made.

6. Roast potatoes

Who doesn't love a roast potato? They're a staple of roast dinners and perfect for cooking in an air fryer. Air fryer roasties are crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside, and so easy to do it's criminal.

My go-to air fryer roast potato recipe comes from John Kirkwood, whose handy YouTube video gives you step-by-step instructions for making tasty roasties - without having to parboil them. Depending on your air fryer size, and the number of people, you may need to do these in batches, but once they're done you can easily can your own tasty seasoning. Rosemary and a pinch of salt is an undeniable classic, though.

7. Roast chicken

Once you've become more accustomed to your air fryer, making a roast chicken should be easy peasy - just make sure that the chicken you buy is the right size for your air fryer basket. There are lots of ways you can make a roast chicken in an air fryer, but I find Cook It Real Good's recipe to be the most flavorful I've tried. The result is moist meat, with crispy, tasty skin. How long it will take to cook will largely depend on your air fryer model and the chicken's size, though, so it's worth checking if it's at the right temperature with a meat thermometer before you serve.

8. Roast beef

We've mastered the chicken, now it's time for the roast beef. Beef can be hard to get right, especially if you have picky guests who want it cooked a certain way. I find Cosori's air fryer roast beef recipe is a hit in our house. The finished product has a more American than British feel to it. Like with the chicken, I found recipes that include a lot of dry seasoning are the best for getting a flavorful roast meat with a crispy top - but if you want something more traditional, you can try other options.

9. Veggies

With your meat mastered, you can now start working on air frying some vegetables as a side dish. If you're lucky enough to have a big air fryer, you may even be able to do both at the same time! The cooking time of vegetables varies with an air fryer, with the likes of carrots, for example, using a different temperature than broccoli. So, I advise (from experience) not to throw all your veggies in together and hope they cook well.

I suggest the best vegetables to try first are carrots. Make sure you don't cut them up too small or they could fall under your basket, add a tablespoon of oil to them to coat (and any seasoning you need), and then put them in the air fryer in a single layer - not overlapping - for 10 to 15 minutes at 190C/375F. Like the fries, though, they may take some trial and error to get right.

10. Steak

You might be thinking: you can't make a steak in an air fryer. But, everyone's favorite swearing chef, Gordon Ramsay, has proved you absolutely can - and definitely should. Ramsay's coffee and chilli rubbed ribeye steak recipe is the ultimate test for your air fryer, but properly delicious. Combine it with your air fryer chips and veggies, and you've got a spectacular dinner that will blow away your loved ones - and have them buying their own air fryer.

This Boxing Day sale season has been an impressive one, with plenty of discounts that are oh-so-close to Black Friday prices. And this Ninja air fryer has been given the same treatment.

Last month, we saw the larger 9.5L XXXL model dropping to its lowest price of AU$251 and it's now pretty darn close to that again – all thanks to an additional coupon available on Amazon that drops it to AU$259. That's a 57% price drop!

Now that's what I call a delicious and tempting deal!

I'd been eyeing the Ninja DoubleStack since its Aussie release, but then the Ninja Crispi arrived and I got distracted. Honestly, though, I don't need an air fryer, but the one I have – the two-drawer Philips Series 5000 XXL with Steam – takes up a lot of shelf space and hence why I keep lusting after one of the aforementioned Ninjas.

We gave the Ninja DoubleStack review a full five-star score and that says a lot (we're usually very stingy with our marking). While it might not have the steam option that my current air fryer does, it's still a very versatile cooking machine – it can air fry, roast, max crisp, reheat, bake and dehydrate.

Our reviewer found it delivered “great results […] from delicious fluffy fries to perfectly crispy chicken and succulent salmon”. And to make sure you get a meal cooked quickly, there are a couple of synchronised cooking modes, which can either have both baskets finish cooking at the same time, or quickly match the temperature in each.

Honestly, if you're tight on countertop space but need to cook in larger volumes than a single-drawer air fryer will let you, consider this Ninja air fryer.

• Shop more December deals and discounts in our live coverage of the 2025 Boxing Day sales

Air fryers have been the top piece of viral kitchen tech for so long you’d think the trend would have long since run out of fuel. But we have no doubt that some of the best air fryers you can buy will once again be among the most-gifted Christmas presents of 2025.

But how versatile are these things really?

I tried cooking nine different British Christmas food classics – and most will be familiar to you if you're in the US or elsewhere – to see if air fryers really can replace an oven and/or your other kitchen gadgets. True air fryer believers will tell you they can, even though these things are basically just tiny ovens with a more proactive fan that flings heat around in a more aggressive manner.

The rules for my challenge: no other cooking tech is allowed. If water is being heated, it’s getting air-fried, and we’re using one of the most basic air fryers out there. A word of warning though: make sure to check your air fryer's manual before cooking or heating anything unusual, as in some of the experiments below.

We’ve steered away from some of the obvious culinary picks, like pigs in blankets, which these days may well come with air fryer cooking instructions. And we did not attempt to stick an entire turkey into an air fryer to see what happened – ours isn’t nearly big enough, for starters.

Aside from some predictable wins and losses, there were a few surprises in our great big festive air fryer cook-off. Here’s how it went – starting with something easy.

1. Mince pies

• Will it air fry? score: 8/10

An air fryer is ideal for heating up that staple of a British Christmas, the mince pie. It takes less time and less electricity than a conventional oven, and they're done within a few minutes. The question here is how much browning of the pastry we want to see in the process of heating the filling.

And this is particularly important for mince pies with an ultra-fine dusting of sugar, which will get taken out (or at least caramelized) pretty quickly under intense heat.

2. Mashed potato

• Will it air fry? score: 7/10

Air fryers are famously good at making chips and roast potatoes. But how about mashed potato? The usual method is, of course, to boil and then mash. You can get similar-ish results by throwing whole potatoes in the air fryer, baking them, scooping out the insides and – as usual – chucking in a load of butter/margarine and some seasoning.

The end result tastes fantastic, but we did think this method makes it a little bit trickier to weed out the last of the lumps ,as the moisture level of the potato is going to be more variable, and lower, than when using the classic boiled method.

3. Brussels sprouts

• Will it air fry? score: 7/10

We do not doubt that there are great Brussels sprout recipes that involve an air fryer, but just flinging them in with a bit of seasoning is not the way to go.

I actually tried two methods here. Half of the sprouts were placed into the air fryer, naked. The other half were wrapped in foil with a bit of water, in an attempt to half-steam them. Neither method produced fantastic results.

The naked sprouts ended up super-brown on the outside with an inconsistent cook on the inside. Our foil-wrapped sprouts ended up looking better, but again they were a little too inconsistent.

An air fryer is likely better for finishing off sprout dishes than cooking them from raw.

4. Gravy

• Will it air fry? score: 2/10

Trying to prepare gravy in an air fryer is the culinary equivalent of watching brain-rot social media content. It’s pointless and not nourishing – and you should definitely check your air fryer's instructions before attempting it.

Even at higher settings, the gravy never seems to get that hot. And you end up with a scum of evaporated gravy solids around the edge as the process runs on. Does it work? Sure. But there’s really no reason to prepare gravy this way.

5. Yorkshire pudding

• Will it air fry? score: 8/10

For the uninitiated, Yorkshire pudding is a savory baked dish made with eggs, flour, milk, and fat that's typically served with roast meats – for Americans, it's similar to a popover, but generally larger, and often bowl-shaped to hold gravy.

The rapid heat you can get with an air fryer may make it even better than a conventional oven for Yorkshire puddings, but you’re not going to fit a full platter of the things in a normal air fryer, of course.

As ever, the key is to heat the oil first in whatever receptacle you choose to use, and then give it a good amount of time with the air fryer drawer completely closed in order to keep the heat level nice and high.

I got surprisingly good results, ending up with a fairly light and well-risen XL-size Yorkshire pudding on my first attempt.

6. Stuffing

• Will it air fry? score: 9/10

It’s no surprise to see that stuffing works well in an air fryer, as they do a good job with most foods you’d typically use a fan-assisted oven for. We made six stuffing balls, with slightly more water in the mix than suggested.

What we got was a crispy outer with a soft and pliant inside. Lovely stuff. And there’s no reason a dishful of stuffing wouldn’t fare just as well in an air fryer.

7. Christmas pudding

• Will it air fry? score: 6/10

Another favorite of us Brits, Christmas pudding is certainly not a 'pudding' in the US sense of the word – it's a steamed cake-like dessert made with dried fruits, suet, spices, breadcrumbs, eggs, and alcohol (usually sherry or brandy, or, even better, both). We expected this one to be a bust, as most of the ways you'd cook a Christmas pudding are all about retaining moisture. And, as our cheap, single-serve pudding had to be removed from its plastic dish so we could safely place it in the air fryer, the outlook was not good.

The results were surprisingly solid, though, no doubt buoyed by the fact a tiny Christmas pudding doesn’t need that long to cook. The edges were turned into a sort-of caramelized rind that were a nice contrast to the rest of the pudding – and it didn’t end up dry, which is the main thing I'd feared.

8. Cranberry sauce

• Will it air fry? score: 6/10

Americans enjoy cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, and it's an equally indispensable condiment for us Brits if a turkey is the Christmas-dinner centerpiece. A bit of orange juice, a bit of brown sugar, a load of cranberries, and you can have it all done within 20 minutes or so of cooking using the traditional pan method; the cranberries contain pectin, which helps thicken out the sauce as it cools. But the air fryer method does require a bit of extra attention.

In most air fryers, the heat filament is not actually that far from whatever you’re cooking. And this risks your cranberries burning, not to mention making weird noises, particularly in the early stages. It’s all doable with the occasional stir, though, not to mention making the mixture isn’t boiling over.

9. Mulled wine

• Will it air fry? score: 0/10

Here’s a car crash we didn’t expect. Obviously an air fryer would never be the most sensible or quickest way to make mulled wine – basically wine heated with spices such as cinnamon and cloves, and optional extras like orange peel – and you should try this one at your own risk, after checking your model's instructions. But, my goodness, this one went awry.

We didn’t try to simply heat up pre-made mulled wine. We stuck a load of red wine in some pyrex, shoved in a couple of mulled spice bags along with some slices of orange. It’s not the purist’s way, but it’s something.

However, in a bizarre turn, whenever I checked on how it was doing around a quarter of the mulled wine mix had made a bid for freedom, ending up on the bottom of the air fryer. And we know how clean most of those are.

Thankfully we’d cleaned it just before the mulled wine episode, but whatever turbulence the fan created with those orange slices and spice bags, it was a bad scene.

Ninja is the biggest name in air fryers, and for good reason – its compact cookers deliver consistently great results, and there's a huge variety to choose from. Whether you're cooking fries for one or preparing a family-sized Christmas dinner, there's a Ninja air fryer for you. The only problem is deciding which one to buy – and that's where I come in.

I'm TechRadar's kitchens expert, testing dozens of small appliances every year, and after hours of cooking and kilos of fries, I've put together this definitive list of the three Ninja air fryers I'd recommend to my own friends and family. There's something here for every household, and here at TechRadar we've put each one through a thorough battery of tests to make sure they can air fry, roast, bake, and reheat just as well as Ninja claims.

However many people you're cooking for, and whatever size kitchen you're working with, read on to find out which Ninja air fryer is best for you.

Best for families

Ninja Double Stack

If you're looking around your kitchen and wondering whether you even have room for an air fryer, the Ninja Double Stack is the one for you. It has two drawers, giving you enough space to cook a full family-sized meal – but rather than sitting side-by-side, they're one on top of the other with a control panel on the side, meaning this air fryer has a considerably smaller footprint than a conventional two-drawer option. It's a design that's often copied, but (in my opinion) never bettered.

The Double Stack offers six cooking modes (air fry, max crisp, roast, bake, dehydrate and reheat) and all are winners, During our cooking tests, fries and chicken wings turned out perfectly without any additional oil, and we found there was no perceptible transfer of heat between the two drawers, even when they were set to very different temperatures.

We tested the Sync and Match cooking modes by preparing an assortment of tapas dishes that would usually require careful management to accommodate their different cooking times and temperatures, and the Double Stack handled them with ease, ensuring they were all ready at the same time and cooked to perfection.

The disadvantage of the two-tier design is that there's no removable divider between the two drawers like there is in some traditional-style air fryers, so you can't cook one large item like a chicken. Instead, you're restricted to two smaller portions, but when you're cooking a full meal with protein and sides, that's exactly what you need.

Read our full Ninja Double Stack review

Best compact

Ninja Crispi

The Crispi is an unusual air fryer, designed to be carried around rather than tethered to your kitchen counter. It consists of a set of resealable glass containers that hold your food until it's ready to cook, and a 'PowerPod' lid that contains the heating element and fan that will heat it up. It's particularly well-suited to reheating and crisping up leftovers at lunchtime, but as we discovered in our tests, it's also great for cooking small meals from scratch.

It has four cooking modes – air fry, reheat, bake, and max crisp – and although we wouldn't really recommend it for baking (the Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer below is much better for cakes and bread), the other settings didn't let us down.

There is a bit of a learning curve to cooking fresh vegetables with the Crispi – they need just the barest spritz of oil and cook surprisingly fast – but once you've got the knack you'll be able to enjoy delicious veg anywhere with an electrical outlet. Diced sweet potatoes turned out particularly well, and we were able to use the max crisp setting to crisp up the leftovers later in the day.

Convenience foods like nuggets, protein waffles and veggie tots all turned out brilliantly without any extra oil at all, as did frozen fries. Panko-crusted tofu was another winner too, with the Crispi proving surprisingly versatile.

If you're a frequent traveller, have a particularly small kitchen, or just enjoy a hot lunch at work, the Crispi is the Ninja air fryer for you.

Read our full Ninja Crispi review

Best multi-function

Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer

This super-versatile Ninja air fryer doesn't just fry – it can also grill, bake, dehydrate, and roast, and does them all extremely well. During our tests we found it particularly good at cooking meat thanks to its temperature probe, which helps ensure your food is properly heated all the way through without drying out. We've never had such good steak from an air fryer.

It has a generous 5.7-liter cooking capacity, but is surprisingly compact and didn't dominate our test kitchen like some other fryers we've tested. You get two ceramic-coated plates that slide into the cooking pot, a grill plate, and a crisper plate, which should serve all your dinner-making needs.

It's operated using a bright digital display paired with large control buttons that are easy to use even when you're in a rush to get a meal on the table. The screen will also show your food's internal temperature when you're using the probe, as well as a countdown of resting time once it's finished cooking. It's all very useful and well thought-out.

Not only does it cook meat, fries and vegetables to perfection, this is one of the few air fryers we've tested that does an excellent job baking bread and cakes. Our garlic and parsley flatbreads cooked to perfection in just a few minutes, and it could easily replace a conventional oven if you're only an occasional baker.

It's relatively pricey for an air fryer, with a list price of £199.99 (roughly $250 / AU$420), but now that it's been around for a few months you can often find it for a discount. This particular Ninja air fryer is only available in the UK, but if you're in the US or Australia the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 Indoor Grill is almost identical.

Read our full Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer review

The color experts at Pantone have announced their official color of 2026: a creamy white shade called Cloud Dancer that we'll be seeing everywhere over the coming months, from fashion to furnishings. It's soft and timeless, and as TechRadar's kitchen expert, I've put together a collection of appliances and accessories that will help you incorporate it into your home.

Earlier this year, KitchenAid announced that it was making all its automatic coffee makers available in soft Porcelain White, including one of my all-time favorites, the KitchenAid KF6 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine. It's incredibly easy to use, produces consistently delicious and well-extracted espresso with the thickest crema I've ever seen, and during my tests, I found it a pleasure to use every morning. Take a look at my full KitchenAid KF6 review for more details.

Want something more affordable? The De'Longhi Dedica Duo is the best compact espresso machine I've tested this year, leaving similarly priced manual coffee makers from other brands in the dust (see my De'Longhi Dedica Duo review). In soft Vanilla, it will add a touch of class to your breakfast corner.

If you've been considering picking up a KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, creamy off-white Almond Cream is the perfect color for such a special investment piece, as it'll fit perfectly in just about any kitchen. I've owned mine for 13 years, and it still mixes and kneads just as well as it did on day one.

The Ninja Blast Portable Blender is an affordable way to add a dash of Cloud Dancer to your kitchen counter, and is one of the best blenders we've ever tested for making smoothies to take on the go, thanks to its unique sip-lid design. Take a look at our complete Ninja Blast review for the full lowdown.

Scroll down for my complete curated list of small appliances and accessories to bring the clouds dancing through your kitchen in 2026.

Cloud Dancer kitchenware

This year's Cyber Monday deals are here, and there are some fantastic discounts on some of the best air fryers we've tried. I've spent the weekend hunting down Cyber Monday deals using my expertise as TechRadar's Kitchen Editor to find the best offers on air fryers.

For me, the best deal in the US right now is the Dreo Chefmaker Combi Fryer, which is just $179.50 (was $350) at Dreo when you enter the code BFCM50% at checkout. Our reviewer couldn't praise this fryer highly enough, calling it the best kitchen appliance she'd ever used, and this deal is better than anything I've seen at Amazon – so grab it while you can.

In the UK, my top-rated deal is the excellent Ninja Double Stack XL for £188 at Currys (was £269.99). The Double Stack took the prize for best air fryer in last year's TechRadar Choice Awards thanks to its innovative space-saving design and consistently great cooking, and Amazon hasn't been able to match this huge £82 price cut.

Cyber Monday air fryer deals – US quick links

• Amazon: air fryer deals from under $50
• Best Buy: save over $100 on small appliances
• Crate & Barrel: deals on Ninja and Philips
• Ninja: up to $70 off air fryers for every kitchen
• Williams-Sonoma: save on Breville air fryers

Today's best Cyber Monday air fryer deals in the US

Cyber Monday air fryer deals – UK quick links

• Amazon: deals on Ninja, Tefal and Philips
• AO.com: up to £80 off selected air fryers
• Argos: up to 50% off big brand air fryers
• Currys: £100 off air Philips and Tefal
• Ninja: up to 30% off all popular models

Today's best Cyber Monday air fryer deals in the UK

To make sure your new air fryer lasts as long as possible, and gives you great cooking results year after year, take a look at our guide eight ways to make your air fryer last longer and keep it like new. Our air fryer cleaning tutorial will help you keep it in pristine condition, too.

More Cyber Monday deals in the US

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

More Cyber Monday deals in the UK

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

Kitchen gadgets are some of the most sought-after appliances during the shopping event of the year, and we've seen amazing Black Friday deals on the best air fryers. I am swapping my trusty Cosori air fryer for an Asda George dual air fryer in a sleeper hit bargain.

Asda has brought this George 9L air fryer down to a record-low price of £38 (was £75), almost half price. What's more, you get free delivery and while there are no online reviews of it yet, I'm happy to take a punt and return it should I be disappointed.

Asda offers a market-leading 100-day return window on homeware. Even for a Black Friday deal, this is quite the surprise, but I'm not complaining.

Air fryers are super convenient cooking appliances and I've been using one for more than a decade now.

Today's best Asda George air fryer Black Friday deal

Compared to my current Cosori air fryer, this one is all digital. No knobs or physical buttons. The compartment seems to be as wide and tall but a smidgen shallower as well.

You can use it as two independent 4.5 litre cooking zones with separate controls, or remove the divider to create a large 9-litre cooking area. I don't know how efficient that is going to be given. Note that it doesn't have a removable basket which means that I may need to adjust my cooking habits.

As for my secret hack, well, I will intend to use my air fryer to heat up serving plates. Doing so prevents your food from going warm when table-served.

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

I've been hunting for the best Ninja Black Friday deals for the past few days, and I've come across some huge savings on the best air fryers. But there's one appliance that has just received an impressive price drop, and it's Ninja's air fryer and toaster oven.

Now at a record-low price in Amazon's monster Black Friday sale, you can get a new Ninja air fryer and toaster oven just in time for the holidays for $249.99 (was $429.99), saving you $180. On a normal day, we wouldn't suggest going for this model if you're on a tight budget, but this Black Friday deal means that you can be a little more lenient.

You can also scour our huge Black Friday deals roundup for hundreds of exclusive offers across numerous gadgets and appliances.

Today's best Ninja Air Fryer & Toaster Oven Black Friday deal

Ninja's double oven air fryer offers twice the cooking space while doing much of the dirty work for you.

First off, it's a versatile cooking gadget with 12 cooking settings split between the two ovens, allowing you to experiment with lots of different methods. Not only that, but we were also impressed with its Smart Finish function, which makes syncing cooking times for the two spaces much easier.

Though hefty in size, this means that Ninja's air fryer and toaster oven is a solid choice if you're a keen batch cooker, or you just have a lot of mouths to feed.

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

We made it, Black Friday week is here! While sifting through the endless Black Friday deals can be overwhelming, it's also very exciting when you come across a record-low deal on the best air fryers, and lucky for you I've done the hard work.

Air fryers are among the most popular kitchen gadgets around this time of year and if you've been on the hunt for one, Ninja is currently having a massive sale on its range of air fryers, with some hitting record-low prices in both the US and UK.

Our 4-star Ninja CRISPi air fryer is one of the best deals in Amazon's Black Friday sale, which is now at a record-low price of $152.99 (was $179.99). If you're in the UK, one of the best deals to go for is the Ninja Foodi Multi Cooker and Air Fryer at Argos, now £179.99 (was £279.99) - saving you a decent £100.

Today's best Ninja Black Friday deals in the US

Today's best Ninja Black Friday deals in the UK

More Black Friday deals in the US

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $119
• Best Buy: $1,000 off TVs, laptops & headphones
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lenovo: 45% off laptops & tablets
• Lowe's: up to 30% off appliances, holiday decor & tools
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off appliances, TVs & phones
• Target: 40% off Christmas decor, clothing & furniture
• T-Mobile: up to $1,100 off latest iPhone 17
• Walmart: furniture, cheap TVs & vacs from $69
• Wayfair: 54% off Christmas, furniture & decor

More Black Friday deals in the UK

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

Black Friday is here, and that means unmissable deals on some of the best air fryers, including the Ninja AF200UK Air Fryer at Argos for £99.99 (was £119.99). That's a steal of a price and the lowest we've ever seen.

The AF200UK is the more compact version of Ninja's iconic dual-basket air fryer, the AF300. Despite having two fewer functions and smaller baskets, it still boasts a large 7.6L capacity that is perfect for couples or small families.

We've not yet reviewed the AF200, but given that we awarded the AF300 an impressive five stars, we're confident that if you snap up this deal right now, you won't be disappointed.

Today's best cheap Ninja air fryer deal

The AF200UK Air Fryer is up to 75% faster than fan ovens, which makes it a perfect solution for those who are either short on time or who don't want the hassle of cooking with an oven.

One of the ways that this air fryer makes cooking so simple is the Sync option, which makes it possible to cook different foods in each drawer using different functions, temperatures and cooking times.

The air fryer boasts a huge 7.6L capacity, which is capable of fitting up to 1kg of fries or a 1.6kg chicken into each drawer. I'm getting hungry just writing about it. Both drawers and crisper plates are non-stick and dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.

This isn't the only air fryer deal around, but it is one of the best. While you're thinking about supercharging your home life, why not check out our roundup of all the best robot vacuum deals too?

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch & PS5 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

Kitchen gadgets are some of the most sought-after appliances during the shopping event event of the year, and we've seen amazing Black Friday deals on the best air fryers. My go-to is the Instant Vortex air fryer, and this Black Friday offer is truly one-of-a-kind.

Amazon UK has brought the Instant Vortex air fryer down to a record-low price of £28.89 (was £33.99) for its single-drawer model, and I know what you're thinking – I was shocked too, in the best way possible.

Even for a Black Friday deal this is quite the surprise, but I'm not complaining. It's a handy cooking appliance to go for especially if you're a beginner and the world of air fryers is intimidating to you.

Today's best Instant Vortex air fryer Black Friday deal

As mentioned, the Instant Vortex air fryer is a great appliance that covers all the basic features you need in an air fryer. I've been using this model for the best part of the year, and it's saved me bags of time in the kitchen without taking up masses of space.

Though it only has one drawer and is best for cooking for two people, don't be fooled by its small footprint. When I really try, I can fit around 5-6 boned chicken thighs inside, which will only take about 20 minutes to cook – or a little longer if you like crispy skin

Not only that, but it's a non-intimidating model that's perfect for air fryer novices. Its four cooking settings (Air Fry, Bake, Reheat, and Roast) are right there in front of you at the tap of a button, and you can easily amend the time and temperature by using the touch-pad and twisting the dial in the centre.

Shop more of today's best Black Friday sales

• Amazon: up to 66% off tech & essentials
• AO: up to £500 off Dyson, Bosch & Hisense
• Argos: up to 50% off appliances, tech & toys
• Boots: save on 1,000s of beauty products
• Currys: deals on Ninja, Shark & Lenovo
• Dell: laptops from £279
• Dyson: up to £550 off vacuums
• EE: Switch 2 bundles from £20/month
• John Lewis: up to 50% off tech & fashion
• Lego: sets & accessories from £2.99
• Samsung: deals on appliances & phones
• Very: up to 40% off tech, toys & fashion

There are still a few days until Amazon's huge Black Friday sales event officially kicks off, but if you’re in the UK you can already score some of the best air fryers for a record-low price – and there’s a big discount for US shoppers too.

The Ninja Foodi Max dual-zone air fryer is on sale at Amazon UK for just £143.10 (was £229.99) – as mentioned, that’s a record-low price for this model. If you’re in the US you can still save $50 at Amazon US, where it’s on sale for $179.99 (was $229.99) – that’s still $20 cheaper than the listing on Ninja's official store, which is currently $199.99.

Today's best Ninja Foodi Black Friday deal

At TechRadar, we really enjoy testing and reviewing Ninja's range of kitchen appliances, and the Ninja dual-zone air fryer is no exception.

In our 4-star review, we heaped praise on this model for its features and versatility. Its Sync feature enables you to cook two different foods at once using different cooking modes, temperatures, and durations – and both will be ready at the same time with equally crispy results.

If you have several mouths to feed then Ninja's Foodi dual-zone model is a great choice, packing a 9.5-litre / 10-quart capacity that’s also great for batch cooking. Minor downsides include its bulkiness (so it may not be the model for you if you're short on countertop space), and its lack of a 'turn food' reminder.

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Ninja’s cleverly designed Double Stack XXXL is TechRadar’s favourite air fryer for good reason, providing up to a generous 9.5L in capacity in a much smaller footprint than most competitors with similar capacities, thanks mostly to its top-down layout.

If you have ‘air fryer’ on your Black Friday wishlist this year, Myer already has the Double Stack on sale for AU$259, a cool 57% (AU$340.99) off its RRP of AU$599.99. Granted, this discount only applies to the white colour, with the black available for a bit more at AU$299 from the same retailer.

We rated the Ninja Double Stack XXXL as the best overall air fryer currently available in Australia, earning high marks for its convenient top-down design and excellent cooking performance, with its unconventional form-factor still producing quality results.

“Everything I cooked came out just as good as I’d expected, with perfectly crispy chicken wings without the need for a drop of oil, and gorgeous fluffy fries with the perfect amount of bite,” said our Lifestyle Managing Editor Josephine Watson in her review.

Also highlighted was the useful inclusion of extra stainless steel racks, which can be slotted in above the main crisper plate to provide more cooking surface area.

The only major downsides we found with the Double Stack XXXL were that the form factor won’t be able to accommodate some of the larger food items that a more conventional two-basket air fryer can, and the comparably more expensive list price. But with this steep discount for Black Friday, the latter no longer applies.

For a praiseworthy air fryer that takes up a lot less countertop real estate – and still cooks really well to boot – this deal is really an early Black Friday 2025 highlight.

Whether you're cooking a quick dinner after work, crisping up leftovers, roasting vegetables or feeding a hungry household, a good air fryer can make everyday cooking faster, easier and often cheaper to run than using your main oven. They heat up quickly, use little to no oil and can deliver crispy, evenly cooked food in a fraction of the time of a conventional oven.

Our expert reviewers have tested dozens of air fryers, from affordable single-drawer models to premium dual-basket and smart designs. Every model is put through the same standardized cooking tests before being assessed for ease of use, cleaning, build quality and value, so our recommendations are based on hands-on testing rather than manufacturer claims.

Air fryers can also help reduce energy use for many everyday meals. According to price comparison site GoCompare, they typically cost less to run than a conventional oven, making them a worthwhile investment if you regularly cook smaller portions or don't want to heat your whole kitchen.

After all our testing, the Ninja Double Stack is our top overall pick thanks to its excellent cooking performance and space-saving design. But whether you're shopping on a budget, cooking for one or need enough capacity for family meals, we've found an air fryer to suit every kitchen and every type of cook.

The best air fryers

The best air fryer overall

With most air fryers, the more generous the cooking capacity, the more counter space you'll need to sacrifice. This Ninja model cleverly avoids that issue by stacking its baskets one on top of the other, rather than side-by-side. It's such a smart design, we gave it the prize for Best Air Fryer in the 2024 TechRadar Choice Awards. Each drawer holds 5qts / 4.75L, and you can create even more cooking space by slotting in one of the provided trays. Although do note that the tall-rather-than-wide approach means you won't get able to fit in, say, an uncut pizza. (If you just need something compact and don't need a large capacity, head to our guide to the best small air fryers.)

In our review, our tester noted no compromise in performance with this new design approach – the Double Stack delivers the same excellent performance as other Ninja air fryers we've tested. A wide range of different cooking modes make this model ultra-versatile, while the Sync and Match functions take all the pain out of cooking foods with different timing requirements – select your cooking mode, set your finish time and, if you're synchronizing the two baskets, select the cooking times for each, and it'll do the math for you. There's also virtually no heat leakage between the two trays, which is good news if you’re dealing with precise foods or don't want to waste energy when only using one basket.

The main down-side here is that the Double Stack is pricier than other dual-basket air fryers, so if you don't need to save on counter space you could get something as good for a lower price. But if you have a small kitchen, it could be well worth the extra investment.

Read our full Ninja Double Stack review

The best glass air fryer

The Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 Glass Countertop Air Fryer is all about flexibility. Its modular base works with two included glass containers, a 2.5-quart for snacks and a 6-quart for bigger meals, so you can cook for yourself or a crowd. The glass containers can be used for cooking, serving, and storing leftovers. Handles stay cool and lids make storing extras simple. Compared with the original Ninja Crispi, the Pro has larger containers and more cooking modes, making it better suited for families or entertaining.

We put all six cooking modes to the test. Max Crisp, Air Fry, Bake/Proof, Roast, Recrisp, and Dehydrate all delivered. Everything we tried came out tasty and well cooked, from crispy sweet potato wedges and roasted vegetables to homemade bagels and even marinated tofu. The interior light makes it easy to check on progress, and cleanup is simple thanks to dishwasher-safe glass and crisper trays.

It is on the larger side and takes up counter space, but the versatility makes it worth it. If you want one reliable cooking appliance that can handle everything from quick snacks to big dinners while keeping your food easy to serve and store, the Ninja Crispi Pro is worth your attention.

Read our full Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 Glass Countertop Air Fryer review

The best budget airfryer

This versatile twin-drawer air fryer has a list price of £199 (about $250 / AU$400), but you can find it online for half that price, making it incredible value. It's a great-looking appliance too, with a matt black finish and champagne-toned accents, though it's also relatively large so you'll need to measure your kitchen counter to make sure it'll fit comfortably.

It has several features you'd expect to find in much pricier models, such as synced timing so you can cook two different foods and have them finish at the same time. It doesn't have as many presets as some others, but those it does offer will cover all the essentials (including steal, fries, chicken, and pizza), and in our tests they performed very well. We also achieved good results for other dishes by paying close attention to the instructions in the manual, which helps take the guesswork out of preparing your favorite meals.

There are a few quirks, and we found that it wasn't ideal for baking, but the Russell Hobbs Satisfry punches well above its weight and you won't find a better air fryer for the price.

Read our full Russell Hobbs Satisfry Dual Basket Air Fryer review

The best air fryer/microwave combo

If you don't have room for both an air fryer and a microwave on your kitchen counter, this multifunctional cooker from Samsung combines them into a single appliance - and it works as a convection oven and a grill as well.

During our tests we found that the Samsung Combi took a bit longer than a standard air dryer to crisp our fries, but it was extremely versatile. There's a huge array of presets, but the intuitive controls make them easy to find and select, and the mobile app allows you to control it from afar. We were particularly impressed by its capabilities as a convection oven, and could see it replacing a freestanding oven in a small kitchen if you're particularly short of space, or need to make room for a dishwasher.

It's certainly not small, and it's pricier than most of the single-purpose air fryers in this guide, but it has a smart design that won't look out of place in a modern kitchen, and it can replace so many other appliances that it does represent good value.

Read our full Samsung Combi Smart Microwave Oven review

The best portable air fryer

Technically you could carry any air fryer around with you, and use it wherever there's an electrical outlet, but doing so would be extremely cumbersome and awkward. That's where the Ninja Crispi comes in. Rather than a drawer, your food is held in resealable glass containers that you can carry around and store in the fridge like regular Tupperware. When you want to cook, just remove the regular lid and attach the Crispi PowerPod, which contains the heating element and fan, and switch it on.

It's an interesting design, and during our tests we were impressed by how well it handled everyday dishes like fries, which turned out perfectly golden on the outside and fluffy inside whether they were fresh or frozen.

Baking in the Crispi proved less successful, but since this is mostly an air fryer designed for heating and crisping, that shouldn't be too much of an issue in everyday use.

Cleanup is refreshingly simple because you don't need to clean the PowerPod – only the glass containers and lids, which are dishwasher-safe or can be washed by hand. We also tried using paper air fryer liners, which made things even easier.

Read our full Ninja Crispi review

The best air fryer for small households

It's hard to believe the Series 6 is Bosch's first air fryer – it performs so well and so consistently – and it's an excellent choice for couples and those living with one or two housemates.

During testing, one of the first things that struck us about the Series 6 Air Fryer is how compact it is considering its 7-liter capacity. If you want lots of cooking space but don't have room on your kitchen counter for a full-size dual-drawer fryer, this is definitely an option to consider.

This fryer has a relatively small number of presets (just eight) but they all worked very well during our cooking tests, and we were impressed by the instructions in the cooking guide, which generally kept guesswork to a minimum. Fries (both frozen and home-made), chicken, and meat-and-veg skewers were all done to perfection. We prepared the skewers using the Series 6's grill accessory, which is good, but can be a little tricky to remove after cooking.

We did, however, appreciate that so many of this air fryer's components are dishwasher-safe, so we didn't have to spend time at the sink after dinner.

Read our full Bosch Series 6 Air Fryer review

The best extra large capacity air fryer

This extra-large air fryer has enough cooking capacity to feed a family, delivers consistently good results for a wide range of foods, and is very reasonably priced too. If you're looking for a fryer that can cater for a crowd, it comes highly recommended. It's not available in the US, though. If you're outside the UK, the closest model is the Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer.

According to our reviewer Vic Hood, "when the 1000 Series works well, it's excellent: chicken is succulent with just enough crispiness on the skin, muffins are soft inside without being dry, and chips (homemade and frozen) are golden and fluffy inside."

The biggest downside for us is the instructions. You'll have to go online to get the full manual, and even then, the food and cooking time tables provided aren't as detailed as we'd like. However, the app is packed with great recipe ideas, and the fryer's presets work well.

Read our full Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket Air Fryer review

The best air fryer and grill combo

This is the best multi-functional air fryer we've tested this year, and its roast, grill, bake, and dehydrate modes blew us away during testing.

It's a particularly great choice if you enjoy meat thanks to its built-in heat probe, which helps ensure your dishes are properly heated all the way through, but still moist and juicy. Our chicken and beef were cooked to perfection, as were our burgers.

We rarely achieve great results when baking with an air fryer, but the Ninja 5-in-1 is the exception. We made perfect herb flatbreads and blueberry muffins, which were evenly cooked and (in the case of the muffins) perfectly risen, just as if we'd made them using a conventional oven.

Only the air frying mode let us down slightly, producing somewhat inconsistent results until we got used to its idiosyncrasies. If you're looking for an air fryer to replace your oven though, this would be a solid choice. It's big enough to feed a family of four, and super versatile (though the grill takes a little more scrubbing than most air fryer accessories).

Want to save on a Ninja air fryer? Check out our Ninja discounts for the latest deals on high-performance cooking essentials.

Read our full Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer review

The best air fryer oven

If you're torn between buying an air fryer or a countertop oven, the Ninja French Door Air Fryer saves you having to choose. With 10 cooking modes and a spacious oven-style interior, it comfortably handles everything from morning toast to homemade pizzas, roast chicken and reheating leftovers.

It didn't take long to realise just how quick this appliance is. The Ninja French Door Air Fryer preheated in around 90 seconds and repeatedly cooked food quicker than we expected, whether we were crisping frozen fries, roasting chicken or reheating leftovers. In fact, it often finishes before the timings on food packaging, so it's worth checking on your meal a little earlier than you normally would.

The oven-style design also gives it an edge over a traditional basket air fryer. The roomy interior easily fits a full-size pizza or a whole chicken, while the adjustable rack offers more flexibility depending on what you're cooking. We also grew to appreciate the French doors more than expected. They open with one hand, and the glass panels and interior light make it easy to check on your food without interrupting the cooking process.

It's a sizeable appliance that requires plenty of permanent counter space, and it won't suit every budget. But if you're looking for one appliance that can air fry, bake, roast, toast and reheat with consistently excellent results, the Ninja French Door Air Fryer is one of the best air fryer ovens we've tested.

Read our full Ninja French Door Air Fryer and Countertop Oven

We also tested

We've tested 45+ different air fryers here at TechRadar. Here are some of the ones we've tried that didn't quite make our shortlist:

If I see the words 'sticky sauce' on any menu, chances are I’m ordering whatever food it comes with. Even more so when I’m eating in a Chinese restaurant where the sticky sauces are full of sweet, salty and spicy Asian flavours.

However, in all my years testing the best air fryers I’ve tried (and failed, many times) to replicate the sticky, crispy chicken from my local takeout. That was until I discovered this air fryer sesame chicken recipe while scrolling TikTok.

The sauce uses quite a lot of ingredients, in small amounts, so it can seem expensive if you don’t already have them in your pantry. It also makes a bit of a mess of your air fryer basket.

On the plus side though, once you’ve bought all the bottles and spices you can make this recipe dozens of times before they run out – which I have done. You can also put parchment paper in the basket to avoid the mess, or even add the chicken to the sauce and heat in a separate pan.

I made mine in a Ninja Foodi Max Air Fryer. When it came to adding the sauce, I removed the chicken pieces from the basket and placed them directly inside the fryer to stop the sauce falling through. If you have a similar design, this is worth bearing in mind.

Ingredients

Chicken

• 300g chicken breast or thigh pieces
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 beaten egg
• 100g panko breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes

Sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tsp rice wine (or rice vinegar)
• ½ tsp Chinese five spice
• 3 tbsp sriracha
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

To serve (optional)

• Sesame seeds
• Sliced spring onions
• Chopped red chilli

Equipment

• Air fryer – I used the Ninja Foodi Max
• Cooking spray
• Three bowls for the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs

Method

This recipe is from @boredoflunch – a home cook who has sold multiple cookbooks and whose video version of this sticky air fryer chicken recipe has been watched 4.7 million times.

1. Prepare your chicken

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Coat each piece first in flour, then dip into the beaten egg, and finally into the panko breadcrumbs (or cornflakes) until fully coated.

2. Air fry until golden

Arrange the coated chicken pieces in your air fryer basket, in a single layer, and lightly spray with cooking oil.

Set your air fryer at 200 C / 400 F for 14 minutes, shaking or turning the pieces halfway so they cook evenly on all sides. I like to spray the underside of the chicken, once they’ve been turned over so one side isn’t drier than the other but you don’t need to do this.

3. Make the sticky sauce

While the chicken cooks, mix all of the sauce ingredients together – sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, sweet chilli sauce, rice wine, Chinese five spice, sriracha, garlic, and ginger – in a bowl until combined.

4. Coat and serve

Once the chicken is cooked, pour the sauce over the top while it’s still inside the air fryer basket. Give the basket a toss until every piece is coated and cook for another 2-3 minutes at 200 C / 400 F.

Serve with rice, and top with sesame seeds, spring onions, and sliced chilli for an extra hit of Asian flavours.

I say it to anyone willing to listen: an air fryer is a game-changer in the kitchen. I would hate to be without my Ninja air fryer, which is why I love spotting great deals on them for others. As if on cue, you can now buy the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer at Amazon for £199 (was £269.99), which brings it extremely close to the same price I saw in last year’s Black Friday deals.

Sure, it's been £10 cheaper, but this is still a fantastic price for a well-rated, premium air fryer. You get a large 10.4L drawer, which can be divided into two baskets, and there are seven different cooking functions to try out. It’s going to change your life. Seriously. No more dried-out chicken, and your veggies will all be cooked perfectly as well. I hardly ever use my traditional cooker now that I have an air fryer.

Today’s best Ninja air fryer deal

Ninja is the biggest name in the best air fryer world, both in terms of quality and actual size. Our Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer review awarded it a strong 4.5-star rating while also acknowledging that it’s “really, really big”. However, that means you can cook a ton of food at once in an appliance that's “super easy to use” and provides “great results”.

Sure, it’s enormous, but it's worth it when you can get amazing crispy fries thanks to the Max Crisp setting. There are also air fry, roast, bake, reheat, prove and dehydrate settings, meaning there’s very little reason to use your regular cooker while this lives in your home. There’s also a sync and match function, so the two drawers can work well alongside each other, taking all the effort out of cooking while providing delicious results.

There are other air fryer deals around, but none will offer the extensive functionality that this Ninja delight provides. While you’re thinking of ways to make your life easier, I’d recommend the other life-changing gadget – a robot vacuum. There are some good robot vacuum deals available today.

Pickles are one of those foods that you either love them or hate them. You’re either the one picking them out of your burger, or the one collecting the extras and I’m firmly in the second camp. So when I came across this air fryer fried pickle recipe, I knew I had to give them a go.

I’ve been testing the best air fryers for years and I’ve never thought to make fried pickles. Despite having coated and fried just about any and all meats and vegetables I can think of. They’re incredibly versatile and you can coat them in all sorts of spices and different types of crumbs. I like dipping mine in sriracha mayonnaise but they’re also perfect with burger sauce.

They’re great for sharing with friends or on your own and they come together in about 15 minutes. I made mine in a Ninja Foodi Max Air Fryer but whichever model you’re using the method stays the same – simple, consistent, and maybe even enough to convert any pickle-skeptic friends.

Ingredients

I haven’t included exact measurements below as I recommend you make these pickles according to your own tastes. I’m not great with spice, for example, so I use less chilli but more garlic. It also depends on how many pickles you’re frying, so feel free to experiment.

• Pickle slices
• Flour
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• Onion powder
• Chili powder
• Salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (or crushed cornflakes)

Equipment

• Air fryer – I used the Ninja Foodi Max
• Cooking spray

Method

This recipe is inspired by @quotetheraven2 whose video version of these air fryer fried pickles has been watched more than 3 million times.

1. Prepare your air fryer and pickles

Preheat your air fryer to 380 F / 190 C. While it heats up, slice your pickles into thick rounds or spears and pat them dry with paper towels. This step helps the coating stick and keeps the pickles from turning soggy. You can use jar pickles – and that’s my preferred type – but just make sure you dry them a little longer.

2. Set up your coatings

In one bowl, mix the flour, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, chili powder, and salt. In a second bowl, beat the eggs. Add the panko breadcrumbs to a third bowl. This three-step setup gives you a light but crispy coating for your pickles.

3. Bread the pickles

Working a few at a time – to avoid creating an eggy/floury paste – coat each pickle slice in the seasoned flour, then dip it into the beaten eggs, and finally roll it in the panko breadcrumbs. Press gently to help the crumbs stick to the pickles (the finer the crumbs, the better), then put each picking in your air fryer.

4. Air fry until golden

Lightly spray the pickles with cooking spray. Air fry for eight minutes, then flip each pickle over, spray again, and cook for another four minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Avoid overcrowding the basket and try not to open the lid too many times to get a good, golden crunch.

5. Serve immediately

Carefully remove the fried pickles from the basket and let them cool for a minute or two. Serve hot with ranch, spicy mayo – my favorite is sriracha mayo – or your go-to dip like burger sauce or even houmous.

As soon as the nights start drawing in, I immediately go in search of comforting, indulgent recipes to help me cope with the colder, darker months.

In my years testing the best air fryers, I’ve uncovered some absolute gems like these pumpkin cheesecake enchiladas but mine and my sons’ current go-to sweet treat are these air fryer s’mores.

They taste like they’ve come straight from a campfire, minus the smoke and the mess, and they take just 10 minutes from start to finish. Being in the UK, I swapped the traditional Graham crackers for digestives. They’re thicker but they give the s’mores a buttery sweetness and a hint of caramel that works really well.

They’re everything I love about the original but made with a touch more refinement and zero outdoor effort making them great for an easy weekend dessert, a movie night, or even a late-night sugar fix.

I made these in a Ninja Foodi Max air fryer, but whether you’re using a compact model or a larger basket, this recipe is forgiving and quick – an ideal starting point if you’re curious about air fryer baking or just craving something comforting.

Ingredients

• Graham crackers / digestive biscuits – two per s’more
• Large marshmallows – one per s’more
• Chocolate – one per s’more

Equipment

• Air fryer – I used the Ninja Foodi Max
• Parchment paper
• Spatula or tongs

Method

This recipe is inspired by @femalefoodie, whose video version of these air fryer s’mores has been viewed more than 1.1 million times and counting.

Due to not being able to readily buy Graham crackers in the UK, I substituted for digestive biscuits but any sweet cracker or biscuit will work. Similarly, in my family the bigger the marshmallows the better, but they can be hard to work with. Finally, choose any chocolate you like. I like using sea salt or orange-flavored chocolate but my boys love regular milk chocolate.

1. Heat your air fryer

Set your air fryer to 400 F / 200 C. Put four biscuits into the basket. You don’t need to put them on parchment paper but it does make the s’mores easier to remove when they’re hot.

2. Melt the chocolate

Top each biscuit with a square of chocolate. Air fry for 1-2 minutes just until the chocolate starts to soften and melt. Watch closely to make sure the chocolate doesn’t burn.

3. Toast the marshmallows

Place one marshmallow on top of each melted chocolate biscuit and cook for another 2–3 minutes, or until the marshmallows are golden brown and puffy.

4. Assemble and serve

Remove the s’mores carefully from the air fryer. Top each with another digestive biscuit, press gently to sandwich together and serve immediately while warm and gooey.

Tip: If you like them slightly less messy and soft, chill the s’mores for a minute or two before eating. The chocolate will firm slightly, giving a balance of crunch and melt.

• Ninja has released an extra-large version of the glass Ninja Crispi air fryer
• The Ninja Crispi Pro has six cooking modes and a maximum capacity of 6qt
• It's available to buy now in the US for $279.99 (about £210 / AU$430)

The Ninja Crispi is one of the best air fryers we've tested this year at TechRadar, and now an XL version is available for cooking even larger meals. The Ninja Crispi Pro has the same basic design as the original portable Crispi, but a much larger capacity

The original Crispi is Ninja's smallest air fryer, and is compact enough to cook your lunch at the office, at an Airbnb, or anywhere you have access to an electrical outlet. The Crispi Pro takes that design and scales it up. So you can keep it on your kitchen counter and use it to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the whole family (not just crisp up the tasty leftovers).

Like the classic Crispi, the Crispi Pro consists of a set of glass containers with resealable lids, which you can use to store or marinate your food before cooking, and to serve it once it's ready. Whereas the original Crispi has a lid containing the fan and heating element (known as the PowerPod), the Crispi Pro also has a base that sits on your work surface. When it's time to fry, simply slide the glass dish into place and use the digital controls on the front to pick a program.

Frying without strings

The Ninja Crispi Pro has six cooking modes (two more than the original Crispi): air fry, bake, roast, dehydrate, max crisp, and re-crisp. It comes with two cooking containers – 2.5qt and 6qt – and an additional 4qt dish is available to buy separately if you need something in between.

It's available to buy now direct from Ninja for $279.99 (about £210 / AU$430), and comes in four colors: cyberspace (dark blue), ash gray, bone, and rose quartz. It's currently only available in the US, but I wouldn't be surprised if it launches in the UK before Christmas, so you might want to start thinking about your turkey and sprouts.

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Air fryers have come a long way in the past decade and today they’re sold in a vast range of sizes for a mix of budgets with a host of features beyond just frying.

What started out as a simple way to make fries with less oil has grown into one of the most versatile and popular countertop appliances you can buy. So much so, they’re used by economists when tracking inflation and sales jumped 140% last year even as other appliance sales struggled.

As someone who has been reviewing the best air fryers since they first rose to fame, I’ve cooked everything from fried chicken that rivals KFC to French Toast and even Krispy Kreme-style donuts in my air fryer. In that time, I’ve found some surprising foods you can make in the air fryer, as well as which foods to avoid, and I’ve made my fair share of air fryer mistakes. Plus, the bigger and more elaborate the models get, the more complicated and prone to errors they – and I – become.

With this in mind, here are some mistakes I wish I’d known when I first started.

Best air fryer deals

Read on to discover what we wish we’d known when we started air frying - or, if you’ve already decided you want to invest in this handy kitchen appliance, check out the best prices on the best air fryers we like right now:

1. Going by the book

Most air fryers come with a recipe booklet or app that offers inspiration about what to cook in an air fryer - but these don't always include frozen foods or more complex recipes.

This means you will need to experiment. When it comes to frozen foods, I’ve found hotter temperatures are better, as the food needs to thaw and brown at the same time - go too far the other way, though, and the food will burn, so keep an eye on your dish.

When recreating your favorite dishes in an air fryer instead of an oven, experiment with the same temperature you’d usually use. If you find your food is overdone then next time reduce the temperature by 9-18F / 5-10C, or increase it by the same amount if it doesn’t look browned enough (but is cooked through).

The same is true for a dish you’d deep fry such as donuts: set the air fryer to the temperature you’d heat the oil to. However, if it's a dish you’d usually cook on the stove, there are no hard and fast rules regarding temperature, so make sure to do some research and look for dedicated air fryer recipes for the dish you’re planning to cook.

During my year with an air fryer, I’ve found the appliance can speed up cooking by as much as 50%, providing it's a dish you’d usually prepare in an oven. However, Air fryers rarely speed up food prepared on the stove - instead, they ensure the browning and crispness is more consistent, and safer if it's a dish that’s usually deep-fried.

For food that takes around 20 to 25 minutes in an oven, reduce the cooking duration by around five to seven minutes, but be prepared to cook for a few additional minutes if it's not quite to your liking. If it’s usually cooked on the stove, set the air fryer for a similar cooking duration.

2. Not pre-heating

Some air fryers have an automatic preheat function, which activates as soon as you switch on the appliance, while others require a manual preheat. Whichever model you have, don’t even think about skipping this step.

Preheating sees the hot air circulate in the air fryer's cavity bringing it to the correct temperature. This means as soon as you add food to the frying basket or bowl, moisture on the surface will start evaporating immediately, which causes it to brown and crisp.

If you add food to a cold basket, this process will take longer and you’ll find it won’t be as crisp or appetizingly browned after the cooking duration you programmed in.

3. Not adjusting for the size or cut of ingredients

One of the easiest traps to fall into when using an air fryer is assuming that all versions of the same food will cook in the same way. Thin fries, chunky wedges, and potato halves all need different timings in an air fryer. The same goes for chicken: strips, drumsticks, and whole thighs won’t brown or cook through at the same rate. And even then, if you’re using the same food but you’ve cut the chips up in different sizes, or one chicken breast is much smaller than the other, the cooking times will vary.

If you don’t adjust the temperature and time accordingly, you’ll either end up with burnt outsides and raw middles, or food that never crisps.

Sadly, given just how many variations of food there are, and even the sheer number of air fryer models, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It comes down to trial and error, and this also harks back to the first mistake in this list: don’t take recipe times and temperatures as gospel.

That said, a good rule of thumb is the thicker the cut, the lower and slower you should cook it. Thinner pieces can handle hotter, shorter blasts. Splitting food into evenly sized portions before cooking makes it easier to get consistent results.

4. Overfilling the basket

All air fryers come with a maximum capacity the frying basket can hold, but over the past year I’ve learned that the closer you get to that figure, the less effective the air fryer is at evenly browning and crisping all of the food in the basket. This is because the hot air struggles to circulate around the food the fuller it is.

In my experience, an air fryer basket should be filled to no more than half its height to ensure food is evenly browned and fully cooked within the specified duration. For example, if you have a 6-quart / 5.7 liter air fryer, a 1lb / 454g batch of fries is the maximum amount you can cook to ensure optimum browning.

If you have a smaller capacity air fryer, or a model that has two frying baskets so you can cook different foods at the same time, such as the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone air fryer, then you will need to reduce the quantity.

We found in the smaller Instant Vortex Mini, which has a 2-quart / 2-liter capacity, the basket was comfortably able to hold a 0.7 lb / 300g batch of fries without affecting the crisping or browning.

Also when it comes to large items such as bread, cakes or even a whole chicken, the closer the food sits to the heating element in the top of the air fryer, the more likely they are to burn at the point closest to the top, so make sure they are a reasonable distance away from the element. And, of course, be aware of the foods to avoid putting in the air fryer.

5. Not cleaning after every use

It’s tempting to leave the air fryer basket for ‘later,’ but skipping a clean can come back to haunt you. Oil, crumbs, and grease quickly build up and the next time you cook, they can start smoking or burning and that smell can cling to your food, not to mention grease left near a heating element can even become a fire hazard.

Regular cleaning helps your air fryer perform better because clear vents and baskets let the hot air circulate more freely. Most baskets are non-stick and dishwasher safe, so it rarely takes more than a few minutes to wash them out. If you make cleaning part of your routine after every cook, you’ll extend the life of your fryer and keep your meals tasting fresh.

6. Using the wrong oil - or none at all

Yes, they're called air fryers, but technically speaking, frying by definition requires oil or fat in a pan. If you really want that fried feeling to your food, with crispy, golden, and flavorful coating, then you're going to need oil to make it happen.

Most manufacturers will recommend using a small amount with some recipes, but I've found some meals need a little more. You sacrifice some of the health benefits, so experimenting and finding a level that feels right for your needs is key.

It's important to note that you'll want an oil with a high smoke point, though, to avoid food that tastes burnt. We made this mistake when we ran out of sunflower oil and tried olive oil, which pretty much ruined our meal.

• Check out these great air fryer deals

Right now is the time to upgrade how you live your life for less thanks to Amazon’s October Prime Day sale, which has just under a day to run at the time of writing. My standout deal to consider is an air fryer that will genuinely change how you cook and ensure you never have to deal with dried-out chicken again.

Today, you can buy the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer at Amazon US for $159.99 (was $229.99). The same air fryer is at Amazon UK for £119 (was £218.99). It’s the same air fryer I use daily, and my word, has it improved my life.

In both countries, the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer has been slightly cheaper, with the US price going down to $149 in May and the UK price dipping to just £100 last Black Friday. However, we haven’t spotted a deal for a time machine yet, so if you missed out, today is your next best opportunity to buy one.

The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer has two drawers so you can cook two different types of food at once with a sync and match button, ensuring you don’t have to do much more than put the food in the drawer. I use mine every day with the air fry, max crisp, roast, bake, reheat, and dehydrate functions, all proving very useful.

Today’s best Ninja air fryer deal

Our five-star Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer review sums up everything I like about it and more. It “makes preparing food easy” with synced cooking times, ensuring it “takes the guesswork out of cooking”. It’s foolproof to use but ideal for both experienced chefs and those figuring things out for the first time.

Granted, it is bulky on your worktop, but it’s worth that space. Saucy food can also be an issue given the crisper, but you can buy containers specific to the size of your air fryer, and I’d recommend doing so to extend your options.

Either way, this air fryer is one of the best air fryers around, and it’s something I can’t imagine not having available to me each day. I rarely use my cooker, microwave, or other kitchen appliances now.

There are other air fryer deals around but few can compare to this one. While you’re figuring out ways to save yourself effort, how about taking a look at the robot vacuum deals happening today too?

If you already own an air fryer, chances are you’ve tried, and may have even exhausted cooking the basics like fries or chicken wings. You may have even ventured into breakfast and snack territory, but the beauty of the best air fryers is that they’re much more versatile than many people realise.

Beyond being a healthier way to cook, or helping you save money on energy bills, their compact and quick nature means air fryers suit a host of foods and meals. And while there’s no shortage of advice on air fryer mistakes and the foods to avoid cooking in an air fryer, we’ve spent years experimenting to uncover the most surprising foods that do work.

Below we round up nine of these surprising foods that produce great results. We’re sure there are plenty more – and the best way to find out if a new air fryer food type will work out or not is to give it a go.

9 air fryer foods to give a go

1. Pickles

If you’ve ever had fried pickles at a bar or diner, you’ll know how addictive they can be. The good news is you don’t need a deep fryer to make them. Your trusty air fryer can do the job!

Slice dill pickles into coins or spears, pat them dry with a paper towel, then coat them in seasoned flour or breadcrumbs. A quick spritz of oil helps the coating crisp up evenly and you only need to cook them for around eight minutes at 400 F / 200 C, flipping halfway. Take them out and you’ll have crunchy bites with a pickle zing all with far less grease than their deep-fried cousins. Serve with ranch, hot sauce, or a garlic mayo for dipping.

2. Ice cream balls

Yes, you can cook ice cream in an air fryer. And it’s delicious. Deep-fried ice cream is a popular dessert often served in South American restaurants. An ice cream ball is coated in a batter of sorts and deep-fried for less than a minute to create a warm, crisp shell while the ice cream remains intact on the inside.

We recreated this treat and found that Honey & Nut Corn Flakes (or Crunchy Nut Cornflakes in the UK) worked a treat to coat the ice cream. The ice cream balls not only tasted delicious, they're healthier – and the process of making them in an air fryer is safer than deep frying, too.

3. S'mores

If you want campfire vibes without sitting round an actual campfire, especially when the weather dips and the nights draw in, try these air fryer s’mores instead. Assemble your s’mores as usual – Graham crackers or digestives on the bottom, a square of chocolate, and a marshmallow on top – then pop them in your air fryer basket at 350 F / 175 C for 3-4 minutes, the marshmallow puffs up while the chocolate. Top with another cracker to complete the sandwich, and you’ve got a warm and comforting treat, no flames required.

The trick is not to overcrowd the basket because marshmallows expand as they cook, and don’t be tempted to cook them for too long, or increase the temperature. You need to find the sweet spot where the chocolate and marshmallows are gooey but still intact, rather than have them completely melt all over the basket.

For a twist, try peanut butter cups instead of chocolate. You can even flip the script completely and make a s’mores dipping sauce with crackers to scoop up the gooey, chocolatey, marshmallow goodness.

4. Grilled cheese

Also known as a cheese toastie, this air fryer food type may surprise you. The usual way to make a grilled cheese sandwich is on the stove, unless you have a specifically designed appliance for the job.

In the air fryer we found that you can make the sandwich as usual, but spreading a thin layer of butter on the outside of the bread and cooking the sandwich on the crisper plate of the air fryer drawer for six minutes on both sides delivers an delicious, crispy grilled cheese sandwich.

5. Cheese on toast

Don't fancy a sandwich? You can also make air fryer cheese on toast. Load on the cheese and / or use a variety of cheeses to deliver a super-tasty snack.

We worked an egg into the mix, which delivers results in a more oozy top, with the cheese nicely spread out and melted. Season with salt and / or pepper for a punchier flavor.

6. Creme Eggs

We mastered the viral air fryer Creme Egg recipe from last year, and although the initial attempts weren't straightforward, we cracked it (punn intended). The trick is to evenly cover the creme egg in a croissant dough and crank up the temperature of the air fryer.

We also tried air frying a caramel egg, which was less sickly-sweet than the creme egg – so that's worth a go, too.

7. Hard-boiled eggs

Surely you can't boil an egg in an air fryer? Yes, actually, you can! Get the timing and temperature right, and the air fryer will deliver perfect results every time. In addition, in the air fryer you're likely to be able to cook more eggs than you can fit in a typical saucepan, and there's minimal washing up, too. Note that the various cooking times for different-sized eggs in an air fryer aren't far off how long they'd take to cook in a pan, either. We found that air fryer eggs are effortless and taste great, and we're (fairly) confident that you will too.

8. Baked potatoes

The baked potato is a staple meal for many households and although not all air fryers have a "bake" preset, we can vouch that there is such a thing as a baked potato air fryer recipe that works. Depending on your air fryer, it won't necessarily save you money on your energy bills due to the time it takes to make an air fryer baked potato, but we can all but guarantee that you'll achieve a crispy skin and fluffy inside – so it will certainly be worth it.

9. Chickpeas

Arriving in a can, there's very little prep you need to do before cooking chickpeas in the air fryer, and then you'll have a delicious, crunchy, super-healthy snack. Simply rinse, drain, and season; they'll be ready to enjoy within just 15 minutes.

Air fryers are now so popular, their sales are even being used by economists when trying to work out inflation. Not only do they promise faster cooking, lighter results, and an easier way to make meals without drowning everything in oil, but they’re affordable and compact. The best air fryers today even blur the line between fryer, mini oven, being able to handle roasting, baking, reheating and more from your countertop.

Yet while there are plenty of foods, including a host of surprising foods you can cook in an air fryer, they’re far from magic. Push them too far and you’ll end up with uneven (and even raw or dangerous) cooking, disgusting textures, or smoky, messy disasters.

As an occasionally overzealous air fryer user myself, I’ve learned there are some things you shouldn’t do when using an air fryer. I’ve also learned that there are things you shouldn’t even be cooking in one – no matter how many “hacks” those so-called TikTok influencers post to convince us otherwise.

To save both your dinner and your appliance, here are five foods that don’t belong in your air fryer basket.

1. Frozen leftovers

Plenty of air fryers now come with a dedicated 'frozen' button, and they’re great for fries, nuggets, or breaded snacks straight from the freezer, working in the same way a regular oven would. But that doesn’t mean all frozen food belongs in the basket. Dense blocks such as leftover lasagna, casseroles, or family-sized pies can be a problem.

Unless you get the timings and temperatures just right, the hot air quickly browns and hardens the outside while the middle remains cold, leaving you with a burned crust and an undercooked, potentially dangerous core. Even with smaller frozen foods, you need to be careful.

Watch for excess ice crystals – they’ll create steam and make things soggy – and avoid overfilling the basket, since overcrowding stops hot air from circulating and defrosting/cooking the food evenly. If your fryer has a frozen setting, use it for thin, single-layer foods, and always shake or turn halfway through for even results. For anything large or dense, stick to your oven: it’ll save you from disappointment and potential food safety risks.

2. Pasta

Pasta is one of those ingredients that, like rice, just isn’t that well suited to the air fryer on its own. It needs water to cook properly, and dropping raw pasta straight into the basket will only give you brittle, half-cooked shards.

If you boil it in a pan first it fares a little better, but even then tossing it into the air fryer without sauce or some form of liquid usually leads to dried-out, crunchy edges. It is technically possible to boil it in water in the air fryer basket but it’s rarely quick, often hard to control and always dangerous moving a basket full of sloshing boiling water around.

That’s not to say pasta and the air fryer can never mix, you just need to be clever about it. Leftover mac and cheese in a ramekin, topped with breadcrumbs will work. As will a bolognese or other saucy pasta dish. But if your plan is to skip the pot of boiling water altogether, the air fryer won’t save you.

3. Whole roast chicken

Again, an air fryer uses hot air to cook things, and putting a whole chicken to roast in there means that there’s considerably less space for that air to properly circulate and cook things evenly. That’s even if you’ve got one of the bigger models.

More to that point, the part of the chicken that’s closest to the heat source will also likely end up cooking faster than the bottom, which means you’ll end up with a burned top and a bottom that still needs a bit more time to cook. Or worse, a soggy one! If you want the ability to cook roast chicken in an air fryer, you might want to invest in an air fryer oven like the Ninja DT201 Foodi 10-in-1 XL Pro or the Corsori Air Fryer Toaster Oven.

4. Burger

Ok, it’s one thing if you like your burgers well-done – although, also, why?! However, if you want perfectly cooked medium-rare burgers, which is how beef should be cooked and consumed so that it’s still beautifully juicy and flavorful, you might want to skip cooking burger patties in an air fryer.

Keeping a burger patty at medium-rare means that you’ll have to cook it for less time, which means that it might not be enough time for the outside to brown and have a bit of that charring. If you do cook it long enough for the outside to brown, that inside is going to be well-done and dry.

5. Popcorn

Popcorn kernels need between 400 and 460 degrees to pop, and most air fryers don’t get that high, unfortunately. But, if you happen to have one that does reach 400F, like mine does, you might also risk starting a fire.

Popcorn does what it’s supposed to do, which is to pop, which means some of them could accidentally get lodged within the heating element at the top, whether because a piece jumped high enough to get stuck there or there wasn’t enough space to accommodate all the popped kernels in the basket. That’s a potential fire hazard, especially if that piece is still lodged in there while you’re cooking another dish.

Of course there are plenty of tasty meals you can cook beautifully in an air fryer, so why not check out our guides to making french fries in an air fryer, french toast in an air fryer and even fudgy brownies in an air fryer. We can also help teach you the 9 things you need to know about your new air fryer and 6 common air fryer mistakes to avoid.

It's not even Prime Day yet, but I've just spotted a fantastic Amazon deal that will save you money on one of the best air fryers around at the moment. It's this Ninja Crispi Air Fryer for $159.94 (was $179.99).

This is a record-low price for one of the easiest air fryers to store or take with you on your travels. But, it's not just its portability that makes it a fan favorite; it's the fact that it's an all-in-one system. With 4-qt and 6-cup TempWare glass containers, you can cook everything from a large batch of chicken wings to a single serving.

There may be a chance to save a little more money if you wait until Prime Day, but we can't guarantee it'll be discounted again. Alternatively, if you'd prefer to secure a high-performing Ninja air fryer for a great price, then now is the time to act.

Today's best Ninja air fryer deal

If you're looking for air-fried treats on the go, then it has to be the Ninja Crispi Air Fryer. With its innovative design, all you have to do is attach the Crispi Powerpod to the top of one of the two glass containers, and you're good to go.

Check out our Ninja Crispi Air Fryer review for a full lowdown, but if you're short on time, you'll be pleased to know that we rated it four out of five stars and stated that it offers "flexibility as well as portability". Not only is it easy to cook, serve, and store food, but it's also portable enough to take with you around to a friend's house, on a camping trip, or to any type of event.

The four cooking modes include Max Crisp, Bake, Air Fry, and Recrisp, which allow you to use it for multiple purposes. The glass containers also have attachments that protect surfaces as you cook.

Our extensive and comprehensive guide to the best air fryers is a fantastic place to start if you're looking to make the investment. If you love air fryers, then you might also be interested in the latest smart home gadgets.

If you've been thinking about buying one of the best air fryers but are concerned you don't have enough space, let me introduce you to the Ninja Double Stack XL Air Fryer, which is now on sale at Amazon for $209.99 (was $249.99).

With a stacked design, you get the high capacity of a large air fryer but in a much smaller footprint. That means you can cook large family meals without needing to buy an appliance that dominates your kitchen and countertop space.

The Double Stack XL Air Fryer might have briefly dropped below $200 a little while back, but this is the next best price we've seen. Considering this is an air fryer that isn't discounted very often, now is a great time to buy.

Today's best Ninja air fryer deal

Our Ninja Double Stack XL Air Fryer review provides an in-depth look into one of Ninja's biggest yet slimmest air fryers. Our expert reviewer described it as the air fryer of their dreams, which is high praise indeed. Better still, we even gave it the top position in our list of the best air fryers.

Offering the “same fantastic performance as other Ninja air fryers”, you get “top-tier performance” and the ability to cook “perfectly crisp chicken wings and fluffy fries”. I'm starting to salivate just writing that out!

Air fryers are known for simplifying home life. If you love the idea of that, you should also check out the latest robot vacuum deals available at the moment. You might also like to know about the latest Dyson vacuum sales too.