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The best air fryers have quickly become a necessity in the kitchen rather than an additional appliance, making sure dinner is served pronto for the whole family. They need a lot less oil when frying food items than the traditional cooktop method, so you know you're eating healthier, and the food tastes just a delicious.
Air fryers are also quicker than conventional ovens, and are thus a more energy-efficient appliances, saving you money on your power bills in the long run. Now that's a double whammy!
April update: There's a new product for the best big-basket air fryer, offering the flexibility of having both a single large drawer or dividing it up into two as needed.
The best air fryers in Australia – tried and tested
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The best air fryer overall
It would be fair to say that the larger the air fryer (and subsequently the more generous the cooking capacity) the more counter space you'll need to sacrifice. If you know you'll want lots of space to cook but you don't have the space, this Ninja model cleverly avoids that issue by stacking its baskets one on top of the other, rather than side-by-side. Each drawer holds 5qts / 4.75L, and you can create even more cooking space by slotting in one of the provided trays to split up each basket. 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 synchronising 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 can be pricier than other dual-basket air fryers – although it usually receives big discounts during major sales events. 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.
Note that there are a few versions of the DoubleStack, in a range of sizes. The XXXL 9.5L model is the one referenced here (available in black or white), but you can also get an XXL with 7.6L of total cooking space.
Read our full Ninja Double Stack review
The best budget air fryer
This versatile twin-drawer air fryer can often be picked up for under AU$200, making it incredible value. It's a great-looking appliance too, with a matte 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 that are commonplace in pricier models, including synced timing so you can cook two different foods and have them finish at the same time. It doesn't have as many preset cooking methods as some other machines, but considering the price this should be expected. Plus, the presets it does offer will cover all the essentials (including 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 favourite 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 multi-function air fryer
If you only have the desire for one device for all your baking, roasting and frying needs then the Ninja Foodi 8-in-1 6L Multi Cooker is hard to look past. It comes with an air crisp basket that more than keeps up with the competition here and its 210ºC Air Crisp top temperature is higher than many alternatives – and can be good for chips and other starchy foods. Because the 8-in-1 Multi Cooker uses a pot as its base, it’s also easier than most to clean and delivers a particularly uniform heat.
Perfect for anyone who likes to explore in the kitchen as it comes with everything you need to do, from air frying to pressure cooking. It even works exceptionally well as an oven for side dishes like potatoes for when you don’t want to heat up your main household oven.
The Ninja Foodi 8-in-1 doesn’t have quite as many dedicated recipes as some other air fryers, but it does come with a handy pamphlet that tells you how long to cook each meat or vegetable for, making it easy to adapt traditional recipes as you go.
Read our full Ninja Foodi 8-in-1 6L Multi Cooker review
The best portable air fryer
While it is technically possible to take any air fryer you wish with you on the move, and use it wherever there's an electrical outlet, it would admittedly be quite cumbersome and awkward. That's where the Ninja Crispi comes in.
It ditches the common drawer design used by virtually all other air fryers and instead relies on resealable glass containers to hold your food. These containers have regular lids like other food storage containers, meaning you can pop them in the fridge. 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 and unique 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 no matter if they were fresh or frozen.
The baking function proved less successful, but considering the Crispi 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 large-basket air fryer
There are a few flexi-drawer air fryers available in Australia, with models from Ninja, Instant and Philips competing for your attention. With newer technology than either of its competitors, the Philips 1000 Series wins out here.
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."
What's convenient about the flexible drawers is that you can use this appliance as one large basket or divide it into two of varying sizes as per your needs. The only issue there is that when washing the large basket, it could get rather awkward of your sink isn't big enough to accommodate it.
Another issue we're not happy with is something all of Philips' air fryers suffer from — the lack of a paper user manual in the box. You 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 HomeID 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 with steam
How many air fryers can you think of that harness the power of steam to not only add a whole new way of cooking, but to help make clean-up that little bit easier? Not many, is the answer we expect you'll say: enter the Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket XXL Steam.
As the name suggests, steam is the star of the show here, and it does a great job to help meat and cakes retain moisture, while also providing the ability to steam vegetables and dumplings. It's not the only cooking method, of course, as it functions like many other air fryers with a huge range of cooking modes. They all work well, too, as our reviewer noted "pretty much everything I cooked in the Philips Series 5000 XXL turned out to be really good".
But, while steam power is a nice feature to have, it only works in the larger of the two drawers, which is a little bit of a setback in our opinion. We also found that the steam cleaning function wasn't flawless, and we still had to manually scrub it to remove all debris anyway.
But, as a comprehensive cooking machine with a good amount of space – 9 litres in total – and features such as synchronised cooking, along with the fact it cooks food incredibly well, the Philips Series 5000 Dual Basket XXL Steam is a fantastic air fryer.
Read our full Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket XXL review
The best for first-time users
Generally you're going to be drawn to an air fryer because of a particular dish or the fact that it makes 'fried' food a little healthier and easier to make. For many, the big draw is an air fryer's ability to cook French fries, so it's fitting that the Air Fryer Chef Plus has two specific presets for cooking up to 2kg of fresh or frozen fries in one go.
It's also got presets for the other dishes you're likely to return to frequently, including dedicated chicken, fish, vegetable and snack settings. If that doesn't include what you're after, there are customisable manual settings and more targeted grill, bake, roast, dehydrate and reheat settings that'll allow you to easily get the right settings for what you're trying to do.
There's no app connectivity here, but there are audible and on-screen alerts for everything you really need. The basket isn't attached to the air fryer like with some more advanced offerings, but it does come with a silicone mat so you can put the basket down without damaging the benchtop.
Don't forget, you can use our exclusive BREVFUTURE10 coupon code to save 10% when you spend AU$200 or more at Breville.
The best outdoor air fryer
The Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill is designed for cooking outdoors – but, surprisingly, it’s electric. So in addition to being a grill and smoker, it can also air fry, roast and bake. Its clever self-igniting woodfire smoke box uses convenient wood pellets to create smoky flavours just like cooking over a wood or charcoal fire.
On test our reviewer found that it was really easy to use. It also successfully created tasty, smoky flavours without a flame and with minimal mess. The bake and air fry functions worked as expected, and we (really) enjoyed baking a brownie in the garden.
Could it be your only air fryer? The 2.5-quart basket has room for about 1.5kg of fries and we found it produced crisp and fluffy chips, so we can't fault the cooking performance. However, the accessories are hand-wash only, so you can't just chuck them in the dishwasher when you're done. Not that you tend to have a dishwasher outdoors, but you know what we mean.
Read our full Ninja Woodfire review
How to choose the best air fryer for you
Preheat times are short when air frying and they also use less electricity than a traditional oven. For more on these benefits, take a look at our dive into the question: 'do air fryers use a lot of electricity?'.
Most modern air fryers consist of a pull-out drawer with a crisper tray inside, similar to the perforated trays found in a fryer or oven. This design allows any excess oil to be removed from the contents, decreasing the eventual fat content on the plate. The handle found on the drawer is also handy for shaking the food part-way through cooking, which encourages an even distribution of crispiness.
Some larger air fryers even have dual-zone modes that allow you to set specific settings for different foods you want to cook at the same time. For more tips and tricks on getting the most out of your appliance, take a look at our guide to how air fryers work.
There are many other benefits to enjoy when switching to one of the best air fryers, including the relative lack of clean-up when cooking traditionally oily foods like sausages. And even if you do end up making a mess, you can take a look at our article on how to clean an air fryer – which may involve just popping the relevant elements into the dishwasher when you're done.
Of course, despite all of these pros to getting an air fryer, sometimes they're not the right fit for every kitchen. If you're short on space, for example, you could consider an Instant Pot or alternative multi-cookers, which includes some models that mimic the effect of a standalone air fryer.
Frequently asked questions about air fryers
What to consider when buying an air fryer
There are a number of considerations that need taking into account when choosing the best air fryer for you.
Start by deciding which type of air fryer you want. Basket air fryers tend to be healthier because they funnel the juices, as well as the fat, away from the food but you can’t check on the food without opening them and letting cold air in, which can stall the cooking process.
Bowl air fryers, however, have glass lids so you can keep an eye on your meal, but the cooking juices remain in the air fryer and in contact with the food, making it tastier but not as healthy.
You’ll also need to check the capacity of the air fryer. If you’re feeding four or more mouths, look for larger air fryers, which can hold around 6 litres, while couples will find designs that have a capacity of around 2.5 litres will be sufficient. Some of the best air fryers also have more than one compartment, which means you can cook multiple foods at the same time.
As we’ve already mentioned, if you’re tight on space look for air fryers that offer a multitude of different cooking methods, to cut down on the number of appliances that clutter up your kitchen countertop. Also, consider whether you want an air fryer with smart features that means you can switch it on or off from your smartphone.
What type of air fryers are there?
There are a few designs of air fryer to consider. The size, functions and over all user experience will play in to the design you end up with.
Basket air fryers: This is the most popular type of air fryer. They have a slide-out basket or tray which slots in to the main unit, and tend to be available as a single or dual-drawer. When cooking food types such as fries, an uneven bake can sometimes be achieved if the food isn't rearranged or tossed around.
Oven-style air fryers: These are much larger than basket air fryers, but are much smaller than convectional ovens owing to their counter-top design; they're about the same size as a microwave. They have a door rather than a drawer, and use shelves rather than baskets. The air frying function is able to circulate air around the food more efficiently to achieve a more even crisp. Some may also include a rotisserie, and other accessories.
Halogen types: This works in a slightly different way than the two air fryer types above. Instead of circulating hot air it uses infrared to constantly heat the food. This means that they can be more versatile than the more traditional air fryer, with a larger capacity and more forgiving shape of cooking area.
Is air-fried food healthier?
There's no denying air fryers use substantially less oil than deep frying, but just how healthy are they? Some foods, most of which are frozen or have naturally occurring fat, like chicken wings, are suitable for air frying without any oil at all. Fries, roast potatoes, and other traditional crisp foods will need some oil, but how much varies between air fryers.
In our tests, manufacturers' instructions have recommended anywhere from 1tsp to 1tbsp of oil per 500g of fries, so if you want to use as little oil as possible – we'd suggest you check how oil is required before you purchase a specific model. It's also crucial to remember the healthiness of what you make in your air fryer, all depends on what you actually put in it, to begin with. To find out more, read how healthy are air fryers?
What can you cook in an air fryer?
Fries, roast potatoes, chicken wings, and other deep-fried favorites are obvious dishes to cook in an air fryer, but that's not all you can whip up in one of these handy kitchen gadgets. You can prepare anything you can cook in a traditional fan oven, space permitting, because they work in the same way.
So whether that's frozen foods, mini pizzas, or even gnocchi and ravioli – it can all be cooked in an air fryer. You can even make fudgy brownies in an air fryer, in less time than it takes in an oven.
In fact, we've spent more than 12 months attempting to cook some of our favourite dishes in this kitchen gadget. We found an air fryer can rival KFC when it comes to fried chicken, and was also the answer when it came to creating crisp, crunchy crackling on pork belly.
It also proved to be the best way to cook cinnamon rolls and Krispy-Kreme-style donuts.
As well as being used in place of an oven, air fryers can be an easier way to prepare dishes usually cooked on a stove, without having to watch them like a hawk and turn them before they burn. In particular, we discovered French Toast and grilled cheese work extremely well in the kitchen gadget.
If you're a fan of fries but unsure how to go about making them in an air fryer, then check out our advice, which even details an air fryer trick that's a game-changer when it comes to cooking fries.
If you're still unsure we've got plenty of inspiration when it comes to what you can cook in an air fryer?.
What can't be cooked in an air fryer
While there are plenty of foods that can be cooked in an air fryer, there are some things you should avoid putting in this cooking appliance. For example, we found 5 foods to avoid putting in an air fryer. These include foods dipped in batter, as the liquid will simply slide off the item and leave a mess in the frying basket.
Anything lightweight such as an individual slice of bread, or leafy greens, is likely to get blown around the cooking cavity, and unlikely to brown and crisp evenly. Similarly, large joints of meat, such as a whole chicken, will fill the air frying drawer and mean the hot air can't circulate, so it also won't be evenly crisped and browned.
Finally, anybody seeking to cook red meat so it's rare or medium-rare will struggle to do so in an air fryer. The cooking duration in this appliance is much quicker than when using traditional methods, which means it's likely to be ready before the outside has had time to brown.
How does an air fryer work?
Despite its name, an air fryer doesn't actually fry. Utilising a very cleverly designed fan oven, it efficiently uses airflow to cook in a way and at a speed that conventional ovens, even fan ones, cannot.
Some of the best air fryers are also multi-cookers, meaning that the air circulated doesn't just air fry. A single countertop device can make tasty fries but also work as a toaster oven, a dehydrator, a slow cooker and a pizza oven, as well as heat up last night's takeout leftovers and bake brilliant bagels too.
How we tested these air fryers
To compare each air fryer, we've cooked up batches and batches of fries and chicken wings. As well as evaluating how, crisp, evenly browned and in the case of chicken wings, how moist and juicy the meat was, we’ve also compared how easy they are to use.
We rated each design on how many settings it offers, how durable and easy to clean the body and parts are, how loud their fans are and how hot the exterior casing gets. For each model we wanted to know whether it was simple to use design and didn’t require reading a thick instruction manual before use, came with useful accessories such as frying baskets, or a recipe book for inspiration.
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