Your questions about air fryers answered
What is the best air fryer?
After testing a wide range of models, the is best air fryer I’ve tried. Not only is it powerful at cooking, but the modular design that allows you to change the bowl sizes and store leftovers in the fridge and freezer makes a huge difference.
If you’re on a budget or just cooking for one, I also highly rate the Russell Hobbs satisfry medium air fryer that cooks evenly, has simple controls and is easy to clean.
If you need two drawers though, you can’t go wrong with the Philips 4000 series stacked dual basket air fryer. As well as boasting excellent air frying, it has plenty of cooking space and it takes up hardly any room.
How I tested air fryers
I tested each air fryer at home in a regular kitchen to see how well it performed with a range of meals from fries to pizza, a whole chicken and more. Here’s what I looked out for.
- Cooking performance: I looked at how well each model air fried, and whether the food was crispy and evenly cooked. Where available, I also assessed other cooking functions.
- Ease of use: I assessed how easy it was to use, from putting the food in the basket through to how intuitive the controls were to operate.
- Design and capacity: I considered how well made the air fryers were, how durable they felt and how much food each one cooked.
- Cleaning and maintenance: I paid attention to how easy parts were to remove and clean, and whether they were suitable for use in the dishwasher.
How to clean an air fryer
Air fryers can get mucky quickly but it’s essential to keep them clean. Not only will it make your food taste better, but it’ll help to extend the life of your appliance. While most air fryers say that the drawers are dishwasher friendly, it’s usually best to wash them by hand if they have non-stick coatings.
Always unplug and let your air fryer cool completely before starting the cleaning process, then:
- Take a damp cloth and wipe around the inside of the air fryer to make sure any grease that’s splashed out has been removed.
- If you see any residue baked on to the element, then use a soft brush (like an old toothbrush) to gently dislodge it.
- For the drawers, most of the time you can get away with washing them in warm, soapy water. But if you have any stubborn, set-on food or cooked with a sauce, soak the drawer for 10-15 minutes in hot, soapy water and then use a soft cloth or sponge to clean it.
- Make sure you fully dry the drawers before placing them back in your machine to prevent mould.
What can you cook in an air fryer?
Maybe the shorter answer will be what can’t you cook in an air fryer? Foods that do best in the air fryer are those that benefit from high heat, so as well as chips and chicken nuggets, you can cook vegetables, chicken, tofu wonderfully, too. Depending on your air fryer settings, you can also whip up cakes, bread and muffins. You can even cook a full roast dinner in your air fryer with a little planning ahead.
However it’s best to avoid anything with wet batter. If you’re trying to create traditional fish and chips, for example, you’ll need to fry that battered fish in oil. But aside from that, there’s not much else, with air fryers being surprisingly capable all-round appliances.
Are air fryers healthy?
Compared with traditional deep fat frying, air fryers are significantly healthier. When you cook with an air fryer, you’re using a fraction (if any) of the oil that you’d use for regular fried food, so that means less fat and fewer calories in the finished dish. For anyone wanting to reduce their oil intake or lower their calories, without giving up the crispy texture of fried food, air fryers offer a great choice.
Clare Andrews, author of The Ultimate Air Fryer Cook Book says: “Air fryers can be a really healthy way to cook, as they use little to no oil while still giving you that crisp, satisfying texture people love. It’s less about the appliance itself and more about what you put in it, but for things like vegetables, lean proteins, and homemade versions of your favourites, they’re a great way to cook in a lighter, balanced way without sacrificing on the flavour.”
That said, it is worth keeping some perspective – basket of chips is still a basket of chips, whether you deep fry or air fry them. However, where air fryers really come into their own is how they cook the food – you can have crispy chicken skin without added fat, and vegetables roast really well without a mass of olive oil. If you’re already eating balanced healthy meals, then an air fryer is just a good way to keep things light.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Rachael Penn is a journalist specialising in home appliances. She’s tried and tested everything from the best toasters to the best slow cookers, so is an expert in finding the kitchen gadgets that actually perform. Rachael hasn’t just done extensive research on the best air fryers, but she’s used them in the same way you would, cooking a range of food in them, to decide which ones truly deserve a spot on your kitchen counter.
Additionally, the wider IndyBest team is across the latest air fryer trends from releases like the Ninja Crispi model, to reviews of the best dual air fryers.
Read more: The best Ninja air fryers, tried and tested for all budgets
