Air fryers are becoming a kitchen must-have after they emerged they are more energy efficient and less costly to run than ovens.
The devices — countertop machines that cook by rapidly circulating hot air — mimic the effect of deep-fried food with far fewer calories and a fraction of the fat.
Latest machines reduce fat by as much as 80 percent with the effect that calories are almost halved.
Better still research by energy firm Utilita found that ditching an electric cooker in favor of options such as air fryers and slow cookers could help families save money during the cost of living crisis.
Although the gadgets have been around for years, they’ve soared in popularity in the past 12 months. In their annual consumer report published last year, John Lewis revealed that sales of air fryers have increased by 400 percent.
Check these airfryer users manuals.
Today, This Morning expert Georgina Burnett reviewed five of the most popular air fryers on the market, from the popular Ninja option, priced at a costly £199,99 to a much cheaper option by Vortex costing £75.
Georgina Burnett talked Phil and Holly through the best-value air fryers on the market, from the popular Ninja option, priced at a costly £199,99 to a much cheaper option by Vortex costing £75
Vortex 4 in-1 Instant Pot, £75
Georgina’s cheapest recommendation was Vortex’s Instant 4-in-1 air fryer, which costs £75, and can be used for frying, baking, roasting, and reheating.
Georgina’s cheapest recommendation was Vortex’s Instant 4 in 1 air fryer, which costs £75.
She said the gadget can be used for frying, baking, roasting, and reheating.
She said the thing she particularly liked about this particular fryer was ‘how [the food] comes out,’ saying ‘it feels very fresh.’
She added that the fryer, which can be used to bake cakes and pastries, roast meats and veggies, and reheat leftovers, cooked from fresh or frozen.
The fryer has space for 540g of chips or 900g of chicken and can cook 3 to 4 portions in one go, which makes it a good investment for families.
Ninja Foodie Max Health Grill & Air Fryer, £199.99
The costliest recommendation was the popular Ninja foodie max health grill and air fryer, which costs £199,99.
Georgina said that this option is popular with foodies because it looks sleek.
However, she added that, because it measures 42cm, ‘you’re going to need a big kitchen for this one.’
The fryer includes six cooking functions, including air frying, baking, roasting, reheating, dehydrating food, and grilling.
The Ninja air fryer is praised for its big capacity, as its grill can hold six burgers or six chicken breasts at the same time.
It also enjoys dual comportment for cooking two foods at once, which allows foodies to save on cooking time.
Lakeland Digital Compact Air Fryer, £79.99
Another good option, according to This Morning, was the Lakeland digital compact air fryer, which costs £79,99.
The show stressed that this small fryer is more compact than others and is ideal for smaller kitchens or small households.
In spite of its small size, the fryer can cook up to 450g of chips and is suitable for sweet potato fries, wedges, scampi, or chicken legs.
Its digital LED touchscreen and control panel makes it particularly easy to use.
In spite of its small capacity, This Morning was able to bake a cake in a tin in the fryer.
Tower T17038 Xpress 5-in-1 Air Fryer Oven, £110
At £110, the Tower T17038 Xpress was the third cheapest fryer in This Morning’s selection. It can cook chicken in just 40 minutes.
Costing £90 less than the Ninja fryer, the Tower option enjoys a 5-in-1 function, with a 360-degree rotating system, to ensure the ingredients are cooked evenly.
Georgina revealed the fryer can cook a 1kg chicken in just 40 minutes.
Packed with extra power, the fryer can also cook 30 percent faster than a traditional oven.
It was also popular for its 11ltr capacity, which made it great for people with large families or who ‘like to entertain,’ Georgina said.
She added that the Tower appliance can fry 700g of fries in one go.
Tefal Actifry Genius, £150
Georgina said that one of the most popular air fryers on the market is Tefal’s Actifry Genius, which costs £150.
The big plus of this air fryer, Georgina said, is its self-moving panel, which means that it stirs the food automatically, and without a need for a human head to interfere.
However, due to its compact design, the expert warned it is harder to use this particular fryer to roast chicken.
However, she said the appliance is big enough to cook four portions of food at once, and also has two compartments that allow cooking two foods at the same time.
‘You’re not getting as much space in there,’ she said.
She also added that in spite of its smaller size, the Tefal fryer is one of the noisiest of her selection.
Air fryers have been touted as a good way to cut on energy costs this winter, as they use a fraction of the energy of a conventional oven — just 14p a day to run, compared to 87p.
This is because the fryer uses a spiral heating element with a powerful fan, which means that it cooks food faster than a regular oven, and requires less electricity to do so.
Data from energy firm Utilita and supermarket Iceland and published by the Daily Mail reveals a standard electric oven costs 87p a day (£317.55 a year) to run, based on average daily usage. However, an air fryer will set you back 14p a day, or £51.10 a year.
This means that if you already own an air fryer, you can save £266.45 a year.
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