Food is cooked with 99% less fat from using only one spoonful of oil, so you can enjoy classic fried meals completely guilt-free. Built for family cooking, this air fryer features an extra-large 7 litres cooking basket to serve up more of the food you love. Air fryers have become so popular in recent years because their size and clever designs mean they’re speedy, energy efficient and need very little to no oil to effectively crisp up food. This is in contrast to traditional ovens, which are larger and therefore require more time and energy to reach the same temperatures. The digital controls allow you to easily choose from 7 pre-set cooking functions, or adjust the 60-minute timer and temperature settings for perfectly-cooked results from the first use. If you’ve settled on buying an air fryer from Ninja but would like to take a more in-depth look at the range, be sure to take a look at our best Ninja air fryer roundup. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{

Air fryer technology is improving all the time. Older models might take a while to get going, and can require more oil than newer designs. Cheaper models may also require you to parboil chips, which might not be ideal if you’re looking for fast cooking times. If you want to learn a little more about how air fryers work, and what benefits they have compared to a standard oven, then have a read of our handy explainer here: What is an air fryer? How much should I spend? Ultimately, if you’re looking for a versatile air fryer that is decidedly mid-range in price, this is the best option we’ve come across. Other settings include modes for roasting, grilling, baking, reheating and dehydrating, with the Vortex Plus’s clever setup allowing you to use a different mode in each basket. In testing, we air-fried hash browns in one drawer while grilling bacon and sausages in the other, whipping up a tasty breakfast in no time. Alternatively, if you already have an idea of what you’re looking for, our at a glance list takes you straight through to buying some of our favourites.

What can you cook in an air fryer?

Most also come with a recipe booklet for culinary inspiration, which is ideal if you’re new to air frying. Key specs – Power: 1,500W; Capacity: 1.2kg; Display: Digital touchscreen; Accessories: Measuring spoon

The ability to use different modes in each basket – for example, grilling bacon in one drawer while air frying hash browns in the other – gives the Instant Vortex Plus a real edge for people seeking to make whole meals in their air fryer. The Vortex’s clever design is matched by its great performance and range of features. Its twin baskets benefit from Sync Cook and Sync Finish features: Finish will make sure your two baskets are done at the same time, even if they require different times or temperatures, while Cook mirrors the settings on your baskets, for when you’re cooking two portions of the same thing. Like its predecessor, the FlexDrawer comes with an array of thoughtful functions including its match and sync settings, the former of which allows you to match the time and temperature of both sides of the fryer without having to input all the information twice, while the latter syncs up both sizes of the fryer, so they finish at the same time, even when at different temperatures of cook times. You’ll also recognise all the classic settings for air frying, roasting, baking, reheating, proving and dehydrating, as well as the Max Crisp setting, which allows you to crank up the heat to a whopping 240ºC. Its compact dimensions will fit neatly into smaller kitchens or onto already crowded countertops, and the controls couldn’t be simpler: two physical dials allow you to set the cooking temperature between 80ºC and 200ºC and set a timer of up to 30 minutes. All that space isn’t just there so you can bulk fry chips, though. The extra-large capacity houses Tefal’s 2in1 function, which enables you to cook two different elements of your meal in one place. With a rotating stirring paddle on the bottom and a static upper tray on top, you can cook a curry and air fry samosas in the same machine, saving on time and washing up.

Are air fryers worth it?

Air fryers work by convection, meaning they circulate hot air around your food, ensuring every bit of surface area is exposed to the oil and heat. You simply need to spray or pour a little oil onto whatever you’re cooking before switching on the appliance – although you don’t always have to use oil if you don’t want to. Add just a dash, however, and a clever chemical process called the Maillard reaction creates a crispy result with far less fat – up to 99% in some cases. There’s no doubt that Tefal’s Genius range is expensive, but you really won’t find a line of air fryers that do the job better. The best models will have a number of basics you should look out for. These include weight and temperature settings, so you can adjust the heat and cook time to suit your ingredients. For a more in-depth explanation of how air fryers work and their benefits versus standard ovens, you can read our full-length What is an air fryer? explainer. Part of what helps air fryers achieve such great results is a chemical reaction known as the Maillard reaction. This is the process by which food takes on a “browned”, roasted flavour, and can be achieved using high heat and very little oil.