While the design is pretty comparable to most, features is where the Air Fryer excels. Like other Ninja small appliances it comes with clearly named buttons for functions – air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate – with up and down buttons for changing the temperature (up to 210˚C, except for dehydrating where the max is 90˚C) and time (maximum one hour for air frying and reheating, four hours for roasting and 12 hours for dehydrating). There’s also a clear display showing the time and temperature selected, which can be altered mid-way through cooking if a setting proves too hot for example. 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.

The best Ninja air fryer to buy in 2023 1. Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer: Best dual-drawer Ninja air fryer Looking beyond air fryers, Ninja also has a range of appliances which incorporate air frying alongside a host of other cooking abilities. While not every Ninja multi cooker will have all of these settings, the full range includes: pressure cooking, slow cooking, grilling, roasting, sauteing, baking, dehydrating, dough proving, steaming and range of combination settings which pair steaming with other cooking modes to help achieve the perfect balance of crispness and moistness. For the price of the AF100UK you can get larger capacity air fryers from other brands, so it is a tad on the expensive side unless you take advantage of Ninja Kitchen discount codes to get a better deal. But having said that, if you’re not looking for a larger capacity model, this is a great air fryer and it doesn’t take up too much space on your worktop. About this review, and the reviewer Ninja air fryers typically have an operating range of between 40˚C and 210˚C. The lower temperatures are used for dehydrating on certain models, while the higher ones are reserved for classic air frying, roasting and baking. Models with the brand’s Max Crisp setting can even exceed the standard air frying temperature range, hitting highs of 240˚C.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. The Dual Zone’s Max Crisp function is also worth shouting about, as it cooks thinner frozen foods such as chips, onions rings, and nuggets in a fraction of the time it would take a standard convection oven. During testing, one portion of frozen potato lattices came out perfectly crisp and golden in just six minutes, compared to the recommended 15-minute oven cooking time stated on the bag. This air fryer can also bake, roast, dehydrate, and reheat, making it a versatile tabletop multi cooker. Alongside air frying, all Ninja air fryers come with settings for roasting, dehydrating and reheating. There are also cooking presets for different items and dishes and removable, dishwasher-safe pots and accessories as standard. What other functions do Ninja cooking appliances offer?

The 360-degree stirring paddle is incredibly handy and ensures food is evenly and consistently cooked without the need for shaking your food mid-cooking cycle. Nine automatic cooking functions take most of the guesswork out of air frying but there’s still an option to manually set the time and temperature if need be. What’s more, if you’re using these presets, the Genius+ (and every other Genius model in the range) automatically adjusts the temperature and stirring paddle during cooking so your food isn’t overcooked. 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. Good models will come with dishwasher-safe removable parts and a pull-out loading tray that slots into the machine. For easy cooking from the get-go, look out for models with preset functions for popular dishes too. These work out the timings and temperatures for you. Most also come with a recipe booklet for culinary inspiration, which is ideal if you’re new to air frying. Despite being a budget-friendly option, the T17023 was no slouch in testing, cooking oven classics such as spring rolls and hash browns to a commendable crispness and performing solidly when tasked with more delicate items like meat and vegetables.

Whip up healthy snacks as well as whole meals with our pick of the best Ninja air fryers and multi cookers

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.

While simply adding a second basket onto a standard air fryer adds a lot of versatility and functionality, Ninja takes things a step further thanks to some clever settings. When cooking two portions at different temperatures or times, the Dual Zone’s handy sync setting ensures both will finish cooking at the same time, while its match setting allows you to mirror the set-up of the baskets, making it simple to cook up two batches of the same food.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. Key specs – Power: 1,500W; Capacity: 1.2kg; Display: Digital touchscreen; Accessories: Measuring spoon

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.Inside, a removable ceramic-coated crisper plate elevates food so excess fat can drip away as it fries. By using this method, Ninja estimates that the Air Fryer can cook chips using up to 75% less fat than traditional frying methods for deep-fried, hand-cut French fries. However, we found that to get the best results you’re going to have to up the oil on the fries from the recipe booklet’s bare minimum of half a tablespoon to at least double that. If you want to know more about Ninja air fryers, or air fryers in general, our handy buying guide below will take you through some key points. We’ve also put together a short at a glance list below, which takes you straight to each of our favourites. In our testing, the FlexDrawer proved to be just as efficient as the Dual Zone and we found the addition of the removable divider incredibly useful. Foods cooked faster and more evenly than in both our oven and some other models of air fryer. It’s an excellent all rounder for large capacity cooking. 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?