MOST people hadn’t even heard of them a year ago, but now it seems no kitchen is complete without an air fryer.
In fact, John Lewis recently named a Ninja model as one of its products of the decade, after scrutinising buying habits for the past 10 years.
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However, while sleek and easy to use, with four cooking functions, a digital countdown timer and a 3.8L capacity, the Ninja AF100UK isn’t cheap.
It comes with a hefty price tag of £149.99 – though it does receive more than 1,000 five star reviews on the John Lewis website.
So, do you need to pay that much to get your chips delicious and crispy?
Having previously cooked every meal for a week in an air fryer, I tested out the new best affordable air fryers on the market ahead of Christmas, most of which are under £50…
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Tower Vortx 3.8 Litre Air Fryer, £49.99
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When I took this air fryer out of the box, I immediately loved the Midnight Blue colour.
It looked seriously stylish on my kitchen counter top – though it might not go with everyone’s decor.
This kitchen gadget made my chips taste just as good as it looked, with them coming out delicious and crispy in only 20 minutes!
Unlike some of the other air fryers, I was missing the digital screen, however I was a fan of the fact the lid informs you of how long to put different foods in, and at what temperature.
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Rating: 4/5
George Home Matte White Scandi 4L Manual Air Fryer, £49, ASDA
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ASDA‘s air fryer was hands down my favourite of all that I tried!
It would look gorgeous on any kitchen counter-top in a neutral white and wooden effect.
It worked great, leaving my food tasty and crispy, and, amazingly, it actually has more space in it than the Ninja air fryer – but for a third of the price.
What’s not to love?
Rating: 5/5 – winner
Salter Air Fryer with 30 Minute Timer & 7 Presets, 3.2L – £39.99
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Salter has a wide range of higher-end air fryers, but this is its lowest priced.
It works perfectly, and, thanks to the gadget’s handy instructions on the lid, my chips came out tasting great after 20 minutes.
But this is quite a lot smaller than some of the others in the same price range.
You’d probably need to do a few rounds of cooking for a family of four.
Rating: 2/5
Dunelm 4L Manual Air Fryer – £30
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I can’t get over how cheap Dunelm’s air fryer is – and it’s bigger than the Ninja, at 4L capacity!
For £30 you can’t really go wrong, and it really does work just as well as all the others I tried.
The only downside is that it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing.
It also takes up a heck of a lot of room on the kitchen counter, so you may need to have storage space for this when it’s not in use.
Rating: 4/5
Power XL Vortex HF-5096TS 2.8L Air Fryer £49.99, Amazon
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This air fryer is the most hi-tech but the smallest of all I tried.
It has a digital display, and it was super easy to cook my food thanks to its eight pre-set functions.
It’s also not just an air fryer. It can bake, roast, dehydrate and reheat food – all in one appliance.
It worked extremely well, but it’s definitely one for a single person rather than a family.
Rating: 3/5
Instant 3.8L Air Fryer, £40, Argos
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The quality of my chips in the Instant air fryer was excellent, and I also made delicious chicken wings in it, too.
However it was quite a lot bulkier than some of the other appliances I tried, and not the nicest to look at.
I wouldn’t want it out on my kitchen counter all the time.
Rating: 3/5
Tefal Easy Fry Classic 4.2L – £88.24, Amazon
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Tefal’s air fryer was the biggest, at 4.2 litres, which is enough to feed five to six people, but it’s quite a bit more expensive than the others.
It was available for £49.99 at Currys, and £59.99 at John Lewis, but it’s now sold out at both, and the cheapest you can get it for is £88.24 on Amazon.
Like all the others, my chips took around 20 minutes to make, and came out deliciously crispy, but it’s got a function that none of the others have.
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This air fryer comes with a health grill as well, which gives meat the sear you’d get from a barbecue. Plus, you don’t have to wait for the sun to come out!
Rating: 4/5
