THERE is one obsession that has taken over the world of cooking – the air fryer.
Known for being a cheap and healthy way to cook meals it’s no surprise top kitchen brands have got in on the action and brought out their own models.
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But with prices ranging from £55 up to £500 plus, it’s difficult to know if paying more actually gets you better value.
TV presenter Denise Van Outen, a recent air fryer convert, attempts to answer that question in a new Channel 4 documentary, Air Fryers: Are They Worth It? which airs tonight.
She meets ‘air fryer influencer’ Nathan Anthony, known as Bored of Lunch, who reveals surprising meals you can prepare in the gadget.
And with the help of expert kitchen appliance testers, she puts three different models to the test to see if it’s worth splashing out on a top end air fryer.
She heads to the Good Housekeeping Institute to put them through their paces, with the help of reviewer Hannah Mendelsohn and senior tester Blossom Boothroyd.
They conducted two tests for each air fryer – a £55 Amazon Basics model, a Salter Dual air fryer (£120) and the Russell Hobbs SatisFry Digital Air Fryer and Multicooker, the most expensive of the three at £150.
The first test was to cook a batch of chips, and the second to bake three cupcakes.
Both tests follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking time, length and temperature.
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Air fryers work by forcing hot air to move quickly all around the confined space to cook the food from all angles – rather than just underneath, like in a conventional oven.
This also means that the food becomes crispy without the need for large amounts of oil.
Explaining the tests, Hannah says: “When we test chips, we’re looking for how they cook; so are they greasy? Are they not? Do they have that nice colour that you look for, and do they crisp up nicely?
“We also want to know how quickly they’ll cook because part of the reason air fryers are so great is because they’re speedy.
“The second test is the fairy cake test. When we test these we’re looking for that golden colour that you get in the oven, and also how well they rise, because this tells us how the air is moving within the air fryer and if it’s doing its job properly.”
The tests
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First up is the Amazon Basics, which retails for around £55 and has a 4 litre capacity.
It passes the first test with flying colours – the chips come out consistently golden and snap nicely.
The cupcakes are also a consistent golden colour – but there is one flaw.
“You can see that the cupcakes have a bit of movement which means that the air isn’t circulating as well as it might, but that aside, it still cooked pretty well,” Hannah says.
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Second to undergo the testing is a Salter Dual air fryer, which sells for around £120 and can hold up to 7.4 litres.
But it’s a disappointing result, with the chips coming out burnt and the cupcakes brown, not golden, after being cooked following the manufacturers’ guidance.
Hannah points out that a few minutes less in the air fryer and the food might have been perfect.
That said, its double baskets are a useful feature for people feeding a family or larger household.
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The high end air fryer, the Russell Hobbs SatisFry Digital Air Fryer and Multicooker, is last to be tested.
Retailing at around £150 it is the most expensive option, but it does double as a slow cooker.
It takes the crown for its cupcakes, which are nice and rounded as well as golden.
At the end of the test Denise concludes: “I’m really impressed with the Amazon Basics one which does the job without bells and whistles.
“But if you want the all singing, all dancing model, then it might be worth just spending that little bit extra.”
Half the time
It’s not just chips and fairy cakes that the air fryers are good at cooking.
One family in the programme makes an entire roast dinner in their large appliance – taking just 45 minutes.
It consists of a whole roast chicken, roast potatoes, carrots and boiled peas.
Another family cooks the same meal in the oven but it takes an hour and a half.
Cheapest appliance
While air fryers are often touted as the cheapest way to cook your dinner, it isn’t strictly true.
Microwaves actually cost the least to run, according to Utillita Energy’s ‘cost to cook’ research.
It found that for the average household, a microwave costs just £21.20 to run a year, compared to £37.24 for an air fryer.
A slow cooker is next to £42.20, followed by an electric oven which costs £223.54 annually.
Air Fryers: Are They Worth It? airs on Channel 4 at 8pm on Friday 23 June.
