Above: CHOICE Kitchen Expert Fiona Mair put popular air fryers through a range of tests.
Air fryers are one of the biggest kitchen crazes of recent years, with a tribe of passionate fans on message boards and social media.
Others say air fryers are an unnecessary appliance that takes up valuable bench space without offering anything that the humble oven can't already cover.
That debate is about to heat up again with CHOICE revealing the worst-performing air fryers in tests and the release of dual basket (twin) air fryers starting to appear in stores and online.
CHOICE's team of kitchen appliance experts have tested a wide range of popular models and dubbed the popular Kmart Anko Twin Air Fryer the worst performer, with its low price tag matched by low performance in kitchen tests.
"Many people are surprised to hear that the Kmart Anko Twin Air Fryer was the worst performer of the popular models we tested, receiving an overall score of only 58%," said CHOICE Kitchen Expert, Fiona Mair.
"It is a reminder that people should do their research before buying. Despite a few positives, the Kmart Twin Air Fryer left our testers feeling as soggy as a plate of undercooked frozen french fries."
Ms Mair also said that people should be aware of the pros and cons before purchasing an air fryer as it might not be the right appliance for everyone.
"The reasons so many people have fallen in love with their air fryers usually come back to speed and convenience. They cook small quantities of food faster than a traditional oven and are great for frozen food and reheating. Most people also love the fact food comes out crispy."
"The biggest downsides are the amount of bench space an air fryer takes up and the limited amount of food you can cook at one time. Newer models have two separate cooking baskets, which helps with one side of this but increases the bench space required even more."
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"The other big misconception about air fryers is that they actually fry food. The name is a little misleading as they are really just a small and powerful fan-forced oven on your benchtop."
More from CHOICE on air fryers:
Interviews and demonstrations: CHOICE Kitchen Experts are available to discuss their findings, the best tips and tricks and demonstrate models and cooking tips and tricks.
Images available here: https://sites.google.com/choice.com.au/media-airfryers
Media contact: 0430 172 669, media@choice.com.au
