Our experts reviewed 44 air fryers and benchtop ovens from popular brands such as Philips, Kmart, Tefal, Breville, Sunbeam and DeLonghi
We tested cheaper models from $49 through to premium air fryers costing over $500 and more
We rate performance on key factors including how well they cook crumbed chicken, frozen chips and roast pork (among other foods), and how easy they are to use
It’s the appliance everyone’s (still) talking about, and whether you’ve jumped on the craze recently or you’re a fan from way back, there’s no doubt air fryers are still hot property.
They’re often praised for their convenience – they’re great for smaller households and for cooking simple dinners. They also cook some foods quicker than an oven, and take less time to preheat – a bonus if you don’t want your oven heating up the kitchen.
There are now even twin air fryers for those who want double drawers to cook different types of food at the same time, plus air fryers with fancy new functions, including steaming, dehydrating and grilling.
It’s worth considering how much you’re prepared to pay to buy into the fervour
But with prices ranging anywhere from $49 for a Kmart air fryer to $500 or more for a top-of-the-line model, it’s worth considering how much you’re prepared to pay to buy into the fervour.
Our expert testers have put 44 popular air fryers through their paces in our labs – and there are a few cheaper models costing less than $250 that get their tick of approval.
We’ll talk you through how to choose the best and what to avoid, and exclusively for CHOICE members, we’ll reveal the best large and small air fry buys on a budget.
If you want to find out which affordable air fryers top our tests, join CHOICE to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.
When buying an air fryer, CHOICE kitchen expert Fiona Mair advises taking special note of the internal capacity and bulkiness of the model.
“Air fryers can’t cook huge quantities of food at once, but they do come in different sizes, so choose a capacity that’s right for your household,” she says.
Air fryers can’t cook huge quantities of food at once, but they do come in different sizes, so choose a capacity that’s right for your household
Fiona Mair, CHOICE kitchen expert
“And they do take up quite a lot of bench space. It would be more useful if you could keep it out permanently rather than storing it away in a cupboard, so before buying, ensure it’s something that you’re going to use regularly.”
Do your research, whatever your budget
Our testing finds that models costing a few hundred dollars less than other brands still perform well.
So even if you’re spending at the lower end of the budget, it’s worth taking a look at our air fryer reviews to find the best and worst performers.
We conduct five cooking tests to assess each air fryer’s performance. We give each model a score based on how well they cook frozen crumbed chicken and frozen chips.
For those who want to use their fryer beyond frozen foods, we also score based on how well they cook roast pork and marinated chicken wings.
We also give each an ‘ease of use’ score, taking into account things such as how easy the controls are to use, how bulky the units are and how easy they are to clean.
We independently test and review dozens of new air fryers each year in our onsite labs, and our experts know exactly what to look for to help you find the best product.
Only CHOICE members can access our detailed air fryer testing data. If you’re not yet a member, join CHOICE to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews, from fridges and freezers, toasters and TVs, kettles and cots, and more.
Or log in to unlock this article to find out which air fryers under $250 we rate as the pick of the bunch.
Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.
She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.
Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.
Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Find Pru on LinkedIn.
Pru Engel is the Audience and Engagement editor at CHOICE. Her job is to ensure as many Australians as possible know about the great work we do at CHOICE.
She works closely with our testers and experts to find the gems of information in our data and research that will resonate with Australian consumers and help them make the best decisions, whether they're purchasing an air fryer, looking for a new mattress or trying to find the cheapest car insurance. She also helps to drive meaningful change for consumers by collaborating with our Campaigns team on content covering issues such as grocery pricing, product safety and scams.
Prior to CHOICE, Pru worked as an editor at many of Australia's leading food and lifestyle titles.
Pru has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Find Pru on LinkedIn.
For more than 60 years, CHOICE has been fighting the good fight for Australian consumers.
In the past year alone we've uncovered systemic issues with sunscreens, investigated shonky supermarket pricing, fought for stronger scam protections and helped make complex energy pricing fairer and clearer.
CHOICE is here to provide unbiased advice and independent testing in our world-class labs. We buy the products we test, just like you do, and our expert reviews are influence free. We’re here to help you choose smarter. Hopefully you’ll also save some money along the way.
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