Air fryer vs multi-cooker: Which one should you buy?

If you’re feeling the squeeze in the kitchen, an appliance that replaces multiple other machines might sound like the perfect way to free up space. 

While air fryers have just one job – air frying your food – multi-cookers have a whole host of features, allowing you to roast, grill, slow cook, saute, pressure cook, steam and cook rice. Sounds a bit like one of those TV infomercials, right?

But wait, there’s more: some multi-cookers now also have an air fryer mode!

That’s right – for the low, low price of $500 to $700, you get one machine that replaces up to 14 different kitchen appliances, including an air fryer. 

And if you buy one today you’ll also get a cupboard full of accessories, including a cook and crisp basket, steaming basket, grill tray, trivet, measuring cup, serving spoon, condensation cup and more!

But what if you don’t want something that complicated? A straightforward air fryer can cost much less (under $50 for a Kmart Anko cheapie) and may do exactly what you need it to – and nothing you don’t.

So is it worth paying the extra for a multifunctional marvel? Or are you better off just buying an affordable air fryer and sticking with your existing appliances?

We’ll tell you everything you need to know to decide if a multi-cooker (with air fryer mode) or a standalone air fryer is the right appliance for you.

What do multi-cookers and air fryers do?

Multi-cookers

Perhaps a better question would be: what doesn’t a multi-cooker do? 

Some boast as many as 14 functions, from air frying and baking through to more niche functions like yoghurt making and sous vide cooking. 

But do you really need that many functions? Or will you end up only switching on your whizz-bang new appliance when you need to air fry?

Depending on exactly what you want to do with it and how much you want to pay, you could opt for a model with fewer functions – after all, just how often do you think you’ll be making yoghurt from scratch or dehydrating your own jerky?

But the flipside is that a multifunction machine can replace multiple appliances, giving you your cupboard space back and streamlining your kitchen. 

“Multi-cookers can replace appliances such as a slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sous vide, air fryer, and oven for roasting meats and vegetables. Some can also grill and sear and can be used instead of a cooktop,” says CHOICE home economist Fiona Mair.

“The type of functions available will vary between models, so choose one that has functions that suit your style of cooking.”

Air fryers

Some air fryers now have multiple functions, too.

“We are starting to see air fryers with a steaming function which is perfect for steaming vegetables, chicken, fish, dumplings, and more,” says Fiona. 

Even without a steam function, air fryers aren’t just for cooking chips and nuggets: you can use them to make banana bread, soft-boiled eggs, pizza, roasted nuts and chickpeas, and more. 

Here are seven weird air fryer recipes that we trialled to see if they work.

Air fryers: Pros and cons

Pros:

• Quick to heat up so you can have dinner on the table faster
• Simple to use
• Good for smaller households
• Can be used as an alternative to an oven for very small kitchens, caravans, granny flats, etc
• No bulky accessories to store
• Smaller models take up less space than multi-cookers

Cons:

• May not have a large enough capacity for bigger households
• Can be tricky to clean
• Not set and forget: you need to regularly shake the food for maximum crispness
• Depending on the configuration, they may not fit as much food as you expect
• Larger models can take up a lot of bench space

“If you’re wanting to replace your oven with an air fryer or reduce the amount of cooking in the oven then I would recommend you invest in a larger air fryer, perhaps with dual drawers so you can cook different foods at the same time,” says Fiona.

“Air fryers that have shelves and look like little ovens are great for one-shelf cooking but are not the best for food that requires shaking unless it has a rotating basket. This type is harder to clean and can come with accessories that are annoying to clean and store.”

Multi-cookers: Pros and cons

Pros:

• Versatile
• Replace multiple appliances
• Larger capacity
• Can be left unattended in slow cook mode
• A good multi-cooker can do lots of tasks well
• Many models come with air fryer mode so can replace a standalone air fryer

Cons:

• Can be tricky to clean – especially the steam valve for the pressure cooker
• Lots of accessories to store
• Large footprint
• Heavy and bulky
• Steeper learning curve, especially when using pressure cooker mode

“A multi-cooker isn’t the nicest-looking bench appliance, so you may want to store it away when not in use,” says Fiona.

“However, if you think you’ll use the air fryer function often, then it might be easier to leave out on the bench – they’re not easy to haul in and out of the cupboard every time you want to use them.

“While you might like the idea of an appliance that can do everything, have a think about whether an all-in-one multi-cooker is the best option, or whether you’d be better off having a standalone air fryer that stays on the bench plus a multi-cooker that doesn’t air fry in the cupboard.

“There are pros and cons to both scenarios.”

Do multi-cookers with air fryer mode work as well as standalone air fryers?

Some product mash-ups have been wildly successful – think phones and cameras, and touchscreen laptops that double as tablets. Others are more questionable: ever heard of the Evian water bra? There’s a reason for that. 

And the jury is still out on the Dyson Zone Absolute+, which is an unusual combination of headphones and an air purifier. (Rumour has it that the company had to clarify that the product was not, in fact, an April Fool’s joke.)

So is combining air frying with yoghurt making a good idea, or will you just end up with an appliance that does both poorly?

Fortunately these multifunction machines are one of the good mash-ups. 

“We’ve found the results to be very good to excellent,” says Fiona. “They tend to perform just as well as any standalone appliance.”

And while they might cost more upfront than single-function appliances, it could actually save you, too. 

“When you consider the cost of these appliances separately, you could be paying a lot more,” says Fiona. “And you’d have to find room to store all the standalone appliances if you buy them separately.”

A tale of two appliances

Having an air fryer or a multi-cooker in your kitchen will make life easier – but what about having both?

“I have a Ninja multi-cooker with an air fryer function which does about a hundred things and also works great as an air fryer, but it is very heavy and bulky,” says Pru, CHOICE’s audience and engagement editor and busy parent of two.

“I don’t want to leave it on my benchtop but it’s annoying to get in and out of the cupboard.

“To me, the best aspect of an air fryer is having food that’s perfectly cooked and ready to go quickly, so I wanted a smaller air fryer I could just keep on the bench and pop things in while I’m cooking dinner for the kids.”

Pru uses her multi-cooker more often in winter for pressure cooking, slow cooking and as a rice cooker, so she says it doesn’t make sense to keep it on the bench year-round.

“I bought a smaller, lighter air fryer and it just lives on our bench. It’s much easier to move around and clean, and is great for chips and nuggets for the kids, fish fillets, drumsticks, crispy kale and cauliflower, and more.”

What to consider when buying a multi-cooker or air fryer

Just as every household is different, so is every home cook. Make sure you’re clear on what you want from a kitchen appliance before you start looking for something that does everything under the sun. 

Here’s what Fiona suggests you ask yourself before you buy.

1. How many people are you cooking for?

Air fryers can be great for singles and small households, but may not have the capacity for cooking for crowds. (And if you need to make big batches, you already have a large air fryer in your kitchen: your oven.) 

Multi-cookers hold a lot more, so if you’re a one- or two-person household, they might be overkill for air frying small quantities of food.

2. How do you like to cook? 

You can only cook one meal or one type of food at a time in a multi-cooker, so think about whether that suits how you tend to cook. 

For instance, if you’re using your multi-cooker to slow cook a meal for eight hours, you won’t be able to whip up a batch of chicken nuggets to feed the kids until it’s done.

It’s much the same for air fryers, though: you can only really cook one type of food at a time, unless you have a dual-drawer air fryer (like this Kmart twin air fryer) or one with a flexi zone that lets you cook using two different times and temperatures. But obviously an air fryer has far fewer functions than a multi-cooker.

3. How big is your kitchen? 

Multi-cookers are generally quite large, and their round shape can make them awkward to store. Plus, you’ll need somewhere to keep the accessories, some of which can be quite bulky. 

However, they can replace multiple appliances so you’ll need much less storage space than if you had a standalone slow cooker, air fryer, pressure cooker and so on.

Some air fryers do have large footprints, but if space is at a premium you can opt for a smaller size, or even a stacked two-drawer model like the Ninja DoubleStack XXXL.

4. Where will you put it? 

Multi-cookers can be large and heavy, so they’re not the kind of appliance you’ll want to haul in and out of the cupboard every time you want to cook. 

You can pick up an air fryer that’s lighter and smaller than a multi-cooker if you want something to use every day. But if batch-cooked meals are in high rotation in your household, you might decide that your multi-cooker more than earns the space on your benchtop.

“If you want an air fryer, it’s best to use it as a permanent bench fixture so you can access it easily for quick heating and cooking,” says Fiona.

“A twin basket with a steamer makes the air fryer more versatile, which is something to consider.”

5. What kind of foods do you want to cook? 

If you just want crispy food, then you only need an air fryer – and there’s not much point paying for all the extra functions in a multi-cooker if you’re not going to use them. 

But if you want to cook a variety of meals using a range of different cooking techniques, a multi-cooker is the way to go.

Air fryers and multi-cookers compared: Which is best for which task?

Here are the benefits of a multi-cooker over an air fryer:

• You can batch cook, which is a great way to save money and time
• They’re very versatile so you can use them for many different dishes and ways of cooking, while air fryers only do one thing
• Slow cooker mode means you can prep meals ahead of time and come home to an already-cooked dinner
• Buying multiple appliances in one is cheaper than buying each one separately – and you’ll only need to store one appliance rather than several

Here’s where air fryers have the edge over multi-cookers:

• They can be cheaper
• Since they only have one function, they’re easier to learn how to use
• Some have a smaller footprint than multi-cookers
• There are a range of sizes to suit different households – whereas multi-cookers are generally all quite large

Expert verdict: air fryer or multi-cooker?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer here: it depends on how you like to cook and what’s important to you in a kitchen appliance. 

“I think a multi-cooker can be a good option for someone who has limited bench space, or a small kitchen with very few appliances,” says Fiona. 

“If you don’t already have a slow cooker, pressure cooker, air fryer, and rice cooker but you’re interested in using these cooking methods, or if you want to consolidate a number of appliances into one, then I would definitely consider a multi-cooker with air fryer mode. 

“But if you just want crispy food, then you’ll only need a standalone air fryer.”

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Alice Richard

Alice Richard is a Content creator and marketer. Alice writes on a range of topics, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, always with the aim to help consumers find the best products to buy, and which to avoid. Alice can take vast amounts of data from CHOICE product tests and turn it into content that is easily digestible and fun for readers.  Alice has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland. LinkedIn

Alice Richard is a Content creator and marketer. Alice writes on a range of topics, from health insurance to heaters and BBQs to bargain-hunting, always with the aim to help consumers find the best products to buy, and which to avoid. Alice can take vast amounts of data from CHOICE product tests and turn it into content that is easily digestible and fun for readers.  Alice has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland. LinkedIn