Over a third of households in the UK now own an air fryer – that’s no surprise given they’ve been flying off the shelves over the last four years.
But if you’ve not yet bought one and you’re wondering whether to take advantage of one of the many air fryer Black Friday deals or Ninja Black Friday deals available right now, you might be asking: are these popular, potentially energy-saving gadgets still worth the hype?
Lots of people have been drawn in by their compact size and versatility versus a standard oven, but some features make them less suitable for certain households.
Here, we’ve run through the key pros and cons of air fryers, to help you decide whether they’re worth adding to your Black Friday or Christmas wish list.
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Are air fryers worth it?
- Air fryers circulate hot air to cook food more quickly
- With a range of presets on offer, most air fryers can cook a variety of dishes
- Air fryer ovens and dual-drawer models have a large footprint and can be difficult to store
- They can be cheaper to run than a standard oven, depending on your energy provider
- Air fryers have a limited capacity, so might be less convenient for large meals
- Many models have in-built fans, which can be noisy
- Air fryers require less oil, so can create healthier meals than deep-fat fryers
What are the benefits of getting an air fryer?
Air fryers are convenient
One of the main perks of owning an air fryer is the convenience they offer. Like any kitchen gadget, you want something that’s going to make life simpler, and there’s no doubt that frying and baking conventionally can be messy and even dangerous.
Think of air fryers as mini ovens that can tackle almost anything you’d put in a conventional oven or deep-fat fryer. And because they’re typically more compact than traditional ovens, they also heat up and circulate hot air more efficiently around food – resulting in meals cooked faster.
“When using an air fryer, I tend to opt for simpler recipes that take longer and use more energy when cooked differently – for example, jacket potatoes,” says Samuel Goldsmith, senior food editor for Good Food.
“Energy savings will depend on what tariff you are on and also what you’re cooking, but most things cook more quickly and air fryers tend to be more energy-efficient than convection ovens.”
Air fryers are versatile
In the five years we’ve been testing air fryers, we’ve seen these gadgets become more versatile than ever – they’re not just made for cooking chips anymore.
Air fryers aren’t just for cooking chips anymore – in the five years we’ve been testing them, we’ve seen these gadgets evolve massively in terms of what they’re capable of.
Photograph: Natalie Bass / Good Food
You can bake, roast, dehydrate and grill in almost all of the models we’ve reviewed, but some like the Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 air fryer are also designed for sauce-based dishes like curries and pasta bakes. Others, like the Bosch Series 6 air fryer even have a setting for warming small pastries.
When shopping for air fryers, it’s a good idea to look closely at the settings, features and capacity of each model to ensure it meets your needs. For a smaller household of one or two people, a single-drawer basket-style air fryer might be ideal, while dual-drawer options may be better suited to larger households.
If you’re worried about an air fryer taking up valuable room on your countertop, there are even ‘stacked’ designs now that offer the capacity of a dual-drawer model but with a smaller footprint. The Ninja Double Stack XL SL400UK Air Fryer is the one you might recognise, but there’s also the Cosori TurboTower Pro Smart air fryer.
Air fryers require less oil
It’s no secret that air fryers use less oil than deep-fat fryers, which means they can be a healthier way to cook ‘fried’ favourites like chips, chicken thighs and doughnuts.
Other popular air fryer recipes include air fryer crispy chilli beef, air fryer buffalo cauliflower wings and air fryer pasta chips.
That said, air-fried foods are still classed as fried food, so you should try to enjoy them as part of a balanced diet. Read more about the health credentials of air fryers in our guide – is air frying healthy?
Air fryers can be energy efficient
Not only does an air fryer save you precious counter space, they’re often cheaper to run than ovens, particularly if you’re only heating up food for one or two people.
They vary in their energy efficiency but you can work out how much energy your appliance is using, to get a better idea of how much money you can potentially save. To calculate this, multiply the wattage of your air fryer by the number of hours it’s used each day, and divide the total by 1,000. This will give you its daily kilowatt-hour (kWh).
The cost-per-kilowatt-hour will vary depending on where you live and what your energy tariff is, but if you have a smart metre installed, you should be able to see the cost-per-use during cooking will be visible without doing any calculations.
Is Black Friday a good time to buy an air fryer?
Black Friday is undoubtedly the best time to save on a top-rated air fryer, particularly with air fryer brands like Ninja, Sage, Our Place and Tefal – as well as retailers such as Amazon, John Lewis & Partners, Lakeland and JD Williams.
To find out which products are on offer, visit our air fryer Black Friday deals and Ninja Black Friday deals pages. We’ve been price-tracking air fryers throughout the whole year, so we know which savings are actually genuine.
Our recommendations for air fryers to buy in 2025
If you’ve not yet bought an air fryer, discover our top picks in our best air fryers guide, which is filled with options to suit a variety of needs and budgets.
The Good Food team has been testing air fryers for over five years, and we’re continuing to review the newest models to bring you the most up-to-date recommendations – so you know which air fryers are worth spending your money on. Here are a few of our favourites:
Ninja Double Stack XL SL400UK Air Fryer
Available from Ninja (£188), Amazon (£188), John Lewis & Partners (£188), Currys (£188), AO (£188), Robert Dyas (£229.99), Very (£229), JD Williams (£229.99)
Star rating: 5/5
If you want maximum capacity without sacrificing precious space on your worktop, the Ninja DoubleStack XL air fryer is a standout choice. Unlike most dual-drawer models, it has a clever vertical design, stacking one drawer above the other rather than side by side.
Each 4.75L drawer also includes a stainless-steel rack, so you can cook two layers of food simultaneously. In test we were particularly impressed by the ‘Max Crisp’ setting, which produced perfectly crisp chips that were golden on the outside, fluffy on the inside.
The only drawbacks are its height, which might be suitable for kitchens with lower cupboards – otherwise it’s an ideal pick for families or batch cooking.
Wattage: 2470W
Size: 38.5 x 28 x 47 cm (H, W, D)
Capacity: 9.5L
Presets: Max crisp, air fry, roast, reheat, dehydrate, bake
Warranty: 2 years
Cost to run for 10 minutes: 4.1p (based on 22.36p/kWh)
Available from:
Cosori TurboBlaze Air Fryer
Available from Amazon (£94.98)
Star rating: 5/5
Stylish and practical, this 6L air fryer has a high-speed motor and advanced air-duct system that allows it run up to 46% faster than other Cosori models.
The bright touchscreen display is intuitive, and the nine preset functions – including air fry, roast, grill, prove and reheat – are easy to navigate, too.
We found it ran relatively quietly during use, though its glossy finish does attract fingerprints. Overall, though, it’s a well-designed, efficient air fryer that’s perfect for those who want speed and convenience.
Wattage: 1725W
Size: 30.1 x 30 x 40cm (H, W, D)
Capacity: 6L
Presets: Air fry, roast, grill, frozen, reheat, preheat, dry, bake, proof, warm
Warranty: 2 years
Cost to run for 10 minutes: 4.2p (based on 27p/kWh)
Available from:
Our Place Wonder Oven
Available from Our Place (£155), Selfridges (£155), Harrods (£169)
Star rating: 4.5/5
Available in a range of attractive colours, this gadget from Our Place is easily one of the best looking air fryers we’ve tested. Offering a generous 12L capacity, it has six settings – air fry, bake, grill, roast, toast and reheat – and comes with handy accessories like a wire rack, non-stick baking tray and air fryer basket.
We thought it ran a little more slowly than other models we’ve tested, and annoyingly the timer can’t be adjusted once set. On the plus side, the cooking results were impressive and our air-fried chicken breast had excellent barbecue-like charring.
Available from:
The verdict: are air fryers worth it?
Air fryers have become a game-changing gadget for many households, and when used appropriately, they can transform how we prepare and cook meals at home. The key is to do your research before you buy – think about your individual requirements, like functions, size, speed, and price, and perhaps mostly importantly, what you like to cook.
Capacity is also a big factor. For instance, if you’re switching your oven on to cook one or two smaller items, like chips or chicken wings, you should find an air fryer is more efficient in comparison. But, for larger portions that exceed the capacity of your air fryer, you might want to think about using a different appliance instead.
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Lead image: Getty Images / Milan Jovic
If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
