Air fryers have proven to be one of the most handy kitchen appliances on the market. Period. While they’re known for making healthy alternatives to your fried favourites, some models can also be used to roast, steam, grill and bake your food, so they’re a worthy investment.
And with the added convenience of being compact and typically faster than other cooking methods, it makes sense that our resident Food Expert Kim Coverdale called the air fryer a “must-have small kitchen appliance”.
“Air fryers are quicker to cook than your standard oven which means you can have juicy pork belly with the crispiest crackling in no time. From roast chicken, pasta bakes and pies to cakes, brownies and pavlova – basically anything you can cook in an oven can be cooked in an air fryer,” she said.
Our top picks? The Philips 5000 Series XXL Connected Air Fryer, which I tried and tested myself. The Ninja Foodi Air Grill and Instant Pot Duo tickled shoppers’’ tastebuds most, with both models coming out as the easiest air fryers to use out of the products we analysed. Another hot favourite is the Bellini 11L Air Fryer, which many Aussie consumers are calling “perfection” and great “value for money”.
Some other popular models on sale include29 per cent off the “brilliant” Tefal Easy Fry and Grill Air Fryer and$150 off the Ninja Air Fryer Max.
How we choose products
To help you find the best air fryer for your needs and budget, we asked former Food Director at taste.com.au and news.com.au checkout Food Expert Kim Coverdale for her expert advice and recommendations on what to look for when buying an air fryer.
We also tested two models (including the Philips 5000 Series XXL Connected Air Fryer) and used Find Our View, a tool that uses AI to analyse thousands of Amazon reviews. Created by a clever team from MIT in Boston, the database helps narrow down what makes customers happy (and unhappy) about their purchase, so you know exactly what you’re getting.
In addition, our shopping team read hundreds of customer reviews and looked at test results and ratings from product review sites to find the best air fryer from premium to budget to help you find the right one.
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In this article
BEST OVERALL AIR FRYER
Philips 5000 Series XXL Connected Air Fryer HD9285/90, $449, The Good Guys
Tried and Tested by Shopping Writer Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito
After having tried (and totally loved) its older sibling, the Philips Essential XL Connected smart air fryer, I was excited to check out what this newer version had to offer (spoiler: it did not disappoint). For me, the biggest improvement is the controls. They’re much more responsive and you can press each icon directly (rather than hit the menu button multiple times until you get to the chosen preset), making it equally simple to manually program the settings via the physical unit and app. The buttons also stand out much more, thanks to the bright clear white outline.
Performance wise, this air fryer is quick and quiet. Frozen foods are noticeably crispier compared to the XL and the filling is never dry. It definitely does a great job a heating food evenly, requiring minimal tossing and flipping.
Plus, the outside doesn’t get overly hot to touch and clean-up is a dream. I absolutely love this Philips air fryer and highly recommend checking it out. It’s basically replaced every other appliance in the kitchen. I find myself using the air fryer most days to make lunch and dinner, and have ditched the oven when making treats like cookies, shortbread and even cake.
It boasts 16 versatile cooking functions, including uncommon features such as ferment, stew, confit and one-pot cooking.
The appliance offers a fairly large capacity of 7.2L, and uses the brand’s Rapid Air Technology that moves heat in a starfish shape to ensure food is evenly heated.
You can also use the Philips Nutri U App to control the air fryer remotely straight from your smartphone, or even ask Amazon Alexa to get things cooking.
*Product was loaned for review.
BEST COMPACT AIR FRYER
Tefal Easy Fry Grill Deluxe Air Fryer GSA-EY5018, $189.99 (down from $269.95), House
What You Need To Know
This two-in-one air fryer and grill offers a healthier alternative to regular grilling, thanks to Tefal’s dual technology which uses a diecast aluminium grilling plate to cook your steaks to seared perfection.
It also has the traditional air fryer functions, including eight automatic cooking programs, a digital control panel and timer function., as well as a 4.2L capacity.
Five-star reviews of the two-in-one air fryer say it leaves food “crisp on the outside and tender and moist on the inside”.
“My life will never be the same again,” a happy shopper posted.
“This is brilliant. (I’m) enjoying the convenience of easy cooking and food tastes so good!!” another wrote.
BEST AIR FRYERS WITH EASY TO USE CONTROLS
PowerXL Air Fryer Oven, $279.95, Global Shop Direct
What You Need To Know
Unlike some air fryers, the PowerXL Fryer Oven offers precise temperature control so you don’t need to round up or down and guess the best settings. It also has a viewing window, allowing you to see what’s happening inside without disrupting the cooking process.
This 1800W air fryer additionally comes with a stainless steel rotating mesh basket, stainless steel rotisserie set, stainless steel skewer set and three recipe books designed specifically for the PowerXL Air Fryer Oven.
Ninja Air Fryer Max AF160, $199 (down from $349), Myer
What You Need To Know
Featuring six Auto IQ functions, a digital timer, and dishwasher-safe parts to make cleaning a breeze, the 5.2L Ninja Air Fryer Max makes cooking fast and easy. It has non-slip feet to keep it upright on your benchtop, and the ability to cook at temperatures up to 240 degrees Celsius for a super crispy, golden brown finish. You can choose from six preset programs (Max Crisp, Air Fry, Roast, Bake, Reheat, or Dehydrate) and adjust the temperature and time as needed.
“Game changer. Really easy (to cook) meals and great quality. Super easy to operate and clean. Would be good to get the extra basket rack to increase the amount of items you can add,” a happy reviewer posted.
“Wow, what a game changer! Our meals are so much more exciting now you can try up some green beans or broccolini in mere minutes to accompany a dish. Baked potatoes in 15 mins,” agreed another.
Ninja Foodi Air Grill AG301, $299 (down from $469), Amazon Australia
What You Need To Know
Don’t have space for a BBQ? Fear not, because this could be the next best thing. Ninja’s four-in-one appliance lets you air fry, grill, bake and dehydrate while it’s Smoke Control Technology will keep the smoke out of your kitchen and away from the fire alarm.
It also comes with a ceramic-coated crisper basket, cooking pot and grill grate, for you to make a medley of meals, snacks and desserts.
“It’s unbelievably easy to use and cooks beautifully. I love the rotating basket for chips, cooks just like take away! For a family of 5, I regularly cook dinner in it! Love that it fits a whole family size meat pie,” praised a shopper.
“And the two trays is really good … only issue is I have to remember to switch the trays half way or else bottom one isn’t cooked right. Fairly noisy too, however that doesn’t bother me at all. Brilliant!”
Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer Oven, $349, Myer
What You Need To Know
This 10L air fryer oven is perfect for feeding a family and has seven one-touch programs to satisfy everyone’s bellies, whether that means roasting, grilling, air frying, dehydrating or spit-roasting. The appliance also lets you fit two cooking trays at once, so you don’t need to worry about your chips getting cold when you’re air frying the main dish. There’s even a function that remembers your settings to make cooking extra quick and easy.
The air fryer comes with several dishwasher-safe parts, including a drip pan, two cooking trays and a rotisserie basket, spit and forks.
What You Need To Know
The legendary Instant Pot has added a new cooking function to its already impressive line-up. It’s got a total of 11 one-touch cooking functions, including pressure cook, saute, steam, slow cook, sous vide, warm, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, and of course air fry. The impressive 1500W heating element means you can cook frozen foods straight from the freezer with little preheating time – Instant Pot even says the appliance can get it done 70 per cent faster than some other models from the brand.
It’s so convenient, reviewers are even saying this air fryer has become their number one kitchen gadget.
“(It’s) replaced every other appliance I had and works better than all of them combined,” praised a shopper.
NutriBullet Digital XXL Air Fryer NBA07100, $299, The Good Guys
What You Need To Know
This NutriBullet air fryer packs a lot in for a fairly affordable price, offering a 7L capacity for a competitive price. You can choose between eight pre-programmed settings, or manually program the time and temperature settings to your liking.
Most reviewers agree the air fryer is a “must-have” kitchen gadget that provides great ease of use and easy clean-up.
“We love this air fryer! We haven’t used one before, and have found ourselves using the oven and other appliances less, and using the air fryer for everything we can,” a home tested reviewer posted on The Good Guys website.
“Love the dehydrated fruit setting for snacks for the kids, and fries setting too. Chicken wings and toasted sandwiches have also been on rotation. So easy to use, fast to warm up, huge volume, and cooks food beautifully. Highly recommend!”
BEST EASY TO CLEAN AIR FRYERS
Philips Essential Connected Digital Airfryer XL HD9280/90, $279 (down from $349), Amazon Australia
Tried and Tested by Shopping Writer Tahnee-Jae Lopez-Vito
It’s fair to say that I’m beyond impressed with this air fryer. The results are consistent and constantly serves up crispy and juicy meat, even battered chicken, and bakes desserts just as wonderfully as a full-size fan-forced oven. The instructions on packaged food are also usually accurate, so there’s less time spent on guessing settings.
Plus, it’s super easy to clean. I noticed that bits food don’t get stuck to the basket and end up using much less elbow grease compared to other air fryers and multi-cookers.
The Philips Essential XL Connected smart air fryer stands out with its smart features, namely its ability to be controlled remotely from your smartphone or voice control if you have Amazon Alexa. It syncs up with the brand’s free NutriU app, which lists hundreds of recipes with photos and videos, including dishes specifically designed for this model. Other features to expect include touch controls, a cool wall exterior, temperature and time controls and an automatic shut-off function.
*Product loaned for review.
BEST LARGE CAPACITY AIR FRYER
Kitchen Couture Air Fryer 5-in-1 30L Oven, $310.29, Amazon Australia
What You Need To Know
Talk about family size – this Kitchen Couture air fryer oven packs a 30L capacity and a menu with 18 preset modes, plus a 60-minute digital timer.
Shoppers “love” the Kitchen Couture air fryer, saying the unit works just as “fast and efficient” as a traditional oven but cuts preheating time down and offers more versatility.
“I am so happy with my air fryer as it’s so easy to use and gives me many more options to create delicious food and be creative. A regular oven doesn’t give those options!” praised a reviewer.
“Have been using for two months to bake cakes, roast veggies or air fry snacks. Absolutely love it, another posted online.
BEST AIR FRYER TOASTER OVENS
Breville The Smart Oven Air Fryer BOV860BTR, $549 (down from $579), The Good Guys
What You Need To Know
While it’s not the cheapest air fryer on the list, Breville’s Smart Oven could be a great alternative to a pricier built-in oven. Even if you’re not the most confident person in the kitchen, the machine uses a smart ‘Element IQ System’ to eliminate oven cold spots and maintain an even temperature throughout the entire oven. It also comes with 10 preset cooking functions including toast, pizza, roast and reheat and warm settings.
One five star reviewer said: “I love using my smaller oven and love how fast it bakes. The smaller area takes so much less time to produce the desired results. I’m often eating the results in the same time it would have taken my wall oven to heat up.”
Sunbeam Multi Function Oven + Air Fryer BT7200, $249 (down from $279), The Good Guys
What You Need To Know
Don’t need a full-size oven but still want to bake? Reviewers say this Sunbeam air fryer oven is the perfect go-between, offering the same functionality as a convection oven as well as an air fryer, toaster and grill. It additionally features manual control dials and a timer that can be adjusted up to 60 minutes.
“We use this oven for air frying, toasted sandwiches, pizzas, and making bread. Pretty much anytime we don’t need a full size oven,” one reviewer posted on the Sunbeam website.
“It works really well and takes no time to heat up.”
BEST BUDGET AIR FRYER
Bellini 11L Air Fryer BAFO20, $159, Target
What You Need To Know
Another affordable air fryer option is this one from Bellini. The three-in-one model can work as an oven and dehydrator as well as air fry, and includes a large 11L capacity that’s perfect for families. Other features include a 3.5L removable frying cage, LCD screen display with touch controls, eight preset programs, 60-minute timer and automatic shut off.
Reviewers are impressed with the “value for money” this Bellini air fryer offers, with most shoppers loving the accessories and calling the unit “quiet, efficient and convenient”.
“This air fryer is just perfection, it comes with many accessories and works so well for just about any food. Potato smileys come out amazingly,” one person posted on the Target website.
“Bought this during Click Frenzy and saved $60 and it has been the best air fryer that I have owned,” another agreed.
HOW DOES AN AIR FRYER WORK?
Similar to a mini convection oven, air fryers work by using hot air that’s rapidly circulated around your food to cook the ingredients. Thanks to their size, however, they’re a lot more user friendly and easier to clean than an actual gas or electric oven. Air fryers are also often seen great for cooking healthier alternatives since it uses less oil or no oil at all.
WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING AN AIR FRYER
Type of air fryer
There are two types of air fryers – a deep fryer basket-style air fryer and a benchtop oven-style air fryer.
“If you need something with a large cooking space, I’d suggest going with the air fryer oven,” Kim suggests.
Basket size
“Air fryers can range from around three litres up to 10 litres (along with dual basket options). Just heating up chips for the kids? No problem. Choose any of the air fryers available. But if you’re wanting to cook a meal for around four to six people, opt for one of the larger air fryers on the market,” she said.
Kim added that sometimes a bigger capacity means a deeper basket, making it only useful for “foods that need the depth such as a whole chicken or items that can be stacked for cooking and not kept in a single layer.”
Digital or manual controls
Air fryers often contain either digital controls or dial controls, although many smart models typically offer both manual and pre-programmed settings.
“I like precision when I’m cooking, so I find that the digital air fryers are much more reliable than those with a manual temperature gauge and timer. If you’re planning on using your air fryer for baking, keep this in mind when purchasing. If you’re only wanting to use it to cook crumbed chicken, then either option is the perfect choice,” our resident food expert suggested.
Physical ease of use
Air fryers are designed to “made to make life easier, not frustrating”, so check if the appliance itself and its accessories are just as simple to use as the settings.
“Is it easy to pop the cooking basket into the drawer? Does the drawer slide in and out of the appliance easily for cooking? Or is it a little crooked, does it stick or do you find yourself shaking it to try and get it into the right position? These appliances are made to make life easier, not frustrating,” Kim recommended.
If you have an air fryer oven, it’s also important to check whether the racks are stable and if you need more.
Convenience
“Check for preset cooking functions like roast, bake and grill or find yourself an air fryer that has its own app for downloading recipes to really take the guesswork out of cooking,” she said.
“Some air fryers also come with a keep warm setting, which is perfect for families that might have someone who eats a little later than everyone else or perfect for parties when you’re trying to time all of the food to be ready together.”
Easy to clean
“Don’t forget to check to see if the basket can be cleaned in the dishwasher. Most baskets are non-stick making for less baked-on mess, however there are some baskets on the market that are a wire mesh-like base, making them a little harder to clean,” Kim added.
IS IT WORTH BUYING AN AIR FRYER?
The versatile features and wide selection of options on the market make air fryers worth purchasing.
“Not just for chicken nuggets and potato chips, air fryers have come a long way in such a short period of time becoming the latest must-have small kitchen appliance,” Kim said.
“Quick to heat up (we’re talking only a couple of minutes here!), small and compact, I can see why people are choosing air fryers over their ovens when it comes to cooking dinner.”
The Food Expert recommends Philips air fryers as a top brand to check out.
“I like how easy they are to use and they look really good, too. They have several affordable air fryers on the market with variable sizes to cater for all needs. You can also purchase extras like baking tins, grill racks and pizza trays for a variety of cooking methods,” Kim said.
“For cheap and cheerful air fryers, look no further than the generic Aldi or Kmart ones. They’re very popular and simple to use.”
HOW MUCH DO AIR FRYERS COST?
The price of an air fryer is usually between $90 and $600, although you can find models that cost cheaper if you’re on a budget. More expensive machines will offer more options, such as broiling or voice control.
HOW LONG DO YOU COOK CHICKEN IN AN AIR FRYER?
Different cuts of chicken, such as chicken breasts and drumsticks, typically need 15 to 20 minutes in the air fryers for 500 grams (usually cooked at 180 degrees Celsius). A whole cooked chook will likely require over an hour, depending on the size.
But cooking times will vary between models, so make sure to check your instruction manual for a list of cooking times. Brands often provide a handy table with recommended cooking times and temperatures for different foods, such as steak, fish, frozen snacks, bread and cake.
DOES FOOD COOK EVENLY IN AN AIR FRYER?
Yes – air fryers are designed to cook food evenly since the hot air circulates around the dish. But Tristan Lutze, recipe creator, restaurant reviewer, and food and travel writer, says you need to rotate and flip the food over as well as avoid overfilling the basket to make sure everything is cooked evenly.
“An air fryer works by circulating hot air around your food. The more densely you pack your basket, the less room the air has to circulate and the soggier your food will turn out,” he explains.
“Pull out the air fryer basket at least once during the cooking time to rotate or shake up what’s inside. This will help ensure every edge gets the crunchifying heat it deserves.”
More Best Air Fryer Coverage
Kim Coverdale, Food Expert
With more than 25 years of experience in the food publishing industry, Kim certainly knows her gadgets. Aside from taste.com.au, she’s also written content and developed drool-worthy recipes for major foodie titles including Delicious, Best Recipes and Better Homes and Garden.
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Originally published as 13 best air fryers in Australia 2023 | Top-reviewed models
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