If you find the smell of deep-frying unpleasant, an air fryer is worth considering for small or medium-sized portions, but it won’t guarantee an odour-free kitchen. Keep your oven if its capacity and uses already suit you. If you choose an air fryer, compare the different styles based on your portions, available space, noise and cleaning requirements. Que Choisir presents reduced odours as a possible benefit, without claiming the same results for every food or kitchen.
You’d like to keep making foods that are usually fried, but the smell of deep-frying puts you off. Que Choisir presents an air fryer as another way to cook these foods and mentions that it may reduce odours, but doesn’t guarantee they’ll disappear altogether.
If your main and side dishes need different settings, two synchronised cooking zones could be useful. Check that each basket fits your portion: Que Choisir tests how well two different foods cook in the two zones.
Capacity alone won’t tell you whether an appliance will fit in your kitchen. Also measure the space needed to open the drawers and allow for the clearance specified in the manual; placement instructions vary by model.
First decide whether you want to replace deep-frying or simply add to what your oven can do. Then consider the practicalities that will affect everyday use.
| Criterion | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Smells from frying | Compare the cooking method with the foods you prepare, and don’t confuse a possible reduction in odours with no odour at all. | When the smell of oil fills my kitchen, I want to try another way of cooking without assuming it’ll be odour-free. Around 33% of consumers would put this need first. |
| Capacity and cooking two foods at once | Compare the usable size of each basket with your portions. For two recipes, check for independent zones and a synchronisation function. | To serve a main and a side dish together, I need each one to fit in its own cooking zone. Around 27% of consumers would prioritise this. |
| Space and installation | Measure the appliance with the drawers open and check the manual for the required worktop space and ventilation clearance. | In a small kitchen, I need to be able to position and use the appliance without blocking its air outlet. Around 20% of consumers would put this practical consideration first. |
| Noise and cleaning | Check a noise assessment for the model and the cleaning instructions for its removable parts. | If I often cook in an open-plan room, the fan noise and cleaning up after a meal matter as much as the programmes. Around 20% of consumers would prioritise ease of use. |
A single basket works well if your portions fit and you don’t mind cooking in batches. Two drawers are better suited to cooking two foods separately; a mini-oven style is worth comparing if the shape of the dishes you use matters more. If your oven already handles the meals you usually make, buying an additional appliance will largely depend on how much you’d actually use it. If you prefer deep-frying, a deep-fat fryer remains an option, although the odours are one of the reasons for comparing these appliances.
Que Choisir lists reduced odours as a possible benefit of air fryers, but doesn’t quantify what you’ll notice with each food or in each kitchen.
Consider this cooking method as a possible alternative to deep-frying, while also taking your kitchen ventilation into account.
The advertised capacity is split between two baskets. A bulky food might not fit in either one, even if their combined capacity seems sufficient.
Compare your portions and dishes with the size of each basket, its opening and its cooking surface.
A basket that’s too small could mean cooking several batches for one meal.
Moulinex recommends placing its appliances on a flat, stable, heat-resistant surface, away from water and walls. Philips specifies 20 cm of clearance from the wall for the NA555/09 and says not to point its air outlet towards a socket. This distance doesn’t apply to every model.
Before you buy, check the appliance dimensions and available space against the instructions in its own manual.
According to the European Food Safety Authority, acrylamide can form in starchy foods during high-temperature cooking, including frying, oven cooking and roasting. Switching to an air fryer doesn’t remove this consideration.
Keep an eye on these foods as they cook and don’t let them burn.
The range includes air fryers with a single basket and models with two baskets. Philips offers a synchronisation function on some of the latter.
The brand offers single-basket models, dual-drawer models and mini-oven style appliances.
Ninja offers models with two zones that can be set independently.
These air fryers include compact baskets, dual zones and a flexible basket. Start by choosing the configuration that suits your portions; none of these styles can guarantee an odour-free kitchen on its own.
Image unavailable
Worth considering if you’d like to compare air frying with the way you use a deep-fat fryer. Check that its containers suit your usual portions and that its position meets the instructions in the manual.
Image unavailable
Worth a look if you prepare two parts of a meal separately. Its two drawers share the stated 7.6 L capacity, so compare the space in each zone with your portions and allow room to open the drawers.
Image unavailable
Its single 3.2 L basket is worth comparing with your portions if you don’t need to cook two things separately at once. Check the NA210/00 manual to find out how much clearance to allow around it.
Image unavailable
Worth comparing if you want to cook two foods in separate baskets. The 9 L is the stated total capacity, so check the size of each basket and allow enough space to use the appliance.
Image unavailable
The flexible basket is worth considering if you switch between cooking one large dish and cooking two foods separately. Before choosing this style, compare the size of each zone in both configurations and check the appliance dimensions against your worktop.
No, an odour-free result can’t be guaranteed. Que Choisir mentions that an air fryer may reduce the smells associated with deep-frying, but the food you cook, the quantity and your kitchen ventilation all matter.
Two drawers are particularly useful if you regularly cook two foods with different settings and want to serve them together. Compare the size of each basket with your portions rather than relying on the total capacity alone.
Place it on a flat, stable, heat-resistant surface, away from water, and follow the clearance instructions in the manual for your model. For example, Philips specifies 20 cm between the wall and the NA555/09; this doesn’t automatically apply to another appliance.
Let it cool before cleaning its removable parts. Check the manual to see whether these can go in the dishwasher, and follow its instructions for cleaning the inside of the appliance.
Yes. Changing appliances doesn’t mean you can stop keeping an eye on starchy foods as they cook. The European Food Safety Authority says that acrylamide can form during high-temperature cooking, including frying, oven cooking and roasting. Don’t let these foods burn.