The Best Air Fryer (UK, 2026)

The Ninja MAX Dual Zone is the air fryer most families should buy, because the two-drawer design is the feature that makes air frying genuinely useful for real meals. You can run each drawer at its own temperature and time, then have both finish at the same moment, so chips and chicken, or veg and fish, are ready together instead of one going cold while the other cooks. Ninja invented this category and its drawers, controls and non-stick baskets remain the slickest to live with. At 9.5L it comfortably handles a family's worth of food.

It is a large appliance, so it needs real counter and cupboard space, and dual-zone models cost more than a basic single basket. But for the way most households actually cook, a full meal in one machine, that capability is worth paying for, and it is the air fryer people use daily rather than shelving. If you only ever cook for one or two, the smaller single-basket Ninja saves money and space; for a family, this is the pick.

If you cook for one or two, a dual-zone machine is more than you need, and the single-basket Ninja Pro gives you the same build quality, non-stick basket and reliable results in a much smaller, cheaper package. A 4.7L basket is plenty for meals for one or two and generous sides for a couple more, and the compact footprint suits smaller kitchens where a big dual-zone would dominate the worktop.

The obvious limitation is that one basket means one temperature at a time, so you cannot cook two different things to finish together the way the dual-zone does. For solo cooks and couples that rarely matters, and the space and money saved are real. If you regularly cook full multi-component meals for several people, the dual-zone is worth the upgrade; for smaller households wanting Ninja quality without the bulk, this is the smart buy.

If you just want to try air frying or keep the cost right down, the Tower Vortx does the core job for under £40. Tower is a long-standing UK brand, and this gives you a 4.2L basket, a digital display and a set of presets for chips, chicken and the rest, which is everything most people actually use. For a cheap way into air frying, or a second machine, it is honest value from a name you will recognise.

At this price you get a smaller single basket and a more basic build than the Ninjas, so it is less suited to families and lacks the dual-zone trick. But the fundamentals, hot air, a decent basket and simple controls, are all there, and plenty of households are perfectly happy with exactly this. If you cook for a family or want the slickest experience, spend more on a Ninja; as a budget or starter air fryer, the Tower is hard to beat on price.

If you want dual-basket, family-sized capacity without paying Ninja money, the EMtronics gives you two baskets and a big 9L total for around £55. For large households, batch cooking, or anyone who regularly feeds a crowd, that is a lot of air fryer for the price, and the twin-basket layout brings much of the two-things-at-once convenience of a dual zone at a fraction of the cost.

The trade-offs are what you would expect below the premium brands: the controls, presets and overall finish are more basic, and the sync-finish and refinement of a Ninja are not fully matched. But the core function, plenty of hot-air cooking space split across two baskets, is delivered cheaply, and for value-focused big-batch cooking it makes a strong case. If you want the slickest dual-zone experience, the Ninja is worth the extra; if you want maximum capacity per pound, this is it.

If you value a premium brand and a bit more polish, the Philips 1000 Series brings its reputation for build quality to a 7.1L dual-basket air fryer. You get the convenience of two cooking zones, a solid, well-finished machine, and the reassurance of a major appliance name, in a capacity that suits most families. For buyers who would rather have a Philips on the worktop than a value brand, it is a sensible middle ground between the Ninja and the budget options.

It can be a little pricier or harder to find at the best price than the ever-present Ninja, and in pure dual-zone features the Ninja still leads. But the Philips is a genuinely good, well-made machine, and brand preference is a fair reason to choose it. If you have no brand loyalty, the Ninja MAX is our overall pick on capability; if you trust Philips and want that finish, this is a strong alternative.