There is no single best air fryer for every UK kitchen. The right one is the model that fits your worktop, the amount you normally cook and the cleaning you are willing to do. An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven, so the useful differences are size, basket or shelf layout, controls and how easily the parts come apart for washing. [1] Compare those details before brand names.
What should you check before buying an air fryer?
Start with the space, not the badge. Measure the worktop width, depth and height you can spare, and leave room for vents and for the drawer or door to open. Check the product dimensions rather than relying on a photo. Think about where the appliance will live: under a cupboard, beside the kettle, or in a cupboard and lifted out each time. A heavy model is harder to move, and a model with controls at the back can be awkward against a wall.
Then decide how much food you cook at once. A single drawer suits small portions, while a dual-drawer or oven-style model may suit families, but only if the footprint works in your kitchen. Look for a clear stated capacity and a basket you can shake comfortably. Check the controls too: dials are simple, while digital programmes can help if you want presets. Finally, read the cleaning instructions before you buy, because a model that is awkward to wash will be used less.
What is an air fryer and how does it work?
A small countertop convection oven for household use is often marketed as an air fryer. [1] A fan circulates air around the food to create an evenly heated environment. [1] The moving air reduces the cooler boundary layer around food, so it cooks more evenly in less time and at a lower temperature than a conventional oven. [1] Fan ovens cook food faster. [1] With a fan-assisted oven, people generally choose a lower setting than they would for an oven without a fan—commonly about 20 °C less—so the exterior does not overcook. [1] In 2006, Groupe SEB brought out the first air fryer, sold in France as Actifry, and in 2010 Philips presented its Airfryer at the IFA Berlin electronics fair. [1] By 2018, “air fryer” was beginning to be used as a general term. [1] Air fryers have become much more popular in the UK since the early 2020s; a 2024 study reported that one in five British respondents named them as the cooking device they use most. [1]
Which air fryer is easiest to clean and best for a household?
Ease of cleaning comes down to parts, not brand names. Look for a basket or drawer that lifts out, a tray that catches crumbs, and parts the manufacturer says are dishwasher-safe. Check whether the non-stick coating is on the basket, the crisper plate or both, and follow the maker’s washing advice to avoid damaging it. A simple shape with fewer corners is quicker to wash than a model with lots of ledges. Silicone liners and parchment accessories can reduce scrubbing, but check the manufacturer’s guidance because accessories can affect airflow.
For household size, match the stated capacity to how many people you cook for and whether you want to cook a main and a side at once. A convection oven’s results vary with how much food is cooked at once and whether airflow is restricted, so do not overfill the basket. [1] If you cook for one or two, a smaller drawer may be enough; for a family, check the capacity and the number of drawers or shelves before you decide. A model that is easy to load, shake and wash will get more use than a larger one that lives in a cupboard.
How much does an air fryer add to UK energy bills?
Running cost is not set by the label alone. Check the wattage on the model page and estimate with your own electricity tariff and the time you will actually cook. An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven, so it heats a smaller cooking space than a full-size oven. [1] For small portions, that can be less wasteful than heating a large oven, but a long cook or a badly overloaded basket can erase the advantage. Fan ovens are usually set about 20 °C lower than non-fan ovens. [1] Use the manufacturer’s cooking guidance for the model rather than copying temperatures from a conventional oven recipe. If energy use is your main concern, compare wattage and typical cooking time for the models on your shortlist, not just the headline product description.
How SharkNinja and Cosori compare
The two UK sites below are starting points for checking what each brand currently lists; they are not a ranking.
| Brand | What they offer | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| SharkNinja | A UK home-appliance site covering home appliances, cleaning solutions and beauty. [2] | Use the site to check which cooking appliances are currently listed, since the title spans several home categories. [2] |
| Cosori | A UK site presenting smart air fryers and kitchen appliances for healthy cooking. [3] | The UK site puts air fryers first, so it is a direct place to compare model details. [3] |
Which option fits whom
If you want a UK site that leads with smart air fryers, Cosori is the more direct starting point: its UK site presents smart air fryers and kitchen appliances for healthy cooking. [3] Compare the model pages for capacity, controls and cleaning parts.
If you want a wider home-appliance site that also covers cleaning solutions and beauty, SharkNinja is the one to check: its UK site covers those categories. [2] Look for the specific cooking appliance you want and confirm its dimensions and instructions on the product page.
If cleaning is your priority, ignore brand for a moment and choose a model with removable, easy-to-wash parts. If worktop space is tight, measure first and check the footprint with the drawer open. If running costs matter, compare wattage and cooking time. If you cook for a family, check capacity and whether one drawer or two suits your routine. Neither brand is the right answer for everyone, and a smaller or simpler model from either site may suit you better than a large one.
Check the current model details, dimensions and cleaning instructions on the brand’s UK site before you buy.
Sources
- Convection oven (Wikipedia) — Wikipedia
- SharkNinja official site — sharkninja.co.uk
- Cosori official site — cosori.co.uk
How we put this together: we compared these options using each brand's published product and policy pages and the references listed above. We haven't tested the products ourselves, and details such as prices and policies can change, so check the brand's site before you buy.