To use an air fryer, treat it as a small fan oven: set a temperature, leave space around the food for air to move, and check earlier than you would in a conventional oven. The fan circulates hot air, so food cooks faster and the setting is usually about 20°C lower than a non-fan oven [1]. This guide covers how to use an air fryer for the first time, common foods, reheating and cleaning.
What an air fryer is actually doing
An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven [1]. A fan with a heating element around it circulates hot air in the cooking chamber [1]. That moving air thins the layer of cooler air that normally sits around food and slows heat transfer, so cooking is faster and more even [1]. Unlike deep-frying, air-frying produces food with less fat than deep-fried equivalents, East Riding Adult Learning and Employability notes [2]. The same page says air fryers are advertised as requiring half the electricity to operate, making them 50% more efficient than a full-size electric oven [2]. Wikipedia’s article on convection ovens reports that air fryers became much more popular in the UK from the early 2020s, and that a 2024 study found one in five surveyed Britons used them more than any other cooking device [1].
How do I use an air fryer for the first time?
Start with the manual for your model, because controls and preset programmes vary. Put the appliance on a stable surface and, where possible, give it its own outlet; unplug it after use to avoid leaving it on by accident [3]. Stay in the kitchen while it runs: University of Liverpool Halls Life advises against leaving an air fryer unattended because it can get hot quickly [3]. Clean the basket and drawer after every use with warm water and soap; the same guide says this takes a couple of minutes [3]. Once the appliance is cool — usually around 30 minutes after use — wipe away grease on the coils above the basket [3].
If you have an air fryer oven — a boxy countertop fan oven rather than a drawer model — the principle is the same: small countertop convection ovens are often marketed as air fryers [1]. Use the shelves and timings in its own manual, and leave gaps between pieces so air can move.
How to set an air fryer and adapt a recipe
Set the temperature and time on the controls, then check the food before the timer ends. As a fan oven, an air fryer is usually set about 20°C lower than a non-fan oven to avoid overcooking the outside [1]. That is a starting point, not a rule: the difference varies with how much food is cooking and whether airflow is restricted, for example by an oversized baking tray [1]. If a recipe gives only conventional oven instructions, lower the temperature by about 20°C and use the air-fryer guidance for the food if you have it. A liner can interrupt airflow and lengthen cooking, according to a Stroke Association roast-potato recipe [4]. Shake or flip food partway through so pieces brown evenly; the same recipe flips the potatoes after 10 minutes [4].
How to use an air fryer for common foods
Roast potatoes are a good test. The Stroke Association recipe cuts potatoes slightly smaller for an air fryer, tosses them with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic paste and black pepper, then roasts at 195°C for 10 minutes, flips them and roasts for 10 more [4]. It uses 1.5 tablespoons of oil for the air-fryer version [4].
For chips or French fries, cut them to a similar size, dry them well and keep the basket loose; crowded food restricts airflow, which affects cooking [1]. If you are using frozen chips, follow the packet’s air-fryer instructions; if it gives only oven instructions, remember the fan-oven temperature reduction [1].
For chicken, there is no single universal setting: load size and airflow change the result [1]. Use the air fryer’s own guide or the pack instructions and check the thickest part is cooked through. The same approach works for reheating: use a lower setting than a non-fan oven would need and check early [1]. East Riding Adult Learning and Employability’s air-fryer snacks course covers items such as Scotch eggs, devilled eggs, sausage rolls, baked vegetable crisps and apple roses, illustrating the variety of small dishes an air fryer can make [2].
Air fryer brands available in the UK
| Brand | What they offer | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| SharkNinja | Ninja air fryers on the SharkNinja UK site, which calls Ninja ‘the UK’s No.1 Air Fryer Brand’ [5]. | SharkNinja UK also presents home appliances, cleaning solutions and beauty products, so air fryers sit in a wider range [6]. |
| Cosori | A UK air-fryer collection [7]; Cosori describes smart air fryers and kitchen appliances for healthy cooking [8]. | The UK site spans air fryers and other kitchen appliances, so check the model page for the functions you need [7][8]. |
Which option fits whom
If you want a brand that explicitly promotes Ninja as the UK’s No.1 Air Fryer Brand, SharkNinja’s UK site is the place to start [5]. If you want a UK air-fryer collection from a brand that also talks about smart kitchen appliances, Cosori is the one to look at [7][8]. Neither detail tells you which machine suits your worktop; check dimensions, capacity and the cooking modes on the model page before you decide.
For any air fryer, the practical rules stay the same: give the air room to move, set it lower than a non-fan oven, check before the end of cooking, and keep the basket and coils clean [1][3]. Confirm current model details and instructions on the brand’s own site.
Sources
- Convection oven (Wikipedia) — Wikipedia
- Title: Air Fryer cookery: Snacks — ols.eastriding.gov.uk
- Title: Safely using your Air Fryer — hallslife.liverpool.ac.uk
- Title: Air fryer roast potatoes — stroke.org.uk
- SharkNinja official site: Title: Air Fryers from Ninja, the UK's No.1 Air Fryer Brand — sharkninja.co.uk
- SharkNinja official site — sharkninja.co.uk
- Cosori official site: Title: Air Fryer — cosori.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.