A delicious crispy fried chip with a fluffy middle, crisp exterior and little to no oil sounds like a dream.
But thanks to air fryers — counter-top machines that cook by rapidly circulating hot air — it is possible to mimic the effect of deep-fried food with far fewer calories and a fraction of the fat.
The latest machines reduce fat by upto 80 percent. This means that calories can be almost halved. A portion of home-made chips that have been prepared in a deep-fat fryer can be found at around 330 calories with 11 grams of fat. The same chips prepared in an air fryer with a tablespoon of oil yield 170 calories and only three grams of fat.
Better still, they don’t make your kitchen smell like a chippy. The whiff is similar in quality to that of a standard oven, rather than the overwhelming greasy pong of deep fat fryers.
Claudia Connell gives verdict on six of the best air fryers available to purchase in the UK – including Philips Turbostar Premium air fryer (pictured)
Although the gadgets have been around for years, they’ve soared in popularity in the past 12 months. In their annual consumer report published this month, John Lewis revealed that sales of air fryers have increased by 400 per cent — with lockdown and our desire to experiment more in the kitchen playing a part.
But can these gizmos live up to their promise? Here are six of them…
BRILLIANT, BUT BULKY
Philips Turbostar Premium air fryer, £181.35, amazon.co.uk
This model cooks enough for four meals and takes up a lot of space on your counter or in your cupboards. I was unable to follow the instructions and had to look at a YouTube video to learn how to use it. The machine has two dials — one for temperature, one for time. Although the machine’s recipe collection isn’t very inspiring, you can download an app that has more adventurous recipes.
CHIP TEST Using frozen chips, I fill the generously deep compartment and don’t add any oil. As with all air fryers, frozen chips don’t need oil but home-made ones do.
I set the temperature at 180C and the timer for 12 mins (as per the booklet). Then, I sit back and wait for the magic. The machine makes a whirring noise halfway through. I take the compartment by the handle out and shake it. I decide to give the chips another minute even though they appear done.
When I bite into them I’m in chip heaven. They’re perfectly cooked in half the time it would take in the oven. They have a deep-fried flavor with no oil. This is what kind of witchcraft?
SAUSAGES The basket is large enough to hold six Lincolnshire sausages. I set the timer for 16 minutes and, while I don’t doubt they’ll cook, will they go brown? After turning halfway through, the answer is ‘yes’. They were hot, evenly brown and sizzling when I took them out. 4/5
CHEAP AS CHIIPS
Salter 4.5-litre digital air fryer, £59.99, salter housewares.co.uk
Claudia said Salter 4.5-litre digital air fryer (pictured) perfectly cooked her chips in 15 minutes and her mushroom in eight minutes
Considering this model is at the cheaper end of the market, it looks magnificently glossy and chic and wouldn’t look out of place next to a fancy coffee machine. It’s simple to operate. It’s easy to use. Simply enter the temperature and time on the digital display, and you’re good to go.
CHIP TESTI fill the large container with frozen chips and no oils. It’s very quiet and although the instructions say to allow 18 minutes, my chips are perfectly cooked in 15. They’re so appetising that I don’t even feel tempted to drench them in ketchup as I normally would.
BREADED MUSHROOMS What can mushrooms do on their own, though? Little balls made of slime. Yuk. Do you like mushrooms that have been breaded and deep-fried? That’s a different story. I followed a YouTube tutorial to make my mushrooms. Next, I dipped them in cornflour, then eggs, and finally breadcrumbs with parmesan.
I spray the mushrooms with olive oil and let them cook for eight minutes. They come out crispy and beautifully cooked with the mushrooms still al dente. They are simply delicious.5/5
FANTASTIC FRIES
Tower Vortx 4.3-litre digital air fryer, £74.99, towerhouse wares.co.uk
Claudia said Tower Vortx 4.3-litre digital air fryer (pictured) made her tofu melt-in-the-mouth delicious within 15 minutes
The deep compartment can cook enough food to feed a large family or one devoted chip-lover. Although the provided recipe guide is very basic, it’s easy to use.
CHIP TEST The machine’s flurry of noises as it fries sounds almost like an airplane is about to take off from my kitchen. But it’s worth it because the chips cook in 11 minutes and they give me the best result yet.
Every chip is fried perfectly, there are no burnt chips, no brown bits, just dozens upon heavenly fries that are dangerously more delicious.
CRISPY TOFU I’m not a tofu lover. It looks very unappetizing and tastes almost like a bath sponge to me. Could an air fryer make tofu even more delicious?
I made a marinade using a YouTube recipe. It included cornflower, garlic and sesame oil. I fry the pieces for about 15 minutes, turning once. They are melt-in the-mouth delicious. I never thought I’d see the day when I went back for second helpings of tofu.4/5
POTATO PRO
Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone air fryer, £229.99, ninjakitchen. co.uk
Claudia said Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone air fryer (pictured) produced chip shop quality chips without the bucket of oil or nasty fried smell
This huge, professional-looking catering equipment is massive. It has two full-sized compartments that can hold up to 9.5 litres. You can cook a whole meal for your family. You have two options: you can either sync both compartments to ensure that your food is ready at the right time, or you can operate them separately. Being a technical dunce, my heart sinks at the prospect of operating this but it’s so idiot-proof I don’t even need to consult the instruction booklet.
CHIP TESTThis time, I make my own chips. I cut my Maris pipers into chunky pieces, then wash and pat dry them. Finally, I add one tablespoon of sunflower oil to the mix. Homemade chips take longer as frozen chips are already partially cooked.
After 16 minutes, I’m keen to see if my peeling, chopping and washing will all have been worth it. I’ll say! I’ve produced chip shop quality chips without the bucket of oil or nasty fried smell.
FROZEN CAMPI:I add a bag with frozen breaded Scampi to the second compartment. These little gems of deliciousness are ready in 12 minutes. The breadcrumbs are crispy and golden brown, and the fish inside is moist.
They might even have been healthy-ish if I hadn’t dipped them in tartare sauce.5/5
SAD SOGGY
Tefal ActiFry Genius XL 2 in 1, £284.99, lakeland.co.uk
Claudia said Tefal ActiFry Genius XL 2 in 1 (pictured) left her with soggy chips
Looking more like a slow cooker than the traditional egg-shaped air fryer, I soon realise that ‘genius’ may well be a reference to the fact you need to be one to understand the instructions, which consist of 34 separate diagrams the size of postage stamps. The machine has two compartments — the bottom one for vegetables or potatoes and the top one for meat or fish. Despite the hefty price tag, it doesn’t feel as sturdy as the others.
CHIP TESTI added a tablespoon oil to the bottom pan, which is large enough to hold my homemade chips. What I later realise is that it doesn’t cook both foods at the same time. Instead it cooks what’s in the bottom pan and then keeps it hot while the top ingredients are cooking. This resulted in soggy chips.
FRIED CHICKENI coat four drumsticks in egg, then panko breadcrumbs. I spray them with oil and let them cook for 20 minutes, turning half way through. They are perfectly crispy, but the machine is hotter than the rest.2/5
BLISSFUL BACON
Lakeland Digital Compact air fryer, £69.99, lakeland.co.uk
Claudia said Lakeland Digital Compact air fryer (pictured) cooked her chips beautifully and her bacon just the way she likes it
Air fryers don’t all have to be huge. This small, compact machine is no larger than a kettle and is ideal for singles, couples, and those who have limited kitchen space. It has a simple digital display, and looks sleek, shiny, and discreet.
CHIP TEST At 1.6 litres, I’m able to put enough frozen chips for two people in the compartment. They’re done in just 12 minutes. I don’t hear the timer ping and forget about them — but 10 minutes later they’re still piping hot.
BACON: I like my bacon very crispy, with no white fat visible — impossible to achieve in a frying pan without adding oil and it seems to take forever under the grill.
I put four rashers inside the compartment, and the machine ran for nine minutes. No smells escape and I wonder if it’s working. But I pull the handle out to reveal. . . Four pieces of bacon cut exactly the way I like it.4/5