An air fryer gives you a healthy and quicker way to cook your food — food that you’d have otherwise fried. Furthermore, they take up significantly less space on your kitchen countertop when compared to a full-sized oven. However, if you are not sure if you will actually use this kitchen appliance, it doesn’t make sense to invest in a premium air fryer. Hence, we have compiled a list of the best air fryers under £100 in the UK.
They work in a similar manner to conventional air fryers by circulating hot air inside, resulting in food that’s cooked in significantly less oil. And yes, they turn out super crisp. However, with budget air fryers, you may not get as many cooking options. That said, you will get the basic features and then some.
So, if you are venturing into a clean eating path, here are the best value air fryer to get you started. But first,
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4 Features to Look for in an Air Fryer
1. Size & Capacity: The first thing that matters when buying an air fryer is the size of the appliance. It should fit easily on your kitchen countertop. The second important thing to look for is the size of the basket. A 3-3.5L basket is good enough for 2-3 people. On the other hand, a 5-6L basket is appropriate for families.
2. Single Basket or Dual Basket: Most basic air fryers pack a single basket. All you need to do is place the food items inside and set the temperature and the timer accordingly. A double-basket air fryer comes into the picture if you want to cook two different food items at the same time. Or, if you are looking for a slightly larger capacity.
3. Wattage: Depending on the make and the model, an air fryer can use anywhere between 800W and 2,00W of electricity. A larger capacity appliance generally consumes upwards of 1500W.
4. Additional Functions: Apart from “frying” your food, some air fryers also come with additional functions like Dehydrate, Grill, Defrost, and Rotisserie. And it helps to have a few additional functions or presets of food items.
1. Salter EK2817 2L Compact Air Fryer
- Capacity: 2L. | Wattage: 1000W
The Salter EK2817 is one of the most affordable air fryers out there. It’s a small and compact device with a basket capacity of 2L and is an air fryer for 2 people. It has the basic design with the temperature and timer knob at the top. If we talk numbers, here the timer can go up to 30 minutes while you get a maximum temperature of 200 degrees Celsius.
It’s a 1,000W device and does a pretty decent job of cooking your food. It has a non-stick cooking basket. Like many fryers, it has a perforated sheet that helps to drain the excess oil into the basket below. Here, you will have to ensure that you do not tip the basket onto your plate, or else, the oil will flow onto your plate/bowl. In fact, that’s the scenario with most air fryer baskets.
That said, for the price, it has a pretty good build. The body is mainly plastic and it tends to warm a bit when cooking for a long time. Nevertheless, food items are evenly cooked as expected. However, you will have to take the pains of turning the food item in between to get even browning.
The Salter EK2817 is not without its shortcomings. For example, a few users have complained about the unit tripping their main power. That said, it does its work as advertised. And the low power consumption means it won’t put a dent in your utility bills.
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2. Tower T17127GRY Vortx Air Fryer
- Capacity: 6L | Wattage: 1700W
Well, the name says it all. The Tower Vortx Air Fryer is a more powerful appliance compared to the one above. It bundles touch-based controls and presets. So yeah, no more turning knobs. Finally, the 6L capacity is fit for 3-4 people. More importantly, it has three additional cooking modes – Grill, Roast, and Bake.
The presets are on top of the touch panel, and if you want to keep things simple you can simply choose one and let the appliance do its job. While it sets the time and the temperature automatically, note that you will have to be careful with the amount of the food. A small portion will have more tendency to burn.
The Tower Vortx air fryer works as expected, and users are happy with the available functions. It’s easy to clean, and the touch panel is responsive. Do note that there’s no indicator to shake the basket or turn the food.
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3. COSORI Air Fryer
- Capacity: 5.5L | Wattage: 1700W
The COSORI Air Fryer is perhaps one of the most popular budget air fryers under £100 in the UK. This one boasts food presets, defrost mode, and helpful modes like Keep Warm. Now, that’s something. It packs a touchscreen interface and a 5.5L basket. The latter makes it fit for small families, making it easier to prepare food in one go.
In fact, COSORI claims that the basket is big enough to fit two steaks or a bunch of chicken wings. And several users have backed these claims in their reviews. At the same time, this budget air fryer uses significantly less energy compared to traditional big ovens.
The COSORI air fryer comes highly recommended from its user base. In fact, quite a uses have cooked steaks and they were happy with the result! It boasts precise temperature controls, which ensures that food items do not dry out during the cooking process. Several users have verified this claim in their reviews. If we talk numbers, this budget air fryer has over 50,000 user ratings to its credit.
Long story short, if you’re looking for an air fryer for your family and do not want to spend much, the COSORI air fryer makes for a good pick.
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4. Xiaomi Mi Smart Air Fryer
- Capacity: 3.5L | Wattage: 1500 Watts
One of the main advantages of the Xiaomi Mi Smart Air Fryer is its smart companion app. Not only does the app let you select the food presets, but it also alerts you when you need to shake the basket or when the timer goes off. As such, even when you are not in the kitchen, you can rest assured that you’ll be alerted. The basket isn’t as capacious as its counterpart above, but the 3.5L basket is fit to cook food for 2-3 people.
Temperature control and timer are on point and work as expected. I have been using this air fryer since its launch and can vouch for the same. Food does not dry out and comes out crispy and well-cooked. Similar to the one stove, it packs a non-stick basket and a rack to add additional food items.
However, one of the major limitations of this kitchen appliance is its digital knob. While it has many food presets and functions, all those can only be achieved by turning the knob. There are no additional buttons. The only upside is that the knob has a touch-based digital interface, and you can make the selections through it. It takes a little time to get used to. But once done, you should have no issues in cooking your food. Or, if you want the easy way out, you can use the app.
Speaking of the app, it has a few presets but it also lets you customize the temperature and cooking time. Plus, you can also specify Single layer/Double layer ingredients.
The build quality is decent for the price. Like most air fryers, the body gets warm when it’s run for a long time. That said, it works as advertised, and the compact form factor means you can fit it into a corner of your kitchen countertop. Plus, the smart controls make it one of the best-priced air fryers.
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Off to a Healthy Start
These were some of the best air fryers under £100. Apart from the above, there are a couple of other budget air fryers like the one from Amazon Basics. This one has a 4L capacity and is easy to use and clean.
Or, if you are not on a tight budget and want good value for your money, you can check out the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Digital Air Fryer. As suggestive of its name, it has two baskets and has a capacity of 7.6L
Last updated on 29 September, 2023
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