Whether you want to upgrade to a newer model, or your air-fryer has reached the end of its life, knowing how and where to dispose of your appliance is important to avoid creating more e-waste. Once considered mostly in terms of getting the best flavour out of 'beige' food, air fryers have exploded in popularity over the last few years as energy costs have risen, and are now viewed by countless households as the better alternative (in terms of cost as well as health) to conventional cooking methods. Style: Basket | Capacity: 7.6L | Size: 38.4D x 31.7W x 40.3H centimetres | Cooking modes: Air fry, roast, grill, bake, reheat and dehydrate | Dishwasher-safe parts: Yes | Wattage: 1700W What we like Offering 13 preset cooking functions and a digital one-touch LED control screen if you don't want to use the app, this air fryer is simple to get to grips with – perfect if you’re a newbie to the world of air fryers. The removable basket is dishwasher-safe too, which is always a winner when it comes to cleaning up after family meals. Other useful settings include preheating and keeping warm options in case you can’t sit down to eat as soon as the food is ready. There are a number of different types of air fryers on the market, which tend to vary in terms of capacity, number of programmes and method of cooking.

The ten functions provided include air fryer, rotisserie, dehydrator, baking and roasting. It features Vortex Frying Technology, which means you only need a tiny amount of oil because the hot air circulates evenly around the cooker. There’s an easy-to-use touch-screen digital control and eight auto-cook programmes so you can also prepare steak, fish and dried fruit. An air fryer cooks food by heating air up to around 200°C and circulating it around the inside of the appliance. It works a little like a fan oven in this respect and can be used to cook a range of foods, including some frozen foods. We also love the design. It's sleek and modern with a digital display, and you can see your food through the viewing window to ensure it doesn't overcook. The instructions are fairly limited however, so it may take some time getting used to it and a bit of trial and error if you're an air frying novice. We have the COSORI 5.5L. It's great, easy to use, easy to clean, takes up very little space. We've had it three months or so and I'm very happy with it." (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user TheBitterBoy) Stirring paddle – Some air fryers have a stirring paddle so that you don’t have to shake or stir your food during the cooking process to ensure an even fry, although the jury’s out on whether stirring paddles improve the finish or not. You can sometimes remove the stirring paddle if you’d rather not use it.Our biggest gripe is that it's not the most user-friendly device initially; we'd recommend you take some time to read the instructions and get to grips with the different settings before the first use. Once you get the hang of it, however, you'll soon be impressed with the delicious results - the chips in particular are second to none. I couldn’t afford [a Ninja] so have a Tower one and it’s been brilliant. My oven broke for the third time and no way was I paying for another repair so the air fryer has completely replaced my oven!" (Brand recommended by Mumsnet user ThatsRoughBuddy) Our verdict Though it comes with a significant price tag, you'd be hard pressed to find a Mumsnet air fryer thread which doesn't mention the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer. The best air fryer for versatility on our list, it makes cooking for a range of dietary requirements a doddle with its two separate cooking zones. These can be used simultaneously on different modes to help prepare your family’s meals of choice.

Calculation based on using a Blaupunkt Rapid 4.5 litre family-sized air fryer cost 18.4p per hour compared to a conventional oven at 62.2p per hour for one hour a day, for 365 days. The Ninja Foodi is worth every penny and will save you money cooking. For example, my gas fan oven will take 20 minutes to cook after warming up, my Ninja does it in nine minutes."(Vetted by Mumsnet user OldTinHat) Our verdict Style: Basket | Capacity: 6.6L | Size: ‎35.56 x 27.94 x 38.35 cm | Cooking modes: Air fry, bake, dehydrate, plus more | Dishwasher-safe parts: Yes | Wattage: 1500W What we likeThe ActiFry makes cooking stress-free using its smart settings to adjust the temperature and cooking time and even stir your food for you, a feature busy parents will love. There's an automatic warm mode too, so if you get distracted, your food won't go cold or burn in the mean time. Style: Air fryer oven | Capacity: 10L | Size: ‎‎32.5D x 35W x 36.3H | Cooking modes: Air fry, bake, rotisserie and dehydrate | Dishwasher-safe parts: Yes | Wattage: 2000W What we like Style: Basket | Capacity: 9.5L | Size: H32.5, W41.5, D27cm | Cooking modes: Max crisp, air fry, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate | Dishwasher-safe parts: Yes | Wattage: 2470W What we like

As a general rule, you should reduce the cooking time by 20% and decrease the temperature by 25-30ºC. However, you will need to adjust the time and temperature based on the specific recipe and the size of your air fryer. How to choose the best air fryerAuto shut-off – This means that the air fryer will turn off when the food is ready. Some air fryers don’t have this function, so you need to listen to the timer beep to know when to turn it off. Temperature controls – Some air fryers have this function while others don’t. It’s worth noting that temperature control doesn’t necessarily lead to better-tasting food. You may find that it’s enough to rely on the relevant ‘function’ buttons on your air fryer.

An avid foodie, she loves nothing more than trying new culinary creations in the kitchen, which often includes testing out and researching the latest time-saving gadgets for Mumsnet. She has also had work published in The i Paper, Stylist Magazine, Gransnet and Exposed Magazine. Why you should trust us Basket style with heating elements: tall, slim air-fryers feature a main unit with heating elements and fans. These have slide-out baskets or trays that slot into place inside. As they tend to have a smaller cooking area than oven-style fryers, in testing we found even results were more likely if the cooking was paused occasionally to rearrange or toss the food around. Some fryers will cut out automatically when you do this, some will need to be paused if you want accurate timings. One of the benefits of using an air fryer is that they are typically more energy efficient than traditional cooking methods like using an oven. Jenny Tschiesche, a nutrition expert and author of the Air-Fryer Cookbook, attributes their recent surge in popularity to the cost of living crisis: "An air fryer can cook pretty much everything an oven can, albeit in a smaller capacity, but use far less energy." Tefal is a brand highly recommended by Mumsnet users for their reliable and quality products. The ActiFry Genius XL 2-in-1 is no exception. It is ideal for families with its six-portion capacity to cook a whole meal simultaneously using its two compartments and two-in-one technology. You can cook so much in this top-rated air fryer, including favourites from your best cookbooks, from meats to fish to curries. We’ve thoroughly researched the best air fryers you can buy this year including tried-and-tested experiences from a wide range of reliable, trusted sources. Here are the features we focused on to carefully curate our shortlist.

The beauty of a dual-draw air fryer is the ability to cook two different things at once and this device excels at that; it even has a SyncFinish mode so you can ensure both sets of food are ready at the same time, even if they have a different cooking time. Style: Basket | Capacity: 1.6L (up to 450g chips) | Size: ‎25 x 18 x 30cm | Cooking modes: Poultry, steak or meat, bakes, fresh fries and veg, frozen fries and veg | Dishwasher-safe parts: No | Wattage: 1200W What we like The Blaupunkt Rapid 4.5 Litre Family-sized Air Fryer also has great benefits for your kitchen by being able to be stored neatly on your work surface or stored away after use. With a 4.5 litre size you’ll have plenty of space to cook for the whole family, and with rapid cooking times dinner will be on the table before you have the chance to set it!