The best air fryers have fast become the handiest kitchen appliance in our homes. From heating up leftovers to cooking multiple components at once, the best air fryers use circulating hot air to cook everything from chicken and steak to vegetables and even cakes.
And while some air fryers can run into hundreds of pounds, this batch of tried-and-tested air fryers – all of which are under £100, with some being considerably less – just goes to prove that you don’t need to spend a significant amount for great results.
As they need little to no oil, they’re a great solution for those looking to cut back on calories without sacrificing flavour. But why else should you opt for an air fryer?
“Air fryers typically use less energy because they run for shorter periods and only heat a small space,” explains Isabella Forgione, AO’s small appliance expert.
Best budget air fryers at a glance
Best overall – Ninja 4.7L PRO Air Fryer: £99.99, Sharkninja.co.uk
Best dual drawer budget air fryer – VonShef 9L dual air fryer with liners: £69.99, Tesco.com
Best for one or two person households – Tefal 5L easy fry pop air fryer: £59.99, Amazon.co.uk
Best for families or larger households – Daewoo 8L air fryer with window & divider: £89.99, Daewooelectricals.com
Best for small kitchens – Russell Hobbs satisfry 4.3L air fryer: £59.99, Argos.co.uk
“With energy bills in mind, the difference can really add up over time, especially if you’re cooking for one or two people” and don’t want to switch your oven on.
“Air fryers are also designed with convenience in mind. Many have dishwasher-safe baskets and trays, so clean-up is as simple as loading the dishwasher. With plenty of high-performing models available at entry-level prices, running costs are lower too, given their smaller size and faster cooking times.”
How I tested
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When testing each budget air fryer, I noted how the appliances performed when cooking a variety of staple foods – think chips, chicken and veggies – as well as pastries, bacon and seafood. I also considered their value for money, how many preset functions and cooking modes they had to take some of the guesswork out of cooking, and how each food or dish tasted as a result.
Read more: Ninja Crispi Pro review: Is it the future of air fryers?
Ninja 4.7L pro air fryer
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Why we love it
- The crispiest results
- Sleek and stylish design
- Easy to use
- Comes with tongs and apron
Take note
- No viewing window
★★★★★
Best: Budget air fryer overall
What we love: Sleek and stylish, this air fryer unsurprisingly provided some of the crispiest and tastiest foods. And while it only has four preset functions – compared to some of the others, which have significantly more – you can’t beat this one for value for money and its compact size. Plus, it arrives with a complimentary pair of tongs and apron
Take note: My only slight bugbear is that it doesn’t have a viewing window of some kind, but I can overlook that when it cooks the way that it does
Easily one of the most recognisable brands when it comes to air fryers, Ninja have a wide variety of options to choose from, but only a handful are under the £100 mark, with their 4.7L PRO device being my top pick from them. And if you buy it directly from Ninja, it’s even available in a sleek navy blue finish, complete with complimentary silicone tongs and a Ninja apron – all for the same price as you would pay for just the machine elsewhere.
The Ninja quickly became a go-to for me when cooking chips, fish fingers, chicken tenders and even a 1kg whole chicken. For those who prefer button controls – especially when touchscreens can show greasy fingerprints more – each one is incredibly easy to use and follow.
Buy now £99.99, Sharkninja.com
Vonshef 9L dual air fryer with liners
Why we love it
- Affordable dual drawer
- Two independent drawers
- Silicone liners included
★★★★☆
Best: Budget dual drawer air fryer
What we love: Seriously good value for money for a dual drawer air fryer. The two independent drawers are practical for cooking two meals at once, and the silicone liners help to keep things clean between uses – making it easy to quickly reheat leftovers without having to worry about cleaning the entire drawer.
Take note: It’s slightly bulkier and larger than the others – an issue if kitchen countertop space is limited.
For those looking to cook two meals, or multiple components, at the same time – without having to mess around with additional trays or inserts – a dual drawer air fryer is a must. Yet, it’s actually rarer than you might think to find one under the £100 mark all year round, and it was VonShef’s 9L Dual Air Fryer, with silicone liners included, that seriously impressed me.
Ideal for busy families or batch cooking for the week ahead, each basket can be used independently, unlike some other dual baskets that I’ve tried in the past, which are essentially one larger drawer separated into two.
At the same time, you can utilise the ‘match’ function to mirror the time and temperature across both baskets, or the Sync function allows you to use different settings for each basket but still have them finish at the same time, ready for you to plate up dinner. And given that it routinely comes in at under £70, I was more than happy with the 10 preset cooking modes, with it evenly cooking everything from meats and veggies to frozen foods.
Buy now £69.99, Tesco.com
Tefal 5L easy fry pop air fryer
Why we love it
- Fun colour
- Dinky and compact design
- 10 preset cooking functions
Take note
- Noisy beeping
★★★★☆
Best: Budget air fryer for one- or two-person households
What we love: Available in numerous unique colours to suit your kitchen aesthetic, the small, dinky design takes up barely any space, and it's easy and lightweight enough to manoeuvre out of sight when not in use. And just because it has a compact design doesn’t mean that you lose out on what it can tackle – enjoy 10 preset cooking functions
Take note: While handy, you may find the noisy beeping a bit of a nuisance.
Available in this calming eucalyptus hue, a bright canary yellow and classic black, Tefal’s 5L Easy Fry Pop can add a pop of colour – as the name alludes to – into your kitchen. The air fryer comes with 10 preset cooking functions – allowing you to tailor it to cook everything from steak and fish to desserts and even bacon, with enough room for at least two people.
In fact, you could likely fit enough for around four people, depending on what you’re cooking, yet it isn’t bulky at all. Plus, its simple touchscreen makes it incredibly easy and intuitive to use, with each preset having its own dedicated symbol. Ideal for heating up leftovers and making sides and smaller meals, it handled everything from pizza slices to chicken nuggets. Usually £79.99, it’s currently on sale at the moment, making it even more affordable. Definitely one to snap up while you can get it at that price.
Buy now £59.99, Amazon.com
Daewoo 8L air fryer with window and divider
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Why we love it
- Removable divider
- Great capacity
Take note
- Boxy design
- Stiff drawer
★★★★☆
Best: Budget air fryer for families or larger households
What we love: The sizeable 8L capacity – which can be converted into two 4L sections thanks to the removable divider – is a fantastic choice for families or larger households. So, if you have children or teens who each want something different, or would like the ability to cook your protein and vegetables at the same time, this drawer divider certainly comes in handy. Removing it gives you enough space for a larger piece of meat or roast chicken.
Take note: Something about the design does make it look a bit boxy.
This air fryer has a relatively simple and unobtrusive design, which means it should slot in and fit in nicely in most kitchens, even if the drawer was a bit stiffer than I would have liked. One thing that I really appreciated, though, was the basket shake reminder, which helps you to achieve evenly cooked and crispy chips, wedges, and glazed carrots. So, if you constantly find yourself doing a hundred and one other things while your air fryer is running, this little nudge is great for busy households.
Buy now £76.49, daewooelectricals.com
Russell Hobbs Satisfry 4.3L Air Fryer
Why we love it
- Easy to use
- Wide temperature ranges
- Dinky size
Take note
- Unsuitable for larger families or households
★★★★☆
Best: Budget air fryer for small kitchens
What we love: A great option for small kitchens and one- or two-person households, this air fryer has a small footprint and is incredibly easy to use. The nine cooking presets save you from having to worry about exact cooking times and temperatures.
Take note: Not suitable for feeding larger families or households. You may want to refrain from hosting a dinner party with this one.
At £59.99 all year round, the Russell Hobbs Satisfry 4.3L Air Fryer is one of the most affordable on the market. So, if you’ve been umming and ahhing about trying an air fryer, or simply want one which doesn’t take up a whole lot of space, this could be an excellent option.
I was curious to see that its temperature range began as low as 40°C – similar to the Ninja – which is the lowest out of all the air fryers that I’ve tested, both now and over the past few years. This should come in handy for warming up leftovers, and I actually used it to warm up some chocolate chip cookies, with them ending up perfectly gooey in just a few minutes, without burning or charring like they might in a traditional oven. Air fryer staples, like chips and frozen foods, came out just as you’d hope they would – crisp and tasty.
Buy now £52.99, Amazon.co.uk
Salter 4L crisp and go portable air fryer
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Why we love it
- Compact
- Great for keeping leftovers
- Cuts down on cleaning
- One of the most affordable glass air fryers on the market
Take note
- Smallest capacity
- Lack of light
- Must be careful handling hot glass
★★★★☆
Best: Budget air fryer for leftovers and less cleaning
What we love: Brilliantly compact and great for keeping leftovers, the 4L glass base and smaller 1.5L arrive with lids, allowing you to batch cook or store leftovers without having to dirty another container. It’s also one of the most affordable glass air fryers on the market.
Take note: The lack of light is noticeable, and you do have to take a bit more care handling it than you would a traditional air fryer. The glass obviously gets very hot during the cooking process, so you do need to be extra careful when plating up your food.
Now, you might have noticed that glass air fryers are becoming increasingly popular, from Ninja’s CRISPI (£249, Sharkninja.com) to similar alternatives. However, up until now it has been pretty tricky to find one for under £100.
With the two glass bases, Salter’s air fryer has quickly become my go-to way to cook chicken and meats, as instead of having to use a separate bowl to marinade and then transfer the contents over to an air fryer basket, I could do it all in the glass bowl before setting it up ready to cook.
At the same time, it handled everything from chips and lunchtime staples like sausage rolls and pies with no issues, crisping them up perfectly. I also found it oddly satisfying to watch the food cook, with chicken crisping up before my very eyes, even if it could benefit from having a built-in light. Yet, something about it having a glass base made it look and feel less bulky than a traditional air fryer, with it seamlessly blending into my kitchen.
Buy now £74.99, Amazon.co.uk
Instant Pot 5L Vortex Air Fryer
Why we love it
- Compact size
- Keeps smells at bay
Take note
- Only four preset functions
★★★★☆
Best: Budget air fryer for reducing odours
What we love: It comes in a compact size and keeps any unwanted cooking odours at bay with its odour filter.
Take note: The preset functions are limited, standing only at four.
With a compact size and simple design, Instant Pot’s 5L vortex air fryer might not have the highest number of preset cooking functions, but I had no issues cooking everything from fish fingers and chicken strips to vegetables and fish. And speaking of fish, seafood and other foods which can leave a bit of a lingering smell in your kitchen, or home more generally – especially if you have an open plan space – one of its biggest selling points, which immediately intrigued me, was the odour filter.
Even though I was slightly sceptical, it definitely cut down on the amount of smells and odours that emanated when cooking salmon, prawns and spiced foods. And if you’ve ever noticed that smells hang around, either in an existing air fryer or your oven, when you then go to cook another food or ingredient directly after it, this was reduced, too. As always, I appreciated the viewing window to keep an eye on what was cooking, and that it could serve up to four people.
Buy now £87.99, Amazon.co.uk
Philips 6.2L 2000 series air fryer
Why we love it
- Highest number of presets
- Unobtrusive design
- Good size
- Uniquely designed basket
Take note
- Could use a divider or extra basket
★★★★☆
Best: Budget air fryer for multifunctional cooking
What we love: With the highest number of cooking presets out of all the budget air fryers that I tested, this air fryer is a great choice if you love to whip up or try different dishes, or simply want to get the most out of this type of kitchen appliance. The uniquely designed basket allows air to circulate underneath the usual tray; chips and potato wedges were crispy but still fluffy inside, while chicken remained juicy and succulent without becoming dry.
Take note: It would have been more practical to include a divider or extra basket.
Tackling everything from frying, grilling and roasting, as you might expect from an air fryer, the Philips’ 6.2L 2000 series air fryer also has the ability to defrost, cook from frozen, toast, stir fry and dehydrate.
The touchscreen controls are simple to get your head around, and the cooking window allows you to keep an eye on things. As it is one large 6.2L basket, without any kind of divider or extra baskets to separate foods, I often needed to mix foods together. So, if you have fussy little ones, this might be a bit of a negative. Yes, you can upgrade to the larger Flexi Drawer (£99.99, Amazon.co.uk), but it would have been nice to have the option of a bit of separation, if needed.
Buy now £99.99, Amazon.com
Tower 8L AIRX AI Digital Air Fryer
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Why we love it
- Interesting use of AI technology
- Large capacity
Take note
- Stiff release button
★★★★☆
Best: Smart budget air fryer
What we love: The AI technology took even more of the guesswork out of cooking a wide range of foods with six cooking presets – including chicken, fish, prawns, steak, fries and cupcakes. The built-in sensor determines the optimum cooking temperature and time based on the type of food that you place in the basket.
Take note: The release button on the drawer handle is very stiff – even after using it quite a few times and attempting to loosen it, it still took quite a bit of power from me to open it.
With technologies continuing to advance, I did wonder when AI would move into the realm of air fryers, and Tower’s new 8L AIRX AI Digital Air Fryer answers that question. As I was slightly unsure of how the built-in sensor would work, I decided to test it on one meat you don’t want to be raw – chicken – and was rather surprised when it not only cooked it correctly, but it came out juicy and packed full of flavour.
Again, I appreciated the Shake Reminder, and despite it having one of the largest capacities – at 8L – it doesn’t take up as much countertop space as you might expect, making it a nice option for a range of households. The stiff release button was a bit frustrating when cooking foods that required shaking midway through, or when cooking multiple dishes over the course of a day or weekend. Even after I concluded my testing, it was still just as stiff, making it a bit clunky to open.
Buy now £99.99, Towerhousewares.com
What are the best budget air fryers under £100?
Choosing the best budget air fryer for you and your home will depend on a few factors. For example, if you only need to cook for one or two people, you might prefer a compact design and smaller capacity, compared to larger families or households who will need more space to cook. The same can be said for how much available counter space you have.
Taking all of this into consideration, the Ninja 4.7L PRO air fryer was my top overall pick. It was compact enough not to take up valuable countertop space, and had more than enough space for a wide range of foods and meals. I was also a big fan of the sleek design, added extras, and the fact that it provided some of the crispiest food.
Why trust me?
With over six years of experience putting all manner of kitchen appliances and products to the test, from the best coffee machines and multi-cookers to pan sets and steam cleaners, I’ve tested upwards of forty air fryers. Over the years, I’ve written for a number of homes and interiors titles, including Ideal Home, House Beautiful, Country Living, Livingetc, IndyBest, Expert Reviews and more.
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