Is an air fryer a good gift and should you be picking one up as part of your Christmas shopping this year? Whether you're an air fryer convert or not, it's pretty much impossible to have escaped the wave of hype around these handy appliances.
So, as Christmas rolls around, you might be debating if it's worth gifting one of the best air fryers to those in your life who have somehow avoided the call of these appliances thus far.
As Ideal Home's product tester, I've reviewed over 30 air fryers at our test facility, and I'm always recommending these appliances to my family and friends. If you are thinking of gifting someone an air fryer, then it's worth thinking about which type of air fryer would suit them and their kitchen, as well as any accessories you can invest in for any air fryer lovers out there. I've covered all of the air fryer gift angles you might want to browse below at a range of price points.
Is an air fryer a good gift?
My simple answer is yes, an air fryer is a great gift for someone who hasn't invested in one yet. Or, if you know someone whose air fryer is looking a little battered, then it's a nice idea to help someone upgrade to a newer model.
I'd know because, on the Ideal Home team, I'm the resident air fryer obsessive. With my constant talk about them, I've converted the whole office and gifted more than a few air fryers to my family and friends too.
And on my journey to fix everyone up with an air fryer, I've found that there's a huge range of sizes and prices you can buy air fryers at, which makes them appropriate to any home and most budgets (for those doing the shopping!). Our round-up of the best air fryers under £100 and the best air fryers for a family of four show the kind of versatility on offer.
And obviously, the main reason that an air fryer makes a great gift is just how useful they are for everyday cooking. We've covered it in our standalone feature on air fryers vs ovens, but the bottom line is this – these appliances are much more efficient than your built-in oven.
That means that gifting an air fryer to somebody else is bound to be helpful, whatever their set-up, as cooking food more quickly (and using less energy, which we calculated in our feature on the cost to run an air fryer) is a win-win, especially in the continuing cost of living crisis.
Our former Head of Reviews, Millie Fender is the one who converted me to air fryers and has her own thoughts on the politics of giving an air fryer as a gift.
'It can be taboo to give a practical Christmas gift, but if you want to give someone a gift they're guaranteed to use, I don't think it gets much better than an air fryer,' Millie says.
'I gave my grandparents an air fryer last Christmas and they loved it, mostly because it showed I had put a lot of thought into their needs. As they've aged they're less able to lift heavy trays into the oven, and they're increasingly cooking for one or two, so they've made a lot of use out of their Tower air fryer - something I doubt they'd have treated themselves to.'
Air fryer gift ideas
The important question is though, which type of air fryer is right for your intended recipient? I've narrowed down the perfect air fryer for all sorts of queries, and described why they'd make a great present this Christmas.
This is our favourite air fryer with a pricetag of under £100 (and you can usually find it for far less than its RRP too). It's also the perfect student-friendly buy – the perfect size for halls of residence or student houses, and easy to keep clean, with just one dishwasher-safe draw. I wish I'd had this air fryer when I was making my mid-week student dinners.
Our Instant Vortex Air Fryer review has the full details of how it performed in our tests.
I gifted this air fryer to my parents last Christmas and they love it. They needed something really accessible, and this buy has a large drawer that's not too heavy and a really intuitive touch screen. It's a great versatile size too, which suits cooking for just two or for four of us when the whole family is home.
Our Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer with ClearCook review has the full details of how it performed in our tests.
If you're looking to splash the cash on someone who's already a signed-up air fryer fan, then this is the ultimate buy to upgrade them to. It's our top-rated air fryer ever and has a design that allows you to use it as a two-drawer model or a large one-drawer model depending on what you fancy. It's even a step up from the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone, which was the buy on everyone's wishlists last year.
Our Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer review has the full details of how it performed during our tests.
This air fryer is cleverly slim so that you can squeeze it onto any kitchen worktop that's lacking in space. It performed well in our tests too, and is Quiet Mark approved (which means that it won't annoy you with its sounds, essentially). It's the perfect gift for anyone who wants an air fryer but is worried about making the space.
The possibilities with this oven are huge, with 10 functions and lots of accessories to air frying fresh pizza, cookies and even slow cooking easier than ever. That's why this is a perfect gift for the foodie in your life. And don't just take our word for it, it's Stanley Tucci approved too.
Our Sage The Smart Oven Air Fryer review has the full details of how this performed in our tests.
If you want to gift someone an air fryer but you're worried that they're not very chic, then we're with you. As much as we love these ever-practical appliances, they can be a bit underwhelming when it comes to design. That's why we're much keener on this white version of the ever popular Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone – it's perfect for the tricky customer in your life.
Gifts for air fryer lovers
If the person you still need to buy for already has an air fryer (and has no need to upgrade), then you might be on the hunt for related air fryer gifts to fill a stocking with or bulk out another present with. These gifts are a way to incorporate their love for their cooking essential into the equation.
For the air fryer obsessive in your life, John Lewis has crafted a miniature air fryer bauble they can add to their Christmas tree.
Never struggle with converting air fryer cooking times again with this handy chopping board.
Using ramekins in an air fryer is one of our favourite hacks to make perfectly sized single portions. And these ones from Le Creuset are just adorable too!
Whether you're shopping for a gift or hoping to receive an air-fryer-shaped present under the tree this year, we're sure that these ever-handy appliances will become a staple in your kitchen not just at Christmas, but for life.
