Kitchen equipment · Air fryer
Air fryer
A compact countertop fan oven that blasts hot air around food in a basket to crisp it with little oil.
Useful to have · Electric
What it is
A countertop appliance with a heating element and powerful fan above a perforated basket or drawer, or shelves in oven-style models. Despite the name it does not fry: it is a small convection oven, so food browns and crisps like roasting, using a spray or spoonful of oil instead of a pan of it.
What it’s for: Quick crisping and roasting of small portions without heating a full oven.
How to use it
- Preheat for a few minutes if the model recommends it.
- Toss food lightly in oil and spread it in the basket in a single layer.
- Cook at the set temperature, shaking or turning halfway through.
- Check early: air fryers cook faster than ovens; reduce oven recipe temperatures and times.
Good to know
- Tasks
- crisping chips and potatoes, cooking chicken wings, reheating fried food, roasting vegetables, cooking frozen snacks, toasting nuts
- Cooking methods
- Air-fried, Roasted, Oven-baked, Toasted
- Materials
- plastic housing, non-stick coated basket, stainless steel
- Care and cleaning
- Wash the basket and drawer after each use; grease left behind can smoke. Wipe the element area only when cold and unplugged.
- Limitations
- Small capacity; wet batters drip and do not set; overcrowding prevents crisping.
Safety
- Leave space around it for ventilation.
- Do not put paper liners in during preheat; they can fly into the element.
- Pull the hot drawer out onto a heatproof surface.
If you don’t have one
- Oven — A fan oven at high heat on a rack gives similar results, more slowly.
Equipment guide
How it works: An air fryer is a small convection oven. An element heats air and a powerful fan blows it over food in a perforated basket or on a tray. Because the chamber is small and the air moves fast, the surface dries and browns quickly with only a little oil, giving a crisp finish similar to (but not the same as) deep-frying.
| Material | Good | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stick (PTFE or ceramic sol-gel coating on aluminium) | Eggs, fish and pancakes release with little fat; easy to clean; forgiving for beginners. | Coatings wear out (ceramic often faster than PTFE); PTFE should not be heated empty or above about 260 °C; poor at building fond; needs non-metal utensils. |
| Stainless steel | Durable, non-reactive, dishwasher-safe, does not hold smells. | Can scratch non-stick pans; conducts heat, so all-metal handles get hot. |
| Ceramic-coated basket | PTFE-free option. | Coating can wear faster than PTFE. |
- Basket air fryer
- Compact; drawer-style basket you shake.
- Dual-basket air fryer
- Two zones cooking separately.
- Oven-style air fryer
- Shelves and a door; also toasts and bakes.
Buying guidance
Starting out: A 4–5.5 litre basket model with a simple thermostat and timer feeds 2–4 people.
Keen cook: Dual-basket or oven-style if you cook for a family.
- Power: about 1,200–2,000 W
- Capacity: 2–4 litres for one or two people, 5–7 litres for families
- Temperature range up to about 200 °C
- Basket area matters more than litres (food must sit in a single layer)
- Dishwasher-safe basket
No brands or prices — check current reviews before buying.
Related tools
Recipes that use it
No recipe in the catalogue lists it yet.