Deep fat fryers have largely been replaced by modern air fryers, which deliver the crisp, golden results we all love without buckets of oil or lingering greasy smells. If you want fried-style food with far less hassle, an air fryer is the smart upgrade.
We’ve focused on Ninja’s most popular models because they consistently score extremely highly with UK buyers and offer a good spread of sizes and features. From compact single-drawer options to powerful dual-zone workhorses, these are the standout picks worth your money in 2026.
Each air fryer here has its own strengths. Some are built for big families and batch cooking; others are ideal for smaller kitchens or tighter budgets. The key is to choose the one that matches your space, cooking habits and how often you’ll use it.
Our recommendations are based on real-world data, not marketing fluff. We look closely at long-term customer ratings, the number of reviews behind those scores, and how each model’s features translate into everyday use in a UK kitchen.
We compare price, capacity, programmes and flexibility across the range, weighing up value as well as performance. Where a more expensive model doesn’t add much over a cheaper one, we’ll say so; where spending extra genuinely makes life easier, we highlight that too.
The deep fryers and air fryers on this page are a curated shortlist designed to cut through the noise. We keep an eye on the wider market and update our picks so you’re seeing models that are still relevant, widely available and genuinely worth considering.
To build this list, we started with the top-rated air fryers in the deep fryer category and filtered for models with consistently high scores and large numbers of owner reviews. A 4.8–4.9 out of 5 rating from thousands of users is a clear sign that a product performs well in real homes.
We then looked at how each model fits different households: single versus dual-zone, overall capacity, and how flexible they are for cooking full meals rather than just snacks. Price played a key role too, so there’s a genuinely good option whether you’re spending around £100 or stepping up for a more feature-packed design.
Finally, we limited the list to a handful of stand-out choices, rather than dozens of near-identical options. That way it’s easier to weigh up the trade-offs and pick the right Ninja air fryer for the way you actually cook.
Every model below is a strong choice, but for slightly different reasons. Some prioritise capacity and flexibility, others focus on value and compact footprints.
Use the badges and summaries to home in on what matters most to you – whether that’s cooking a full family dinner in one go, fitting the fryer under a wall cupboard, or getting Ninja performance at the lowest possible price.
A brilliantly versatile Ninja air fryer that delivers crisp results, generous capacity and user-friendly controls at a very fair price for what it offers.
With a 4.9 out of 5 rating from well over eight thousand reviews, the Ninja Foodi Max Pro AF180UK is clearly a crowd-pleaser in real homes. It offers the crisp, even cooking Ninja is known for, making chips, chicken and frozen favourites reliably golden without constant checking. The Max Pro branding points to a generously sized basket, so you can cook family portions in one go rather than in multiple batches. Controls are typically straightforward and clearly labelled, which helps everyone in the house get to grips with it quickly. At around the low-to-mid £100s, it delivers a lot of performance and capacity for the money compared with many rivals.
As a single-drawer model, the AF180UK can’t cook two foods at different temperatures at the same time, which might matter if you like to cook a whole meal in one go. Its generous capacity also means it will take up a noticeable footprint on the worktop. If you regularly cook separate mains and sides, a dual-zone design may be more convenient despite the extra outlay.
This model is ideal if you want one hard-working air fryer that can handle most meals with minimal fuss. It suits families or couples who cook regularly and value consistent, crispy results across everything from chips to chicken. If you’re moving on from a budget air fryer and want a noticeable upgrade without paying for dual drawers, this is an excellent choice.
A powerful dual-zone air fryer with six cooking functions, ideal if you want to cook two parts of a meal side by side without using the oven.
The Ninja MAX 6-in-1 Dual Zone DZ400UK combines excellent reviews with the flexibility of dual drawers, so you can air fry, roast or reheat different foods at once. Its six functions give you much more than basic chips, making it a handy replacement for several other small appliances on the worktop. The ability to run each zone independently, or sync them to finish together, is a real time-saver at dinner time. A 4.9 rating from over four and a half thousand reviews shows that owners rate both the results and the ease of use. For households that regularly cook a main and side together, it can sharply cut down on oven use and cooking time.
The DZ400UK sits at a higher price point than basic single-drawer models, so you do pay for the flexibility. Its dual-zone layout also means it takes up more counter space and may feel bulky in a compact kitchen. If you rarely cook a full meal in the air fryer, you may not fully use the extra functions and zones.
Choose the DZ400UK if you often cook full meals in the air fryer and want to ditch the oven on busy evenings. It’s a great fit for families or shared houses that need to juggle different foods at once, like veg on one side and breaded chicken on the other. If you’re willing to pay more for flexibility, the dual-zone six-in-one design will earn its keep.
A dual-zone Ninja that hits a sweet spot between capacity, flexibility and price, making it a great everyday workhorse for busy households.
The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK delivers the core benefits of dual-zone cooking without going to the very biggest sizes, which suits many UK kitchens. Its twin drawers let you cook a full meal with different timings and temperatures, ideal for pairing proteins with veg or chips. With a 4.9 rating from more than a thousand reviews, reliability and performance are clearly strong. It feels like a carefully balanced model that gives you plenty of flexibility without being overwhelming in size or price. For families moving up from a single-drawer air fryer, it’s an easy, logical upgrade.
While the AF300UK is very versatile, it doesn’t have the absolute largest capacity in Ninja’s line-up, so very big families might still prefer a Max-size model. Dual-zone controls add some complexity compared with a basic single-drawer fryer. If your budget is tight, the price premium over a simpler model may feel harder to justify.
The AF300UK is well suited to households that want the benefits of dual-zone cooking without going to the very largest or priciest model. It’s a strong match for families of three to four or anyone who batch cooks for the week ahead. If you like the idea of cooking a main and side at the same time but have limited counter space, this balanced option will appeal.
A max-capacity dual-zone fryer designed for larger families and keen hosts who need serious space for mains and sides in one go.
As a Max Dual Zone model, the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone AF400UK is all about capacity, giving you two large drawers for serious family cooking. It’s tailor-made for big portions, batch cooking or entertaining, where cooking everything in the oven at once might be awkward or slow. A 4.9/5 rating from over a thousand owners indicates that the combination of space and performance really hits the mark. The dual-zone design lets you mix and match cooking methods and temperatures, which makes planning meals more flexible. If you’re often catering for hungry teens or guests, it has the headroom you need.
The extra capacity of the AF400UK comes with a larger footprint, so it can dominate smaller worktops and be awkward to store. It’s also priced above compact and single-drawer models, which might be overkill if you only occasionally cook for more than two people. For light users, the full potential of both drawers may go unused.
Pick the AF400UK if you have a big family, entertain frequently or simply cook large portions at once. It’s particularly good for households with teenagers or anyone who loves batch cooking and freezing portions. If you have the space for it on the worktop and want to minimise oven use, this max-capacity model is hard to beat.
A compact yet capable single-drawer Ninja that brings fast, crispy cooking to smaller households without stretching the budget.
The Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Max AF160UK keeps things simple with a single drawer, which helps keep the price down while still offering Ninja’s trademark crisp results. With a 4.8 rating from over two and a half thousand reviews, it’s clearly a dependable everyday choice for smaller households. Its more compact footprint makes it easier to leave on the worktop without sacrificing too much space. You still get enough capacity for two portions of chips or chicken, so it’s ideal for couples or solo cooks. For those new to air frying, its straightforward design and lower price make it an easy model to live with.
As a single-drawer fryer, the AF160UK lacks the multi-dish flexibility of dual-zone models, so you may still rely on your oven for full meals. Its capacity is better suited to one or two people, so larger families could find themselves cooking in several batches. While it’s more affordable than many dual-zone options, it still isn’t the very cheapest air fryer on the market.
The AF160UK is perfect for smaller households, couples and singles who still want great air-fried results without a bulky appliance. It suits those with limited counter space who will use an air fryer regularly for chips, chicken and quick midweek meals. If you’re dipping a toe into air frying for the first time and want proven performance at a sensible price, this is a very safe bet.
