Hailed as a versatile kitchen appliance that's easy to use, the air fryer is riding a long-lasting wave of popularity.
It's favoured by many fervent fans as a handy helper at mealtimes, with an ability to produce delicious and fast results for a wide range of foods.
But, while there are plenty of high-flying fryers on the market, we've uncovered some subpar units that you steer clear of.
These big-brand air fryers disappointed our experts in our latest tests, so if you're looking to up your kitchen game, give these models a miss.
What to look for when buying an air fryer
"When buying an air fryer, it's important that you choose one with comprehensive instructions including cooking guidelines and recipes," says CHOICE kitchen expert Fiona Mair.
"It's especially important if you've never used an air fryer before – otherwise it can be very difficult to figure out how to use them properly.
"Digital controls give better accuracy, and pre-programmed settings take the guesswork out of choosing a temperature and cooking time, and may also give you a reminder to shake the food to ensure even cooking."
The worst performing air fryers in our tests
The Dual View doesn't deliver, despite its high price tag.
Kitchen Couture Dual View Stainless Steel Air Fryer Silver
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 67%
- Performance score: 70%
- RRP: $499
This isn't Kitchen Couture's first time in our list of air fryers to avoid: its black 3.4L model was ranked second-lowest in our last test.
It's since been discontinued, but the company's latest offering isn't much better – and it costs more than three times as much.
The first Kitchen Couture air fryer we tested achieved a CHOICE Expert Rating of just 66% (which our experts rate as just "OK"), acing our hot chips test but bombing out on pretty much everything else.
So how does this Kitchen Couture fryer fare? Like its predecessor, it turned out crispy chips, and it also did a nice job of cooking marinated chicken wings.
But sadly that's the extent of its talents. Chicken nugget lovers would do well to avoid this fryer: our experts scored it just 60% for cooking crumbed chicken. It also did a disappointing job of roast pork. And our experts didn't exactly find it a joy to cook with, either, rating it 63% for ease of use.
You could buy a yearly CHOICE membership for $98, find out which cheap air fryer is best, and pocket the extra $300 you would've spent on this one
Despite being a relatively large unit, it only has a small capacity in each drawer – in fact, the manufacturer recommends you put only 125g of chips in each drawer. That's not a lot of crunch for your cash!
With performance like this, it's hard to justify the $499 price tag.
Considering that several air fryers our experts recommend cost less than $100, you could buy a yearly CHOICE membership for $98, find out which cheap air fryer is best, and pocket the extra $300 you would've spent on this one.
Read the full Kitchen Couture Dual View Stainless Steel Air Fryer Silver review.
Better as a benchtop oven than an air fryer: the Sunbeam Multi Zone Air Fryer.
Sunbeam Multi Zone Air Fryer
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 68%
- Performance score: 69%
- RRP: $299
Another fryer that's big on capacity but small on performance, this Sunbeam claims to handle 11L, but our experts found it only holds 9L.
That's because the manufacturer's claims can sometimes be misleading. We measure each air fryer's actual usable capacity so you know exactly how much room you'll have to cook with.
The Sunbeam was the best of this sorry bunch at cooking chicken nuggets, but that's not saying much. And when you consider that it wasn't much chop when we tested its ability to cook chips and chicken wings, it's not exactly smashing it out of the park, is it?
There are plenty of other options around this size but below this price point that'll do a better job
It does double as a benchtop oven, and it does a better job of this than as an air fryer. If you're in the market for a benchtop oven, it's worth considering but as an air fryer, not so much.
Just like its companions on this list, its price doesn't match its performance. There are plenty of other options around this size but below this price point that will do a much better job of cooking your dinner.
Read the full Sunbeam Multi Zone Air Fryer review.
Benchtop ovens with air fryer functionality often don't perform well in our air fryer testing.
Sunbeam 22L Multi Function Oven + Air Fryer BT7200
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 69%
- Performance score: 74%
- RRP: $299
This is another benchtop oven from Sunbeam with an air fryer function that underwhelms.
While it achieved an excellent performance in our benchtop oven testing (achieving high scores for cooking roast chicken, grilling toast and reheating pizza), it was less impressive in our air fryer testing.
Its weakest point was when cooking crumbed chicken, which is virtually unforgivable in an air fryer. It scored just 55% on this test.
CHOICE kitchen expert Fiona Mair said this is a common issue they find when testing benchtop ovens with air fryer functions.
"The reason benchtop ovens don't do as well as air fryers for chips or food that requires shaking or turning, like crumbed chicken, is because you need to open the door frequently. This means the heat escapes from the oven and therefore the food won't crisp and brown evenly," she says.
"In this particular model, the air fryer basket does not slide into the shelf supports. Rather it sits on a tray, which further blocks hot air from circulating around the food and crisping it up."
Our experts also noted this model is difficult to clean, with no pre-programmed settings and only two shelf positions.
If you're focused on air-frying capability, there are better options even at this low price tag.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
