Best small air-fryers to buy in the UK 2024, tried and tested

Whether you are part of a small household, or have limited kitchen space, discover the best small air-fryers put to the test by our reviews experts

By Imogen Hope

Published: Tuesday, 21 May 2024 at 13:16 PM

Looking to upgrade your air-fryer? Or taking the plunge into this trendy kitchen appliance, but not sure you have the space to spare? Either way, our reviews team have got you covered with our top picks of the best small air fryers to buy.

There’s no denying that air-fryers have firmly secured their place in the UK’s kitchens. But with many models featuring a bulking dual-zone drawer design, they tend to take up a lot of kitchen countertop real estate.

For those living in households of one or two people, or with limited kitchen space, a small air-fryer could be the way to go. Read on for our guide to the best small air-fryers, tried, tested and star rated by our expert reviews team.

Looking for more air-fryer inspiration? Our experts have put together guides on the best dual air-fryers and the best Ninja air-fryers with everything you need to know. Plus check out the best Ninja deals to be found right now.

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Best small air-fryers at a glance

Best small air-fryers UK to buy in 2024

Ninja air-fryer MAX AF160UK
Ninja air-fryer MAX product image with olive accreditation badge

Best small air-fryer for baking

Star rating: 5/5

This air-fryer from Ninja impressed us on test. It’s footprint is fairly compact but the drawer has a capacity of 5.2L which is roomy enough to fit a small chicken for roasting. As one of Ninja’s early models of air-fryer you may worry that it’s missing some of the bells and whistles of more recent releases, but we found the five presettings to be very useful and fit most of our needs.

The air fryer has functions to air-fry, max crisp, dehydrate, reheat and bake, the last of which we were very impressed by on test, producing a light, airy apple and almond cake.

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Cosori TurboBlaze air-fryer

best small air-fryers

Best quick small air-fryer

Star rating: 5/5

This is one of the more attractive air-fryers we’ve tested with a stylish design, sleek look and easy-to-use touchscreen display. There are a whopping nine pre-sets to choose from on this model with also has a 6L capacity, which is large enough to easily fit a roast chicken.

We were impressed by the run time which was up to 24 hours, prefect for using the dehydration function. On test we found this model to be impressively quiet, and it produced delicious air-fried halloumi which was golden on the outside with gooey, stretchy cheese on the inside.

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Ninja Air Fryer MAX PRO 6.2L AF180UK

best small air-fryers

Best small air-fryer for cooking a whole meal

Star rating: 5/5

This is definitely the largest air-fryer in this list, with a 6.2L capacity from it’s single drawer. It’s probably not the one for you if you’re really limited on kitchen space, but if you’re in a household of two and want to be able to cook a whole meal in a single drawer air-fryer this could work brilliantly.

As we’ve come to expect from Ninja, this air-fryer worked really well on test. We used the quick start guide which told us to cook our homemade chips for 20 minutes and they came out crisp on the outside and fluffy in the middle with a golden colour.

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Cosori air-fryer lite 3.8L

best small air-fryers

Best smart control small air-fryer

Star rating: 4.5/5

This is the most compact air-fryer from Cosori, and features the brand’s distinctive sleek design with a matte finish and intuitive touchscreen control panel. It has a 3.8L capacity in its single drawer, which will easily serve up to three people depending on what you’re cooking.

There are five presettings for chicken, fries, bacon, steak and veggies, but be warned that on test we found these to be a little ferocious and we had to reduce the cooking time and temperature for our chips to avoid them being burnt.

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Ninja Air Fryer PRO 4.7L AF140UK

best small air-fryer UK

Best small Ninja air-fryer

Star rating: 4.5/5

With a 4.7L drawer, this air-fryer from Ninja is large enough for a household of two without taking over the kitchen. The design is a little boxy, but the matte black design with silver accents is modern and attractive.

There are four settings to choose from on this air-fryer, but it’s worth bearing in mind that this model is pretty ferocious. We cooked our chips for the recommended time — 20 minutes at 200C — and they came out crisp and quite dark in colour, although the flavour was still delicious.

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Tefal EasyFry Precision 2-in-1 air-fryer and grill

best small air-fryers

Best small air-fryer with grill attachment

Star rating: 4.5/5

This air-fryer from Tefal has a touchscreen control panel which we found a breeze to navigate, as well as an attractive design overall with a brushed metal finish.

It also comes with a removable grill tray which easily slots into the drawer and lets you achieve a greater level of crispiness. While we found the browning a little inconsistent on our salmon, we were impressed with our chips which came out well sealed with a crisp finish.

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Magic Bullet 2.5 litre air-fryer

best small air-fryers

Best budget air-fryer

Star rating: 4/5

If you’re on a tight budget, or are very limited on kitchen space, this air-fryer from Nutribullet could be a good choice. Despite the budget price point we found this model to be surprisingly robust and sturdy, coping well with our recipes.

Weighing in at just 4kg, this air-fryer is really easy to move between the countertop and a cupboard if you’ve got limited kitchen real estate. On test we cooked handmade chips that retained a fluffy middle while also having a crispy outside and even, golden colour.

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Ninja air-fryer AF100UK

Ninja AF100UK air fryer product image with olive accreditation badge

Best super-compact air-fryer

Star rating: 4/5

With a compact drawer with a 3.2L capacity, this is the smallest model in Ninja’s collection of air-fryers. It comes with a paired back four functions: air-fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate. It is also the most affordable air-fryer from Ninja, so if you’re on a tight budget but are still after a name brand air-fryer this could be a great option.

On test we enjoyed using the dehydrating function which produced cherries packed with flavour to add to porridge. The roast function also impressed, giving our Mediterranean vegetables a nice colour while they still retained moisture.

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Is it worth getting a small air-fryer?

If you live in a small household of one or two people, or you have limited kitchen space, a compact air-fryer is going to be the best option. Air-fryers have risen in popularity in recent years due to their ability to heat up quickly, reach high temperatures which produces a ‘fried effect’ and their energy efficiency.

Having an air-fryer allows you to cook or reheat food and achieve a crispy texture without needing to turn on your oven. The energy efficiency which this allows is not only budget friendly but also more environmentally friendly than using your whole oven. This benefit increases if you live in a small household — why turn on your whole oven to cook two salmon fillets when you could put them in the air-fryer and have them ready in under 15 minutes?

What is the best air-fryer for a single person?

If you’re a single person looking for an air-fryer there’s a few things you need to ask yourself. The main question is do you want to be able to cook a whole meal in your air-fryer? Or are you looking for a super compact air-fryer to fit in a small space?

If the answer to the former is yes, you’ve got a few options. Our pick for an air-fryer which is on the smaller side, but large enough to cook a meal for one would be the Ninja Air Fryer PRO 4.7L AF140UK. To cook a meal in one you want a drawer that’s deep enough to fit different elements, or to invest in a crisping rack that lets you double the room in your air-fryer.

If you’re limited on space, the Magic Bullet 2.5 litre air-fryer could be a great option. This is a really compact piece of kit that still packs a punch, and is lightweight enough to be packed away into a drawer or cupboard is needed.

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