Hailed as a kitchen appliance that's easy to use and can handle a multitude of tasks, 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 fly fryers on the market, there are several that won't give you much crunch for your cash, so make sure you know what you're buying to ensure you don't end up with a dud.
These big-brand air fryers disappointed our test experts, 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 Cuisinart Express Oven Air Fry received the lowest score in our air fryers test.
Cuisinart Express Oven Air Fry
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 62%
- Performance score: 64%
- RRP: $449
It fries, it bakes, it grills, it roasts, it reheats! The Cuisinart Express Oven does it all – it just doesn't do it especially well.
It came in dead last place of all the air fryers we tested, failing to beat even basic models costing less than $100.
Its weakest point is cooking chips, which is virtually unforgivable in an air fryer. It scored just 45% on this test.
It's very good at cooking marinated chicken wings, but that's about it. Its efforts cooking crumbed chicken and roast pork were so-so, and if you can't have chips on the side of your meal, what's the point of having an air fryer at all?
Its weakest point is cooking chips, which is virtually unforgivable in an air fryer
More is sometimes better, but not in this case: the Express Oven may have a huge 17L capacity but with cooking skills like these, all that means is it'll turn out larger quantities of mediocre food.
And at a hefty 8.9kg with a large footprint it'll take up lots of space on your kitchen bench, but won't earn its keep as a kitchen helper.
Six of the eight air fryers recommended by CHOICE's kitchen experts cost about the same or even less than the Express Oven, so you're better off spending that $449 on a different air fryer.
Read the full Cuisinart Express Oven Air Fry review.
Should you buy a benchtop oven?
While the Cuisinart might not be the best air fryer, it's still a good benchtop oven. And in fact, the three benchtop ovens listed here performed well when we tested them against other benchtop oven models.
So whether or not a benchtop oven is right for you depends what you're looking for in an appliance. These are great for grilling and roasting, and they're big enough to fit a whole chicken.
While the benchtop ovens listed here might not be the best air fryers, they're still good benchtop ovens
"The reason benchtop ovens don't do as well as air fryers for chips or food that requires shaking or turning 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," says Fiona.
If you need an oven for a small space, a benchtop model can be a great option, even if it doesn't produce perfectly golden, crispy chips. Enjoying a delicious roast chicken instead might be the next best thing!
Check our reviews to find the best benchtop oven for your needs.
Brains over beauty: the Kitchen Couture air fryer.
Kitchen Couture 3.4L air fryer
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 66%
- Performance score: 67%
- RRP: $149
It might have the looks, but the Kitchen Couture's strengths lie in its form rather than its function: it received the second-lowest score of all the air fryers we tested.
Our experts found it was very good at cooking thick-cut frozen chips, but it failed to impress in the other cooking tests.
And when it comes to ease of use, the Kitchen Couture is all style, no substance – our experts had a long list of complaints about its various idiosyncrasies.
Our testing shows there are better buys at the budget end of the scale
It's not the newest air fryer on the block either, which perhaps explains its relatively low price tag of $149. In fact, our CHOICE shopping spies have even previously spotted it on sale for as little as $69.
Even though this may seem like a great opportunity to grab a bargain, our testing shows there are better buys at the budget end of the scale.
Read the full Kitchen Couture 3.4L air fryer review.
You get what you pay for with the cheap Kmart Anko 9L Twin Air Fryer AFD2906.
Kmart Anko 9L Twin Air Fryer AFD2906
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 67%
- Performance score: 65%
- RRP: $119
While we've found many a Kmart appliance that delivers great bang for your buck, this just isn't one of them.
And if you've considered investing in a twin air fryer, we suggest looking at other models we have tested that have more sophisticated features and receive better performance scores.
This twin air fryer doubly disappointed our experts on tests such as cooking frozen straight-cut chips and crumbed chicken, and was rated as only OK overall.
It does have some redeeming features though. Our experts say it was very good when it came to cooking roast pork and marinated chicken wings, and it has 11 pre-set functions from baking and defrosting through to cooking steaks, pizza, bacon and drumsticks.
And with two separate cooking baskets you can cook two different types of food at the same time, using different cooking functions and temperature settings. But the extra basket means a larger unit, so it'll take up quite a bit of bench space compared to other air fryers.
If you're prepared to invest in an air fryer, spending just a little more will get you a machine that will do the job well
It may be one of the cheapest air fryers in our test, but it's also one of the worst performing (and more expensive than two other Kmart air fryers which we scored higher).
If you're prepared to invest in an air fryer, spending just a little more will get you a machine that will do the job well. And you don't need to spend a fortune: two air fryers our experts recommend cost less than $200.
Read the full Kmart Anko 9L Twin Air Fryer review.
Should you buy a Kmart air fryer?
Although we recommend you steer clear of this Kmart twin model, we haven't completely red-carded all the air fryers in the Kmart range. In fact, other Kmart Anko air fryers we looked at did perform better in our testing.
Several Kmart models scored well on performance, but were less impressive in terms of ease of use. (Join CHOICE to access the full reviews and see which Kmart air fryer is best).
This Tefal may be XXL on size, but it's small in terms of performance.
The rest of a bad bunch
These three air fryers didn't quite reach the lows of the three listed above, but they're not far off.
They all scored less than 70% overall, and while they performed fairly well in some cooking tests, they're still not fryers you want on your kitchen bench.
Don't write these brands off altogether, though: other Sunbeam and Tefal models scored higher in our review; it's just that these ones aren't great examples of the brands.
Tefal Dual Easy Fry & Grill XXL Air Fryer
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 68%
- Performance score: 73%
- RRP: $500
Sunbeam Multi Zone Air Fryer
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 68%
- Performance score: 69%
- RRP: $299
Sunbeam 22L Multi Function Oven + Air Fryer
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 69%
- Performance score: 74%
- RRP: $299
We're on your side
In more than 60 years of making a difference for Australian consumers, we've never taken ads or sponsorship.
Instead we're funded by members who value expert reviews and independent product testing.
With no self-interest behind our advice, you don't just buy smarter, you get the answers that you need.
You know without hesitation what's safe for you and your family.
And you'll never be alone when something goes wrong or a business treats you unfairly.
Learn more about CHOICE membership today
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
