Claudia Cornell for the Daily Mail

Published: October 27, 2021 at 17:05 EDT | Updated: October 27, 2021 at 17:15 EDT

Crispy and delicious French fries on the outside, fluffy in the middle, made with little or no oil, sounds like an impossible dream.

But thanks to the air fryer-a countertop machine that cooks by rapidly circulating hot air-can simulate the effect of fried food, with much less calories and a fraction of fat.

The latest machines can reduce fat by up to 80% and calories almost halved. For example, a portion of homemade French fries cooked in a deep fryer can generate about 330 calories and contain 11 grams of fat. The same potato chips cooked in a tablespoon of oil in an air fryer have 170 calories and only 3 grams of fat.

Even better, they won't make your kitchen smell like crumbs. The smell is similar to that of a standard oven, not the greasy smell of a deep fryer.

Claudia Connell judges the six best air fryer available in the UK-including the Philips Turbostar Premium air fryer (pictured) 

Although these gadgets have been around for many years, their popularity has skyrocketed in the past 12 months. In the annual consumer report released this month, John Lewis revealed that air fryer sales have increased by 400%-lock-in and our desire to conduct more experiments in the kitchen played a role.

But can these small inventions live up to their promises? I tested six here...

Philips Turbostar Premium air fryer, £181.35, amazon.co.uk

Cooking enough for four servings, this model is large and bulky and will take up a lot of countertop or cabinet space. These instructions were almost useless, and I had to watch a YouTube video to determine how to operate it. This machine has two dials-one for temperature and one for time. Its recipe book is unremarkable, but you can download more adventurous apps.

Chip test: Using frozen chips, I filled deep enough compartments without adding any oil. Like all air fryer, frozen French fries do not require oil, but homemade French fries do.

I set the temperature to 180C, set the timer to 12 minutes (following the instructions in the manual), and then stepped back and waited for the miracle to happen. The machine made a whirring sound, and I pulled the handle out of the compartment halfway through and shook it. Although the fries looked cooked, I decided to give them another minute to increase the crispness.

When I bite them, I enter the chip heaven. They are perfectly cooked in half the time in the oven. They have a deep fried taste and use zero oil. What kind of witchcraft is this?

Sausages: Since the basket is large, I can easily put in six Lincolnshire sausages. I set the timer to 16 minutes, and although I don’t doubt that they can cook, will they turn brown? After turning halfway, the answer is yes. When I took them out, they were hot, hissing, and they were uniformly brown. 4/5

Salter 4.5-liter digital air fryer, £59.99, salter housewares.co.uk

Claudia said that the Salter 4.5-liter digital air fryer (pictured) cooked her fries perfectly in 15 minutes and her mushrooms perfectly in 8 minutes 

Considering that this model is on the cheap end of the market, it looks very shiny and chic, and it won't look out of place next to a high-end coffee machine. easy to use. Enter the temperature and time on the digital display, and then we can go.

Chip test: Using frozen chips and no oil, I fill the large compartment and press start. It is very quiet. Although the instructions say it takes 18 minutes, my fries are fully cooked in 15 minutes. They are so appetizing, I don't even want to soak them with ketchup as usual.

Breaded mushrooms: the mushroom itself? Small balls of mucus. Oops. Mushrooms are fried in breadcrumbs? That is a different story. Using the recipe in the YouTube video (there are thousands of air fryer recipes) I dipped the mushrooms in corn flour, then eggs, and then breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan cheese.

I sprayed it with olive oil and cooked it for eight minutes. They became crispy, cooked beautifully, and the mushrooms were still chewy. They are very delicious. 5/5

Tower Vortx 4.3-liter digital air fryer, £74.99, towerhouse wares.co.uk

Claudia said that the Tower Vortx 4.3-liter digital air fryer (pictured) made her tofu melt in her mouth in 15 minutes and become delicious 

The deep compartment is large enough to cook enough food for a family or a greedy fries lover. The operation is simple, although the recipe book provided is very weak.

Chip test: The noise of the machine when it fries fries sounds like an airplane is about to land in my kitchen. But it was worth it, because the fries were cooked in 11 minutes and they gave me the best results.

Every French fries were fried to perfection, no burnt, no brown chips, only dozens of more dangerous heaven French fries.

Crispy Tofu: I am not a tofu lover. It looks unattractive, and in my experience, it tastes like an old bath sponge. But can an air fryer make tofu delicious?

Using a YouTube recipe, I made a marinade with cornflower, garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce. I fry these pieces for 15 minutes and turn them once. They melt in the mouth and are delicious. I never thought I would see the day I go back to eat my second tofu. 4/5

Ninja Foodi Max dual-zone air fryer, £229.99, ninjakitchen. United kingdom

Claudia said that the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone air fryer (pictured) produced potato chip shop-quality potato chips without oil drums or unpleasant frying smell.

Huge, looking like professional catering equipment, this monster has two full-size compartments, which add up to 9.5 liters, which means you can cook a meal for a family. You can synchronize the compartments so that your food is ready at the same time, or you can manipulate them individually. As a technical idiot, I am frustrated with the prospect of operating this, but it is so stupid that I don't even need to consult the instructions.

Chip test: This time I will make a self-made chip. I cut my Maris Pipers into thick fingers, washed them and patted them dry, then poured in a tablespoon of sunflower oil. Since frozen French fries have been partially cooked, homemade French fries will take longer.

After 16 minutes, I would love to see if my peeling, chopping and washing are worth it. I would say! The shop-quality fries that I produce do not have oil drums or unpleasant frying smell.

FROZEN SCAMPI: In the second compartment, I added a bag of frozen breaded sea fish. After 12 minutes without refueling, it will turn into a perfect delicious ball. The breadcrumbs are browned and crispy, and the fish inside is moist and juicy.

If I didn't dip them in tartar sauce, they might even be healthy. 5/5

Tefal ActiFry Genius XL 2-in-1, £284.99, lakeland.co.uk

Claudia said that the Tefal ActiFry Genius XL 2-in-1 (pictured) left her soggy potato chips 

It looks more like a slow cooker than a traditional egg-shaped air fryer. I quickly realized that "genius" is likely to be a reference, and you need to be a person who understands the instructions. It contains 34 independent charts. , Postage size stamps. This machine has two compartments-the bottom one is for vegetables or potatoes, and the top one is for meat or fish. Although it is expensive, it is not as sturdy as others.

Chip test: I put the homemade chip in the bottom pot (it is deep and can hold a large part) and add a tablespoon of oil. Later I realized that it would not cook two kinds of food at the same time. Instead, it will cook the food in the bottom pot first, and then keep it hot while cooking the top ingredients. Sadly, this left soggy French fries.

Fried chicken: I spread eggs on four chicken drumsticks and then spread panko breadcrumbs. I sprayed the oil and turned it halfway for 20 minutes. It turns out that they are very brittle, but unlike other machines, they feel hot to the touch. 2/5

Lakeland Digital Compact air fryer, £69.99, lakeland.co.uk

Claudia said the Lakeland Digital Compact air fryer (pictured) cooked her fries and bacon the way she likes 

Not all air fryers are large. This compact machine is no bigger than a kettle and is perfect for couples, singles or people who don't have a kitchen space. It has a simple digital display that looks stylish, shiny and discreet.

Chip test: 1.6 liters, I can put enough frozen chips in the compartment for two people. Within 12 minutes, without adding any oil, they are cooked. I didn't hear the timer ring and forget them-but they were still hot after 10 minutes.

Bacon: I like that my bacon is very crisp and has no visible white fat-it is impossible to do without oil in the frying pan, and it seems to take forever under the grill.

I put four roasts in the compartment and let the machine spin for nine minutes. No smell escapes, I want to know if it works. But I pulled out my hand and exposed it. .. Four slices of bacon just like what I like. 4/5

The following comments are unreviewed.

The views expressed in the above content are the views of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We no longer accept comments on this article.

Published by United Press Limited

Part of "Daily Mail", "Sunday Mail" and Metro Media Group