Part of what helps air fryers achieve such great results is a chemical reaction known as the Maillard reaction. This is the process by which food takes on a “browned”, roasted flavour, and can be achieved using high heat and very little oil.

The best models will have a number of basics you should look out for. These include weight and temperature settings, so you can adjust the heat and cook time to suit your ingredients.Its compact dimensions will fit neatly into smaller kitchens or onto already crowded countertops, and the controls couldn’t be simpler: two physical dials allow you to set the cooking temperature between 80ºC and 200ºC and set a timer of up to 30 minutes. The Vortex’s clever design is matched by its great performance and range of features. Its twin baskets benefit from Sync Cook and Sync Finish features: Finish will make sure your two baskets are done at the same time, even if they require different times or temperatures, while Cook mirrors the settings on your baskets, for when you’re cooking two portions of the same thing. The Dual Zone’s Max Crisp function is also worth shouting about, as it cooks thinner frozen foods such as chips, onions rings, and nuggets in a fraction of the time it would take a standard convection oven. During testing, one portion of frozen potato lattices came out perfectly crisp and golden in just six minutes, compared to the recommended 15-minute oven cooking time stated on the bag. This air fryer can also bake, roast, dehydrate, and reheat, making it a versatile tabletop multi cooker. Ultimately, if you’re looking for a versatile air fryer that is decidedly mid-range in price, this is the best option we’ve come across.

Like its predecessor, the FlexDrawer comes with an array of thoughtful functions including its match and sync settings, the former of which allows you to match the time and temperature of both sides of the fryer without having to input all the information twice, while the latter syncs up both sizes of the fryer, so they finish at the same time, even when at different temperatures of cook times. You’ll also recognise all the classic settings for air frying, roasting, baking, reheating, proving and dehydrating, as well as the Max Crisp setting, which allows you to crank up the heat to a whopping 240ºC. Despite being a budget-friendly option, the T17023 was no slouch in testing, cooking oven classics such as spring rolls and hash browns to a commendable crispness and performing solidly when tasked with more delicate items like meat and vegetables.

The verdict: Air fryers

Air fryer technology is improving all the time. Older models might take a while to get going, and can require more oil than newer designs. Cheaper models may also require you to parboil chips, which might not be ideal if you’re looking for fast cooking times.