The Best Air Fryers in the UK (2026): Ninja vs Philips vs Cosori

Air fryers have gone from novelty to the hardest-working appliance in the British kitchen, and the market has split into two camps: big dual-drawer family machines and compact single-basket models. We've reviewed all three of the air fryers below in full, and this guide compares them head-to-head so you can pick in five minutes.

Quick Comparison

1. Ninja MAX Dual Zone DZ400UK — Best Overall

The Ninja MAX Dual Zone is Amazon UK's #1 best seller in air fryers, and after comparing it against everything else in its class, we understand why. Two independent 4.75L baskets cook completely different foods at different temperatures, and the Sync Finish function lands both at the same moment — chips in one drawer, chicken in the other, everything hot at once. That solves the single biggest frustration of single-basket machines.

It also runs hotter than nearly everything else on the market. The 240°C MAX mode produces genuinely crispy results that the 200°C ceiling of most rivals can't match. The trade-offs are size and simplicity: at 41.5cm wide and around 7kg it needs a permanent spot on the worktop, and control is via dials rather than a touchscreen. Neither bothered us in practice.

Buy it if: you cook for 3–6 people and want mains and sides done simultaneously.
Skip it if: worktop space is tight — look at the Cosori instead.

Read our full Ninja MAX Dual Zone review for cooking test results.

2. Philips 3000 Series Dual Basket — Best Value Dual Zone

The Philips 3000 Series takes the same dual-drawer concept and undercuts Ninja by £70. The split is asymmetric — a 6L main drawer and a 3L side drawer — which we actually found more practical for typical meals: a family-sized main in the big drawer, sides or sauces in the small one. Philips' RapidAir circulation cooks evenly without the constant basket-shaking some cheaper machines demand, and both baskets are dishwasher safe.

Compared with the Ninja you give up 40°C of top-end heat (200°C vs 240°C) and the symmetrical-basket flexibility, but you keep sync cooking and family capacity for nearly two-thirds of the price. For most households this is the sweet spot in the dual-zone market.

Buy it if: you want dual-zone family cooking at the lowest credible price.
Skip it if: you regularly need two identical large batches — the asymmetric drawers will frustrate you.

Our full Philips 3000 Series review covers the sync function in detail.

3. Cosori 4.7L — Best Compact / Budget Pick

With over 35,800 reviews at 4.7 stars, the Cosori 4.7L is one of the most-reviewed air fryers on Amazon UK, and the consensus is earned. The square basket is the clever bit — it fits a whole chicken or four portions in a footprint that round-basket rivals need 5.5L to match. Nine one-touch presets and an LED touchscreen make it the easiest machine here to actually use, and the basket and drawer both go in the dishwasher.

It's a single-zone machine, so you'll cook in sequence rather than in parallel, and the fan is audible at high speed. But at £69.95 it does 90% of what the big machines do for 40% of the money.

Buy it if: you cook for 1–3 people, or you're buying your first air fryer.
Skip it if: you need mains and sides ready simultaneously.

See our complete Cosori 4.7L review for capacity tests.

Which One Should You Buy?

For families: the Ninja MAX Dual Zone if budget allows; the Philips 3000 Series if you want to spend £70 less and can live with the asymmetric drawers.

For singles, couples and first-timers: the Cosori 4.7L, without hesitation. It's the best price-to-performance ratio in the category.

Also worth knowing: if you want air frying plus pressure cooking in one appliance, the Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 SmartLid covers both jobs — read our full review. Browse all our Home & Kitchen picks for more.

How We Chose

Every product in this guide passed our standard six-point evaluation: minimum 4.0-star Amazon rating with 500+ verified reviews, value against direct competitors, spec accuracy cross-checked against owner reports, and long-term reliability signals. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no cost to you — it never affects which products we recommend. Read more about our review process.