Air fryers are gaining heavily in popularity, and it is easy to see why. They can create healthier versions of your favourite fried food and use less energy, helping you to save money on your electricity bill. There are so many types of air fryers out there that it can be difficult to know which one would be best for your needs.

The 4 main types of air fryers on the market

  1. Basket-style
  2. Air fryers with a paddle
  3. Oven-style
  4. Rotisserie air fryers

These air fryers are all very different from each other and come with various advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a closer look …

1. Basket-style

Basket-style air fryers are one of the most popular, well-known types of air fryers and they are what most people think of when they picture an air fryer.

They are usually tall, slim air fryers that come with heating elements and fans.

The basket slides out of the air fryer and is where you place your ingredients to cook. The bottom of the basket has holes in it to allow airflow and the oil to drain away.

You can get models of basket-style air fryers that come with dual baskets so that you can cook separate parts of your meal at the same time. For example, cooking fish in one basket and your chips in the other basket.

The advantages of basket-style air fryers are many. They are easy to use by just placing your ingredients, oil and any seasoning into one basket to cook. They are also easy to clean and most air fryer baskets are dishwasher safe.

The disadvantages of basket-style air fryers include having to regularly stop the cooking to shake the basket or baskets of food to ensure even cooking. Sometimes this will reset the cooking timer, meaning that you need to know how much longer to cook your food.

2. Air fryers with a paddle

If you want a ‘set it and forget it’ air fryer then the air fryers with a paddle might be for you.

These models have an interior paddle that keeps the food moving using a stirring motion.

This not only means that you don’t need to shake the food that is cooking, but you can also create meals that have liquid ingredients since the liquids don’t drain away like when using basket-style air fryers. You can therefore cook sauces, casseroles and even rice dishes in an air fryer with a paddle.

Many models are easy to clean because they have removable pots that can usually be placed in the dishwasher.

3. Oven-style

Oven-style air fryers are becoming popular because of the additional features they can come with.

They look like a regular oven but are smaller and allow you to cook your food on several trays inside the main compartment.

Like an oven, they rely on convection or fan technology to cook the food. This means that your food is often nice and crispy when cooked.

Another advantage of using an oven-style air fryer is that you can cook a variety of food at the same time on different trays – however, you cannot change the temperature for one tray as you can with a dual cooking basket-style air fryer.

They often come with extra features such as a rotisserie function, and the trays are easy to clean too.

4. Rotisserie air fryers

Rotisserie air fryers are especially good for cooking evenly browned and moist chickens – much like you will find in a supermarket.

A rotisserie chicken tastes so different to a roasted chicken and goes well with a wide variety of meals.

You can also cook other items in rotisserie air fryers, such as chips.

The downside to a rotisserie air fryer is that they aren’t as versatile as the other options and an oven-style air fryer with a rotisserie function might prove to be a better choice.