One of the most popular and sought after appliances coming out of 2020 was the humble air fryer.

Whether because of the need to cook more often at home, or simply to get the best and healthiest fried food experience, these air fryers became a must-have for just about all Aussie kitchens over the past year.

And with that in mind, there are now a tonne of different air fryers and air fryer brands hitting the market, making it a lot harder to choose the best air fryers. There are a range of different features and usability requirements to take a look at before buying into an air fryer, and of course, the research associated with this can take ages.

So we’ve done it all for you!

Below we’ll take a look over all the best air fryers in Australia for 2021 and dive into some of the best features and why we think you should choose one over the other. Keep in mind that all of the models on our list are top picks, though some may be better for you, your kitchen and your use case than others.

All that out of the way, let’s get into the top air fryers in Australia for this year!

How We Decided

Before we dive into our article, we’ll go over just a little about how and why some of the air fryers below landed on our list this year.

You’ll be happy to know that we kept user reviews and advocacy groups in mind for all the air fryers below, so you can rest assured that these are tried, tested and reviewed models by real Australians.

We made sure only to choose air fryers with over four star reviews online, and also made it a priority to look into the models that had the most essential and realistic features that our readers would actually use.

On top of this, we factored in some of the rare or unique features too, which might come in handy when you need to change up your workflow in the kitchen from time to time.

The Overall Winner — the Daily Collection Airfryer HD9218/51 by Philips

As you may already know, Phillips was the first brand out there to get the ball rolling with the air fryer, and so they’ve had more time than anyone else to really perfect their air fryers.

That in mind, it isn’t a surprise that the overall winner for the best air fryers in Australia, as reviewed by Australians, is a model coming from Philips. The company’s Airfryer HD9218/51 is ideal in frying just about all the foods you’ll want to fry, such as chips, fish, spring rolls and bean samosas!

One of our favourite perks coming into play from the Philips model is the simple and easy to use design here. There isn’t anything confusing on offer, and that means setting the temperature and the timer is easier here than on any other model out there.

Once the food’s done, the timer simply goes off and you’re ready to eat! There’s no need to keep watch of inside the fryer, or take note of when the timer’s about to go off, etc.

We would like to point out that this air fryer will need to shake off your food sometimes, given that there’s a little bit of oil that might build up on the exterior of each ingredient, and so shaking this off on the pan and then sliding it back into the fryer is needed.

When it comes to the cleanup, the process is equally as simple. You can slide the pan out for easy washing, and the basket can also be easily hand-washed and rinsed off.

It’s good to know that although most of the removable parts here are dishwasher safe, you will want to work on handwashing them to make sure that they have the chance to last as long as possible. Eight years is the projected lifespan here.

A final thing we’d like to note is that users online have touted that they were able to cook meals and roast vegetables in their air fryer, and so getting a handle on your low-oiled veggies will be easy here.

Our Favourite Bits

• Easy to Use Controls
• Compact Design for Storage
• A Loud Timer
• Fast Heating and Cook Times
• Affordably Priced

The Anko 5.3L Air Fryer from Kmart

From the affordability experts at Kmart, we’re happy to say that the company’s Anko air fryer is checking off just about all the essentials for us — and for only $89!

If you’ve taken a look online for any air fryers, you’ll know that this is roughly half price, and you’re still getting all of the same great features as the more high end air fryers out there!

You can cook anything in here from roast chicken to fries or fish and chips without an issue, and that means it truly is a trusty companion when it comes to getting a little bit healthier in the kitchen.

The heating element and motor on offer here is 1,800 watts which also means that you’re getting more than enough power on offer here to cook just about anything you’ll need.

A second big plus for us is that the 5.3L size is also large enough for just about anything you’ll want to cook. It’s a near identical air fryer to the Philips model with regards to features, and the 5.3L design just tops this off.

You’ll have the freedom to roast an entire chicken in here, for example.

As we mentioned, the sub-$100 price tag takes this air fryer to the very limits of our list, and with ratings online bringing this air fryer up to almost five stars, we’re more than happy to recommend it to all of our readers.

One potential downside as outlined by some users is the small dials which can make it a bit of a pain to get set up and running.

However, each review seemed to be obsessed with how fast and how thorough the air fryer cooked things like chicken, pork crackle and chips, for example. And so we can rely on the great cooking experience to save the poor dial design.

To end, at such a low price and offering so many great features we’re inclined to say that this is potentially Australia’s best air fryer for everyday use and for most families out there. The design fits well in all kitchens and it’s compact enough to easily store when you’re not using it.

Our Favourite Bits

• Compact Design for Storage
• Timer
• 5.3L Size
• 1800W Input
• Incredibly Low Price

The IdealFry Digital by DeLonghi

To our top choice air fryer for cooking for the entire family, we have the IdealFry by DeLonghi.

As one of the largest air fryers on the market today, we’re confident to say that even for the largest families you’ll be in luck here. The air fryer can cook for up to eight people at a time, which is outstanding.

Add to the size the fact that the model has been designed for ease of use above almost all else — there are simple buttons here, everything’s well-labelled and you’re able to find plenty of technology in here that makes getting the perfectly crisped ingredients and effortless endeavour.

Whether cooking for the family, or for a party, you’ll be in good hands with the huge capacity. You can cook anywhere from up to 1.5kg of potatoes, for example, and that means in just a flash you could have the vegetables done for all your guests.

A second point to note about the IdealFry is that it’s one of the best when it comes to setting and forgetting. There are five excellent pre-set cooking options here, which means everything from cake, fries, snacks, veggies and meats are on offer here. This will ensure you’re getting the option to cook anything you’d like without being pedantic about flipping and turning things over.

The thermostat or heating element comes with a quad-power selection too, which means you have the option to adjust and change depending on what you’re cooking here.

To add, cleanup is easy given the non-stick bowl.

A second standout feature here for those who want to keep a close eye on how things are going, you’ll be able to use the transparent glass lid. Take a peek when you’re not sure about when to take things out of the fryer, for example.

One of the unique features that comes with this air fryer is the dual heating elements — a rare feature when compared to all other air fryers. There’s a 300W element on the bottom and a 1400W element on the top, both of which can be used, or you can turn the bottom element off.

Our Favourite Bits

• Huge Bowl Size
• Dual Heating Elements
• Preset Cooking Options
• Lightweight Design
• Simple Control Panel

The Fry Delight by Tefal

One of the lesser know air fryers out there comes from Tefal.

The Fry Delight model is one of our favourites for those who are after one of the more high-end and reliable air fryers. The brand comes from France and has quality assurances that greatly exceed just about everything else out there.

We’ve been able to see a routine review rating of more than 4.5 stars which means you’ll be able to rely on this air fryer for one of the best experiences on the market.

When it comes to actual use case, the Fry Delight can cook and crisp fries in just fifteen minutes, which is excellent for those times when a midday snack is on the cards at the very last moment. To add, there are adjustable timers on offer here too, which means if you know how long something will take to cook, you can be sure you’re reminded when it’s done!

For the storage of the model, the compactness means it fits just about anywhere, and with a built-in retractable cord, you’re getting the chance to keep things on the counter as neat and tidy as possible.

To end, reviews online have touted that this air fryer does heat and maintain temperature better than a lot of compact models out there, and you can also use this model to cook bacon and other fried foods more effectively than in most air fryers.

The Airfryer XXL Smart Digital by Philips

Our second model coming from Philips is the excellent Airfryer XXL.

As the name suggests, this is the model that is going to be for the big families or the party hosting families out there.

The basket in this air fryer is a giant 7.3L and that means it is quite literally the biggest out there on the market — at least from what we were able to find. That in mind, if size matters the most to you, then the XXL is the top pick from us.

To make the use of this air fryer easy, Philips have worked to integrate a smart and very much-needed temperature sensor. This is what the appliance is going to use to keep your meals at the ideal temperature when cooking is complete — so nothing goes cold.

You can also rely on the included recipe book here too. Which means you’ll know just how to get the most use out of your air fryer.

One final thing we’d like to point out is that this model is rather expensive, even for its huge size. And when we say expensive, we mean $500 expensive.

All of that said, this is your winner if you need a huge air fryer that is going to handle dinner for the biggest parties. Though, you will need to be prepared to pay quite a lot for it.

The Copper Infused DuraCeramic Air Fryer by Sunbeam

Coming back down to earth now, with regards to pricing, is the $160 Sunbeam DuraCeramic Air Fryer.

This model is far smaller than the one above, with a 3L capacity, however, for a family of four this is going to be just right. You can cook an entire bag of fries here along with a few of your other nightly essential meals and not need to worry about whether things are going to fit in the air fryer or not.

To add to this, the no-frills design means that you’re not going to get confused when it comes to making use of this air fryer. There aren’t any fancy settings or dials, and so you can simply set the air fryer time and be done with things.

This could also be a downside in that there aren’t any preset programmes at all, however, for the causal air fryer user or for those who already know how to use their fryers, you won’t notice this too much.

When it comes to ratings, this model does dip a little. The average rating is around four stars, which means it comes in a bit lower than all the other fryers on our list — and this might be down to the lack of added settings or programs.

The Smart Oven Air Fryer by Breville

With a rather odd microwave-like design, the Smart Oven Air Fryer by Breville is essentially the winner if you want something that works a little more like an oven than an air fryer.

The design helps make sure it can hit huge capacity requirements, and this fryer does come with a mega 22L capacity which will be able to cook things like a pizza or a tray of muffins, for example.

The fryer does come with an LCD display and this means you can rely on this screen for some information on when foods will be ready and when you might want to get your oven mitts out.

To end, there is an LED light too, which shines into the fryer to give you a good look at what’s going on in there as you’re waiting for your food to cook.

The Takeaway

As we mentioned above, air fryers are a rather new trendy appliance for the kitchen, though with the features and health perks they offer — they are more likely to become a kitchen staple than just about anything else.

You’re using less power than an oven and you’re not going to need to rely as heavily on oil and other unhealthy substances to get your foods cooked correctly.

On top of this, with our top choice air fryers above, you’ll be able to find the best model for your kitchen and your requirements without issue, and this means a happier, healthier and more productive dinnertime for yourself and your family.

When choosing your air fryer, always be sure to consider things such as the size of the bowl and the basket you’ll need as well as the controls that make the air fryer work. If a model doesn’t have a big enough capacity for what you like to cook, then you’ll be unable to make some of your favourite foods!

To cap things off, make sure that you’re choosing a model that stores easily and works best with your cleaning regimen after dinner. If you often like to unwind and not spend too much time scrubbing, make sure to get your hands on a non-stick and dishwasher safe bowl or basket from your air fryer.