I've tried dozens of air fryers, but here's why Ninja's cheapest model is the one I use every day

If you’re in the market for an air fryer, it’s hard to ignore Ninja. It’s one of the leading air fryer brands in the world, and for good reason. The Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK is both the smallest and the cheapest air fryer on offer from the brand. But, the RRP is pretty steep in comparison to similar-sized air fryers from other brands, so is it worth it?

I have tried a lot of air fryers, made by a variety of brands, and I can safely say that the best Ninja air fryers are always a firm favourite. But at the entry-level end of the market, it can be hard to justify buying a big brand air fryer, especially if you’re a newbie, or just using it for one person.

So I tried this 3.8-litre air fryer in my own home to see if it really could cater to two people, and whether the performance makes it worthy of a spot on your kitchen worktop. During my testing, I used it to roast vegetables, air fry bacon, and make a fish and chip supper for two, and it’s safe to say I wasn’t disappointed.

Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK specifications

• RRP: £149.99
• Dimensions: 36cm x 25cm x 32cm
• Modes available: Air fry, roast, reheat, dehydrate
• Dishwasher safe? Yes
• Maximum temperature: 210°C
• Maximum timer: 60 minutes

My first impressions of the Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK

As I pulled this air fryer from the box, my first impression was that it was lightweight and easy to lift, as well as streamlined, and compact. It has a small footprint, so it won't feel out of place or out of proportion in a smaller kitchen. Alternatively, because it isn’t too bulky or heavy, you could pop it in a cupboard when not in use.

The chunky handle on the front is easy to grip and ideal for giving the basket a shake mid-cook. Inside, there’s a perforated cooking plate that drops into the base of the round cooking basket and allows air to circulate around your food. Everything is non-stick and dishwasher-safe, so I didn’t foresee cleaning being a problem.

The touch controls are incredibly simple, with a clear layout that makes it easy to see at a glance how to adjust the time and temperature. Plus, there’s a separate button for each of the four cooking modes, so selecting the one you want couldn’t be simpler.

If you’re new to air fryers, you’ll benefit from the very thorough user manual. And in addition, the quick start guide offers recipes for inspiration as well as detailed cooking charts that give guidance on the cook times and temperatures for a wide range of everyday foods.

How does the Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK perform?

It wouldn’t be an air fryer review if I didn’t make a batch of homemade chips. When air frying chips, I always pre-soak the raw potato batons in cold water for at least 30 minutes before cooking. And the quick start guide advises doing this too, so I didn’t deviate from my usual method.

Whilst browsing the quick start guide, I also noticed that it advises a 3 minute preheat before adding food. But there’s not an automatic preheat built-in, so you either have to add three minutes to your total cooking time, and set a 3 minute countdown on your phone so you don’t forget to add the food. Or, start the air fryer on a 3 minute timer and when it ends, add your food and reset the timer. Both options are clunky and if a preheat is required, I'd have preferred the kind of in-built preheat timer that comes with Instant's air fryers.

After my 500g chips had soaked and been thoroughly dried, I coated them in 1 tbsp oil. Then having completed my three minute preheat at 200C, I popped them into the basket and hit start.

I diligently gave the basket a couple of good shakes during cooking, but there’s not a reminder to do this, like you’ll get with some air fryers - including the brand's higher-priced models. Nevertheless, the quick start guide suggested 23-26 minutes and mine were cooked to perfection in 23 minutes. The chips were fluffy on the inside and golden on the outside - an excellent result.

Anything that’s frozen and coated in breadcrumbs is pretty much always guaranteed to cook brilliantly in an air fryer. So, after the 3-minute preheat, I popped in two frozen breaded haddock fillets. I set it to cook at 200C for 14 minutes, based on the information in the cooking charts.

During cooking, I didn’t turn the fish, but checked it once or twice. And despite the back-of-pack cooking guidelines advising 25 minutes in an oven, they were cooked through with a crisp crunchy crumb in 14 minutes. 

Air frying is one of the best ways to cook bacon. You can only fit 3-4 slices of back bacon in this air fryer at a time, but that’s perfect if you’re making a bacon sandwich for one. I followed the suggestions in the cooking chart and preheated it to 180C.

Once preheated I set it to cook for eight minutes and checked it frequently. In just five minutes the bacon was cooked, with crisp rendered fat. And the best part is that cleaning up is minimal in comparison to grilling or frying. Admittedly, after wiping out the worst of the fat with kitchen towel, I chucked the basket in the dishwasher, because why wouldn’t you?

Lastly I loaded up the basket with vegetables, a combination of chopped red onion, mushrooms and peppers coated in a tablespoon of oil. For the cook time and temperature I had to go with an educated guess and plumped for 20 minutes at 200C. I checked the vegetables every 5 minutes, giving them a good shake each time, so that they would cook and brown evenly.

After 20 minutes everything had cooked through and some of the peppers had a light char, which is what I wanted. However, nothing was overcooked or soggy. And what’s more, it was substantially quicker than roasting these vegetables in an oven, which can take 45 minutes to an hour.

I should point out that foods like vegetables create a lot of steam when cooking, and this is vented out of the back of the air fryer. So you’ll need to pay attention to the position of this vent if you don’t want to steam up the underside of your cupboards or floating shelves.

How does the Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK compare

If you’re concerned the 3.8 litre capacity won’t meet your needs, you’ll be pleased to hear that Ninja has just released a newer, larger air fryer at the same price. The Ninja Air Fryer MAX PRO 6.2L AF180UK will give you a roomy 6.2 litre basket to cook in. What’s more, it has two additional cooking modes; Max Crisp, and Bake. But while it is more versatile, it’ll also take up more space on your worktop.

Alternatively, if your budget is stretched, I’d recommend looking at the Instant Vortex 4-in-1. Instant is another reliable air fryer brand, and this model has a more comfortable RRP of £79.99. With four cooking modes and a 3.8 litre capacity, there are plenty of similarities between the two models. 

Should you buy the Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK?

You should definitely buy this air fryer if you want a smaller capacity air fryer that still offers top notch performance. The cooking basket can be thrown in the dishwasher and the control panel is effortlessly simple to use.

Having said that, it doesn’t have the capacity to feed a family, and it’s not the best option if you’re watching the pennies. But that aside, there are really very few negatives. If you decide it’s the model for you, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

About this review, and the reviewer

After completing a Home Economics degree, Helen McCue went on to work for the Good Housekeeping Institute and has been reviewing home appliances ever since. She lives in a small village in Buckinghamshire in the UK. She is now freelance and draws on her wealth of experience to review a huge variety of home appliances. Helen used the Ninja Air Fryer AF100UK to cook a variety of foods in her own home, for herself and her husband.