8 best smart air fryers for easy cooking
The second generation of air fryers with voice-control technology and second-to-none sensors is here - meet the ‘smart’ air fryer.
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Many Aussies have made the switch from deep fried to air fried, whipping up chicken nuggets and hot chips with little to no oil for a less greasy alternative.
But unlike the standard air fryer, there are now next generation “smart” models that offer one-touch preset buttons for chicken, fish, veggies and other types of food to cut down the time it takes to input the right time and temperature settings. They can also grill and bake, with certain models even capable of being controlled with just your voice as well as a smartphone or tablet, such as the Philips Airfryer Essential XL Connected and Cosori CS518 smart air fryer.
RELATED: 16 best air fryers in Australia
Here we’ve rounded up the smart air fryers that will cut down your kitchen time - and even allow you to control them while you’re in another room altogether. We’ve based our selections on our own personal experience and testing, research and customer reviews.
BEST SMART AIR FRYER GUIDE
• Best overall smart air fryer
• Best easy to use smart air fryers
• Best easy to clean smart air fryer
• Best smart air fryer for families
• Best affordable smart air fryer
• Best smart air fryers for cooking roasts
BEST OVERALL SMART AIR FRYER
Philips Air Fryer Essential XL Connected, $349
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Want to be able to tell your air fryer how to cook using your voice, not controls? Or want the convenience of chucking dinner on via an app while you lounge elsewhere? The Philips Essential XL Connected digital air fryer covers all the bases and allows you to use your smartphone or your voice to control the gadget.
It syncs to Philips’ NutriU app, which is essentially a digital cookbook with hundreds of air fryer recipes, some of which are created with specific models in mind so you can get it right on your first go. It also lets you save your favourite dishes and upload your recipes. You can even choose a recipe from the NutriU app and send it to the air fryer, which will automatically program the settings and let you know when it’s done.
This smart air fryer is available in two capacities, 1.2 kilograms or 6.2 litres, and includes dishwasher safe removable parts.
Pros:
+ Can control the air fryer remotely and track the timer.
+ Can save recipes on the NutriU app and view your cooking history.
+ Includes seven presets: frozen snacks, fresh fries, meat, fish, chicken drumsticks, grilled vegetables and cake.
+ Can fry, bake, grill, roast and reheat.
+ Keeps food warm for up to 30 minutes.
Cons:
- Only compatible with Amazon Alexa.
- Can take several attempts to connect your smartphone to the air fryer.
PHILIPS AIR FRYER ESSENTIAL XL REVIEW:
I got a taste test of the Philips Essential XL Connected digital air fryer after Philips loaned me a model to review – and after testing it out, it’s fair to say that this 6.2 litre unit is next level convenient.
I was surprised by how quickly and accurately it started cooking straight out of the box, especially since air fryers usually involve plenty of trial and error. The unit was also super easy to clean, quiet, and very lightweight. Plus, the results were mouth-watering – it kept the pork belly and chicken juicy, the chips crispy, and baked desserts like rhubarb crumble to perfection.
The NutriU app was a star of its own. It made adjusting temperature and timer settings really easy, and offers tons of useful recipes for inspiration (with step-by-step instructions, pictures and videos).
The main downside is that if you want to take advantage of the voice control feature, this Philips air fryer is only compatible with Amazon Alexa – so, you’ll need to cough up extra for an additional device if you don’t already have an Amazon device already.
But honestly, even without voice control, this Philips smart air fryer is still incredibly impressive and worth the price tag if you want a premium model.
BEST EASY TO USE SMART AIR FRYERS
Cosori 5.5L Smart Air Fryer CS158, $269 (down from $359)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Tired to doing multiple batches when cooking awkward-shaped cuts of meat or fish? This voice-controlled Cosori smart air fryer replaces the round basket for a square option as a simple solution. It’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, which can be used on both Android and Apple devices, so you don’t need to worry about forking out extra for another device.
The 1700W unit offers 11 presets and a 5.5 litre square basket, which fits around four servings. Plus, there is a cookbook with 100 recipes and a growing list of more than 200 recipes on the free VeSync app.
Pros:
+ Can bookmark your favourite recipes, save custom recipes and view your cooking history.
+ Temperature ranges between 75 and 205 degrees Celsius.
+ Timer can last up to 60 minutes.
+ Weighs 5.4 kilograms, making it fairly light to carry if you plan to store the air fryer in a cupboard when it’s not in use.
+ Comes with skewers and a skewer rack.
Cons:
- Buttons can be fiddly and may need to be pressed multiple times for it to register.
Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill and Air Fryer, $381.99 (down from $499)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
The Ninja Foodi Smart XL Grill and Air Fryer is a must have for steak lovers. It has five customisable “doneness” levels, including rare, medium rare, medium, medium well and well done, so you can enjoy your beef exactly how you want it. There’s also a smart digital probe that continuously monitors the internal temperature of your food in two places to give you an accurate read. Pretty neat, huh?
This Ninja Foodi model has four smart protein settings (beef, fish, chicken and pork) and nine adjustable doneness levels, along with a 5.7 litre cooking pot and 3.8 litre air fry crisper basket.
Pros:
+ Wider temperature range than other air fryers – between 40 and 260 degrees Celsius.
+ Can choose between different preset temperatures or input your own.
+ Can grill, air fry, roast, bake, dehydrate and reheat.
+ Dishwasher safe parts.
+ Contains a cleaning brush and a recipe book with 15 meals.
Cons:
- Quite heavy (weighs 9.6 kilograms).
BEST EASY TO CLEAN SMART AIR FRYER
Kitchen Couture 2-Basket 12-in-1 Digital Air Fryer, $189.95 (down from $499) – MYER
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Half your cooking time with two drawers or feast on double the servings with this Kitchen Couture digital air fryer. It features a SMART Finish Feature, which lets you cook two different dishes at the same time and contains a temperature-controlled function to ensure the timers finish together.
You can also expect a generous nine litre capacity and 12 presets, along with a 60-minute digital timer.
“Very user friendly for a first timer; easy to clean and fast to get dinner ready! Love it,” a happy shopper commented.
“The double basket air fryer is great. We can now do a whole meal without having to use other appliances. Cooks perfect meat and potatoes,” another fan agreed.
Pros:
+ Includes 12 one-touch cooking modes: preheat, fries, meat, chicken, steak, shrimp, fish, pizza, vegetables, sausages, ribs and cake.
+ Temperature ranges between 50 and 200 degrees Celsius.
+ Automatic shut-off function.
+ Dishwasher safe attachments.
Cons:
- Cannot fit a whole chicken.
BEST SMART AIR FRYER FOR FAMILIES
Tefal Easy Fry Grill & Steam XXL Air Fryer, $499
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
The steam and grill functions makes this Tefal appliance resemble more of a multi-cooker than a standard air fryer, giving you more flexibility in the kitchen. It has seven automatic programs, including two smart modes (fish and roasted meat), plus three manual modes for air frying, steaming and grilling. You can also combine different presets to create your own.
“Air fry and grill is standard but having steam option is really great. I can cook dumplings now the easiest way and preset option for veggies also use steam,” a reviewer posted.
Steaming function is great for pork buns and dumplings! Air Fried Chicken Wings are perfection” another shopper wrote.
Pros:
+ Contains 6.5 litre capacity and 1900W cooking power.
+ Adjustable temperature ranging between 80 and 200 degrees Celsius.
+ Comes with a digital recipe book with 30 dishes.
+ Dishwasher safe cooking basket and plates.
+ 15-year repairable at fair price warranty.
Cons:
- No cool touch.
- Need to pause cooking if you want to open the drawer, otherwise it will reset the timer.
BEST AFFORDABLE SMART AIR FRYER
Ninja Dual Zone Air Fryer AF300, $299
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Talk about bang for buck – this Ninja air fryer packs two drawers with a total 7.6 litre capacity (that’s around 1.8 kilograms worth of fries in each basket). The unit also has six cooking modes, including max crisp, air roast, dehydrate, bake, air fry and reheat.
“It is fantastic to be able to cook a meal all at once! Easy to clean which is a must with the buildup of food,” an impressed reviewer wrote.
“The sync option makes it a dream [appliance] and it looks so sleek in my kitchen. Super happy that I got this and no problems with it at all.”
Pros:
+ Contains two 3.8 litre cooking drawers.
+ Wider adjustable temperature range than most air fryers – between 40 and 240 degrees Celsius.
+ Includes cooking guide with 15 recipes.
+ One-year warranty.
Cons:
- Weighs 8.26 kilograms, making it a little heavy to carry between the cupboard and kitchen bench.
BEST SMART AIR FRYERS FOR COOKING ROASTS
Sunbeam 4-in-1 Air Fryer Oven Black AFP5000BK, $279.65 (down from $329)
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Love rotisserie cooking? This digital Sunbeam air fryer has a spacious 10 litre capacity to, plus four air fry presets including fries, poultry, veggies and meat. You can also expect a detachable door and several dishwasher safe accessories for a simple clean-up, including a mesh basket, rotisserie spit, handling fork, slide-out drip tray and three airflow racks.
“Best purchase ever made. Heats up & cooks food fast. Easy to clean. Would recommend,” a satisfied shopper wrote.
Pros:
+ Fits a two kilogram chicken or a one kilogram bag of fries.
+ Can air fry, rotisserie, bake and dehydrate.
+ Has a viewing window and internal light so you can check the progress without opening the door.
+ One-year month replacement warranty.
Cons:
- Has a short cord.
Nutribullet XXL Digital Air Fryer NBA07100, $249
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Fans of crispy pork belly and juicy lamb chops are going to love the special ‘pork and lamb setting’ on the Nutribullet XXL Digital Air Fryer, along with other cooking modes such as poultry, fish, steak and bake. Plus, the generous seven litre capacity means there’s enough room to cook a whole roast chook.
“We love this air fryer! We haven’t used one before, and have found ourselves using the oven and other appliances less, and using the air fryer for everything we can,” a happy shopper wrote.
“Love the dehydrated fruit setting for snacks for the kids, and [the] fries setting too. Chicken wings and toasted sandwiches have also been on rotation. So easy to use, fast to warm up, huge volume, and cooks food beautifully. Highly recommend!”
Pros:
+ Includes eight cooking modes: fry, shellfish, fish, poultry, steak, pork and lamb chops, bake
and dried fruit.
+ Temperature ranges between 30 and 200 degrees Celsius.
+ Cool touch handle
+ Non-stick coating on both the cooking basket and crisping tray.
+ Includes an automatic shut-off safety function.
+ Cooking basket and crisping tray are dishwasher safe (top-rack only).
Cons:
- It has a smell once you first open it, similar to other appliances, but this should disappear over time.
- The coating peeled off for some customers.
WHAT IS A SMART AIR FRYER?
Smart air fryers are available in two styles, including a benchtop drawer and a benchtop oven. Depending on the model, this type of air fryer offers several cooking methods such as fry, bake, grill, dehydrate, steam and reheat. You can also expect pre-programmed timer and temperature settings for different foods, including meat, fish, vegetables, frozen pizza and fries. Some smart air fryers can also be controlled with your phone, but there aren’t many options in Australia at the moment. .
“A smart air fryer will have pre-programmed settings so the time and temperature is set automatically,” CHOICE Kitchen Expert, Fiona Mair told news.com.au. “Other air fryers have basic controls with temperatures and a timer that are set manually.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A SMART AIR FRYER AND A REGULAR AIR FRYER?
Both smart air fryers are designed to fry food with little to no oil, and rapidly circulate hot air around the food to get it crispy and golden. But unlike its digital sibling, regular air fryers don’t have pre-programmed settings, which means you will need to input the time and temperature manually. This is often done using a rotary dial, while smart units typically have a touch screen or buttons with an LCD screen.
While it’s possible to adjust the temperature and timer on both types of units, some smart air fryers allow you to be more precise so you’re not limited to increasing or decreasing digits in increments of 10 degrees Celsius. You can also expect greater versatility with smart air fryers since these generally come with seven cooking modes, allowing you to do more than just air fry.
CAN YOU LEAVE YOUR AIR FRYER UNATTENDED?
Air fryers are not set-and-forget appliances, even if they offer pre-programmed settings or let you track the cooking time on your phone.
“People shouldn’t leave their air fryer unattended. Think of it like your oven. Even if there is a timer, food usually has to be turned to ensure even cooking,” Fiona explained.
IS A SMART AIR FRYER WORTH BUYING?
Absolutely – smart and digital air fryers offer more versatility than traditional models with dial knobs and the lone air fry cooking mode. You can also be more precise when adjusting time and temperature settings. When shopping for a new model, Fiona says the key is to think about how you will use an air fryer.
“For example, unless you buy a double basket air fryer, you can only cook one type of food at a time,” she said.
Fiona also lists capacity as a deal breaker because food can overcook or dry out the closer they are to the heating element.
“The size of the cooking area also can be restrictive, so you’ll need to make sure the food you want to cook can fit comfortably in the drawer,” she added.
“The biggest question to ask is whether you really need one in addition to your oven. Air fryers take up a lot of benchspace and can use more energy than a regular oven.”
Looking for other ways to upgrade your kitchen? Check out our guides on the best air fryers, best multicookers and best slow cookers. You can also read about the latest trends and deals by signing up to our news.com.au Checkout newsletter.
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