Crispy, fat-free fries? Stiftung Warentest tests 20 hot air fryers
3/1/2025
Translation: machine translated
20 hot air fryers had to prove themselves in the Stiftung Warentest comparison. Four appliances convinced the testers. You can use them to quickly prepare crispy food.
Hot air fryers have become real bestsellers in recent years. Ideally with little or no fat, these compact appliances are designed to produce crispy chips, crunchy baked rolls and perfect grilled chicken. And all faster and more energy-efficient than any oven. Stiftung Warentest wanted to find out whether the appliances fulfil the manufacturers' promises and examined 20 hot-air fryers in the issue 1/2025. issue 1/2025.
Two designs
There are two versions of hot air fryers available on the market
- Devices with one cooking chamber: The testers analysed 15 of these models
- Fryers with two cooking chambers that work independently of each other thanks to two heating coils. Five appliances from this category took part in the comparison.
No appliance failed
All appliances tested achieved at least a "satisfactory" rating. So no Airfryer failed the test. The test evaluated the preparation of food, the handling of the appliance, safety and environmental properties.
The best hot air fryers
Among the appliances with one cooking chamber, three were rated "Good" (2.3). "Cosori CP158-AF", "Ninja AF180DE" and the "Gourmetmaxx 04782", which we do not currently have in our range.
The "Cosori CAF-R901-AEU" came out on top among the models with two cooking chambers. This airfryer is also the cheapest appliance in this segment.
The devices that fell just short of "good"
Stiftung Warentest gave the following four devices a "satisfactory" rating. However, all of them still received a two before the decimal point. Weaknesses in the preparation of food led to the devaluation
The NutriBullet NBA071B does not bake buns and muffins so well.
While the fries produced in the Philips HD9255/90 did not go down so well with the testers.
The result for the French fries also led to the Airfryer from Rommelsbacher being downgraded. This hot air fryer still received a 2.9.
The Airfryer from Panasonic achieved a "sufficient" in the cooking properties, its overall score comes from the other disciplines in the comparison.
There are two more appliances from the test field in our range. These are the deep fryer "Tefal Easy Fry & Grill EY801D" with a score of 3.0 and the Grundig appliance (FRY7320), which scored 3.3.
The flavour experience is not always convincing
However, the test result does not mean that all dishes turn out equally well in every air fryer. A convincing browning result, cooked through and a core temperature above 85 degrees Celsius - the preparation of chicken drumsticks was successful with all test appliances.
Most Airfryers had much more trouble with baked rolls. Often browned too much on one side and too pale or too soft on the other. The results rarely convinced the testers. The "Cosori CP-158" stood out in this discipline, achieving a "good" rating. The hot air fryers achieve better results if the buns are turned halfway through the cooking time.
French fries pose a challenge for the hot air fryers. Especially with larger portions, the results were often unconvincing in terms of appearance and flavour. For optimum results, manufacturers specify maximum quantities for their models. In order to establish comparability here, the testers calculated an individual quantity for small and large portions for each model in relation to the volume of the cooking container.
The conclusion of the testers: If the specifications are adhered to, the appliances fry fries "faster and more cheaply than the oven."
Header image: Shutterstock: aileenchik
Hamburger, bookworm, ice hockey fan. Constantly tinkering with his smart home.