Air fryers are a rage these days as everyone wants to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Though the first air fryer was launched by Philips, soon everyone joined the bandwagon. Now, many of the leading home appliance brands like Kent, Instapot, Havells Inalsa etc. sell their own model of air fryers. So how do you distinguish between them? Which option is best for a newbie? We help you decide based on our hands-on testing to find the best air fryer in India.
Our Top Recommendation
Out of the top-selling options, our recommendation is to opt for Philips HL9252/00 1400-watt air fryer with a 4.1-litre capacity. Most of its presets work perfectly, making it quite helpful for first-time air fryer users. Its tray size is comparatively a bit smaller at 18×18 cm. Even so, it is adequate for a 4-member family. Also, Philips takes the least time among the options for cooking.
If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option, Kent 16033 Hot Air Fryer is a good choice to consider. It has a 1350-watt heating element, 4-liter capacity and 8 presets. Its inner tray measures 20 cm in diameter. Mostly, the air fryer had to be run for more time than what was programmed in the preset functions. But it cooked well, making crispy fries, chicken fry, peanuts, tikkas, and more. The air fryer is fairly easy to use too with clearly labeled preset functions and a sturdy food tray that stays in place even when you toss food like french fries and stir-fried vegetables. We rate it better than Inalsa Nutrifry mainly because it is priced better and the heating element touches around 1350-1400 watts when cooking. Inalsa on the other hand uses just 1200 watts of energy, resulting in longer cooking time.
Air fryers with higher wattage cooks quicker. As a result, food will be crispy and brown on the outside without losing moisture inside.
| Model | Wattage | Capacity/ Diameter of tray | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips HL9252 | 1400 Watts | 4.1 L/18 cm | – Quicker than other air fryers – Effective preset functions – Easy to use | – Baking preset not optimal |
| Inalsa Nutrifry | 1400 Watts | 4L/ 21cm | – Optimal cooking when you set temperature and duration on your own. – Budget-friendly. – Slightly wider tray. | – Presets don’t work optimally. – Inner tray does not firmly fit the basket. |
| Hestia Nutriview | 1100 Watts | 5 L/ 20 cm | – Innovative design. – Elegant touch panel – Adequate cooking performance | – Comparatively longer to cook. – Inner tray does not firmly fit the basket. |
| Kent 16033 Hot Air Fryer | 1350 Watts | 4 L/ 20cm | – Easy to use – Fairly good cooking performance – Inner tray fits firmly in the basket – Budget-friendly | – Takes a bit longer to cook. – Some presets are not optimal. |
Table of Contents
- Our Top Recommendation
- How We Tested?
- Best Air Fryers In India
- Guide To Air Fryers For First-Time Users
- How To Choose An Air Fryer?
- Power
- Footprint
- Ease of Use
- Usage Interface
- FAQs
How We Tested?
Unlike most other websites, we do not recommend products merely based on specifications and user reviews. Instead, we use each and every product and test out cooking various ingredients to see how well each air fryer performs.
For this list of best air fryers, we first look at physical parameters and aspects like size, capacity, the surface area of the food tray, etc. Then, we air fry a variety of food like fish, chicken, samosa, and french fries, and bake cakes and use the preset functions to see how they work. We look at aspects like the evenness of browning, and whether the air fryer is able to make a crispy surface while retaining succulence. We also check how quick each air fryer is at cooking various food items. Finally, we consider the effectiveness of the preset functions and ease of use. Our recommendations are based on all these aspects. Further, we use each appliance for weeks in a regular Indian kitchen to know more about the positives and challenges a user faces in day-to-day usage.
Best Air Fryers In India
Philips HL9252/00 4.1 Litre Air Fryer
| Pros |
|---|
| Quicker than other air fryers |
| The preset functions work effectively. |
| Very easy to use as the handle is attached to the inner basket. |
| Cons |
|---|
| The cake-baking preset does not work optimally. |
Quick, precise and efficient, Philips HL9252 is the best among the air fryers we tested. Its inner basket measures 18 x 18cm and the handle is attached to it. So, it is easy to toss food like french fries. While most other air fryers have a round food tray, Philips comes with a squarish tray, which is not ideal when you need to make pizzas.
With a 1400-watt heating element, the temperature can be set from 80 to 200°C and the duration can be set up to 60 minutes. It has 8 presets and a memory function. So, if in case the power fails in between, it will resume from where it stopped when the power restores. The preset functions can be a bit confusing initially. But, after using it for a period of time, you will understand what they are best suited for. Our review talks about it in detail too.
The cooking performance of the air fryer is among the best. It browns the surface evenly while cooking through and retaining the succulence of the food. The air fryer did an excellent job in our tests making chicken and fish fry, french fries, samosa etc using the preset function. Using the baking preset for cakes which ran for just 12 minutes, the whole cakes were not cooked through. But, if you set it for 30-35 minutes, cakes come out perfectly fine.
Compared to Inalsa, Hestia and Kent, it cooks quicker too, which is a huge advantage as you save time and electricity.
All other brands give a recipe booklet. But, you don’t get one with Philips. Instead, you have to install the Philips NutriU app and find recipes and settings.
Read our detailed review of Philips HL9252 Air Fryer
Inalsa Nutrifry Digital Air Fryer
| Pros |
|---|
| Cooking performance is optimal when you set time and temperature on your own instead of using preset functions. |
| Budget-friendly option. |
| Slightly larger inner tray. |
| Cons |
|---|
| Preset functions don’t work effectively. |
| The inner tray moves when tossing french fries and stir-fried vegetables. |
With 1400-watt power, 4-litre capacity and 8 preset functions, Inalsa Nutrifry is a cheaper option compared to Philips HL9252. You can set the timer from 1 to 60 minutes and the temperature up to 200 °C in the air fryer.
Its cooking performance is excellent. You can cook perfectly browned, succulent chicken fry, samosa, french fries, cake etc using the air fryer. Compared to Philips HL9252, the surface area of the tray is a tad higher as it has a 21 cm diameter. The digital interface is also easy to use and very responsive.
That being said, it is not without drawbacks. First of all, its presets don’t work perfectly. Most of the preset functions, including roasting, chops, steak, cake etc have a duration of just 10-12 minutes, which is not sufficient. So, you have to set the temperature and duration manually instead of depending on the preset functions. This may be a disadvantage for first-time air fryer users.
Also, Inalsa Nutrifry takes much longer than Philips to cook. For example, we were able to air fry 500 gm of chicken in 22 minutes in Philips. But, the same took around 33 minutes in Inalsa. When we checked the wattage using a watt meter, we found that Inalsa Nutrifry has a maximum wattage of around 1300 and not 1400 as claimed.
Yet another disadvantage is that the inner tray of the air fryer moves about when tossing food like french fries and stir-fried vegetables. Something you don’t experience in Philips or Havels Grande as the inner basket itself has a handle. Even Kent Hot Air Fryer which has a similar design doesn’t face this problem because the tray tightly fits the tray.
So, if you are not a first-timer user and are looking for a budget-friendlier option, then Inalsa Nutrifry would be an apt choice for you.
Read our detailed review of the Inalsa Nutrifry Digital Air Fryer.
You may also like our article on Best Vacuum Cleaners In India
Hestia Nutriview Digital Air Fryer
| Pros |
|---|
| Innovative and eye-catchy design. |
| Elegant touch display panel |
| Adequate cooking performance |
| Cons |
|---|
| Comparatively takes a long time to cook. |
| The inner tray moves when tossing french fries. |
The main distinguishing aspect of Hestia Nutriview is its design. With a transparent lid, it gives a better view of cooking as it progresses. So you can intervene before the food gets burnt and know when to flip the food to brown the other side.
The lid gets fairly hot when cooking. You may get scalded when you touch it while opening the lid. But, it has proper safety features like, for example, the air fryer stops operation when the lid is opened. Also, it won’t start running unless the basket is kept in place.
The air fryer has a 5-litre capacity and 1100-watt heating element. It too has 8 presets. The temperature can be set at 80 to 200°C and the duration from 1 to 60 minutes. The interface is elegant and the touch display is responsive too. Just like Inalsa, the inner food tray is around 21cm in diameter.
Owing to the low power of the heating element, it takes much longer than Inalsa and Philips to cook food. For example, it took us almost 50 minutes to air fry 500 gm of chicken. Because of this, there is a high chance that food could get dry.
When we tried various preset functions available, we found that we had to run it for a few more minutes to be cooked perfectly. The cake preset works fine for cupcakes. But when it comes to baking a whole cake, it almost burnt the surface- something we did not face in other air fryers.
Though we were able to make french fries, it was not as crispy as we would have liked. Overall, it doesn’t brown food as well as Inalsa and Philips, which is a huge letdown.
While all other options have a proper handle, in Hestia, there are narrow handles at the edge like what you see on a Kadai. But being narrow, you need to be careful while holding it. It gets warm while cooking, but not too much that you cannot hold it.
Just like Inalsa, Hestia too has an inner tray that is kept in place with rubber beadings along the edges. So while tossing french fries for uniform cooking, it tends to move around and become a hassle.
Overall, when it comes to cooking performance, it lags behind Inalsa.
Read our detailed review of Hestia Nutriview Digital Air Fryer
Kent 16033 Air Fryer
| Pros |
|---|
| Easy to use interphase and preset functions. |
| Fairly good cooking performance. |
| The inner tray does not move around like Hestia and Inalsa. |
| Budget-friendly option. |
| Cons |
|---|
| Takes a bit longer than Philips to cook. |
| Some presets don’t have optimal time and temperature settings. |
Kent 16033 is one of the best budget-friendly air fryers to choose from that is suitable for a nuclear family of 3-4 members. It has a 1350-watt heating element and a 4-litre capacity. The diameter of the food tray measures around 20 cm. Just like every other air fryer, you can set the temperature from 80 to 200 °C and the duration up to 60 minutes. You also have 8 preset cooking functions.
Comparatively, it offers better performance than Hestia Nutriview. It cooks faster and better, probably owing to the fact that its heating element has a higher wattage. Though there are 8 preset functions in Kent Hot Air Fryer, we had to run most of them for a longer duration for proper cooking. For example, we had to run the chicken fry preset for 36 minutes, though the preset calls for just 15 minutes. Similarly, the fish fry function ran at just 160 °C. But, 200 °C was more optimal to get a crispy exterior and succulent insides.
But otherwise, the air fryer was easy to use. The food tray in Hestia and Inalsa moves when you toss food like french fries for uniform cooking. But, in Kent, it does not. Also, the icons of the preset functions are clearly labelled, avoiding any confusion. Inalsa and Philips don’t label the preset icons because it is a digital panel. But, Kent has membrane buttons in the control panel.
Overall, it is definitely one of the best budget-friendly options available.
Read our hands-on review of Kent 16033 Hot Air Fryer
Guide To Air Fryers For First-Time Users
Air fryers are simply compact convection ovens. They have a heating element at the top and a fan behind which runs to distribute the heat uniformly and cook the food. The main advantage, as you know, is that it reduces oil consumption. If you are adept at using your convection oven, you needn’t get an air fryer as both have similar functions. But if you are intimidated by your oven and are confused about its temperature, time, function and other settings, an air fryer could be a boon as it is simpler and easier to use.
Using an air fryer, you can expect to fry chicken, french fries, samosas etc and hope to achieve the right browning and crispiness. But, we have noticed that most of them are not able to achieve a proper browning on fried fish like what you see when it is pan-fried. The main reasons behind it are, first of all, there is a larger gap between the heating element and fish slices. Next, on a stovetop, the pan reaches 250°C or higher temperature which helps create a nice browning on its surface- something which air fryers fail to do.
Coming to its operations, most brands provide a detailed manual that is helpful in understanding how to use air fryers properly. Though air fryers have preset functions, they often don’t work optimally. Most of them need to be run longer for proper cooking. So, you would be better off referring to the recipe booklet that comes along for deciding the temperature and time to be set for optimal results.
Though air fryers reduce oil consumption drastically, you shouldn’t avoid them completely while cooking food in air fryers. Drizzling a teaspoon of oil on chicken, fish and paneer helps retain the succulence inside and makes the food crispy. It is also necessary that you spread some oil on french fries for a crispy texture. It would be a good idea to get an oil spray bottle if you plan to use air fryers on a regular basis. You can read our in-depth guide for first-time users here.
How To Choose An Air Fryer?
Give below are the important factors to consider while choosing an air fryer.
Capacity
Capacity is the first and foremost aspect that you need to consider while buying an air fryer. A 4-liter air fryer has a food tray with a surface area of around 300-350 sq cm ( 18-21 cm in diameter). This is enough to fry around half a kg of chicken. The surface area becomes important when you fry fish, chicken, paneer and any such food that has to be laid down as a single layer.
Philips and Havells also sell 6-litre air fryers. They have a much larger surface area which is sufficient to even roast a whole chicken of 800gm-1Kg.
If you are looking for a smaller air fryer for just 1-2 people, then a 2-litre air fryer will suffice your needs.
Power
Almost every air fryer runs at temperatures ranging from 80 to 200° C. But, the power of the heating element expressed in wattage plays an important role in determining the time it takes to cook. The lower the wattage, the longer it takes to reach the desired temperature. So the food gets cooked at a lower temperature for a long duration. As a result, there is a higher chance of food going dry and not developing sufficient browning.
Ideally, a 4-litre air fryer should have at least 1400 watt heating element and a 6-litre air fryer has to have 1700-watt power to be able to cook food without drying it out.
Footprint
Air fryers take up around 30 x 30cm space on the kitchen countertop. Sometimes even more depending on the capacity. So, before buying an air fryer, ensure sufficient space in your kitchen to store it. Also, being a heating appliance, they have a short cord less than a meter long. Hence, see that there is a power plug that is easy to access. If the air fryer has more than 1500 watts of power, it is likely to have a 16A power plug too.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is an important factor to consider, especially for first-time users. Ideally, they should opt for an air fryer that has precise preset functions, like Philips. Yet another important aspect is the ease with which you can toss around food like french fries and vegetables which are heaped on top of each other for air frying.
Most air fryers have an inner tray inside the food basket on which food is kept. So when tossing food, the inner tray moves and food could fall into the basket. Without a tray, there is a high chance of food like french fries getting soggy too. But options like Philips HL9252 and Havells Grande have an inner tray as a basket attached to the handle. This can be locked onto the outer basket. So when you need to toss the food, you can remove the inner basket, toss it around and then fix it back to the outer basket comfortably.
Almost all air fryers are easy to clean. As the basket and the tray are nonstick, you won’t have much trouble cleaning them. Most of them are dishwasher safe too. But, we recommend against it as the nonstick coating may peel off in the short run when frequently cleaned in a dishwasher.
Usage Interface
Nowadays, most air fryers have a digital interface using which you can set the temperature between 80 to 200°C and time from 1 to 60 minutes ( some models can be set only to 30 minutes). They usually have 6 to 8 preset functions too. Budget friendlier options have a mechanical interface whereby there are knobs using which you can set the timer and the temperature. This usually is not as accurate as a digital interface. So if budget permits, opt for a digital air fryer.
FAQs
Philips HL9252/00 is one of the best air fryers in India. With 1400 watt heating element, it has effective preset functions that work optimally and has a detachable basket that makes it easy to toss food like french fries. If you are looking for a budget-friendlier option, you could consider Kent 16033 Hot Air Fryer which has a 1350-watt heating element. It takes longer to cook compared to Philips, but the presets are not confusing. Its food tray stays put and doesn’t move about when you toss food too.
Philips air fryer is definitely better than Inalsa because Philips cooks quicker and has presets that work optimally. It comes with a detachable food basket with a handle that makes it easy to toss food, while Inalsa’s food tray wobbles around when you toss the food. The power consumption of both air fryers are almost the same. The only aspect where Inalsa fares better is that its food tray has a slightly larger surface area.
Air fryers are definitely worth it because we Indians consume a lot of fried food. With an air fryer, you can fry fish, chicken, paneer etc using minimal oil. Even snacks like samosa and french fries can be relished without worrying about excess calories from consuming the oil. The taste of air-fried food may not be as appetizing as deep fried ones. But considering that air fryers make fried food healthier, it is definitely worth buying one.
The most important aspects to consider while choosing an air fryer are its wattage, surface area of the food tray, capacity, preset functions, size and capacity. You can read more about it here.
An air fryer consumes your precious countertop space, which is scarce in many urban kitchens.
If you are new to air fryers and not careful enough, you may burn the food. Charred food has acrylamide, which is potentially carcinogenic. But then, this can happen with pan-fried food too.
Also, fat adds flavour. Air-fried food will never match the taste of deep-fried food. But, it is healthier.
Many people find OTG and oven intimidating as they may not be comfortable with the numerous settings. Air fryers comparatively are easier to use. Also, it is less messy. But, if you need to cook a large quantity of food, OTG would be better than air fryer.
A 4-litre air fryer is usually sufficient for a nuclear family with 3-4 members. Most 4-litre air fryers have a food basket that has around 20cm in diameter. This is enough to fry half a kg of chicken at a go. A 6-litre air fryer is apt for those who have a larger family, big eaters and those who would like to cook a whole chicken at a go.
All air fryers are equally healthy. The basic principle of how each air fryer cooks is the same. Even when you look at the materials used, the exteriors are made of plastic and the food basket is made of nonstick. So, there isn’t really a difference between air fryers in this respect.
Yes, glass, ceramic, steel and practically any material that doesn’t melt in heat can be kept in an air fryer. An air fryer has just a heating element and a fan for cooking. Unlike microwave ovens, it doesn’t depend on any electromagnetic rays and hence can be used without any concern.
Using a digital air fryer, you will be able to set the temperature and duration more precisely. It usually has a number of preset functions too. Moreover, it looks elegant too. But, if you are looking for a budget-friendlier option, manual air fryers are better.
Air fryers do consume a lot of electricity. Typically, it consumes around 1.1 to 1.4 units per hour. Often, you have to run it for 30-45 minutes a day to cook a dish. This means it may use up to around 0.55 to 1.05 units of electricity per day.
Yes, you can reheat food in an air fryer. In fact, it is a good option to reheat fried food without losing its crispiness. But, for regular food, it is recommended as microwave ovens do a better job a lot quicker.
A 4-liter air fryer will usually suffice for a family of 4 with moderate appetite. A 6-litre air fryer would be better if it is a family of 4 grown-ups.
Yes, you can cook a pizza in an air fryer, albeit it will be a regular-sized pizza. Options like Hestia have a specific preset just for pizza.
I read your article Amazing work guys keep it up. Your article is giving me so many information to cook yummy food and the quality of Best airfryer for home use.
Your article is giving me so many information to cook yummy food and the quality of Best airfryer for home use.