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Splurge vs save: The cheaper air fryers that rival expensive ones

Our tests show some budget buys can outperform models more than twice their price.

splurge vs save airfryers tefal dual vs anko twin
Alice Richard
Last updated: 09 December 2024

Need to know

  • Our testers reviewed more than 30 popular models for ease of use and cooking performance of various foods
  • We highlight cheaper air fryers that perform similarly or better than pricier products
  • Exclusively for members, we reveal the cheaper air fryers that are better buys than their pricier competitors

Buying an expensive appliance that turns out to be a flop is frustrating: not only have you wasted your money, you're now stuck with something you feel you should use because of how much you spent on it.

And when you do use it, it delivers disappointing results – reminding you yet again of your poor decision.

That's why you should check CHOICE's reviews every time you buy a new appliance. Not only could it prevent you from making a costly mistake, it'll also give you the satisfaction of knowing that you've spent your money well.

Here, we reveal two air fryers that both disappointed in our testing, despite an almost $400 price difference – showing that spending more doesn't always buy you more. 

And exclusively for CHOICE members, we'll show you which cheaper models are better buys than ones costing hundreds of dollars more.

If you just want to get straight to the best products, you can jump to the results now.

Splurge vs save: The cheap-as-chips Kmart fryer vs a $500 big-name brand

splurge and save airfryers tefal dual vs anko twin

With a price difference of nearly $400, these two twin air fryers are worlds apart in terms of price and features, but they have one thing in common: they're both flops.

If you dropped $500 on a benchtop appliance, you'd expect it to be a winner, right? Well, the only thing you should expect with the Tefal Dual is to be disappointed.

Our experts rated it as only 'OK' on a number of key air fryer tests, such as cooking crumbed chicken and frozen chips. If a $500 fryer can't even do air fryer staples like chicken nuggets and chips, what's the point?

Sadly, the Anko air fryer isn't much better – but if you'd only spent $119 on it, you'd be less frustrated than if you'd paid $500 for the same sub-par performance.

Surprisingly, despite their inability to handle the basics, both machines did well at cooking marinated chicken wings and roast pork, both scoring a very respectable 80%. (That's classified as "Very Good" in our books.)

But most of us are hardly likely to buy an air fryer for those two tasks alone.

Regardless of how you plan to use an air fryer, these models' results in our testing highlight just how irrelevant price is to performance, and why checking our air fryer reviews before you buy can help you avoid spending $500 on a mediocre machine.

Splurge vs save air fryers: The best cheaper buys that outperform expensive models

We independently test and review dozens of new air fryers each year in our onsite kitchen lab, and our experts know exactly what to look for to help you find the best product.

Our detailed air fryer testing data is available exclusively for CHOICE members. If you're not yet a member, join CHOICE to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews, from fridges and freezers, toasters and TVs, kettles and cots, and more.

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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.

Your exclusive access:

Welcome! This section of the article is accessible only to our valued members.

As we always say at CHOICE, there's no correlation between price and performance – and that's just as true of air fryers as it is of stick vacuums, fridges and washing machines.

In fact for the most part, the most expensive air fryers we tested didn't do especially well – of the six models costing $500 and above, only two of them are recommended by our experts. And three recommended models cost $250 or less.

Below, we'll show you some expensive air fryers that did well in our testing, alongside cheaper models that scored the same or even higher, so you can save some money while still getting great performance.

Splurge vs save: the $69 Kmart wonder vs the $279 big-brand Breville

splurge and save airfryers breville vs anko

This little Kmart fryer punches well above its weight, scoring far higher than some models that cost more than 10 times as much.

While you might miss out on a few features and a bit of space with the Kmart air fryer (it has 4L usable capacity to the Breville's 5L), you'll win in terms of performance and price.

They scored the same for ease of use, which assesses how easy they are to use and clean, and for cooking roast pork, but in every other aspect the Kmart model is superior, particularly in terms of cooking performance: our experts rated the Breville at 83%, but the Kmart fryer scores 91%. 

The Kmart came out ahead for cooking crumbed chicken, frozen straight-cut chips and marinated chicken wings.

Paying $200 more for an air fryer that scores less just doesn't add up in our book

And they're neck and neck on other fronts as well: both have a one-year warranty, they're both made in China, they cost the same amount to run, they both have a timer cut-out… 

Along with its smaller price, the Anko air fryer has a smaller footprint, so it'll take up less room on your bench and be easier to store, and it's light and easy to handle.

The Breville is rated at 79% overall, which is still quite a good score – it's just that the Anko rates higher, and for far less money.

Paying around $200 more for an air fryer that scores less just doesn't add up in our book. 

Luckily for you, as a CHOICE member you can access our reviews to help you avoid paying too much for a dud product, and to find out which cheaper products are good purchases.

Splurge vs save: The established brand vs the newcomer

splurge and save airfryers tefal vs nutribullet

With the NutriBullet, you'll get more for your money – literally. It has a larger capacity, eight pre-set cooking functions (the Tefal has five), and it goes to lower temperatures – 30°C compared to the Tefal's 80°C – which means you can use it for dehydrating foods and making jerky. 

But more importantly, you'll get slightly better performance for less money. While they're only separated by two percentage points in terms of CHOICE Expert Ratings, the Nutribullet's overall performance score (89%) is four points higher than the Tefal's (85%).

They're fairly evenly matched across most of our tests, with the Tefal performing slightly better when cooking crumbed chicken and roast pork, and the Nutribullet proving superior when we tested its ability to cook frozen straight-cut chips and marinated chicken wings.

There's negligible difference between the two air fryers, but a considerable price difference: $370

There's negligible difference between the two air fryers, but a considerable price difference: $370. Why pay more for a product that doesn't deliver more? In this case we don't think the extra money is worth it.

Note: We've received reports from users having issues with the Teflon coating of the crisp tray for the NutriBullet air fryer. The manufacturer has told us there was a batch issue with some of the crisp trays which has now been rectified. Consumers can contact customer service for a replacement crisp tray.

Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.

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