World Children’s Day headed to Expo 2020
Organised by Expo 2020 Dubai, in partnership with the UAE ministry of community development and UNICEF, the packed agenda includes inspiring talks and a concert with the acclaimed Lebanese singer Yara.
Best smart speaker – get a little help from Google, Alexa and more
Have you ever wanted a personal assistant? Well with a smart speaker, you can! Affordable and packing a huge amount of power, the best smart speakers allow you to listen to music, call your family without lifting a finger, or simply set a timer for the risotto you’ve got bubbling away. It’s an all-in-one system designed to make your life easier.
The main voice assistants are Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, and which one you choose will depend on personal taste. Each speaker comes with one integrated and, once it arrives, it’s a doddle to set up with an app and your Wi-Fi password.
Once you’re acquainted with your new smart speaker, though, don’t be surprised when you’re tempted to set up a whole network of smart devices. There’s no obvious end to what you can do, and the competition between Google, Apple, Amazon and other market leaders such as Sonos means, whichever you choose, they’re constantly being updated with new features.
While you can hook up everything from smart fridges to robot hoovers to your smart speaker, they don’t require additional gadgets to work. As seamless as the best wireless speakers, you can listen to music by requesting a song, programming your favourite playlist to start with your morning alarm or – if you’ve got your hands full with dinner – pause or stop music from playing completely hands-free.
We’ve looked at some of the best smart speakers on the market right now, rating them on sound quality, style and more. Scroll down to see what we thought.
Google Nest Mini (2nd Gen) | was £49, now £18 (save 63%)
You can save an incredible 63% on the Google Nest Mini at Currys right now, meaning you can get this excellent Google smart speaker for less than £20! As the device is perfect for placing in multiple locations around the home, this could be the perfect opportunity to buy!
The best smart speakers in 2021
1. Amazon Echo Studio
Best smart speaker overall
Credit: Amazon
Platform: Alexa
Release: 2020
Dimensions: 20.6 x 17.5cm
Weight: 3.5kg
Reasons to buy
- Supreme sound quality
- Innovative design
Reasons to avoid
- No LED clock display
The Echo Studio is the most sophisticated of all Amazon’s connected smart sound systems. It’s designed for living room listening, and is the only smart speaker available that’s compatible with Dolby Atmos music and high-res audio, as well as common or garden stereo.
A version of the sound system used for movies, Dolby Atmos Music sounds larger and more immersive than regular stereo and is a lot of fun to listen to. Given that most smart speakers are actually quite monophonic, its performance is dramatic. Dolby Atmos music can be found on Amazon Music HD and Tidal Hi-Fi music streaming services.
The Studio speaker is bigger than the previous Echoes. Hardly surprising given that it accommodates a trio of mid-range drivers, a big downward-firing bass woofer and a high-frequency tweeter. That’s a lot of Hi-fi crammed into a relatively compact box.
Ideal Home rating: 5 out of 5 stars
2. Ultimate Ears Megablast
Best smart speaker for outdoors
Credit: Ultimate Ears
Platform: Alexa
Release: 2017
Dimensions: 23.6 x 8.8 x 8.8cm
Weight: 1.9kg
Reasons to buy
- Lightweight and portable
- Rugged design means it can be used outside
Reasons to avoid
- May look out of place in some spaces
A smart speaker that’s designed to be used outside as much as in the home, the Ultimate Ears Megablast gets our vote for the best option for those who want to take their Alexa smarts to the garden, on camping trips, and beyond. The IP67 waterproof rating makes this possible, so the Megablast can withstand even the worst of the British weather.
The 16-hour battery life also helps here, as you’ll be able to get a whole lot of use out of your speaker before it needs recharging. Outside of this, the Megablast operates much like any Alexa-enabled speaker, but the Ultimate Ears brand has a good reputation for audio quality. Recommended for those who want to enjoy some tunes at their next barbeque.
3. Amazon Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen)
Best smart speaker with display
Credit: Amazon
Platform: Alexa
Release: 2021 (2nd Gen)
Dimensions: 14.8 x 8.6 x 7.3cm
Weight: 4.1kg
Reasons to buy
- Brilliant camera perfect for video chats
- Easily linked to other Alexa speakers
- More affordable than older smart displays (with larger screens)
Reasons to avoid
- Image quality not quite as good as competitors
- A little bulky
The Amazon Echo Show 5 has had an upgrade for 2021, adding even more to love about the brand’s smaller smart display. The 8-inch screen is ideal for video chats (which we’re all very used to now!) or even following a recipe in the kitchen and, while you’re chatting to friends and family, the camera will pan to follow where you go.
Unfortunately, the design of the Show 5 remains slightly bulky, with the screen attached to a speaker that also serves as the stand. On the one hand, the size makes for better audio, but you’ll need to dedicate a space on a side table or counter. Once you have, you’ll get to enjoy all of the features of Alexa with the benefits of a tablet.
Ideal Home rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4. Sonos One (Gen 2)
Best smart speaker for multiroom listening
Credit: Sonos
Platform: Alexa, Google Assistant
Release: 2017 (2nd Gen)
Dimensions: H16.15 x W11.97 x D11.97cm
Weight: 1.85 kg
Reasons to buy
- Intuitive
- Powerful apps
- Link speakers together
Reasons to avoid
- Inferior mic quality compared to newer speakers
When it comes to whole-home audio, Sonos sets the pace. Its multiroom speakers always look classy, are supremely easy to use and now come with smart functionality. This Sonos One incorporates both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant and has Apple AirPlay 2 support too.
Using Alexa integrated into a Sonos One is no different from chatting to an Amazon Echo. The benefit is that you no longer have to tell a connected Alexa device to ‘play Abba on Sonos’, you can just cut to the chase. It makes smart speaker use much more intuitive.
It also means you can direct your voice assistant to play Dancing Queen in specific Sonos zones, or throughout the whole house. Audio quality is excellent, with beautiful mid-range delivery and sweet, well-balanced nature.
Ideal Home rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
5. Google Nest Mini
Best smart speaker from Google
Credit: Google
Platform: Google Assistant
Release: 2019 (2nd Gen)
Dimensions: 4.2 x 9.8 x 9.8cm
Weight: 1.8kg
Reasons to buy
- Small enough to fit into any style
- Different colour options
- Easy set-up
Reasons to avoid
- Still not the best sound quality
Replacing Google’s Home Mini speaker, the Nest Mini looks almost identical but sports some improvements to audio quality. For the initiated, Google’s smallest speaker is a little life-saver, fitting into any décor style and space with its white bottom and mesh top (in a variety of bright colours) disappearing into its surroundings until it’s needed.
It’s still not for music fanatics, even though the audio quality has been improved, but it’s recommended for smart home beginners who need an easy place to start. It’s incredible value for money and, in our opinion, remains Google’s best smart speaker for the broadest range of people. All of Google’s smarts in a tiny pebble-shaped package!
Ideal Home rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
6. Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen)
Best smart speaker on a budget
Credit: Amazon
Platform: Alexa
Release: 2020 (4th Gen)
Dimensions: 10 x 10 8.9cm
Weight: 3.2kg
Reasons to buy
- Alexa response better than previous generation model
- Improved sound quality
- Compact, with cute design and colours
Reasons to avoid
- Upgrade to another speaker for better audio capability
Bigger isn’t always better. The Amazon Echo Dot, now in its fourth generation, is an incredibly useful smart speaker that won’t break the bank. It’s also as cute as a button.
With a lovely redesign to bring the Dot more in line with Amazon’s flagship speaker, it still won’t take up too much room on your desktop. It can function as a diddy voice assistant, playing tunes in the background while you work, offering news updates or assisting with currency conversions on the fly. Alternatively, you can hardwire a Dot into an existing Hi-Fi system, using a single stereo 3.5mm lead, and effectively make your old school Hi-Fi system voice assistant capable.
Audio quality won’t blow you away but is relatively fine. In addition to Wi-Fi, it supports Bluetooth streaming, which is helpful if you’re watching some catch-up telly on your smartphone but want to boost the volume.
Ideal Home rating: 4 out of 5 stars
7. Apple HomePod Mini
Best smart speaker for iPhone
Credit: Apple
Platform: Siri
Release: 2018
Dimensions: 8.4 x 9.7 x 9.7cm
Weight: 3.4kg
Reasons to buy
- Stupendous sound
- Perfect for iPhone owners
- Good for music streaming, and supports lossless audio
Reasons to avoid
- No Bluetooth enabled
- Only good for Apple fans
For dedicated Apple users, Apple’s HomePod is the best smart speaker you can buy. Android fans are advised to move on because this isn’t the droid they’re looking for. It can’t even be set up without an iOS device.
As you’d expect from Apple, the HomePod Mini is beautifully designed. The spherical shape and mesh fabric cover are definitely interiors friendly. Unlike rival smart speakers, there’s no Bluetooth onboard, but iOS users won’t notice. Pairing an iPhone to the speaker is a doddle.
Siri makes for a surprisingly helpful musical assistant, as she not only plays your requests but calls upon Apple’s excellent curation and recommendation engine to help you discover new music. This is quite a trick, as music discovery when you only use voice to navigate can be rather difficult – you tend to end up asking for the same old tunes.
Ask Siri to play something you like, and you’ll more likely than not get a surprising (in a good way) new offering. Neither Google or Amazon Alexa are quite as switched on when it comes to fresh tunes.
Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars
8. Amazon Echo Spot
Best smart speaker for the bedroom
Credit: Amazon
Platform: Alexa
Release: 2017
Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.7 x 9.1cm
Weight: 4.2kg
Reasons to buy
- Great front-facing camera
- Can link your calendar
Reasons to avoid
- Small speaker doesn’t pack much punch
- All images will be cropped due to circular screen
The Amazon Echo Spot is a bedside clock with delusions of grandeur. Small enough to sit on even the most crowded of cabinets, it’s a dinky egg-shaped smart speaker with a flat base and circular screen. And yes, remarkably, it can show videos, although as it’s super tiny it’s not particularly practical as a mini TV.
More importantly, this display dims automatically, becoming almost unreadable in the dead of night. Having a smart speaker in your bedroom brings multiple benefits, not least because you can ask Alexa to set wake up calls, or read you an audiobook until you nod off. There’s a camera on board, but you can disable it if you don’t need the Spot’s video calling feature.
Ideal Home’s rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
How to choose the best smart speaker
Credit: Amazon
How much do smart speakers cost?
Smart speakers are available from £45, for a Google Nest Mini or Amazon Echo Dot up to around £200. The important point to remember is that price isn’t reflective of smartness. A cheap Amazon Dot is just as clever as its more expensive stablemate, and the same applies to Google.
What you’re paying more for is the quality of the speaker itself.
Generally, it’s worth investing in a high-performance smart speaker when it’s primarily being used for music listening. For bedside table duties or as a kitchen companion, size and practicality become more important.
What can smart speakers do?
A smart speaker has multiple functions. For most of us, it’s the ability to play music on command from streaming services like Spotify or Tidal, or selected radio stations, that is their biggest attraction.
But they can do far more. If you have a lot of smart devices on your home network, an ecosystem as it were, perhaps involving a smart thermostat and lighting, then you can also interact with them, again by voice command.
A digital assistant can also be used to relate news, read an audiobook, play games, make size or currency conversions, or – most importantly of all – offer weather reports.
You can also even your smart speaker to make voice calls, or as an in-house intercom.
If you’re feeling blue, they’ll tell you a joke too – just don’t expect it to be a rib-tickler. They’re smart, not funny.
Who makes smart speakers?
The biggest single maker of smart speakers is Amazon. Its own-brand Echo devices, which use the Alexa platform, come in various sizes and sell in their millions. Google also makes its own smart speakers. Increasingly though, more familiar Hi-Fi brands are releasing smart speakers all their own – names like Sonos, Technics, JBL, LG and Harman Kardon.
Remember, if you simply want to stream Spotify from your smartphone to a wireless speaker, you don’t need to go smart at all. A regular Bluetooth wireless speaker will do the same job fine.
Is Alexa smarter than Siri?
OK, now you’re getting personal. In truth, there’s not a huge difference between any of the digital voice assistants when it comes to smarts. They have a slightly different manner, and can be tripped up by even simple questions, but share basic voice control functionality.
We think Siri has an edge over Alexa, but only when it comes to music discovery. Ask Alexa to ‘play something you’d like’ typically prompts the speaker to play the same old songs. Music discovery isn’t her strong point.
That said, all smart speaker platforms improve over time, getting sharper and more intuitive in the cloud. The Alexa we listen to today is a good deal smarter than the one we listened to back when the platform first launched. Between you and us, she was a dope…
Which is better, Alexa or Google?
The best smarter speaker platform is the one that works best for you. Both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant have the ability to front complicated ecosystems of connected products. If your media streamer of choice is an Amazon Fire TV stick, then it makes sense to add an Alexa smart speaker to your network.
Like many of the best TVs, they are Android-based, so a Google smart speaker would seem the natural fit. What we don’t recommend is mixing the two platforms. Having to wrestle with different wake words (“Hey Google…” versus “Alexa…”) gets tiresome pretty quick…
What about features like multi-room and Bluetooth?
Both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant smart speakers offer Bluetooth connectivity alongside Wi-Fi as standard. In the home, it’s often easy to forget just how devices are communicating, as interactions become quite seamless.
Streaming from your mobile to a smart speaker is as simple as saying ‘Alexa connect my phone” although you’ll need to remember to have Bluetooth switched on.
Similarly, both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant smart speakers can be used for whole-house audio. Simply need to create a ‘Group’ of connected smart speakers and then ask your smart assistant to play music to said named group.
Is my smart speaker always listening?
Yes, your smart speaker is always listening, because it’s waiting to react to its ‘wake word.’ This has led to concerns regarding privacy and security. If you are concerned about Google or Amazon eavesdropping, then the microphone on your smart speaker can be turned off manually.
It will then becomes oblivious to your conversations, but you’ll need to manually turn the microphone back on for the smart speaker to function.
If this aspect of smart speakers gives you cause for concern, then a regular ‘non-smart Bluetooth wireless speaker may be a better buy.
Additional words by Caroline Preece
The post Best smart speaker – get a little help from Google, Alexa and more appeared first on Ideal Home.
Reading time: 13 min
Best air fryer 2021: reviews of our top 10 for low-fat treats
Buy one of the best air fryers with our roundup of the top 10. Each and every one of these air fryers has been reviewed hands-on by our resident kitchen appliance expert Millie, and used to make homemade chips, crispy chicken wings, roasted veggies, and even a batch of brownies. Although they’re loved for making low-fat alternatives of your favourite deep-fried treats, the best air fryers are also great for making crispy and speedy meals. We’ve found that the best air fryer can provide fry-up-worthy bacon in just 8 minutes, and is amazing for cooking freezer food in a fraction of the time.
See also: Black Friday air fryer deals – our complete roundup
Ther’s no wonder that the best air fryers have gone up 400% in sales in the past year alone. They may have seemed like a fad at first, but we can confirm that air fryers do transform the way you cook. Because they have a smaller capacity, air fryers will take a fraction of the time needed to pre-heat when compared to an oven. And because they are effective at circulating hot air around your food, like a great convection oven, your meal will always be evenly cooked and crispy.
In our best air fryer guide you will find our top picks from brands like Cosori, Ninja, Swan, Breville, Tower, Philips, and Instant. Some have a drawer design, which pulls out easily and is useful for pouring straight onto the plate, no spatula needed. Others have a more oven-style design, with layered shelves and even rotisserie inserts for making deliciously juicy chicken or homemade kebabs. Much like the best slow cookers, we consider them to be a kitchen essential this time of year.
What is the best air fryer in 2021?
We loved the Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart 6-in-1 Air Fryer because it’s reasonably priced and allows you to cook large portions at once. For an option that will cook multiple elements of a meal all in one go, the Ninja AF300UK Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer was also a firm favourite.
Top deals
Air fryers seemed to be at the top of everyone’s shopping list last Black Friday, so we’re expecting some great savings. One brand that’s never short of a sell-out discount is Ninja, and we’re expecting to see at least one of their top-rated fryers with a hefty discount for Black Friday 2021.
Another brand that regularly pulls out all the stops for its Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions is Cosori. Cosori is a brand that’s found exclusively on Amazon, so if you’re looking for a deal, that’s the best place to look.
While they rarely go on sale, we did see some great prices on the Proscenic and Instant air fryers this Prime Day, which is usually a good indicator of what’s to come for Black Friday. While it’s still a little way off (November 26th, to be exact) you can find all the top air fryer deals for Black Friday 2021 right here. And when the big day is over, take a look at our Cyber Monday air fryer deals.
COSORI Air Fryer 4.7L with Recipes: was £99, now £79 at Amazon
One of our top picks is now on sale this Black Friday, thanks to a £20 discount at Amazon. This is the black model, but it still is seriously high quality, especially for the price. Use it to make fries for the whole family.
Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer: was £229.99, now £179.99 at Ninja Kitchen
Ninja’s latest air fryer is the Max Dual Zone. It has a dial in the centre to easily adjust temperatures and timings, and two generous sized drawers. Pick it up in an exclusive blue colour, with an apron and multi-layer racks, with this Black Friday deal.
1. Instant Pot Vortex Plus 6-Quart 6-in-1 Air Fryer
Best air fryer overall
Size: 28.6 x 22.9 x 29.8 cm
Capacity: 5.7 litres
Programs: Air fry, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate, grill
Reasons to buy:
• Amazing air frying, and it does so much more
• Smart brushed finish
• Speeds up cooking significantly
• Made some of the best fries we’ve tried
Reasons to avoid:
• Controls are noisy
The Instant Vortex Plus wowed us with its speedy and delicious cooking. It has a removable air fryer insert that slots neatly into the base of the air fryer drawer, and you can remove this if you want to reheat rice, bake cupcakes, or even roast some potatoes for your Sunday lunch. That’s right, while the Instant Vortex Plus is an immense air fryer, it also does a lot more thanks to its six cooking modes. You can even use it to dehydrate.
We enjoyed how speedy the Instant Vortex Plus was when it came to cooking frozen food. Frozen chicken fillets that would usually take 20 minutes only took 12, and sweet potato fries that would usually take 40 minutes only took 25.
The controls are touch-operated, and you can change the temperature and time using the dial at the front of the fryer. The brushed metal finish also elevates the look, and we thought it was a real treat to look at when left on the kitchen counters.
Ideal Home rating: 5 out of 5 stars
2. Ninja AF300UK Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer
Best air fryer for multi-drawer cooking
Size: 35 x 37.5 x 31.5cm
Capacity: 7.6 litres
Programs: Air Fry, Max Crisp, Roast, Bake, Reheat & Dehydrate
Reasons to buy:
• Superior air frying
• Sync or Match two useful zones
• Both drawers are diswasher-safe
• It can cook an entire meal, fish in one drawer, chips in the other
Reasons to avoid:
• A large option for most kitchens
What’s better than one air fryer? Two, in one. The Ninja AF300UK Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer comes with two distinct air frying zones that allow you to air fry your fish and chips individually, or bake a side dish such as mac and cheese while you air fry chicken. You can match or sync these two drawers to make sure all elements of your meal are complete at the same time.
The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer also comes settings to reheat, dehydrate, roast, and bake. Its Max Crisp setting is designed for frozen food and we found that it gave us next-level frozen chips, fish fingers, and other freezer staples. It also cooks food in record time, because there’s no preheat time and its temperature can be easily adjusted. This air fryer gave us crispy chips and wedges every time, and always cooked our meat through completely. We even used it to make cauliflower wings, which were an unexpected triumph. The trays can be a little deep to reach into, so make sure you use non-stick cookware to take your food out when it’s done. The exterior stays cool though, even when it’s cooking at 240 degrees.
The instructions come with a recipe test with fun hints and tips for ideas to try in your air fryer. This included ideas we’d never considered before, such as brownies or fajitas. It is on the large side at 35 x 37.5 x 31.5cm, but if you can spare the space, it’s a game-changer.
Ideal Home rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
3. Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer L501
Best air fryer for under £100
Size: 27.2 x 27.4 x 30.2 centimetres
Capacity: 4.7 litres
Programs:Chicken, chips, frozen, steak, seafood, veggies, bacon
Reasons to buy:
• Air fries to perfection
• Smart up-top controls
• Shake reminders for even cooking
• Removable insert for easy cleaning
• Drawer is dishwasher-safe
Reasons to avoid:
• The preset timings are a little off, but can be adjusted
Amazon’s best-selling air fryer held up well under our tests, too. The Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer L501 has a smart look and a range of custom presets that will come in handy for low-effort cooking. It’s also adjustable, just press to increase or decrease the temperature or timer to achieve your perfect result.
We enjoyed the fries this air fryer produced on the chip setting. They were crisp and evenly cooked, and the cooking time was well below average which is a winner for hungry homes! That did mean we had to turn it down from 20 minutes to 30, but this was easy enough to do. You’ll get a reminder to shake your food halfway through on some settings. If you’re in the middle of a particularly riveting piece of telly then it may be a distraction, but you can simply press a button to switch off the reminder for no interruptions.
Included with the air fryer was a recipe book with loads of great tips. We made the buffalo cauliflower, chicken wings and more recipes from the book and found it a great help for those getting started with air frying. The large capacity makes this a top choice for families. We also loved that the insert means you can easily clean the drawer and basket in the Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer L501, simply put them in the dishwasher. The insert lifts out simply to allow you to reheat dishes with sauce.
Ideal Home rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Read our full Cosori Pro LE Air Fryer L501 review
4. Instant Vortex Mini Air Fryer
Best air fryer for 2 people
Size:35.2 x 35.1 x 30.1 cm
Capacity: 2 litres
Programs: Air fry, bake, reheat, roast
Reasons to buy:
• Seriously good value
• Easy to use
• Colourful, fun design
• Does more than just air fry
Reasons to avoid:
• The small capacity isn’t ideal for everyone
Instant Brands is known for creating amazing air fryers and smart countertop appliances in the US, so we were first in line to review this new model when it launched in the UK. The Instant Vortex Mini Air Fryer not only wowed us with its value-for-money, but it also impressed us in testing. Despite the limited capacity, it was able to air fry our (somewhat crammed-in) chips evenly with just a shake or two from us halfway through.
This air fryer is perfect for small kitchens. It has a removable basket liner that can drain away fat from bacon and juices from chicken, but take it out and suddenly you can bake, roast and even reheat in this beauty.
You can pick up the Instant Vortex Mini Air Fryer in a range of fun colours. We tried it in red, but the blue option is quite fetching. There is also a white for clean kitchens, and a failsafe matte black. The display is very intuitive, and can be controlled with touchscreen settings and a tactile dial. The only con? It’s not great for families.
Ideal Home rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Read our full Instant Vortex Mini Air Fryer review
5. Breville Halo Rotisserie Air Fryer
Best rotisserie air fryer
Size:44.2 x 41.6 x 39.4 cm
Capacity: 10 litres
Programs: Air fry, bake, dehydrate, rotisserie, chips, chicken, veggies, steak
Reasons to buy:
• Sleek controls
• All the functions of a mini oven
• Incredible rotisserie
• Great space-saving design
Reasons to avoid:
• It’s a little fiddly
The Breville Halo Rotisserie Air Fryer offers an alternative take on air frying, with a rotisserie attachment that allows you to cook a whole chicken with crispy delicious skin and juicy meat, in just one hour. It also comes with a rotisserie mesh basket, which is what we used to cook our chips. It keeps them spinning as it cooks, meaning that every single crisp was evenly cooked.
Because it’s more of a mini convection oven thanks to the removable mesh wire trays, the Breville Halo Rotisserie Air Fryer doesn’t quite speed up your cooking time as much as a drawer air fryer with single-function design. However, it can be used to bake, rotisserie, air fry, and even dehydrate, and it’s also a well-sized machine to fit in as much capability as you like onto one kitchen counter.
We enjoyed the smart controls, which show the temperature as it preheats, and how easy it is to choose your mode and even illuminate the inside of the oven to watch your food as it cooks. Cleaning is easy too, but our main drawback is that it’s a bit tricky to take out the drawers because they get very hot. Oven gloves are a must!
Ideal Home rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Read our full Breville Halo Rotiserrie Air Fryer review
6. Tefal YV970840 Actifry Genius XL 2in1
Best air fryer for homemade chips
Image credit: Tefal
Size: 48.9 x 38 x 29.5 centimetres
Capacity: 1.7kg
Programs: Chips, breaded items, desserts, nachos, fish and meat, chicken legs, stir fry, ‘world foods’, pie
Reasons to buy:
• Paddle included to stir your food
• Pair with an app
• Space-age design
• Great for cooking entire meals
Reasons to avoid:
• Not the best for low-fat
This machine has a huge footprint, so if you’re after a compact air fryer you can pop in a cupboard when you’re not using it then you might want to think again. That said, it’s so technologically advanced, we probably wouldn’t hide its considerable light under a bushel.
It has several things that separate it out from the rest of the air fryer crowd, including nine intelligent cooking modes and a My ActiFry app that features around 300 recipes. However, it’s the integral paddle with dual-motion technology, which stirs the food giving it an even, crisp coating that we think is the game-changer. Not only does it mean you can just leave the ActiFry alone to do its magic, it also allows you to cook dishes such as stir-fries and curries in it, too, using one of the two 1-meal-in-1-go programmes.
It hands-down produced the best chips we tried, with just half a teaspoon of oil and the chicken was well-cooked and juicy inside, although still dryer on the outside than normal frying would produce. It’s a generous size, too, producing main meals for up to five and starter portions for eight.
Because it doesn’t have a classic basket design, you can cook anything from stir-fried rice to fajita-spiced veggies without anything falling out of the slots in the basket. This does also mean that fat won’t drip away from your chips or chicken, so while it’s certainly a tasty pick, it’s not quite as low-fat as some of our other options.
Ideal Home rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Read our full Tefal YV970840 Actifry Genius XL 2in1 review
7. Philips Essential Air Fryer
Best air fryer for small kitchens
Size: 47.6 x 32.8 x 26.3cm
Capacity: 4.1 litres
Programs:Frozen, fish, meat, vegetables, chicken drumsticks, cake, reheat
Reasons to buy:
• It’s perfect for smaller homes and kitchens
• Easy to clean
• Intuitive to use
• Comes with an app
Reasons to avoid:
• It’s more expensive than some other small options
If you want the best air fryer for a small kitchen or two-person household, the Philips Essential Air Fryer is the one for you. In terms of the cooking quality, it was pretty much on par with some of the larger and more premium brands in this guide. There’s plenty of cooking modes, including fish, meat, frozen food and reheat, and you can choose your temperature manually too.
The basket and drawer can both be washed in the dishwasher, which makes cleaning that much easier. We found the controls a little confusing at first but they’re fine once you’re used to which button indicates which cooking mode.
One complaint we had was the price, which was pretty high when compared to other small air fryers. It is clearly designed for smaller kitchens and homes though, with grooves that make it easy to carry and store, and a lightweight design.
Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Read our full Philips Essential Air Fryer review
8. Proscenic T21 Smart Air Fryer
Best smart air fryer
Size: 31.4 x 31.6 x 32.6cm
Capacity: 5.5 litre
Programs: Fries, shellfish, chicken, fish, steak, cake, bread
Reasons to buy:
• As smart as they come
• Great for those who are new to air frying
Reasons to avoid:
• The controls are fiddly
• The design isn’t as high-quality as other brands
The Proscenic T21 Smart Air Fryer is certainly a smart option. It’s loaded with preset modes for cooking fish, chicken, chips, bacon and even cake. You can also preheat and keep warm with this air fryer, as well as set a delay timer for when you want your meal to be ready.
If you’ve got an Alexa or Google Assistant speaker, you can pair the Proscenic T21 Smart Air Fryer with it for remote control. If not, opt for the Proscenic app, which allows you to check on your timer or adjust the temperature or settings without leaving the sofa.
We found the controls on the Proscenic T21 Smart Air Fryer a little fiddly in testing, and keen chefs may prefer to set the temperatures of their dishes manually. There are loads of recipes on the Proscenic app though, with timings and air fryer settings that couldn’t be easier to follow. Overall if you’re looking to expand your air fryer abilities, this is a smart choice.
Ideal Home rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
9. Swan Retro Air Fryer
Best-looking air fryer
Image credit: Swan
Size: 34.8 x 24 x 33.7cm
Capacity: 6 litre
Programs: Air fry only
Reasons to buy:
• Looks lovely
• A generous capacity
• Will match with many Swan appliances
• Dishwasher-safe
Reasons to avoid:
• Less smart settings
Unlike pretty much all the other air fryers we tested, which, to paraphrase Henry Ford ‘you can have in any colour as long as it’s black’, this 5 litre machine was a pleasingly cheerful bright cherry red. It also comes in cream and black so would work well in pretty much any scheme if you wanted to leave it out on the worktop.
If you want something a little easier to operate than some of the more high-tech options, the Swan Retro has a simple temperature dial and a twist-timer at the top. It feels sturdy and has a large interior capacity of 6 litres. At 34.8 x 24 x 33.7cm it’s larger than some options but will work well in family-size kitchens.
We were very impressed by how this air fryer cooked bacon and other meats, but when it came to chips we found that it took longer than most air fryers. The timings were comparable to a regular oven.
The tray and non-stick basket can both be popped in the dishwasher, too.
Ideal Home rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Read our full Swan Retro Air Fryer review
10. Tower Vortex 5-in-1 Digital Air Fryer Oven
Best air fryer for chicken
Size:44.2 x 38.4 x 36.2 cm
Capacity: 11 litres
Programs:Air fry, bake, roast, dehydrate, rotisserie
Reasons to buy:
• It’s a real multi-tasker
• Makes a mean chicken
• Lights up for easy viewing
Reasons to avoid:
• You lose some of the convenience of a classic air fryer
The Tower Vortex 5-in-1 Digital Air Fryer is more of an American-style air fryer. It’s designed to look like an oven and comes with a drip tray and multiple shelves to cook your food as you would in a regular oven. There are some perks to this design though. Our favourite was the rotisserie function which made some of the most delicious chicken we’ve ever made. A game-changer for roast dinners.
The shelves need to be taken out and switched around mid-cook if you want to achieve an even crisp, which is not ideal and can be a little fiddly. The oven did a great job of creating crispy food though, especially when it came to the frying setting. It can also bake and roast like you’d expect in a regular oven.
A nice touch is the door, which you can see straight through. There is a button to illuminate the fryer as it cooks which allows you to look in and check on your food without opening it. It’s a large option, but a versatile one too.
Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Read our full Tower Vortex 5-in-1 Digital Air Fryer review
How do air fryers work?
Air fryers work like a convection oven to circulate air around your food and cook it evenly from every angle. That means any fat you add to the air fryer will circulate around your fries, chicken or fish as it cooks, making it crisp and crunchy.
Air fryers typically come with an in-built basket that has space for air to get underneath your food, as well as cooking it from above and the side. In the Ninja Dual Zone for example, you can remove this and use the tray like a regular oven tray to add a crisp cheesy top to a pasta bake or roast vegetables and potatoes for convenient mealtimes. Check out the best microwaves for more easy meal prep appliances.
How to buy the best air fryer for you
Check the air fryer features and programmes
Look for easy-to-use controls for both temperature and time, as these are the most important features on any air fryer. Auto-stop and keep warm functions can be useful but chips, if left for any amount of time will soon lose their crispness. More expensive machines will feature touch screens rather than dial controls, which will help with accuracy.
What else should I look for?
The bigger the basket capacity, the more people you’ll be able to cook for. So if you’ve got a family, then a 5 litre machine (which usually provides a chip capacity of around 800g to 1kg) is probably a must.
A loud beep to signal the end of cooking time is a good idea if you’re using the time to wander off and do something else. Most air-fryers will only cook one food group at a time (ie meat or veg) but some will cook a whole meal in one go if you’re after a one-pot solution.
Are air fryers healthy?
Air fryers are as healthy as the food you cook in them, but one thing you can be confident in is that they’re healthier than deep fat fryers. If you want to cut back on the amount of oil and fat in your food, air fryers are also excellent for crisping up your meal while not submerging it in fat.
Bacon is not particularly healthy, but cooking it in an air fryer means that the fat will drip away from the meat and into the basket, while still rendering and crisping for that perfect bacon sarnie. Air frying is also a way of adding more veggies to your diet. Some of the best things to cook in an air fryer are cauliflower “wings”, which is simply florets of cauliflower tossed in whatever sauce you wish to pair it with.
How much oil do I need to use in my air fryer?
Image credit: Breville
While most recipes call for a teaspoon or half a teaspoon of oil. We found we got a more even coating on some foods by decanting our choice of oil into a small spray bottle and using that. Never use one-calorie oil spray, which is a step too far in the diet stakes we found, producing nasty, chewy fries.
Most of the machines we tested couldn’t be used with fattier meats such as sausages or chicken or duck with the skin on. This sometimes results in meats being drier on the outside. This was where a spray oil came in handy and definitely improved results if not making them as good as if they’d been fried.
Ready for another test? Best kettles
How to make perfect chips in an air fryer
If you’re making fresh chipped potatoes, leave the cut chips immersed in cold water for about half an hour then rinse well to get rid of starch as this will improve the texture once cooked.
Place chips in your air fryer and start to cook as soon as you’ve coated them in the half-teaspoon or so of oil for best results and don’t leave to sit in the fryer once cooked.
The post Best air fryer 2021: reviews of our top 10 for low-fat treats appeared first on Ideal Home.
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