Why we exist
Search for an air fryer review and you get spec sheets copied from the manufacturer, rankings that change depending on who is paying, and photos lifted from the box. Almost nobody cooks anything.
We started AirFryer Ovens to do the boring, obvious thing instead. Buy the appliance. Cook the same food in every single one. Write down what happens. Publish the numbers whether they flatter the brand or not.
Everything on this site comes out of that process. If we have not tested a model, you will not find a score for it.
How we work
Buy every model
We purchase ovens at retail like anyone else. No press units, no loans, no strings attached to a good write-up.
Run the same tests
Crispiness, evenness, ease of use, noise and value, scored on one consistent scale so models compare like for like.
Publish the numbers
Every score sits on the page, wins and flaws alike. You see the data we used and decide for yourself.
How we test
Every oven goes through the same five-stage routine, in the same kitchen, with the same food. Roughly six to eight hours of cooking per model before a score goes live.
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01
Setup and preheat
Straight out of the box, we run the burn-off cycle the manual asks for, then time how long the oven takes to reach 200C from cold. We log the plastic smell, the noise on start-up, and how obvious the controls are before reading any instructions.
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02
The crispiness run
Frozen chips are the control. Same brand, same weight, same shelf position, cooked to the manufacturer time. We weigh before and after to measure moisture loss, then score colour, crunch and how much the outside holds up five minutes after coming out.
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03
The evenness test
A full basket or tray of plain white bread slices, cooked without turning. Browning across every slice tells us where the hot spots sit and whether the fan actually reaches the corners. Ovens that need constant shaking lose marks here.
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04
Real food, full load
Chicken wings, salmon fillets and a tray of mixed vegetables, cooked at the capacity the box claims. A probe thermometer checks the food is safely cooked through, and we note whether the stated capacity is honest or optimistic.
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05
Noise, energy and cleanup
A sound meter reads peak volume at one metre. A plug-in energy monitor records the kilowatt hours for a standard chip run. Then we hand wash the basket, put the parts through a dishwasher cycle, and record how much grease ends up somewhere awkward.
How the scores add up
Each oven earns five sub-scores out of 10. The overall score is a weighted average, and the weighting never changes between models.
| Score | Weight | What earns a high mark |
|---|---|---|
| Crispiness | 30% | Deep colour and real crunch on the chip run, holding up after five minutes on the plate |
| Evenness | 25% | Uniform browning across a full load with no shaking or rotating needed |
| Ease of use | 20% | Clear controls, sensible presets, dishwasher-safe parts and a basket that cleans quickly |
| Noise | 10% | Under 55 decibels at one metre, with no rattle or high whine |
| Value | 15% | Performance measured against what the oven actually costs to buy and run |
We retest a model when the manufacturer changes the hardware, and we review every ranking each quarter. Scores can go down as well as up.
What we refuse to do
- Accept free units, loans or paid trips from manufacturers
- Sell a place in a ranking, a badge, or a higher score
- Let a brand see a review before it goes live
- Score an appliance we have not cooked in ourselves
- Leave a recommendation up once the testing stops supporting it
The test kitchen
Sets the test protocol and signs off every score before it publishes.
Runs the crispiness and evenness stages, and writes most of the reviews.
Builds every recipe in the same ovens we review, then tests it again.
Keeps the scoring model consistent and audits results between quarters.
How we make money
Some links on the site are affiliate links. When you buy through one, the retailer pays us a small share of the sale and your price stays exactly the same. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Commission rates play no part in scoring. Tom rebuilds the rankings from the test data alone, without sight of which models earn us more. Full detail sits in our Affiliate Disclosure.
Corrections and contact
Mistakes happen. When we get something wrong we fix it and note the change at the foot of the page. Email hello@airfryerovens.com if you spot an error, or if you want to know how a specific score was reached. A real person will answer.