At our home, we need to have a fried item for every meal, no matter what. It could be fish, chicken, paneer or kids favourite French Fries. But when its missing, meal time becomes lacklustre.

But consuming oil in plenty on a day to day basis is not only unhealthy, but also an expensive affair, thanks to rising prices. That is why we decided to invest in an air fryer. We bought a Philips Viva HD9220 Air Fryer and have been quite happy with its performance. Though it did take us a little time to cook evenly and retain crispiness without drying out food, overall, it has been quite a delightful purchase.

In this article, we bring to you some of the best air fryer options available in India. Priced between Rs. 3 to 13k, they are versatile, functional and highly rated amongst the users.

Best Air Fryers In India

Philips Viva Collection HD9220 Air Fryer with Rapid Air Technology

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Philips HD9220 air fryer is one of the most highly rated air fryers available in India with around 80% of users rating it as highly satisfactory. In addition to frying, this air fryer can be used to grill, bake and roast too.

The air fryer uses rapid air technology which circulates hot air in starfish design thus helping you cook uniformly and with lesser oil. In fact Philips claims that their air fryers help reduce oil consumption by around 80% and creates drastically less smell than conventional fryers. That being said, we find that for uniform even cooking of items that you stack one over the other in the basket ( French fries for example), you will have to shake the basket at a regular interval.

The air fryer has 2.2 litre capacity. Weight wise that amounts to about 800 gm. The area of the basket is about 19 x 19 cm. So, while frying fish or cutlets or samosa, you will be able to place quite less amount of food than the maximum capacity of 800 gm.

When it comes to cooking, you can set the temperature between 120 to 200 degree Celsius and timer for up to 30 minutes. The air fryer has to be pre-heated for most cooking for about 3 minutes. It takes about 12 minutes to cook French fries, while Tandoori items may take as much as 30 minutes. Philips gives a recipe booklet customised for Indian cooking, which is quite helpful for beginners.

Talking about energy consumption, the appliance takes up about 0.7 units of electricity for 30 minute run. So, while you do get healthier snacks, it might not be that easy on your pockets.

Yet another drawback is that the accessories like roasting rack and separator ( for cooking different food items simultaneously) do not come along with the bundle. You will have to spend extra for it.

Also being a heavy appliance, weighing 7 Kg, you will have to keep it on counter top itself. Placing it on top of oven to save space is not advisable.

Considering the price tag of close to Rs. 9k, buying Philips HD9220 air purifier is worth it only if you consume fried food on a daily basis.

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Havells Prolife Digi 1230-Watt Air Fryer

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Havells look superior in terms of aesthetics and functions when compared to the former Philips air fryer. But when it comes to capacity, though the company claims 4 litres, it is a bit misleading.

First of all, let us talk about the capacity. Havells states that the unit has 4 litre capacity. But this is considering the basket and pan underneath where oil drips. Effectively, the size of food basket is 19cm diameter and 10 cm height with capacity of 2.5 litres. This is almost similar to the former Philips air fryer, though it is not as tall.

A distinct difference is the touch LCD panel with which you can control the settings of the air fryer. Timer can be set up to 60 minutes with auto shut-off and temperature can be set from 80 to 200 degree celsius. With this you can not only fry, but also grill, roast and bake your favourite delicacies.

Just like Philips, Havells too come with an in-built air filter that reduces typical odour that comes while frying– a feature that is especially beneficial while cooking fish. Havells also provides a recipe book to help you with the initial trial and errors while using the appliance.

With excellent user rating, a slightly lower price tag and a user-friendly interphase, Havells Digital 1230 air fryer is definitely an option worth considering.

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You may also like our article on Best Pressure Cookers In India

American Micronic- AMI-AF1-35CLDx- 3.5 Liters 1500 Watts Imported Air Fryer

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Generally, American Micronic’s appliances are superior in quality, performance and durability.  And their air fryers are also worth considering.

Unlike Havells, the features are basic, and the price tag too matches. In fact, it is lower than former Philips and Havells air fryer.

The AMI-AF1-35CLDx air fryer comes with 3.5 litre capacity. While the temperature can be adjusted from 80 to 200 degree celsius, the timer can be set up to 30 minutes.

Just like other air fryers, Havells too have incorporated technology to reduce odour emission while frying. They also claim that the turbo-tunnel technology helps cook uniformly in minimal time. Reviewers suggest that frying medium sized chicken takes about 20 minutes, while fish fry, spring roll, samosa etc. took about 8-10 minutes.

Havells do not provide hardcopy of recipe book along with the product. Rather, if you contact their customer care, they will arrange to send it to you via WhatsApp.

About 90% of users have rated the appliance as highly satisfactory, making it an option that you can highly consider.

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You may also like our article on Best Cookware For Healthy Lifestyle

SToK Air Fryer 2.6 Litre 1350-Watt with Smart Rapid Air Technology & Double Layer Grill

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SToK is the most budget friendly air fryer in this list with a price tag of around Rs. 3.5k.

The air fryer comes with 2.6 litre capacity and basket size similar to that of Havells and Philips. The company also provides an extra stainless steel grill so that you can fry more quantity in a batch.

The temperature can be set from 80 to 200 degree Celsius and timer can be set up to 30 minutes.

Just like other air fryers in the list, it takes about 8-10 minutes for frying lighter items like fish, paneer, spring rolls and Samosa and about 20-30 minutes for medium size chicken.

The unit costs about half of Havells and Philips making you wonder if there is a catch. Most user reviews are satisfactory. However, you don’t really find a a lot of authorised service centre around.

The product comes with 1 year warranty. But you will have to send the product to their Delhi office for any repairs.

On the whole, considering the budget friendly price tag and fairly good performance, it is definitely the choice for those who don’t want to shell out a bomb for an air fryer.

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Oster Halo CKSTHF2 NXG 1300-Watt Air Fryer

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If SToK was budget friendly, you will find Oster directly on the opposite side of the price spectrum. With a whole range of useful features and smart design, this air fryer promises real hands-free healthy cooking. But at a whopping price tag of close to Rs. 13k.

The cooking basket is fairly large and has about 1.25 Kg capacity. The timer can be set up to 75 minutes. However, there is no option to adjust the temperature.

This air fryer comes with a few distinct features. First of all, its lid is translucent enough that you can see where exactly cooking has progressed to. So you don’t have to frequently open the lid causing heat to escape and thus reduce the overall energy efficiency. Next, the unit can be tilt and basket rotated while working. So, when you cook items like French fries or cheese balls, you don’t have to open the basket mid way and shake the basket.  Also, this air fryer has two heating sources. One at the bottom and another at the top which can be switched on optionally. The basket rotates too, thus ensuring even cooking throughout.

The accessories provided include an extra grill and a measuring spoon for oil. The grill provides extra surface area that is much needed when you need to fry larger batch of fish, chicken, cutlet or such food items.

The results of cooking with Oster Halo CKSTHF2 NXG air fryer is reported to be fairly good. Food is cooked as quickly as most other air fryers and it is even and crisp. A few users also say that the appliance can be used to re-heat food.  Cleaning is also fairly easy and hassle-free.

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