Compare Air Fryers in New Zealand at Canstar Blue. Ninja, Anko, Russell Hobbs, Breville, Living & Co, Kogan, Philips, Sunbeam and Brabantia were compared on Overall Satisfaction, Cooking Performance, Design, Ease of Cleaning, Ease of Use, Functions and Features and Value for Money.
See our Ratings Methodology.
Ninja rated number one for customer satisfaction.
Our review compares air fryers on customer satisfaction, so you can discover what other Kiwis think about our compared air fryer brands before you go ahead and make a purchase. Think of it like asking hundreds of your closest mates which air fryer they think is best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 1017 Kiwis who had bought air fryers to use at home in the last 3 years and asked for their feedback on the air fryer they bought.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their air fryer brands from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Brand satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall Satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall Satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
Ninja is the standout air fryer brand in this year’s award. It’s the only air fryer to earn 5 Stars for Overall Satisfaction, a rating it achieves alongside a sweep of top scores across almost all categories. Ninja’s customers award it a top rating in every category except one, Value for Money, for which it earns a strong 4-Star Rating.
Ninja was founded in 2009 by SharkNinja USA.
SharkNinja has carved out a significant market share in the housewares industry by offering highly functional, innovative products. Its products include cutting-edge, market-leading nutrient extraction blenders and high-quality cooking appliances.
Its range includes three air fryers. For Ninja’s full range of Canstar Blue Award-winning air fryers, click here.
Anko (Kmart)Anko is the only brand in our award to earn a 5-Star rating in our Value for Money category. It also rates highly across every other category, earning 4-Star ratings across the board.
Anko is Kmart’s house brand of affordable products and appliances. The range includes five air fryers of varying sizes, as well as an air fryer convection microwave.
Russell HobbsRussell Hobbs air fryers rate highly this year, earning top marks in both the Cooking Performance and Design categories. The brand also scores highly across the remaining categories, with 4-Star ratings across the board.
Founded in England in 1952, Russell Hobbs offers a range of kitchen staples, including kettles and toasters, alongside other household appliances. The brand features four air fryers in various sizes and designs.
BrevilleBreville is a brand synonymous with kitchen appliances in NZ, and in this year’s ratings it comes close to achieving a clean sweep of great 4-Star ratings across all categories. Breville’s run of 4-Stars is broken by a solitary 3-Star rating, which it achieves for Value for Money.
Founded in Sydney in 1932, Breville is now a global brand. It retails two air fryers in NZ, alongside two large capacity air fryer ovens.
Living & CoScoring an almost perfect collection of fours across the board, Living & Co only earns one 3-Star rating, for Functions & Features.
Distributed by The Warehouse, Living & Co offers a range of affordable appliances and homewares, including four air fryers, along with multi-packs of air fryer accessories.
KoganEarning a line-up of 4-Star ratings across the table, Kogan scores well in all categories.
Founded in 2006, Kogan has grown to become a provider of almost everything a consumer could ever need. Kogan retails affordable and reliable air fryers, alongside a range of other kitchen appliances.
PhilipsDespite scoring multiple 4-Star ratings, Philips earns a 3-Star Overall Satisfaction rating. It achieves additional 3-Star ratings for Value for Money, Ease of Use and Ease of Cleaning.
Philips offers a selection of air fryers, all featuring stylish designs and a wealth of functions and features. As Philips products are at the higher end of the market, their prices start around $350.
SunbeamWhile Sunbeam doesn’t manage to score above a 3-Star rating in any category, Sunbeam is consistent, earning a clean sweep of 3-Star ratings across the board. While not a top rating, 3-Stars still indicates that Sunbeam consumers are content with the value and performance of their air-fryer choices.
Sunbeam offers the largest collection of air fryers among all the providers on our list, with five air fryers and an additional five air fryer ovens. Customers have plenty of options to choose from. However, most Sunbeam air fryers are best suited for small to mid-size families, with fryers typically ranging from 3-5L.
BrabantiaBrabantia rounds out this year’s award ratings. Despite earning 4-Stars for Ease of Cleaning, Design and Functions & Features, Brabantia earns a 3-Star Overall Satisfaction rating. However, it’s still a respectable score, meaning the brand is a solid option when it comes to air fryers.
Founded in 1919, Brabantia is a four-generation family company, which has grown from producing milk cans and jugs to a wide range of home appliances. Brabantia’s range includes mid-sized air fryers for reasonable, mid-range prices. The brand can be found predominantly at Briscoes and Noel Leeming.
Not all brands in the market qualify for our ratings (based on minimum survey sample size), but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth considering. Here is another brand to check out before making a purchase decision.
NutribulletAlthough Nutribullet is a household name in the world of blenders, many people may be surprised to learn that it also makes air fryers. Currently, Nutribullet offers two air fryers, with single or twin drawer options available.
Air fryer needs vary from person to person, depending on household size, what you’re cooking, and the size of your kitchen. But whether you’re a family of six or a single living in a studio apartment, one thing is paramount: cooking performance.
In our survey, almost a third of respondents base their air fryer purchase on how well it cooks their meals. Design ranks at the bottom of the list of influencing factors. It’s understandable, as no one wants another decorative appliance that only collects dust and occupies valuable counter space.
Here’s the full rundown of what the consumers in our survey say are the main things they consider when rating their air fryer picks:
Whether you’re serving up tasty appetizers to party guests, cooking a side of fries to accompany a homemade meal or craving a late-night bar snack, air fryers are the perfect option for cooking any frozen food that you would usually put in an oven. The circulation of hot air in the unit will help you achieve your desired crispiness and flavour, using little to no added fat. Plus, it’s an easy clean-up job afterwards. What’s not to love?
Cooking times may vary depending on the frozen food, but most will be ready in about 10 minutes. With appropriate pre-heating, some frozen snacks can take as little as six minutes to cook, which cuts the oven time by half!
Contrary to popular belief, air fryers aren’t just for savoury foods. Prepare to have your mind blown − an air fryer can bake cupcakes, cookies, brownies, lava cakes, cheesecakes, doughnuts and many more indulgent desserts! As an air fryer does not have the same capacity as a traditional oven, preparing certain baked goods may require you to cook in multiple batches. Just make sure you follow an air fryer-specific recipe, and get a fryer that comes with a baking dish to avoid a kitchen nightmare.
Air fryers that come with accessories such as a grill pan or baking cage allow you to cook certain meats and proteins. Air frying raw meats and proteins can take around 10 minutes, depending on their thickness and how well done you want your roast pork, steak or fish. Bacon, sausages, and eggs (hard-boiled or fried), similarly, take about eight to 10 minutes, meaning you can have a stress-free full English breakfast to start your day.
Cooking raw chicken in your air fryer is claimed to produce much juicier results than either an oven or a cooktop, and in just 15 minutes. However, it’s best to avoid entire roasts or whole chickens. Other than the obvious question of whether an entire roast will fit in your machine, a whole chicken may not cook evenly, leaving you with a half-cooked bird.
The air fryer is a champ when it comes to making veggie-based dishes and sides with a crisp texture. You can roast certain types of vegetables in the machine if they are the kind you can grill or fry. Common veggies like potato, tomato, capsicum and cauliflower can be grilled in the machine, along with peppers, corn, zucchini, brussels sprouts and asparagus.
How many times have you reheated last night’s leftovers in the microwave or oven, only to be greeted with food that’s soggy, overcooked, tough or not at all crispy? For many foods, the re-heating process can be just as time-consuming as the original cooking method, and often nowhere near as good. The air fryer can make certain leftover foods palatable in a matter of minutes, saving them from going to waste. Leftover pizza, potato gems, French fries, fried chicken and steak all (arguably) cook and taste better reheated in an air fryer!
You’ll definitely want to avoid putting foods with wet batters (frozen is fine) in your air fryer if you don’t want to make a mess of your machine. For example, tempura seafood and corndogs are a big no, as the batter will likely drip off the food and stick to the bottom of your air fryer.
As mentioned above, air fryers are great for the types of veggies you would usually roast or fry. In addition to frozen savoury foods, an air fryer can turn frozen veggies into a delicious side dish. However, if they’re greens you’d rather have steamed (such as beans) then the air fryer isn’t the appliance for the job.
The primary purpose of an air fryer is frying, so foods that are typically boiled or need to absorb lots of liquid – like rice and pasta – are unsuitable to place in an air fryer. It’s best to stick to the traditional method of boiling water or buying a rice cooker. Alternatively, you can opt for a multi-cooker with both air frying and rice cooking functionalities.
If you’re thinking of using your air fryer to bake something with fresh cheese as a topping, or by itself, we recommend otherwise. Unless you start with something frozen with an outer crust (like mozzarella sticks), putting fresh cheese in your air fryer may cause a mess that you won’t want to be scraping and scrubbing off your machine later.
You should give your air fryer a wipe-over after every single use, and give it a more thorough clean which involves soaking and scrubbing the cooking basket, pan and trays every week or so.
The removable parts, which include the air frying basket (or rack), any mesh grills, and the tray, should be cleaned in hot soapy water or in a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. This can be done either in the dishwasher (depending on your air fryer model) or in the kitchen sink.
There are benefits to buying an air fryer, whether for convenience or to reduce the amount of oil in your cooking. Here are a few advantages that might make an air fryer worth purchasing:
It’s no secret that an air fryer can cook food in record time. But something you may not know about this miracle worker is that it can be energy-efficient as well. Due to its compact size, it typically doesn’t require as much power to run as an oven.
Most units are designed to be very user-friendly and easy to operate – just place your food in the basket, set the temperature and time, and walk away (with the occasional check-up, of course). A typical air fryer doesn’t have dozens of cooking options, just simple controls that are basic and easy to understand.
Because air fryers don’t use much oil, they’re also typically very easy to clean. Win-win.
If you want a machine that will do more than just fry food, then an air fryer is the appliance for you. An air fryer will cook your favourite frozen snacks, roast meat and veggies, reheat last night’s dinner and bake some pretty cool desserts.
A little bit goes a long way when it comes to using oil in your air fryer, meaning you can easily reduce levels of fat in your meal while ensuring food comes out tender inside and crispy on the outside. Unlike a traditional oven, speedy air-frying cooking times are said to ensure excess oil doesn’t soak into your food.
Typical air fryers are small and usually no larger than a coffee machine. Some small-scale and super compact units are perfect for households with limited benchtop space, like dorm rooms, apartments and kitchenettes. Essentially, an air fryer can replace an oven when you find yourself in a situation that lacks one! You can also buy an air fryer for under $100, which is not too shabby for such a versatile gadget.
This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Caitlin Bingham. Caitlin is an experienced writer whose passion for creativity led her to study communication and journalism. She began her career freelancing as a content writer, before joining the Canstar team.
Think air fryers are a healthy way to cook: 72%
Air fryer provides value for money: 72%
Use oven less frequently due to air fryer: 67%
Air fryers deserve the hype they receive: 60%
Weekly: 57%
Daily: 32%
Monthly: 7%
Less often than monthly: 1%
Convenience: 47%
As a healthier alternative to deep frying: 31%
To try something new: 11%
Less mess than deep frying: 5%
Safer to use than deep frying: 3%
Other: 3%
Canstar Blue surveyed 2505 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from respondents who had purchased and used an air fryer in the past three months. In this case, 1017 New Zealanders.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criterion.
The past winners from Canstar Blue’s Air Fryer ratings:
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