Trying to find the Best Air Fryers in NZ?

Wanting to cook faster and easier with less oil? Want an appliance that gives you more options? Or maybe you’ve got a friend that won’t shut up about their air fryer.

You’ve decided now is the time to get one. But you’re overwhelmed.

What is out there? What features do they have?

I’m Sam and I’ll be your guide to air fryers. I’m not an expert in cooking or appliances, I’m a guy on the internet that thought putting this information together was a good idea.

You probably know someone that has one. I think we’re at the point now where you fall into one of two groups:

You already have one
You want to get one

This is my guide to help you learn more about air fryers so you can make a more informed choice.

A range of air fryers on display in a store.

What is an Air Fryer?

An air fryer is a kitchen appliance used to cook food with the magic of hot air. Think of it as a little fan forced oven. They circulate hot air around cutting down the cooking time, making sure things are evenly cooked and giving a good crispiness if you desire.

They come in many different sizes and shapes and different models will have different features and options.

They can cook most foods faster and with less oil than traditional methods. They are convenient and easy to operate.

Plus they come in a variety of price points. Meaning there is an air fryer out there for everyone.

Are Air Fryers Worth It?

With any marketing there are a lot of things thrown out there. You may have heard of some of these claims.

Easy to use
Healthier
Use less oil
Better cooking
Even cooking

The first question you should ask yourself is are you going to be happy having another cooking appliance on your kitchen benchtop?

To me this is the biggest downside to an air fryer. It takes up bench space so you are going to have to decide whether you want another kitchen appliance.

Air fryer VS Deep Fryer

Air fryers are safer as there is no hot oil to worry about, they’re easy to use for a wider range of people and due to not using much if any oil they can be better at creating healthier meals.

Sure there might be some foods that are better fried, deep fryers just have more negatives to them than an air fryer.

Air Fryer VS Conventional Oven

When compared to a conventional oven air fryers are faster and easier. The downside to them would be the size.

They are great for quick and easy things. Most are not suitable to cook a whole roast dinner in.

It pays to see them in person to judge the size. While specs on a website can give you an idea with dimensions or litres it can hold, I find physically seeing on in store is much better.

What can you cook in an Air Fryer?

I think for a lot of people what you can cook and what you actually cook in an air fryer will differ a lot.

One thing to keep in mind is that not all foods currently have recommended cooking instructions for air fryers. (Even the ones that do, sometimes aren’t the best) Some trial and error may be needed to make sue you get well cooked and if you want crispy on the outside food.

As with any heating instructions it can vary a lot between different types of air fryers.

An air fryer can cook a wide variety of items like:

Different meats
Vegetables
Chips / Fries

Actually anything you want to put into one can be cooked. It pays to look around to see what others have tried, to give you inspiration with your own air fryer.

There are a lot of different foods they can be used for. With the circulating hot air it can use less oil than deep frying. Provides crispy texture if needed and works well across many different food types.

We’ve found experimenting with foods we already eat helps and looking up new recipes or ways to use the air fryer helps us get the most out of it.

Lifespan of an Air Fryer?

I have no concrete information to share about the lifespan of an air fryer.

This will come down to the following things:

Quality of construction
Amount of use
Cleaning of the unit

The most common part that might need replacing or cause problems would be where the food goes. These are usually non stick coated so make sure to follow the manufacturers instructions when it comes to cleaning.

I personally would expect an air fryer to last at least 5 years or more if used properly and taken care of.

Different features of Air Fryers

Aire fryers can have a wide variety of functions available to you. Most will have the basic functions so use that as a starting point when researching.

Reheat
Convection cooking
Dehydrate
Timers
Syncing
Dishwasher safe
Max crisp setting
Drip tray

Brands of Air Fryers

There are many brands of air fryers out there. Some from big name companies that will sound familiar, some brands you will have never heard of.

Here’s some I came cross when looking at what’s available. All these models can be found in New Zealand. Click to see the manufacturers website.

Cost of an Air Fryer

The prices can vary a lot depending on the size of the unit and the features it has. They can be below $100 or cost many hundreds of dollars.

From my observation once you know the model you would like to get, wait for a sale. Retailers love having sales and for a lot of air fryers it makes no sense to pay full price unless you are in a desperate need for one.

The website https://pricespy.co.nz/ might be able to help you with historic pricing of the model you are looking at.

Best Air Fryers in New Zealand

So what is the best air fryer in New Zealand? Well there is no clear cut answer for this. In fact I’ve seen people raving about all sorts of different models online.

For most people they will be going from no air fryer to one that they can afford and has the features they like. Because of this they will have no reference point. It’s not until you either have to replace your air fryer, or you can compare your one with someone else you get a better idea of what the best air fryer for you could be.

If you have an air fryer you think more people should know about, leave a comment at the end of this post.

Where to buy an Air Fryer in New Zealand

From what I’ve seen there are a lot of places that you can shop for air fryers. From shops like Briscoes, or Farmers through to Kmart and The Warehouse, I’ve even seen them for sale at supermarkets. There seems to be a wide range of air fryers on the market.

For most people an air fryer isn’t a necessity. This gives you time to research and wait for a sale. There is no point in paying full price.

Retailers Selling Air Fryers

This isn’t an exhaustive list, in fact you’ll see air fryers for sale in a wide variety of stores.

Air Fryer Recipes

There are many delicious recipes out there now for air fryers. Have a quick Google search to see how people are using their air fryers to help them create meals.

CLICK HERE TO START YOUR RECIPE SEARCH

Conclusion

I personally think an air fryer is a good item to have in your kitchen. It’s up to you to figure out which one fits your budget and your needs. The best air fryers in NZ could be different for everyone’s needs or budget. It’s always subjective so get what works for you.

I knew they existed and that people liked them. But it wasn’t until we got one and learned how much quicker and easier it made things that I came to realise how good they can be. We use ours multiple times a week.

We also find it handy when you only want to cook small portions of things. Sometimes only one of us is home at dinner time so turning on the oven seems like a waste of energy and time. The air fryer has helped solve this for us.

If you have any questions or want to let people know your thoughts on the air fryer you have, leave a message below.