Experts discover 'misleading' air fryer information that has left millions of users fooled

The humble air fryer has become a staple in households across the UK over the past few years after being dubbed a 'healthier' option than an oven or grill, using hot air instead of oil to cook your food.

And, with them also saving us time, money and a whole lot of faff, investing in the kitchen gadget is a bit of a no-brainer.

But experts from Which? have recently revealed that millions of us are being duped by 'misleading' labelling.

Air fryers are now a kitchen staple in the UK (Getty Stock Image)

They say that we are being mislead as to how much food our air fryers can hold because most brands advertise the gadget's internal volume in litres.

However, not all the internal space is usable, so the quoted capacity doesn't always match how much food you can actually fit inside it.

Which? explains: "The consumer champion’s reviews give a realistic representation of air fryer capacity. Most models advertise their capacity in litres, which can sometimes be misleading as not all the internal space is usable.

"Which?'s lab test measures the capacity of food in grams and has found that the true capacity is usually between 60% and 80% of what's claimed by brands," revealing that most airfryers hold about 400g of food - approximately two portions of chips.

And don't be fooled into thinking bigger is always better, with Which? warning that 'an air fryer with large external dimensions [can] have less space available inside for cooking than a smaller one'.

They say that shoppers cooking for the whole family might want to consider a dual air fryer - which can hold between 600g and 2.3kg of food - if they're worried about space.

Which? warns that brands marking an air fryer's capacity in litres is misleading as not all internal space is usable (Getty Stock Images)

One occasion an extra-large air fryer comes in handy is Christmas, where the combination of having more mouths to feed and more bits and pieces to cook makes being in the kitchen an absolute nightmare.

Prior to the big day, Michelin-trained chef Poppy O'Toole shared her advice to getting the most out of the gadget, and her tips will serve you well year-round.

First, put a timer on.

O'Toole said: "I’ve done that a few times, where I’ve gone, it comes out in 20 minutes or whatever and you go, 'Yeah, I’ll come back in a few minutes, it’ll be fine'. And I’ve left it in there the whole time and it’s burned to a crisp."

The chef also urged us to not 'overcrowd' the gadget in order to allow proper air circulation around your food.

And, keep it clean. While O'Toole admits she doesn't clean hers enough, she recommends giving your air fryer a wipe down every time you use it.