Lakeland digital crisp air fryer
- Best: Entry-level air fryer
- Capacity: 2.8l
- Dimensions : 26cm x 32cm x 35cm
- Power : 1350W
- Maximum temperature: 200C
- Presets : Eight
- Weight : 5kg
Despite my initial concerns over its hefty size, Lakeland’s surprisingly lightweight air fryer managed to slot seamlessly onto the kitchen counter.
Setting it apart from more boxy designs on the market, Lakeland’s appliance is sleek and cylinder and as such, it takes up less space than a microwave but slightly more than a large toaster. Plus, set-up is a breeze. After unboxing the appliance, simply plug the cable (which is a decent length) into the mains and you’re good to go.
How to useOwing to the LED touchscreen design, using it is just as easy to get to grips with. Featuring eight presets (including fresh fries, fish, seafood, frozen fries, pizza, baked goods, chicken and steak), you select one by pressing the button in the middle of the screen.
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Handily, there are also temperature (from 80C-200C) and time functions, which you can adjust by pressing each icon and turning the dial to change the setting. Once your pre-set, time and temperature are selected (each preset calculates the functions for you, but you can also customise them), simply press the same power dial to start cooking.
Designed with vents at the top to control air flow, the basket is situated in the centre of the air fryer and pulls out easily thanks to the large handle. Plus, the entire inner basket can be pulled out of its plastic case, allowing for more thorough cleaning.
PerformanceI first tested the air fryer on my go-to afternoon snack, Quorn’s vegetarian chicken nuggets. Cooking them from frozen, I used the frozen fries preset which runs on 200C for 20 minutes (though I did reduce it down to 10 minutes for the nuggets). Coming out crispy, golden and well-cooked in five minutes less time than it would have done in the oven, Lakeland’s air fryer boasts impressive efficiency.
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I’ve since grilled salmon, cooked crunchy tenderstem broccoli, rustled up restaurant-worthy crispy french fries (there’s capacity for up to 500g of chips), golden brown halloumi, chicken burgers and more in the versatile appliance.
One thing to note though is the limitations of the basket size. While there’s enough room to cook halloumi and tenderstem broccoli together for up to two people, Lakeland’s air fryer is probably too small to be a worthwhile investment for a larger household.
CleaningThe most boring part of owning an air fryer is of course the clean-up. But Lakeland has made the tedious task a whole lot easier with the separate basket design. Being able to remove the food basket from its plastic container lets you clean up any grease residue far more thoroughly and quickly. Before returning the basket to the air fryer, make sure you let it dry out entirely first.