The Two Brands Dominating UK Air Fryer Sales
Walk into any Argos, Currys, or supermarket and the air fryer section is anchored by two brands: Tower and Ninja. They dominate different parts of the market — Tower at the budget end, Ninja across mid-range and premium — and the question of which to buy is the one I’m asked most frequently by UK readers.
I’ve owned Tower and Ninja air fryers simultaneously for 18 months, cooking daily for a family of five. Here is the detailed comparison.
The Models Compared
I’m comparing directly comparable models at each price tier:
| Price tier | Tower | Ninja |
|---|---|---|
| Budget (~£50) | T17021 4L (manual) | — (Ninja doesn’t play here) |
| Mid-range (~£70–80) | T17086 6L (manual) | AF101 4Qt (digital) |
| Upper mid (~£90–100) | — | AF160UK 5.2Qt (digital) |
| Premium (~£150+) | — | Foodi DZ201 8Qt (dual basket) |
Cooking Quality: No Meaningful Difference
This is the most important finding and the one that surprises people most. At comparable temperatures and times, the Tower T17086 and the Ninja AF101 produce chicken thighs, chips, roasted vegetables, and fish fillets that are indistinguishable in a blind tasting.
I cooked identical recipes in both on the same evenings:
– Chicken thighs (200°C, 22 min): identical result
– Frozen chips (200°C, 15 min): identical result
– Salmon fillet (180°C, 12 min): identical result
– Roasted broccoli (190°C, 10 min): identical result
The airflow technology in an air fryer is not proprietary magic. A heating element and a fan circulate hot air. Budget and premium models produce the same cooking physics. The difference between Tower and Ninja is not in how they cook.
Where Ninja Wins
Digital controls and precision
Ninja’s AF101, AF160UK, and DZ201 all have digital touchscreens with precise temperature control, a digital timer with auto-shutoff, and cooking function presets. Setting 200°C on a Ninja means exactly 200°C.
The Tower T17021 and T17086 use manual dials. The temperature dial is calibrated to approximate temperatures — “200°C” runs a few degrees hotter or cooler depending on the model. Once you’ve cooked with it a few times you adjust naturally, but the precision is inferior to digital controls.
Multiple cooking functions
Ninja AF101: Air Fry, Roast, Reheat, Dehydrate — four functions.
Tower T17086: Air Fry only — one function.
In practice, I use Reheat and Roast regularly. Air Fry handles 80% of everything. Dehydrate is used monthly. But having them is convenient, and the Reheat function at 160°C specifically is something the Tower can approximate but doesn’t label as a distinct mode.
Proven global track record
Ninja is a US brand with years of consumer testing across millions of units. Their warranty claims process is well-established. UK customer service is responsive.
Tower is UK-based, which in some ways is an advantage for UK consumers, but their global presence and user community is smaller, meaning the volume of tested recipes and troubleshooting resources online is lower.
Dual basket options
Ninja makes the DZ201 and 10Qt dual-basket models. Tower makes the T17076 dual basket. Both work, but the Ninja’s Smart Finish synchronisation technology is meaningfully better than Tower’s manual approach. For dual-basket, Ninja wins clearly.
Where Tower Wins
Price
The Tower T17021 at £50 and T17086 at £60 cost significantly less than comparable Ninja models. The AF101 (smallest Ninja digital) starts at £70 and often sells for more.
For a first air fryer buyer who is genuinely uncertain whether they’ll use it, the lower entry price is meaningful. You’re risking less on an unknown quantity.
Longer warranty
Tower offers 2 years standard warranty. Ninja offers 1 year. For a £50 appliance, a 2-year warranty is a meaningful extra reassurance.
UK brand (availability and support)
Tower appliances are available in more UK stockists than Ninja — including Argos, Robert Dyas, Asda, and smaller independent retailers. If you want to return or exchange in person rather than online, Tower gives you more options.
Simplicity
Manual dials require no learning curve. You set a temperature and a timer. No screen, no modes, no presets to navigate. For households where simplicity is valued (older family members, people who find digital appliances confusing), Tower’s manual controls are not a limitation — they’re a feature.
Head-to-Head Summary
| Factor | Tower (T17086) | Ninja (AF101) |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking quality | Equal | Equal |
| Controls | Manual dial | Digital touchscreen |
| Cooking functions | 1 (air fry) | 4 |
| Capacity | 6L | 4Qt (~3.8L) |
| Warranty | 2 years | 1 year |
| Price | ~£60 | ~£70 |
| Best for | Budget, simplicity | Digital precision, functions |
My Recommendation
Buy Tower if: Budget is genuinely a constraint, you want simple controls, you’re buying for someone who dislikes digital appliances, or you want the largest possible capacity at the lowest price.
Buy Ninja if: You want digital precision, multiple cooking functions including Reheat and Dehydrate, a well-established brand with a large online recipe community, or you’re considering a dual-basket model in the future.
For most families asking “which one should I buy?”: start with the Tower at £60 if you’re uncertain, then upgrade to a Ninja DZ201 once you know you’ll use it daily and want the dual-basket functionality. The Tower won’t let you down while you find that out.
[CHECK TOWER PRICE ON AMAZON] | [CHECK NINJA PRICE ON AMAZON]
FAQs
Is Ninja better quality than Tower?
Not in terms of cooking results. Ninja has better digital controls, more functions, and a more established global brand. Cooking quality is comparable between matched capacities.
Do Tower air fryers last as long as Ninja?
I’ve used both for 18 months with no issues. Tower’s 2-year warranty is actually longer than Ninja’s 1-year warranty, which suggests Tower’s confidence in build quality at least matches Ninja’s.
Which is easier to clean?
Identical — both have removable baskets and crisper plates that are dishwasher safe and handwash in 2 minutes.