How to get the best deal on an air fryer before Black Friday

It’s that time of year when we look around the house at the gadgets and appliances that are starting to fail and think about the best way to get a bargain replacement.

Black Friday is coming up, but if you don’t want to wait for the biggest sale of the year, here’s a step-by-step guide to saving money on an air fryer now.

1. Choose the model you want

Rather than going in blind and grabbing the first discounted appliance you see, it’s a good idea to start by deciding what kind of air fryer would best suit you.

Here are some factors to consider:

• Size – First off, measure the countertop area you have available, as air fryers can be bulky. Once you know what space you have to work with, opt for the largest-capacity air fryer you can fit in. You’ll get much more use from a larger air fryer, or, even better, a dual-drawer model or air fryer oven. Dual-zone air fryers are the most flexible option, as you can cook two dishes using different cooking methods and times simultaneously, but if you want a quick snack, you can use a single drawer and save more electricity. Air fryer ovens are best if you tend to cook for the whole family at every meal.
• Brand – Buy an air fryer from a reputable brand. Ninja air fryers are among the best, Tefal appliances are very reliable, but lesser-known, and less pricey brands, such as Cosori are worth considering too.
• Other functionality – Some air fryers will only air fry and roast. Others will provide lots of other cooking methods, from proving dough to dehydrating fruit and meat, to grilling. Some air fryer ovens even have a rotisserie function – and we’ve tested one Drew & Cole air fryer/microwave.

You might want to start off by browsing our round-ups of the best dual-drawer air fryers, the best air fryer ovens, the best Ninja air fryers and the best air fryers overall to identify some models that would work for you.

2. Price it up

Once you know what type of air fryer you want, the next step is to get it for the best price possible. But you can only tell if you’re getting a good deal if you have an idea of its day-to-day price – and that may be different from its RRP.

Let’s use the Ninja Double Stack XL as an example, as it’s a highly in-demand appliance, and we rate it as one of the best air fryers we’ve tested.

The Double Stack XL launched with an RRP of £269.99 and if you buy from the Ninja site, that’s what you’ll pay right now.

But you can use a price tracking website, like Camelcamelcamel, to find its price history via its Amazon product page.

The Double Stack XL only launched earlier this year but on Camelcamelcamel, we can see that its average price since then is £248.73 and that it has been most commonly available for around £230 for the last few months.

That’s its current price on Amazon and if you see it on sale, that’s the price to beat. Camelcamelcamel is also really useful for seeing how much of a bargain Black Friday deals really are, so bookmark it for use later.

3. Stake out your model

By this point, you have a good idea of what a bargain looks like. If you don’t see the air fryer you want at a good price, bookmark it on a number of retailers, including Currys, AO.com, John Lewis and Very, and watch its price.

Another good spot to bargain hunt is Ebay – but you don’t have to buy from an individual seller.

Ebay has plenty of sales events on. At the moment, you can get up to 60% off an air fryer on Ebay, via AO or Currys Clearance. You can narrow your search by brand. Right now, for example, there are ten Ninja air fryers on offer.

Most items are just overstock but bear in mind that the product may come in a damaged box or have minor cosmetic flaws. But each sales entry will be labelled, so you know what you’re getting.

Good luck bargain-hunting!