Tower vs Tefal: which air fryer brand is best for you?

I love an air fryer, which is why I’ve tried most – if not all! – of the models found in our best air fryer guide over the last couple of years or so. However, there are two brands – Tower and Tefal that I keep coming back to, although for different reasons. 

If you’re looking for a plain and simple air fryer, that can quickly and efficiently cook everything from chips through to fried chicken and all points in-between, then a Tower appliance will certainly fit the bill. A Tower product does exactly what it says on the tin and usually to great effect.

Equally, Tefal has air fryers that will do exactly the same and a little bit more too, like the Tefal EasyFry Grill & Steam, which is more like a mini oven. That said, Tower is the UK’s biggest selling brand for air fryers, which is no mean feat. But, I still keep coming back to Tefal.

I put Tower and Tefal to the test to see which air fryer brand is the one you should choose.

Tower vs Tefal: Different strokes

The reason? Well, I’ve owned the Tefal Actifry Genius XL 2-in-1 review for a good while now and it’s still my main go-to air fryer. Sure, there are newer models out there, but my trusty Tefal Actifry Genius still gets an awful lot of use because there’s nothing else quite like it. This is all because the design incorporates a circular bowl area, so it’s nothing like the boxy design of most air fryers.

There’s a clever reason for this in that Tefal created the Actifry Genius as more of an all-rounder. It isn’t just an air fryer, even though it does that job wonderfully well. The big bonus here is the Actifry Genius can handle liquid-based dishes too. There’s a paddle inside the bowl that revolves depending on the setting you’ve selected, which not only allows the likes of chips and chicken wings to get more evenly cooked, but also lets you produce something like a curry or casserole too.

Tower vs Tefal: Smarter cooking

That’s not to say a regular air fryer from the Tower stable isn’t going to be good at doing different dishes. Indeed, Tower has a whole range of products that offer a more diverse way of cooking food. Take the Tower Vortex 7-in-1 Air Fryer with Steamer for example, which comes with numerous cooking modes and works more like a combi-steam oven than anything.

So, if you’re looking for multifunction kitchen appliances, you’re very well catered for. There’s no getting away from it though: for me the Tefal Actifry Genius is still the kitchen gadget I use the most. Curiously, you’d think Tefal would have an updated version of this model available by now, but the fact that it doesn’t could suggest just how well it continues to sell as it is.

Tower vs Tefal: Bargains galore

Of course, one of the best things about the sheer range of air fryers that are available to buy means they continue to be one of the best kitchen appliance bargains you can bag. Stiff competition means that multiple air fryer deals are always out there and, if you’ve never owned one or simply want to upgrade, now is as good a time as ever to buy one.

Better still, spend some time searching out the Tefal Actifry Genius and there’s every chance you might be able to get that at a discount too. If you’re paying the RRP, you’ll be looking at well over £200, but now that it’s been around a while, the Genius often appears in online searches for a lot less than that. Get it for the right price and you’ve got an even greater bit of kitchen kit on your worktop that’ll soon be earning its keep.

Tower vs Tefal: who takes the win?

Much as I love everything that emerges from the British Tower brand stable, it’s Tefal that currently has me won over, especially when it comes to overall hours of use. However, given the rapid rise of new machines on the market, I’m not sure just how long that preference is going to last. Over to you Tower!