Quick stats: Recommended model: Tefal Easy Fry Dual Air Fryer 8.3L · TV series premiered: April 2024 on Channel 4 · Drawers: 2 (dual zone) · Capacity: 8.3 litres (serves 2–6) · Cookbook: Jamie’s Air Fryer Meals

Jamie Oliver Air Fryer: Recommendations, Reviews, and Tips

These are the specs reviewers and retailers actually verified for the Tefal dual-drawer model.

What air fryer does Jamie Oliver recommend?

Jamie Oliver’s public answer is a Tefal. Channel 4 broadcast Jamie’s Air Fryer Meals in April 2024, and Ideal Home confirmed that the meals in the series were cooked in the Tefal Easy Fry Dual Zone Air Fryer and Grill.

“The din of barrel-scraping is deafening.”

The Guardian’s review of Jamie’s Air Fryer Meals

The Guardian was reviewing television, not the machine. The appliance itself is the 8.3-litre Tefal Easy Fry Dual Air Fryer and Grill — sold in some shops as the Jamie Oliver Dual Drawer Air Fryer & Grill.

The Tefal Easy Fry Dual Air Fryer 8.3L

The total capacity is 8.3 litres, split between a 5.2-litre drawer and a 3.1-litre drawer. That uneven layout is deliberate: the larger drawer handles a main course while the smaller one cooks sides. Tefal’s dual-zone design also includes a sync mode so the two drawers can finish together, although the exact control names vary by version.

• Large drawer: 5.2 litres for the main dish.
• Small drawer: 3.1 litres for sides or a second course.

TechAdvisor puts the power at 2,700W and the launch RRP at £199.99, with street prices around £129 at the time of review. John Lewis’s current listing carries a 4.50-star average from 1,606 customer reviews.

The dual-zone layout explains why a chef would choose it for a television series: it can cook a protein in one drawer and vegetables or starch in the other. For most families, that is more useful than a single basket that only fits one dish.

Why Jamie Oliver chose Tefal

Jamie Oliver’s official site and Tefal’s UK range both present the Easy Fry as the brand that fits the TV series. The cookbook Jamie’s Air Fryer Meals, published in 2024, uses the same dual-drawer logic: cook two things at once and have them land on the table together.

This is the key point: the “Jamie Oliver air fryer” is not a separate appliance category. It is a Tefal Easy Fry with Jamie Oliver’s name on the box, a 2024 cookbook, and a Channel 4 series attached to it.

The pattern: the recommendation is public, consistent, and tied to a specific 8.3L dual-drawer Tefal. The open question is whether the branding changes the cooking performance.

Is the Jamie Oliver Tefal air fryer any good?

Reviewers say yes for families, with reservations about speed and features. TechAdvisor found even cooking and extremely quiet operation. Delicious magazine was more restrained, giving three stars and noting it was one of the slower air fryers in its testing. Woman & Home called it a strong all-rounder for families, but added that it may be too large for someone cooking for one.

“It cooks evenly and is extremely quiet.”

TechAdvisor’s review of the Tefal Easy Fry Dual Air Fryer and Grill

“One of the slower air fryers in its testing.”

delicious. magazine

John Lewis customers are more positive than the magazine critics: the same model holds a 4.50 out of 5 average from 1,606 reviews. That gap matters. Professional testers prioritise speed and control; home cooks often prioritise capacity and convenience.

Woman & Home ran the Jamie Oliver by Tefal model against a Ninja dual-drawer rival; the trade-off is space versus footprint.

Pros of the Jamie Oliver Tefal air fryer

Cons and common complaints

Most negative feedback clusters around the missing frozen preset. TechAdvisor was blunt: there is no frozen mode, and the shake reminder is not available on every mode. If you buy this model expecting frozen chips to come out like the adverts, you will need to shake the basket yourself.

Another complaint is size. Woman & Home says the same features that suit a family can feel overwhelming for a single-person kitchen. The dual drawers are heavy and need counter space.

User reviews and ratings

John Lewis’s product page shows 1,606 reviews and an average of 4.50 stars. That is a strong retail signal, but it is not the same as a lab test. The Guardian’s criticism of the TV show should not be read as a criticism of the air fryer.

What the reviews share: the dual drawers give real flexibility; the missing frozen mode and slower cook times are the main trade-offs.

What this means: buyer ratings and reviewer verdicts diverge on speed, not on the basic cooking quality. Your decision depends on whether you value capacity over speed.

What 5 foods should you not put in an air fryer?

An air fryer is a small convection oven, not a magic basket. These five foods cause the most smoke, mess, and uneven results.

Wet batter foods (e.g., tempura)

Wet batter drips through the basket and creates a mess before it crisps. Use a thin cornstarch or flour coating instead so the surface stays dry enough to crisp.

Cheese that melts too quickly

Melted cheese can drip into the heating element and smoke. Use harder cheeses or combine them with breadcrumbs so the cheese does not flow through the basket.

Leafy greens (e.g., spinach)

Spinach and kale blow around and burn in the strong fan. Roast sturdy vegetables like broccoli or peppers first; if you try kale, keep it in a single layer and check it early.

Whole grains (e.g., rice, pasta)

Grains need simmering water, not dry hot air. Cook rice and pasta in water first, then use the air fryer to crisp the leftovers.

Bacon (can cause smoke)

Bacon fat can splatter and smoke. Use a small amount, keep the temperature moderate, and pat the rashers dry before cooking.

The common thread is fat or water: too much moisture causes steam, too much loose fat causes smoke. Air fryers work best with dry surfaces and moderate oil.

Why are people getting rid of their air fryers?

Not everyone keeps their air fryer. The reasons people sell them are rarely about the brand — they are about expectations, space, and cleaning.

Air fryers became a staple of 2020s kitchens, and selling them is now part of the same cycle. People buy on impulse, use them for a few weeks, then realise the appliance has to live on the counter.

Space and countertop clutter

A dual-drawer 8.3L model is bulky. Woman & Home flagged that the Tefal can feel too large for one-person cooking, and the same logic drives resale listings: it takes up counter space that a kettle or toaster used to occupy.

Noise and heat output

Air fryers are loud. The Tefal is quieter than many, according to TechAdvisor, but it still moves a lot of hot air. That noise and heat can be a dealbreaker in an open-plan kitchen.

Cleaning difficulty

When non-stick coating gets scratched or greasy, cleaning becomes harder. Drawers are designed for easy removal, but the heating element needs wiping, and built-up fat can smoke.

Performance disappointments

People expect fried-chicken texture from frozen food without oil. The Tefal has no frozen mode and no universal shake reminder, so frozen items need more hands-on attention.

The implication: the “sell-off” is not evidence that air fryers fail. It is evidence that size, noise, and maintenance matter more than a celebrity endorsement.

Can I put aluminum foil in an air fryer?

Yes, but only if the foil is weighed down and kept away from the heating element.

Foil can be useful, but it is not the default liner for every recipe. The best approach is to use it as a small drip tray or wrap food in it, not to line the whole basket.

When it is safe to use foil

You can line the bottom of the drawer or wrap food in foil. The foil must be weighted by food or tucked under the basket so the fan cannot lift it into the heating element.

Risks of using foil in an air fryer

Foil can block airflow. If it covers the basket holes, the air cannot circulate, and you get uneven cooking. Acidic foods can also react with foil, leaving a metallic taste.

Alternatives to foil

Parchment paper liners are safer when they are cut to fit the basket and held down by food. They still need to be weighed down, but they do not react with acidic food.

The catch: foil is not dangerous by default, but it turns a high-airflow cooker into a blocked one when used incorrectly.

Frequently Asked Questions

The takeaway: most buyer questions come back to the same trade-off — a big, quiet family air fryer that needs manual attention for frozen food. Buyers who choose the Tefal for its 8.3L dual drawers get a quiet, family-friendly air fryer; buyers who need frozen shortcuts and maximum speed should keep looking.