5 Alternatives to the Ninja Air Fryer MAX AF160UK, Including Bigger and Smarter Options

1) COSORI Air Fryer TurboBlaze, 6L — £99.95

At £99.95, the COSORI TurboBlaze is almost the same price as the Ninja AF160UK, but it gives you a slightly larger 6L capacity and a more flexible spec sheet. The headline difference is the 9 functions and 5 auto fan speeds, plus a wide temperature range from 30°C to 230°C. In practice, that means more control for gentler jobs like dehydrating fruit or proving-style low-temp cooking, while the hotter top end helps with crisping chips and chicken skin. It’s also designed to be quiet, which is a real bonus in open-plan UK kitchens where a noisy appliance can dominate the room.

Build quality is strong for the money, with a non-stick basket and dishwasher-safe parts, so day-to-day cleaning should be easy. Compared with Ninja, COSORI tends to feel a little more tech-forward and feature-rich, while Ninja often wins on the simplest, most idiot-proof cooking experience. The practical trade-off is that the Ninja brand has a slightly better reputation for ‘set it and forget it’ reliability, while COSORI gives you more flexibility and a touch more capacity for the same spend.

Verdict: choose the COSORI TurboBlaze if you want near-Ninja pricing but more functions, a slightly larger basket, and quieter operation. It’s especially attractive for couples and small families who want one compact appliance that can do a bit of everything without hogging much worktop space.

2) Ninja Air Fryer MAX PRO 6.2L — £129.99

This is the most obvious step-up from the AF160UK if you like the Ninja way of cooking but want more room. At £129.99, it’s £30.99 more expensive than the original, but you’re getting a 6.2L square single drawer instead of 5.2L. That extra capacity may not sound dramatic on paper, yet in real life it can be the difference between fitting four chicken breasts comfortably or having to cook in batches. The square basket shape is also more practical for traybake-style foods, sausages, and a family portion of chips.

Feature-wise, it stays close to the original: air fry, roast, bake, and the usual Ninja-style ease of use. The bundle includes silicone tongs, which is a nice touch, and the dishwasher-safe basket and crisper plate keep maintenance simple. Build quality should feel very familiar if you’ve used other Ninja products: sturdy, premium enough for regular use, and designed to survive being pulled in and out of a busy kitchen day after day.

The trade-off is price. You’re paying more for a modest capacity bump rather than a completely new cooking system. If your current problem is simply that the AF160UK feels a little cramped for family meals, this is a sensible upgrade. If you want dual-zone cooking or a more dramatic change, look elsewhere.

Verdict: pick the Ninja MAX PRO if you want the safest upgrade path from the AF160UK. It’s the best choice for buyers who trust Ninja, want a bit more room, and prefer a straightforward single-drawer air fryer rather than a more complicated multi-zone machine.

3) Ninja Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer 5.7L — £399.99

This is not a casual alternative; it’s a serious premium multi-cooker that happens to air fry well. At £399.99, it costs a huge £300.99 more than the AF160UK, so it only makes sense if you’ll use the extra functions properly. The big selling point is the digital cooking probe and grill plate, which let you cook steak, burgers, chops, and vegetables with much more precision than a standard basket air fryer. You also get grill, bake, roast, and more, so it can replace several appliances in one go.

The practical impact is huge if you love proper cooking results rather than just convenience. You can sear and grill more convincingly than a basic air fryer, and the probe helps avoid overcooking meat — a real advantage if you’re making midweek dinners for the family. The 5.7L capacity is decent, but it’s not as generous as some newer basket-only models, and the unit is much more of a countertop statement piece than a compact everyday fryer.

Build quality is excellent, as you’d expect at this price. The parts are dishwasher safe, the construction feels heavy-duty, and the large grill plate is made for proper use rather than occasional snacking. That said, it’s bulkier and more expensive to justify, and it may be overkill if you mainly want chips, frozen food, and quick weeknight air-fried meals.

Verdict: choose this only if you want a premium hybrid grill/air fryer and you’ll actually use the probe and grill functions regularly. For most shoppers, it’s far too expensive compared with the AF160UK, but for keen cooks it can be a brilliant all-rounder.

4) Cosori Dual Air Fryer 10L — £189.95

If your main issue with the Ninja AF160UK is capacity, the Cosori Dual Air Fryer is a major step up. At £189.95, it’s £90.95 more expensive, but it gives you a 10L flexible capacity with dual-zone cooking, so you can prepare two different foods at once. That’s a big deal for family dinners: chips in one section, chicken in the other, and both finishing at the same time. The Dual Blaze heating system is designed for fast and even results, which should help reduce the need for shaking or turning as often.

This is the sort of appliance that makes sense if you’re cooking full meals rather than just side dishes. It’s especially useful for UK households where dinner often means a protein plus veg plus carbs, all ready together. The smart twin-zone setup is more versatile than a single basket, and it can save time on busy weeknights. Energy-saving claims are always a bit context-dependent, but the real-world benefit is usually less oven use and faster cooking overall.

Build quality looks good for the price point, with a modern design and dishwasher-safe components. It’s bigger than the AF160UK, so it will take more worktop room, and that matters in smaller UK kitchens where every inch counts. It’s not the most compact option here, but it’s one of the most practical for families who want to cook complete meals without juggling trays.

Verdict: go for the Cosori Dual Air Fryer if you want to move beyond single-drawer cooking and make proper family dinners with less faff. It’s a better fit than the Ninja AF160UK for households that regularly cook two foods at once.

5) Cosori TurboTower Dual Air Fryer 10.8L — £189.99

The TurboTower is the most space-savvy big-capacity option in this list. At £189.99, it’s only 4p more than the Cosori Dual Air Fryer, but the layout is very different: a vertical, stacked design with 10.8L total capacity. That tower format is ideal if you want a large cooking volume without spreading across the worktop as much as a wide dual-drawer unit. For UK kitchens where counter space is at a premium and sockets are often awkwardly placed, that can be a genuine advantage.

The practical benefit is that you can cook a full meal across multiple layers, with Turbo Blaze tech aimed at fast, even crisp results. The 3-layer cooking approach means you can potentially fit more food than the AF160UK by a mile, making it a strong option for families, batch cookers, or anyone who likes to prep lunches and dinners in one go. Compared with the Ninja, this is a very different proposition: less about simple basket convenience, more about maximum throughput and meal-building.

Build quality should be solid and modern, with the usual non-stick and dishwasher-safe conveniences. The stacked design does mean you’ll need to think about food arrangement and airflow a bit more carefully than with a single-drawer Ninja, so it’s not quite as instantly familiar. But if you’re upgrading from a smaller fryer, the capacity jump is dramatic and very useful.

Verdict: choose the TurboTower if you want the biggest capacity without a huge horizontal footprint. It’s one of the smartest alternatives for busy families, batch cookers, and anyone who wants to maximise worktop efficiency.

Bottom line

If you want the closest like-for-like replacement, the Ninja Air Fryer MAX PRO is the easiest upgrade from the AF160UK. If you want better value and more features for roughly the same money, the COSORI TurboBlaze is the standout. For bigger families, the two Cosori dual-zone options are the most practical leap forward, while the Ninja Foodi MAX is only worth the money if you want a premium grill-air fryer hybrid rather than a standard basket model.