The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK is the cheaper of the two to run and the Tefal Easy Fry Dual Zone 8.3L is much the cheaper to buy. At full power a 20-minute cook costs 21.1p in the Ninja and 23.7p in the Tefal at the October 2026 price cap, because Ninja rates its fryer at 2,400W and Tefal rates its at 2,700W.
On Amazon UK today the Tefal is £96.99 and the Ninja £159.00. The Ninja saves at most 2.63p a cook, so it needs 2,356 cooks to earn back the £62.01 gap. At five cooks a week that is about nine years, which is longer than many people keep an air fryer. On total cost, the Tefal wins.
The verdict, 28 September 2026
- Rated power: 2,400W for the Ninja and 2,700W for the Tefal. A 20-minute cook at full power costs 21.1p and 23.7p at 26.32p per kWh.
- Over a year of five cooks a week the ceiling is £54.75 for the Ninja and £61.59 for the Tefal, a gap of £6.84.
- The Ninja’s pence-back point, the cooks it takes to earn back its £62.01 higher price, is 2,356. That is about nine years at five cooks a week.
- The Tefal’s drawers are 5.2 and 3.1 litres, and Tefal says the small one can be run on its own. The Ninja’s are two equal 3.8-litre drawers.
- The Ninja is the smaller fryer: 38 cm wide and 26.5 cm deep against the Tefal’s 41.8 cm and 40.2 cm.
| Ninja Foodi Dual Zone 7.6L (AF300UK) | Tefal Easy Fry Dual Zone 8.3L | |
|---|---|---|
| Rated power | 2,400W | 2,700W |
| 20-minute cook at full power | 21.1p | 23.7p |
| A year, 260 cooks | £54.75 | £61.59 |
| Drawers | 3.8 L + 3.8 L | 5.2 L + 3.1 L |
| Listed size, D × W × H | 26.5 × 38 × 31.5 cm | 40.2 × 41.8 × 30.5 cm |
| Energy claim on the listing | Up to 75% saving, sausages against an oven | Up to 70%, frozen fries against a conventional oven, tested 2022 |
| Price, 28 Sep 2026 | £159.00 | £96.99 |
The pence-back point
Divide the £62.01 price gap by the 2.63p the Ninja saves on a 20-minute cook and you get 2,356 cooks. Five a week gets you there in a little over nine years. Even at 30-minute cooks every day it takes more than four years.
And that is the Ninja’s best case. Both figures assume the element runs at full power for the whole cook, which it does not once the drawer is hot. The real saving per cook is probably smaller, which pushes the pence-back point further out still.
| Cook length | Ninja | Tefal | Ninja saves | Pence-back point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 15.8p | 17.8p | 2.0p | 3,141 cooks |
| 20 minutes | 21.1p | 23.7p | 2.6p | 2,356 cooks |
| 30 minutes | 31.6p | 35.5p | 3.9p | 1,571 cooks |
Where the Tefal can close the gap further
Tefal says the Easy Fry Dual Zone’s small 3.1-litre drawer can be run on its own. Neither Tefal nor Ninja publishes what one drawer draws, so we cannot price a single-drawer cook. What it does mean is that a side of chips for one person need not heat 8.3 litres of space.
Tefal’s listing is also more specific than most about its tests. Its speed claim is measured on 1,000g of frozen fries against a Tefal convection oven, and its up to 70% energy saving on frozen fries tested in 2022 against a conventional oven. Ninja’s up to 75% comes from its sausage test. Neither publishes the kWh behind its percentage.
Which one to buy
Buy the Tefal if you want the cheaper fryer over its whole life, or you want one big drawer for a main and a small one for a side. It needs a big patch of worktop, 41.8 cm wide and 40.2 cm deep.
Buy the Ninja if space is tight or you cook two similar portions. It is 3.8 cm narrower and 13.7 cm shallower, and it costs less on every cook. It will not earn back its higher price on electricity, so buy it for its size and its drawers.
How we worked it out
| Item | What we did |
|---|---|
| Electricity rate | 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, direct debit, Great Britain average. Standing charge left out. |
| Power | The rated wattage on each Amazon UK listing, as recorded in our air fryer guide on 10 September 2026. No listing publishes a measured kWh for a cook. |
| Cost per cook | Rated watts for 20 minutes at 26.32p per kWh. The element cycles off once the fryer is up to temperature, so this is the most a 20-minute cook can cost. |
| A year | 260 cooks, five a week. |
| Prices | Amazon UK, read 28 September 2026. They move often. |
| The pence-back point | The price gap divided by the saving per cook. For these two fryers: £62.01 ÷ 2.63p = 2,356 cooks of 20 minutes. |
What this comparison could not check
- We have not cooked in either fryer. How evenly each one crisps needs the machine in your hands.
- What a real cook uses. No listing publishes a measured kWh, so every cost here is rated power for the whole cook, the most it could cost.
- What the Tefal draws with only its small drawer running, which neither maker publishes.
- Whether either brand’s energy-saving percentage is accurate.
The two fryers
Tefal Easy Fry Dual Zone 8.3L
£96.99. At most 23.7p for a 20-minute cook at the October 2026 cap, on its 2,700W rating. A 5.2-litre and a 3.1-litre drawer, and Tefal says the small one runs on its own.
The catch: It takes up the most worktop of the two, at 41.8 cm wide and 40.2 cm deep.
See it on AmazonNinja Foodi Dual Zone 7.6L (AF300UK)
£159.00. At most 21.1p for a 20-minute cook, on its 2,400W rating. Two equal 3.8-litre drawers in a body 38 cm wide and 26.5 cm deep.
The catch: £62.01 more than the Tefal, which takes about nine years of cooking five times a week to earn back.
See it on AmazonLook Into earns a commission on qualifying purchases made through the Amazon links above, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the arithmetic.
Common questions
Is Ninja or Tefal cheaper to run?
The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK, slightly. It is rated at 2,400W against 2,700W for the Tefal Easy Fry Dual Zone 8.3L, so a 20-minute cook costs at most 21.1p against 23.7p at the October 2026 cap of 26.32p per kWh.
Is the Ninja AF300UK worth the extra over the Tefal Dual Zone?
Not on running cost. It costs £62.01 more on Amazon UK and saves at most 2.63p a cook, so it needs 2,356 cooks to pay back, about nine years at five cooks a week. It is smaller, which may matter more.
What size are the drawers on the Tefal Easy Fry Dual Zone?
5.2 litres and 3.1 litres, 8.3 litres in total. The Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK has two 3.8-litre drawers.
Can you use one drawer on the Tefal Easy Fry Dual Zone?
Tefal says the small drawer can be run on its own. Neither Tefal nor Ninja publishes what a single drawer draws, so we have not priced it.
Compare more
- All our running-cost head-to-heads
- Meaco Arete One vs Arete Two 12L: the Two is cheaper per litre in every room Meaco publishes
- Meaco Arete One vs Arete Two 20L: 0.7p a litre apart, and the Two costs £110 more on Amazon than direct
- Meaco Arete One 12L vs MeacoDry ABC 10L: same night, different cost per litre
- Meaco vs Pro Breeze 12L dehumidifier: one publishes its wattage, one does not
- Ninja Dual Zone AF300UK vs Philips 3000 Dual Basket: 3p a cook against a £28 price gap
- Ninja AF300UK vs AF400UK: the bigger one costs more per cook and less per litre of drawer
- Electric blanket vs heater: 1.8p an hour against 17.1p and up
- Electric blanket vs hot water bottle: half an hour of blanket costs less than one kettle fill
- Oil filled radiator vs fan heater: watt for watt, exactly the same bill
- Best air fryers UK, priced per cook
- Appliance running cost calculator
Sources
- Ofgem, energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (1 October to 31 December 2026)
- Look Into, best air fryers UK 2026: wattage, drawer sizes and energy claims read from 50 Amazon UK listings on 10 September 2026
- Amazon UK listings for the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone AF300UK (B08CN3G4N9) and Tefal Easy Fry Dual Zone 8.3L (B0CGJQSBQ7), prices read 28 September 2026