Tofu cooks focused on crisp edges
If you want browned cubes for bowls, noodles or snacks, look for a basket that lets you space them out and shake them during cooking. Tesco Recipes uses both steps in its air-fryer tofu method.
Who is this for?
People cooking small tofu portions
If you usually cook for one or two, compare the space an appliance occupies with the room your tofu needs inside it. Tower Product Help suggests 2–3L for smaller portions and 3–5L for meals for two as general capacity starting points.
People cooking tofu with a side
If tofu and another dish regularly need different cooking settings or timings, separate zones may be useful. Check the space in each drawer: Ninja UK describes the AF400UK’s 9.5L capacity as a total across two zones, not one uninterrupted basket.
What matters when buying?
Start with how much tofu you cook at once and whether another dish needs its own cooking space. Then check how the cubes will fit and whether you can follow your preferred recipe’s temperature and shaking steps.
Compact single basket
Consider it when: you usually make a small tofu portion and want a smaller appliance; Tower Product Help associates 2–3L models with smaller portions.
Trade-off: a larger tofu portion may need several batches to keep the cubes well spaced.
Larger single basket
Consider it when: you regularly prepare more tofu at once and want one uninterrupted cooking area.
Trade-off: a larger stated capacity does not tell you how many cubes fit across the basket base in one layer.
Separate cooking zones
Consider them when: tofu and a side dish often need separate settings or timings.
Trade-off: the combined capacity is divided between cooking areas, so inspect the space available for your tofu alone.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Even browning and crisp edges | Check for manual control reaching your recipe’s temperature, usable space around the cubes and easy access for shaking. Tesco Recipes uses 200°C and shakes the tofu every five minutes. | If I want crisp edges, I need room to spread the cubes out and turn them as they cook. Around 39% of consumers put even browning first. |
| Space for small portions | Compare the appliance’s size with your usual portion, then inspect the basket base rather than litres alone. | When I cook tofu for one or two, I want an appliance that fits my portion without taking up unnecessary worktop space. For around 23% of consumers, portion fit is the main concern. |
| Room for larger batches | Check the uninterrupted basket area and whether you can shake your usual quantity comfortably; use stated capacity only as a starting point. | If I prepare tofu for several meals, I want to spread out more cubes without stacking them. Batch space comes first for around 23% of consumers. |
| Tofu alongside another dish | Check each cooking zone’s dimensions and controls, not just the combined capacity. | When tofu and a side need different settings, I want to cook them separately at the same time. That flexibility is the primary need for around 15% of consumers. |
Buying mistakes to avoid
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Choosing by litres alone
A capacity figure cannot show whether your tofu cubes will fit in the well-spaced layer used by Tesco Recipes.
Inspect the basket’s internal shape and base dimensions. If your usual portion will not fit in one layer, plan for separate batches.
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Assuming a preset matches your tofu recipe
Presets vary between appliances, while the Tesco Recipes method starts at 200°C and calls for shaking during cooking.
Check that you can set the required time and temperature yourself and remove the basket to turn the cubes as instructed.
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Treating two drawers as one large basket
Separate zones can help with a tofu-and-side meal, but their combined litre figure is not the space available to one tofu batch.
Compare each zone’s dimensions with your usual tofu quantity before choosing a dual-zone design over a single basket.
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Overlooking model details and safety notices
The UK Office for Product Safety and Standards reported a serious fire risk for a specific inadequately earthed air fryer in October 2024. A notice about one model should not be assumed to apply to every air fryer.
Keep the exact model details and proof of purchase, follow the appliance instructions and check relevant product-safety notices or recalls.
Relevant brands to consider
Ninja
Ninja UK presents the AF400UK as a 9.5L air fryer with two separate cooking zones, relevant if tofu and a side dish need different cooking settings.
- Separate zones provide distinct cooking spaces for meal components.
- For one large tofu batch, check each drawer’s usable area rather than the combined 9.5L figure.
Philips
Philips UK lists the NA229/09 as a 4.2L air fryer with manual time and temperature settings alongside presets.
- Manual settings let you enter a recipe’s specified controls rather than relying solely on a preset.
- Check how much of the basket base your usual tofu portion occupies; the capacity figure alone does not establish single-layer fit.
Tower
Tower Product Help offers general capacity guidance for different portion sizes, while Tower Housewares lists a 6L dual-basket model with an 80–200°C temperature range.
- The stated temperature range of that 6L model includes the 200°C starting point used by Tesco Recipes.
- Confirm the dimensions of each basket for the particular Tower model you are considering; general capacity guidance cannot establish tofu fit.
Joybuy air fryer for tofu cooking
This air fryer has a removable divider for cooking tofu alongside another dish. If you mainly make one tofu batch, check the usable basket area with the divider removed before deciding whether its layout suits you.
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Haier Flex Air Fryer XL 11L with Divider HAF3ADW
Consider the removable divider if you want separate spaces for tofu and a side dish; for tofu alone, check how much basket-base space your usual portion will have.
The stated 11L capacity, viewing window and Sync function distinguish this model. Confirm that its manual controls suit your recipe and that you can shake or turn the tofu as needed.
Questions about air-frying tofu
What temperature should I start with for tofu cubes?
Tesco Recipes starts its air-fryer tofu at 200°C, with 1–2cm cubes spaced out and shaken every five minutes during a 15-minute cook. Use that as a recipe starting point, not a fixed result for every tofu preparation or air fryer.
What size air fryer makes sense for tofu for one or two?
Tower Product Help suggests 2–3L for smaller portions and 3–5L for meals for two as general guidance. For tofu, also check whether your usual quantity can sit across the basket base without crowding.
How should I clean an air fryer after cooking coated tofu?
Unplug the air fryer and let it cool completely before cleaning, as Tower Product Help advises. Follow the instructions for your model and check whether its removable parts are dishwasher-safe before putting them in a dishwasher.
What safety check should I make before buying online?
Identify the exact model and check whether a relevant safety notice or recall applies to it. Electrical Safety First advises checking air-fryer safety information, and a UK Office for Product Safety and Standards report has identified a serious fire risk in a specific inadequately earthed model.