Food
Best before, use by, sell by: what food date labels actually mean
The date printed on a package is not one universal signal. Regulators define several different types, and mixing them up causes a meaningful share of avoidable food waste.
Best air fryers
Usable capacity versus advertised litres, temperature accuracy, and how the basket survives a year of cleaning.
Research in progressPublished rankings appear only after testing is complete.
When you buy through links on THRYV we may earn a commission. This never affects our testing or rankings. How this works.
Our picks
Nothing published until testing is finished.
Advertised capacity is measured to the rim; usable capacity is what fits in a single layer without steaming. We cook a fixed set of foods in every model, log temperature accuracy against a probe, and check coating durability after repeated cleaning cycles.
No picks published yet
This guide is in the research stage. We will not list a "best" product before the testing round behind it is complete — an unranked page is more useful than a ranked guess. When picks go live, each one will state which sources we weighed, what it is good at, and who should buy something else instead.
What we score, and why
Written down before any product is considered.
- Usable single-layer capacity, measured not quoted
- Temperature accuracy and recovery against a probe
- Evenness of cooking across a fixed food set
- Preheat time and energy use per session
- Cleaning: coating durability and dishwasher tolerance
- Noise level and counter footprint
How we will decide
- 01
Criteria before candidates
We write down what would make a product the right pick — and how each criterion is measured — before we look at what is on sale.
- 02
Documented specifications only
Anything we state about a product comes from our own testing or from the manufacturer's published documentation, linked on the page.
- 03
Real-world testing
We rate each category against published criteria using manufacturer data, independent test reports, user reviews and price data. We do not claim our own hands-on tests.
- 04
Pricing checked, not quoted
We do not print a price we have not verified, and we do not treat an RRP as evidence of a discount.
- 05
Commercial relationships disclosed
Affiliate links, if present, are labelled on the page. No partner can buy a placement, a rank or a verdict.
The full process is documented in our review methodology and testing process.
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