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Original poster

Do I need an air fryer?

141 replies

Triceratopsrock · 26/08/2022 23:38

We don’t do too baldly on electricity use. So far about £150 PCM for a 5 bed detached family home. Oil for heating at about £70 PCM.
electic price rises are going to cripple us on top of childcare.
looking at my smart meter over the past month of so, most of what turns it red is the oven. Children are fussy twats and we eat way too many nuggets etc cooked in the oven.
will the outlay of an air fryer save me money? Assuming I need a big one as er are a family of 5.
also fuck of grammar police, it’s Friday and I’m deep into my Lidl rosé!

OP posts:
karenm51 · 27/08/2022 12:16

I’m looking at these today too! But I just don’t understand how everything cooks well in them, the baskets all look so small… Can you pile stuff up in them? For example, if I’m doing chips in the oven, they are all spread out on a baking sheet, and I’d never fit the same amount in an air fryer basket like that, even the bigger ones. Or people saying about doing frozen croissants, or burgers - surely you can only do 2-3 at a time, unless you can pile them up? I just can’t fathom how people are doing roasts in them, or a whole meal at once. Am I misunderstanding how to use them?

MadeForThis · 27/08/2022 12:24

If I have batch cooked and frozen into portions - lasagne, cottage pie etc - could I put directly into the air fryer, or would I need to defrost first?

Thanks

PeloAddict · 27/08/2022 12:26

Furries · 27/08/2022 11:27

One last question for those that have one. Do you have shelves or baskets? And are you happy with what you have or do you wish you’d gone with the opposite?

I have one with shelves, my dad bought the same one and we both really like it

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Cost of living General food
Ivyr0se · 27/08/2022 12:28

Yes you do.

For no other reason then they are so handy and cook the food great. There are lots of easy and delicious ideas on tik tok on how to get the most out of your air fryer. I have the 9l ninja and it is worth the extra cost, some are a lot cheaper, because it has two large baskets. I never use my oven any more.

AldiLidlDeeDee · 27/08/2022 12:35

There's 3 of us. I bought a Tefal ActiFry Genius 2 when Amazon had their summer sale in July. I liked the idea that it had a built in stirrer and turner.

Haven't used the oven since and rarely use the hob either. 🤷🏻‍♀️

With the ActiFry, you don't need to wait for it to warm up, you put the food in, select the cooking mode and time and then bog off back to reading Mumsnet. It also has two bowls so you can cook 2 different foods but it only cooks either the top or bottom bowl rather than both together. For DS's tea, I cook the raw chips first for about 15 mins then put on top bowl for chicken goujons and cook them for about 12 mins and whilst cooking the top bowl, it keeps food warm in the bowl below so you need to slightly undercook the food in the bottom bowl and then when the top bowl is finished cooking, all the food is ready at the same time. 😇

I think the massive Ninja with the 2 baskets probably cooks both baskets at the same time, so that would save time overall rather than cooking two dishes in series.

Generally, I'll experiment with the settings when cooking a new food and make notes in my notes app to refer back to.

This morning I cooked the frozen Supervalu croissants in it for the first time. Took 15 mins on the mode 7 setting which is a cooler temperature. I think I might try cooking them on a higher temp. setting next time. If I'd cooked them in the oven, I'd have had to switch on the oven to warm it up for 15 mins beforehand.

maddiemookins16mum · 27/08/2022 12:40

We are literally buying on this weekend. My oven will not be used at all hopefully. Airfyer and slowcooker plus microwave to reheat batch cooked meals.

AtomicBlondeRose · 27/08/2022 12:40

The dual Ninja can cook both at the same time. And yes you can stack things - think of it rather like a deep fat fryer in (only) that regard - I can literally empty a bag of frozen chips in there and then just give it all a shake every few minutes. Nuggets, sausages etc all cook fine like that.

I can cook a whole chicken in one drawer in an hour and in the other do roast potatoes and some roast veg. Take the chicken out to rest and stick some stuffing in that drawer for ten minutes. Bit of green veg on the hob and you’ve got your full roast (and the roast chicken from the Ninja is amazing!).

lookslikeabombhitit · 27/08/2022 13:00

We're veggie and eat a lot of tofu/ cheese curries... Can you make a curry in an air fryer or would I still have to use the hob for the sauce and rice? Can you cook pasta in it? (Thinking veggie balls&sauce/ Quorn mince pasta combos...)

Sounds ideal for the kids beige rubbish...

mackers1 · 27/08/2022 13:17

@Chelsea26 Please share how you make bhajis/pakoras. This would be a dream come true. I don't like the faff with frying.

Chelsea26 · 27/08/2022 14:11

@mackers1 - fairly simple and not sure at all authentic but very tasty!

Im not very good on quantities but something along these lines…

1 red and 1 white onion
1 green chilli (optional)
1 cup gram flour (you can use plain flour)
1 tbsp corn flour (if you have it)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 or 2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper

Thinly slice your onions, place in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and set aside for 15 mins.

Finely slice your chilli if using

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Squeeze your onions over the bowl so the liquid comes out and then drop the onions in and mix.

Slowly add water until the batter comes together. You don’t want it too wet.

Scoop up some mixture and form into a rough ball with your hands, add to air fryer basket - this amount gave me 5 in each basket of the ninja dual AF

Airfry for 4 mins and then turn then over and air fry for another 3/4 mins or until crispy.

I made them in the morning and then reheated in the air fryer for a couple of minutes after guests arrived.

Cynderella · 27/08/2022 14:46

MadeForThis · 27/08/2022 12:24

If I have batch cooked and frozen into portions - lasagne, cottage pie etc - could I put directly into the air fryer, or would I need to defrost first?

Thanks

I don't know - I'm going to be finding out because that's going to be something I'll do two or three times a week when I go back to work next week. From what I've read, you probably could heat from frozen at a low temp to defrost it, and then a higher temp to cook it iyswim. Lasagne and cottage pie are quite dense, so I imagine they'd take quite a while to defrost.

What I have been doing is taking out of freezer the night before and putting in the fridge, or in the morning and leaving on the side. An alternative, I suppose, would be to microwave first to defrost.

MadeForThis · 27/08/2022 16:38

Ninja AF400 seems to be out of stock in most places.

Seems lots of people are buying this week.

Sparklingbrook · 27/08/2022 17:24

Hbh17 · 27/08/2022 11:07

I wouldn't even recognise what an air dryer is if it dropped on my foot! But I've never had a microwave either & wouldn't know how to use one 🤣

I think an air dryer is something else completely. Grin Google 'air fryer'. But don't drop it on your foot, it would really hurt.

Zippedydoo123 · 27/08/2022 17:32

I ate steak in my Ninja tonight and it was very tasty.

limitededitionbarbie · 27/08/2022 17:51

I have a ninja 14 in 1. I use it a lot.

Not tried casseroles in it yet and I'm unsure how to pressure cook a casserole or even if you can! Anyone ever done this or do it regularly?

I've cooked chickens in the pressure cooker and all kinds in the air fryer and it's really good. I'm even making yoghurt in mine.

I've used it enough to justify the initial cost anyway.

mackers1 · 27/08/2022 22:17

@Chelsea26 Thank you! That is very helpful. I tried sandwich toaster ones recently after seeing a video- they were disappointing. Only picked up an air fryer this week and was wondering whether they would be possible.

StarDolphins · 27/08/2022 22:26

I hot an AF from Asda, a cheap one to try to see if I used it. Literally haven’t used my oven since & it’s literally pence to run. It’s over 6l so I can cook nuggets & chips in no time. Makes lover jacket ootatoes, chips, garlic bread, pizza, roasted veg! So easy & quick. I used to dread putting the oven on for 20 mins for 8 chicken nuggets! Done in 8 minutes now.

also, really happy with the 1 I got, not even going to bother upgrading to Ninja. Works perfectly fine.

Libre55 · 27/08/2022 22:42

If you can stretch to it, hav3 a look at the Ninja 15 in one foodi. Slow cooker/air fryer/oven etc etc etc in one. Last week I cooked a 3kg gammon joint in slow cooker mode @ 1p per hour. So 8p in total. You don’t need to preheat it in oven mode so if nuggets take 10 minutes you only use power for 10 minutes. Chips and Roast potatoes come out crispy and fluffy inside. You can cook cakes in slow cooker mode for 1p an hour. Got ours from QVC and paid over 5 months. Beauty of qvc is that you can try, and can send it back within 60 days if you just don’t like it.

belge2 · 27/08/2022 22:51

I love mine and use it daily. Hardly use the oven now. Everyone in the family uses it from roasting veg, frozen junk food, garlic bread, toasties, halloumi, eggs, potatoes, baking flapjacks/ muffins... you name it I cook it!

AtomicBlondeRose · 28/08/2022 07:10

@limitededitionbarbie i don’t know about the Ninja model specifically but pressure cookers are great for casseroles - I do beef stew in the Instant Pot and it’s so quick and easy. I haven’t used my IP for a while but if it’s three hours in the oven or 30 minutes in the IP it’s going to be pressure cooking every time for me.

userxx · 28/08/2022 07:18

Suzuki00 · 27/08/2022 01:45

Bought a cheapo air fryer from wilkinsons after Christmas and have used it enough to now invest in a ninja.

smashes out a buffet or frozen food in a third of the time, and does an amazing job with most raw meats.

tonight I air fryer’ed bacon, and it was crispy by the time i had chopped some salad and set the telly up. Instant layman’s Caesar!
I plan to get the oven professionally cleaned then not use it again this year. Ok maybe that’s an exaggeration but honestly, I’ve barely used it at all! Never looking back.

Exactly what I've done, bought a cheapish compact one from Asda to try before I splash out on a ninja. I'm still experimenting.

BertieBotts · 28/08/2022 07:22

We seem to have killed ours.

People who have had one for ages, how do you clean it? We put the basket in the dishwasher, but I'm thinking maybe that's not what you're supposed to do.

MrsDThomas · 28/08/2022 07:24

AtomicBlondeRose · 27/08/2022 12:40

The dual Ninja can cook both at the same time. And yes you can stack things - think of it rather like a deep fat fryer in (only) that regard - I can literally empty a bag of frozen chips in there and then just give it all a shake every few minutes. Nuggets, sausages etc all cook fine like that.

I can cook a whole chicken in one drawer in an hour and in the other do roast potatoes and some roast veg. Take the chicken out to rest and stick some stuffing in that drawer for ten minutes. Bit of green veg on the hob and you’ve got your full roast (and the roast chicken from the Ninja is amazing!).

I’ve thought of buying one but as a family of 4-5im unsure which one.

then this cooking of a chicken in one, is this a proper big chicken or the Mumsnet chicken which lasts for a whole week?

userxx · 28/08/2022 07:37

Does anyone know how long jacket potatoes take to cook ?

AuntieMarys · 28/08/2022 07:41

I'm prepared to carry on using my oven ( which I use maybe 3 times a week....everything else I cook on the gas hob)
We have small work surfaces, never cook meat and there are only 2 of us.
Next door neighbour raves about it to be fair.