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Original poster

Why are air fryers so great? Are they worth the hype?

64 replies

Shufflebumnessie · 19/05/2023 13:08

I see so many posts on social media about air fryers but I still don't quite understand the hype as they seem to do exactly what an oven does. Is it mainly down to the fact they cost less to run than a conventional oven? Am I missing something?
We are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children - 11 & 6) and I hate cooking. Does an air fryer simplify the cooking process? Would I be more inclined to cook if I had one? 😂
Are they really that amazing and I'm completely missing out by not having one, or are they a current craze that will soon be languishing unloved in the back of a cupboard?

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 19/05/2023 13:13

They are just a small oven. It means they cook quicker (you don't need to preheat them for a start) and cost less than heating a full oven.

great if you don't want to heat a full sized oven.

We use ours lots.

Redlarge · 19/05/2023 13:14

Cheap, quick, easy to clean.

DustyLee123 · 19/05/2023 13:19

We use ours lots.

MrsDoylesDoily · 19/05/2023 13:20

They do what an oven does in a much faster time, the 'frying' is much more even and unlike a microwave, they make your food brown and crispy.

I got mine for Christmas and don't know what I'd do without it.

MrsDoylesDoily · 19/05/2023 13:21

SoupDragon · 19/05/2023 13:13

They are just a small oven. It means they cook quicker (you don't need to preheat them for a start) and cost less than heating a full oven.

great if you don't want to heat a full sized oven.

We use ours lots.

Ooh I never cook anything without using the preheat button, but it does only take 5 mins maximum.

ReformedWaywardTeen · 19/05/2023 13:22

I resisted getting one for ages. But I love a bootfair and a lady had one for sale for £7 as she bought it for her student DD who didn't then use it.

At that price I thought I may as well give one a go.

I've not really used it but it's given my teens some much needed kitchen independence. Especially DD who is quite literally scared of lighting the gas ring on the cooker and of the heat that comes from the oven when it's opened. As the air fryer turns itself off its pretty foolproof.

It's great for onion rings though, I don't have a deep fat fryer and doing them in the oven they go sloppy. Also hash browns. Chicken breast with BBQ sauce lightly brushed on cooks really quick and tastes lovely.

SoupDragon · 19/05/2023 13:34

MrsDoylesDoily · 19/05/2023 13:21

Ooh I never cook anything without using the preheat button, but it does only take 5 mins maximum.

Show quote history

There is no preheat option on mine. 🙂

SavBlancTonight · 19/05/2023 13:35

Personally, I love my air fryer. But I am otnsure buying one would.solve your specific issue of hating cooking.

It cooks certain foods more quickly and/ or easier than an actual oven or a frying pan. But if you want to use it for full meals for a family of 4, i don't know that it will simplify life much easier.

Timeforabiscuit · 19/05/2023 13:39

Unfortunately, it doesn't cook for you. What do you normally cook, and do you have space in your kitchen?

BettyOBarley · 19/05/2023 13:43

I really like ours but probably don't use it as much as when we first got it. We've got the oven type with the shelves and sometimes I wish we got the drawer type (or both!) It can be a bit faffy, ie having to rotate the shelves to get everything to cook evenly.

I use it a lot for just cooking a garlic bread or some naan breads so I don't have to put the main oven on for a small item.

MrsDoylesDoily · 19/05/2023 13:47

I'm just munching 6 chicken strips that I popped in the air fryer.

Preheat = 4 mins
Cooking time = 8 mins

I didn't even bother turning them and they're lovely and evenly cooked.

Houstonisjustabigcity · 19/05/2023 13:49

Not a fan. Bought the smaller Ninja dual for Son, Wife and Grand daughter and they loved it so I bought the bigger Ninja dual and swapped with son so they could have the bigger one. Used it maybe three or four times and then passed onto niece. I find oven much better although it did cook garlic bread nicely

TragicMuse · 19/05/2023 13:59

Sausages from frozen in 12 minutes. It's a winner for me!

Roasted veg is quick, beige freezer food is super-fast. I can fit a small joint in mine and have discovered a new best way to do roast potatoes really fast!

Baked potatoes really quickly too.

It's invaluable for single things that mean I don't need to use the oven for ages and heat the whole thing.

Anoooshka · 19/05/2023 14:11

I love mine. I started off with a small Ninja with a round basket, and then moved up to a slightly larger Cosori that has a rectangular basket and has a higher maximum temperature. We normally use it every day. Yesterday, I made chips. The day before I used it to make baked potatoes. I always stick potato-things in the microwave first to part cook them, and then finish off in the air fryer.

My air fryer can cook a whole chicken in about 40 mins. And fish is very easy too - the Cosori has a fish button that I press, and out comes perfectly cooked salmon steaks. Roasted veggies can be cooked in an air fryer and only take a few minutes. My DH makes pizza dough which we freeze in portions, and I can make small pizzas in there. You can also make french bread pizzas really quickly.

But as another person has mentioned, I'm not sure it will help if you don't like cooking. For that, I've found an Instant Pot to be much better. You can just chuck stuff in and let the Instant Pot do its magic. As an example, last week I made a really tasty jerk chicken dish. I put in chicken breast, some jerk paste, a can of tomatoes, some chopped pepper and an onion, and then cooked the whole thing for about 10 minutes. I've got a rice cooker too, so jerk chicken and rice was very easy and involved very little prep time.

fatsdominospizza · 19/05/2023 14:17

They are very handy for lots of things, don't expect chips to taste the same as chips from a deep fat fryer though but for literally everything else they are great.

Sunnysunbun · 19/05/2023 14:21

When I get home from work I can get dinner done so much quicker. It’s way to clean and use. I love mine.

Hugasauras · 19/05/2023 14:24

We almost never use the main oven now. Air fryer is faster, cheaper and easier to clean. If you use your oven a lot you will get use out of an air fryer. If you don't use your oven, then you probably won't use an air fryer either. Ours is a 8l dual drawer one so plenty of room for our family of 4. We do vegetables, chicken in all sorts of forms (breasts, strips in marinade, etc), sausages, all other kinds of meat, stuff for the kids, I even do cupcakes in ours.

7eleven · 19/05/2023 14:25

One of the best kitchen gadgets I’ve ever bought. Use it every day.

Hugasauras · 19/05/2023 14:26

On and pizzas! DH discovered that if you cut a pizza in half, you can fit one half in each drawer, so when he wants a pizza he does that and it's ready in 11 mins and much nicer than when we do it in oven.

Boxbedbank · 19/05/2023 14:41

I have also been wondering this. I use my slow cooker to bulk cook lots of things, and microwave usually just for warming things. Probably use oven 4-5 times a week (for extras like garlic bread or chips) so wasn't sure if its worth it. Later on in the year I'm going to need to have my kitchen refitted so wondered if it would be useful then (and I'd justify the cost being less than convenience/takeaway food for a couple of weeks).

MrsDoylesDoily · 19/05/2023 14:44

Boxbedbank · 19/05/2023 14:41

I have also been wondering this. I use my slow cooker to bulk cook lots of things, and microwave usually just for warming things. Probably use oven 4-5 times a week (for extras like garlic bread or chips) so wasn't sure if its worth it. Later on in the year I'm going to need to have my kitchen refitted so wondered if it would be useful then (and I'd justify the cost being less than convenience/takeaway food for a couple of weeks).

Get one before you get your kitchen fitted.

That way you can pop it on a heat resistant mat in another room and still be able to cook a few meals.

Sausages are amazing btw, you don't have to keep turning them only for them to roll back and leave a pale stripe down one side!

They come out completely even every time.

MrsDoylesDoily · 19/05/2023 14:45

And you can do toasted sandwiches too!

JadeSeahorse · 19/05/2023 14:57

Not saying I love them but I have two.🥰

I have a Ninja Foodi 15 in 1 and have just thrown out my old Tower one and replaced with a Gourmet Professional as I have just had my kitchen remodelled. Both are fantastic and used daily.

We did a small rotisserie chicken last night in the Gourmet and it was absolutely delicious - really moist with beautiful crisp skin.

I have a Rangemaster Classic in my kitchen which is more like an ornament these days. I tend to do everything in the air fryers - which have lots of other features and abilities - and my new huge Panasonic microwave. Haven't baked a cake in the Rangemaster for 2 years and only occasionally use the hob.

Can definitely recommend! 👍

SilentParrot · 19/05/2023 15:09

Love them. Use mine most days and know it won't be relegated to 'unwanted gadget at the back of the cupboard' status.

cushioncovers · 19/05/2023 15:21

It's a small quick oven that's cheaper to use. We use ours everyday and love it.