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Original poster

Air frier advice please. Would you have changed your purchase in hindsight?

73 replies

BigButtons · 15/10/2023 13:31

If you have one what advice would you give to someone thinking of getting one?
I am thinking size ( would mainly be for 2/3 people, drawers, make/ model.
The choice is overwhelming and I don’t want to buy one and then think - I wish I had gone one with x,y and z because ….
thank you🙂

OP posts:
Rousblouse · 15/10/2023 13:33

Get the best one you can afford. I got a relatively cheap one and now I want it to break so I can buy a better one. Ours gets used multiple times per day mainly by our children but once in a while we use it too.

ssd · 15/10/2023 13:37

We got a cheap tower one out of B&M, its great.

heresalittlebaby · 15/10/2023 13:41

Yes - we wouldn't have bought one. We never use it. Thankfully, it was one that has multi-functions. So, we use pressure cooker, slow cooker, saute functions, but never the air fryer one!

caringcarer · 15/10/2023 13:43

No, I love mine. I got the Tower 9.1 and it can roast a whole large chicken in it.

RubyGemStone · 15/10/2023 13:44

I wouldn't have bothered. Bought large expensive one, really can't see the point of it, have had nothing come out nicer than the oven/hob, usually worse.

I think it probably depends on what you like to eat and cook.

mumofthemonsters808 · 15/10/2023 13:46

We bought a cheap one and now rarely put the oven on.My kids, age 21, 14 are obsessed with it.I wish I’d got a large one now and paid the money for a Ninja

LizzieSiddal · 15/10/2023 13:47

I love mine, it’s the double draw Ninja one, which is brilliant for dh and I, I use it most days and is so much easier than switching on the big oven.

LizzieSiddal · 15/10/2023 13:48

And I I use mine to cook everything from baked cod, to home made bread and also things like chips.

WhateverMate · 15/10/2023 13:48

RubyGemStone · 15/10/2023 13:44

I wouldn't have bothered. Bought large expensive one, really can't see the point of it, have had nothing come out nicer than the oven/hob, usually worse.

I think it probably depends on what you like to eat and cook.

I wonder if you have your timings wrong?

It's jut a mini electric fan oven afterall so if anything is coming out worse than in a bigger oven, it sounds like it's possibly timing related.

OP, my advice would be not to bother with bells and whistles but get the biggest one you can.

3luckystars · 15/10/2023 13:49

I bought one that was too small, I wanted to give it a try. It only cooks enough for 2 people so I had to put it on twice to feed all of us.

I gave it away and was kicking myself that I bought one that was too small because they are actually brilliant. (Besides the smell, I didn’t like that, but maybe that was just the one I had)

PrueLeith · 15/10/2023 13:49

I got one with shelves so more like an oven, but actually I think the drawers are probably better for actual meals so you can have a bit of a sauce.

I also got one big enough to fit a frozen pizza, but I wouldn't bother again as it's impossible to cook them so the bottom isn't soggy.

BettyBunMaker · 15/10/2023 13:50

Personally I think a two drawer is a must. Otherwise you still end up chucking your oven on too which makes it pointless. We have teens/asd children who are quite restricted so it's perfect for quickly doing nuggets etc without putting the whole oven on for 20 mins, 6-7 mins in the airfryer and done.

WaxhamSeals · 15/10/2023 13:50

We only got one to use while our kitchen is being replaced. 2 drawer ninja. It’s disappointing and we’ll give it away once the kitchen is done.
So much easier to use a proper oven.

Frazzledandfried · 15/10/2023 13:50

I bought a ninja multicooker 15 in 1 which is amazing, no regrets. It gets used every day either pressure cooking, air frying, or steam roasting. I absolutely love it and so glad I didn't just go for an air fryer. My oven doesn't get used very often now!

Pooheadbumbum · 15/10/2023 13:50

I have owned 2 now. I bought the first one before all this air fryer hype really kicked off. It was a Tefal genius xl. I absolutely loved it, as it has a paddle that moves the food around meaning everything coooked evenly and I could cook meatballs, casseroles etc in it.

It eventually broke, and now growing from a family of 4 to a family of 6, I bought the newest Ninja (the one with the ‘megazone’.

I really like it too, and I like that I can cook for all of us, as it really is very large (10 litres I think), I’ve cooked 2 roast chickens in it at the same time!

But I do miss being able to just close the lid and walk away. All this shaking and faffing about is annoying.

So, had we remained a smaller family, I think I’d have rebought the Tefal one.

NorthernGirlie · 15/10/2023 13:51

I've got the Ninja 9 litre (I think 🤔) with 2 drawers

If it broke today I'd order another immediate. I've currently got a chicken cooking in 1 drawer, ds is making chicken and chorizo pasta in the other (pasta cooked on the hob then thrown into the drawer with the meat and some tomato philadedphia)

I'll make stock in it once the chicken is cooked. It's used more than once most days.

NorthernGirlie · 15/10/2023 13:52

Philadedphia! He was going to use passata!🙈

TeenLifeMum · 15/10/2023 13:53

I don’t get the love for air fryers. I have 2 multifunction ovens with AA energy rating so I’m not saving money using it instead of the oven and we’re a family of 5 so I can’t really do a whole meal in it. I’m carrying on with it and today I’m making meringue but still not convinced I couldn’t make it using the oven an regain my kitchen worktop space.

Potentialmadcatlady · 15/10/2023 13:55

If my house was on fire I would carry my ninja dual (and my velvetiser) out the door under my arm as I escaped… best kitchen gadget I ever bought

Desecratedcoconut · 15/10/2023 13:55

Frazzledandfried · 15/10/2023 13:50

I bought a ninja multicooker 15 in 1 which is amazing, no regrets. It gets used every day either pressure cooking, air frying, or steam roasting. I absolutely love it and so glad I didn't just go for an air fryer. My oven doesn't get used very often now!

I have this one too and I love it. It gets used everyday. I particularly love the pressure cooker on it - never thought that would get much use when I bought it but it's fab.

TakeMe2Insanity · 15/10/2023 13:57

We were given a small one and actually thats the game changer. It doesn’t take up too much room. We don’t use it for large family cooking but more if one person wants something. The occasions we need to do large scale cooking then the oven is fine.

My MIL could be in sales for air fryers, she has 2 x 2 drawers airfryers and pretty much uses all the time. In addition has removed her oven as apparently it was taking up space!

xyz111 · 15/10/2023 13:58

But the biggest one you can as if we're having a lazy dinner like cod and chips, I can't fit it all in

TryAgainWithFeeling · 15/10/2023 13:59

Ninja two drawer model here. Love it. Glad I spent the extra on a two drawer model as I use them both a lot. Even took it on holiday with us! Depends a bit on how you normally cook - anything that requires long slow gentle cooking isn’t what it’s designed for. We do lots of crispy things, baked chicken thighs, roasted veg. Great for all of those. More toddler friendly than my big range cooker too.

jays · 15/10/2023 14:02

I’ve got a Ninja Dual and I love it. The features and functions are amazing! I live that it has two drawers and you can time different things to be ready at the same time.

DramaAlpaca · 15/10/2023 14:10

I bought a Ninja with one drawer and almost immediately gave it to my DS and bought a Ninja with two drawers instead. It's a brilliant gadget, we hardly use our oven these days

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