I'm the last person in the universe to get an air fryer!

[Floofydawg]

Please save me from wasting £150 and having a huge appliance on my worktop for no reason by helping me to get the best out of it. What are your top tips and recipes?

Ordered one on a whim yesterday, DH is grumbling that we don't need it so I need to prove him wrong with amazing recipes.

The Ninja single drawer one, the larger size.

Why are so many people replying we don't have one and never want one??! That's not what I asked!

PS thankyou for all of the ideas so far.

Don't have one, don't have the space. I can see how they'd be use full for a single person or a couple but they're too small for a family of 4.

I haven’t got one either 😂, doesn’t do anything a convection microwave grill does as far as I can see and I’m happy with my combi.

@rochethenut but that's my exact point - I use it like a microwave version of an oven becuase it is quicker, but I don't make it to do special recipes or to replace my oven. It's for smaller things for which heating up the oven is just a faff. If I wanted to do the pastries (we like the uncooked frozen ones) in my oven, I'd have to wait 10 minutes for the oven to heat up and they'd then take between 15-25 minutes depending on size and type. Instead, I shoved them in the air fryer for 10 minutes. Job done.

Crumbed chicken/fish are another good example - they're the kind of thing we make when we're all eating at different times. So me and DS might have ours at 6 before I take him to his activity, but DH will have his at 8 when he comes in from a late shift. I'll have cooked potatoes/rice and veg and those can just be quickly reheated in microwave or on the stovetop.

🤣 exactly my thoughts

I didn't want one, but I had one as an Christmas gift. Used it twice and its brilliant. My kitchen is only small, so I was peeved about how much space it takes up, but I do think I'll get my use out of it. Plus it does save money, because it's a much smaller space to heat up compared to an oven. I'm glad I received it now.

I just made a chocolate tart in it. Exactly as I would have done in an oven but quicker and at a lower temperature and far less energy needed.
It is just an oven. But I bake a lot more than I did when I needed to turn on the oven. It also does blindingly good oven chips.

I wouldn’t be without mine! It’s so easy to use, quicker than the oven.

Which one did you get?

I just use mine like I would my normal oven.

I can cook a whole chicken in an hour, sausages, crispy bacon, salmon, sweet potato wedges, chips, etc

I got so sick of hearing about these amazing air fryers that I went and got a deep fat fryer instead. Bloody love it. No air fryers coming in my house 😆

OP there's nothing stopping you from Googling the air-fryer versions of your favourite recipes! I do fried chgicken, potatoes, roast veggies
However, I personally find it much better for heating stuff up. It can even do liquidy stuff if you use an insert.
Much better than the microwave which just dehydrates everything.

Oh yes, that's a good reminder - I often used to do 3 banana muffins for breakfast in it. Must start doing that again this year. So convenient - whipped up a mini batter in 5 minutes, cook for 12, breakfast for DH and DS.

Here

www.instagram.com/boredoflunch?igsh=Nmk0ZGRrYm1vd2lv

I thought it was all a bit emperors new clothes but then my mother got one and I caved - it does things faster and better than the oven, from some of the basics mentioned above to things that I'd previously have had to use quite a bit of oil and would have been fiddly to shallow fry - fried spinach ball, coconut prawns, that sort of thing. Does home made chips beautifully. Haven't tried the dehydrate setting yet but curious to try it out.

I use mine so much more than I thought I would and do not begrudge how much of my extremely limited counter space because it does such a lovely job.

The main reason I got mine was because my oven is terrible, takes ages to heat up and impossible to regulate the temperature properly. I can't afford a new oven, so the air fryer is a god-send

If you’re the last, I was the penultimate (love that word! 😂)

We have a ninja dual thingy and I bloody love it. The recipe book that came with it has an amazing chicken fajita and crispy potato recipe 😋 I made breaded halloumi lastnight, and have done a fair few whole chickens in it! My newest book is “how to make anything in an air fryer” and it’s fab.

Oh, and beautifully browned sausages!

Ooh, would you mind sharing your banana muffin recipe please?

I ordered one a few days ago, and waiting to hear when I can expect it to arrive.

As I live alone, I'm hoping that it will mean that I don't need to use my full oven much, and will be able to eat more of the things that I fancy but talk myself out of because of the ridiculousness of putting (say) a single frozen croissant or cinnamon danish in my big fan oven.

Our 9.5 litre dual air fryer works for our family of six! 😉

I use mine loads - hardly ever put the oven on and have noticed a drop in electricity bills. In fact I use it so much I actually stored it in the oven to save worktop space. They melt very quickly at 180° , don’t ask how I know ……..

I’ve since bought a bigger one that doesn’t fit in the oven which is just as well

It’ll be absolutely perfect for you! 😊

Great! I've ordered the slightly smaller dual ninja, so I'm not expecting a whole chicken to fit. But hopefully it'll be big enough.

You’re not the last, I don’t have one. I don’t see a use for us as I cook for the family but my eldest lives away and has one and it’s great for cooking small portions.

@BrutusMcDogface

It's 100g self raising flour/dry ingredients - I usually do about 60g flour, a bit of wholemeal flour and some oats then some baking powder. It does make them chewier but we like the taste and the additional nutrition.
1 egg
1 TBL honey/syrup (you can up or down this as per your preference I think)
1 smashed banana.
Pinch salt and a bit of vanilla essence.

Mix all together, into greased ramekins and I put it in a cold air fryer set to 180 for 13 minutes. I have a ninja and having used a friend's air fryer recently I think mine heats up quicker and gets hotter than others so you might want to adjust that as necessary.

They also do not last so eat immediately. We usually have them for breakfast.