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.

I do have one but must admit that I was reluctant to get it. Couldn't really see the point and was very doubtful about something else to take up my already limited work surface space.

DD2 and her boyfriend use it much more than I do so it does get used and I don't have to cook their meals.

Maybe I'll get more into it in 2024, but so far I've had it about 6 months and am rather meh about it. I'll give it another few goes over the next few months but so far I guess I am just a creature of habit.

I also find the big bulky drawers a pain in the arse to clean (including any silicone inserts), and I am the sort who wants them washed after every use.

I know the manufacturers claim that they can go in the dishwasher, but they take up far too much space in there. Also, experience has taught me to be wary of putting non-stick things in the dishwasher because each has generally come out slightly less non-stick each time than before it went in.

To be fair, I would say your title DID ask it. Some people are responding to that, which should be fair enough.

It did initially sound like that was what you were asking.

Funnily enough I just discussed it with the chef/landlord of our local pub and he thinks they're the devil's work!😂

Do all air fryers have that non stick stuff on them?

why out of interest?

@rochethenut because he believes in cooking things low & slow

guessing he doesn’t like microwaves or frying either!

May I recommend garlic Brussel sprouts (halve the sprouts, halve a bulb of garlic, cook for 15 minutes) to the air fryer people on here? I just made them to use up the sprouts, and could quite easily eat the whole batch of them.

I store mine in the now redundant oven.

Will try and report back!

@marshmallowfinder what a good idea!

Bacon is great in it.

Those saying that the pastries would take 4 mins in the oven might be forgetting that the oven would need to preheat for ten minutes first. The air fryer will do warm pastries in 2 mins from switch on, no preheat required.

It's poor for baking but still possible. Otherwise it does really well for everything and has halved our electricity use for cooking.

Mine's a Ninja Speedi. As well as air frying it steams, bakes, roasts, slow-cooks and grills, with those functions available in combinations or sequences. Steam air-fry is fantastic for many things, especially roasts with veg in the liquid at the bottom (which you then use for your sauce).

If I'd understood how damn clever these things are, I'd have spent the extra £50 for a Foodi Max which, as @MrsTerryPratchett outlines, does all that with pressure cooking as well.

I have a ninja multi. Today I made air fried chickpeas for lunch. Then for dinner I sautéed some vegetables before adding lentils and water and pressure cooking. Easy delicious lentil soup in a fraction of the time it would take on the hob.

Anyone watching Ch 5? Air fryer v microwave.
So far neck and neck. I think microwaves are underrated . Chef just made a chicken curry in 9 minutes and it beat a takeaway in a taste test.

No, but I did see it was on. May have to watch on catch up.

It arrived today. Chips tomorrow 😋

I’ve just made chicken breasts stuffed with pepperoni, mozzarella and red pesto from the bored of lunch book. Delicious! Fit three big breasts in each drawer 😋

Roasted a whole chicken yesterday- 45 minutes upside down, then 15 minutes to finish the right way up. Skin was the best I’ve ever tasted. Chicken was lovely and I’d imagine far less cooking cost.

We haven’t got one. We did order a small one from QVC but sent it back as it wasn’t big enough for both of us and our kitchen is too small to have anything bigger. My brother and SIL swear by theirs however.

I havent got one and dont want one

I wasn't convinced but husband (a better cook than me) was interested. Our oven is ancient and a bit dodgy and so we bought one on special offer.

Jacket spuds are good. We've done frozen croissants for breakfast, lovely. Teenager much more likely to do nuggets and chips or fish fingers and chips in the air fryer than in the oven.

Husband bakes bread, we have a small loaf pan that fits perfectly.

We are still learning. My only downside is that I would say apart from not needing the preheat time, it doesn't seem to be quicker than conventional cooking. Maybe that's us not doing it right?

I’m vegetarian but look after my elderly mother who needs fairly plain food and likes a bit of meat or fish for dinner. That meant I was putting the oven on every day to cook for her and, as her preference is that meat be well done, the results looked a bit sad and dried out and she was convinced that the animal in question had died of old age. I’d tried frying instead but that left everything too oily which was bad for her somewhat delicate digestive system. Plus, as a vegetarian, I find frying or grilling meat or fish pretty unpleasant.

When I bought the air fryer (about 15 months ago) it was in a bid to use less electricity. The unexpected benefits were that it gave me back lots of time (no longer preheating the oven and cooking for far less time) and that the meat emerged visibly nicer (quicker cooking means it’s not tough and stays nice and juicy). Sausages, which I found tricky to get just right in the oven or on the hob, are perfect every time.

I got the smaller two drawer Ninja one and reserve one drawer for meat and fish and the other for vegetables or vegetarian foods. It’s made a huge difference.

I use the oven to bake big cakes and for Christmas dinner but, honestly, that’s about it. I think the main oven has been switched on about 7 or 8 times since I got the air fryer.

We have just got one. I cook the same things but much more cheaply than using the whole oven. No need to show him different food - show him the difference in electricity consumption!

I just came back to tell you that I just made a tuna melt panini and OMG it's the best thing ever!! Gamechanger.

Cherry tomatoes sprayed in olive oil in it for6 minutes make a fantastic side dish - just wilting and unctuous!!