Late to the party...Air fryers

[imtoooldforthisshite]

I know I'm at least 2 years late to the party but... if you bought one at the height of their popularity do you still use it? What do you cook in it? Shall I get one? Don't want to make another mistake like my spriralizer, no I never made courgetti spaghetti.

I bought dd a little one which she took to uni and then brought home again. I've just packed it away in its box as it was just taking up space. It's alright but I have a decent, fast, energy-efficient oven which is easier to use. The air fryer is good for heating up freezer food for one person, but no good for 5. I did look at getting a bigger air fryer - but it's basically a counter-top oven and I need my workspace more than I need a third oven.

I don't actually use my oven any longer. I have a big twin one and a smaller single one. So easy

Absolute game changer for us, we're on our second one. I cook the usual frozen chips and nuggets etc but also fajitas and nachos work well.

It's been used many times to rescue roast potatoes or veg that aren't crisping quickly enough.

I prefer it to the grill for cooked breakfasts, bacon and sausage cook way faster and nicer.

My oven is only used now for pizza and large things like lasagne and pies.

It's amazing for veg! Almost all veg roasts so beautifully in it - exception being broccoli which chars too easily at the ends. Halloumi comes out perfectly. Pizza cut up. Falafel, pakora etc.

We are also late to the party. I was very sceptical but dh brought one home ten days ago. It is amazing! It's a one drawer ninja but we wish now we had got a two drawer.

The o ly allliamce apart from the kettke that is used every day

We have a ninja i wish i had bought the dual basket though. But i love it

Supplementary question, could I bake bread or roast a chicken in a ninja? I have a little Morphy Richards oven that I've used constantly for seven years but it's showing its age and I'm wondering what to replace it with.

DH asked for one for Xmas. I was sceptical but it’s brilliant. Particularly because DH and I eat after DSs during the week…I’m not sure if use it as much when feeding four (just because I’d be happier to turn on the oven).

Oh the Halloumi sounds amazing, thank you 😊

We've moved on from the air fryer and upgraded to a Ninja 14 in 1. Rarely use the oven anymore and can make lots of one pot dishes. I've just done searing and then pressure cooking to make a pasta dish. Yesterday, I made great roast potatoes using the steam and air fryer combi. Saying that we still use the old air fryer for freezer food as well!

Yes to both. I regularly do a chicken in mine, it takes about an hour and I do the chicken in one drawer and then the roast veg in another.

I have the 14 in one after I killed my basic one through over use.
I use it loads - as well as being an air fryer it's a pressure cooker, steamer, prover and more. I bake bread, make curries and stews, air fry freezer food, make Bolognese and chilli. Loads of things really. I love the seat function on it as I can caramelise meat then switch to air fry, steam,slow cook or bake mode to finish off.

Why don't you air fry them?

Can people say which one they have please? H bought one a couple of months ago and its drawer is so small but very deep, useless really. Looking to get a decent one for when I move.

They just don't taste as good. They are lots of ways to try to make them taste as good as in an oven, but I give the airfryer a 5/10.

*roast potatoes

Following for inspiration!

Had the old school rotating air fryer for 10yrs and literally only ever cooked chips in it (but god they are amazing so well worth it haha!) And have just bought one of the drawer ones... but feel like Im not using it enough!!!

Bought my ninja 9 in 1 four years ago, it’s used daily

Mine is whatever the cheapo Lidl one is - one deep round drawer, no bells or whistles. I'm cooking for myself. I use an 8" straight-sided pyrex souffle dish as an insert to cook in because I'm suspicious of non-stick surfaces, and it makes washing up very easy - that does mean I'm almost always doing one-dish stuff, though I play around with ramekins.

Are they any good if you've got a vegetarian and meat eaters? I know you can get 2 drawers ones, but all the ones I've seen the drawers aren't that big.

We're a house of 3. All eat adult portions. One is veggie. Tonight I did sausage and chips in the oven. 1 tray of chips. 1 tray with veggie sausages on. 1 tray with meat sausages on.

How would that work in an air fryer? Can you cook enough chips for 3 greedy people and have room for sausages?

I don't actually use the oven that often, I user the hob a lot. So I'm not convinced.

We’ve just had roast chicken tonight. I have a two drawer Ninja and put a medium chicken in it regularly - does it beautifully in much less time than the oven.

Another here who barely switches the oven on now.

I keep seeing the words 'chicken nuggets' 'pizzas, cut up' 'chips' 'sausages' again and again.
I'm assuming that air fryers are , predominantly for dry foods.
I don't need a 15 in 1 as I have a slow cooker and have no need for a pressure cooker.

Many models dehydrate. Do people really use this function regularly?

I watched a QVC demo for a multi function air fryer and it was placed on a low table so that the demonstrator could show the sauté function. It must be tricky on a counter top, surely? I'm quite short. I'm not sure I could cope with cooking at a high height.

I’m veggie and ours gathers dust in a cupboard. I’d sell it if I could but I was bought it as a present and they still keep haranguing me about using it.

I just don’t quite know how to use it - say chips - they cook on the top and not on the bottom - yes, you ‘keep turning’ them but I don’t want to be doing that every 5 mins - that’s not ‘labour saving’. Jacket potato was hard as nails even after 25 mins of noisy cooking. It took twice as long as if I’d cooked it normally. Again, roasted veg - half were almost black, half raw.

I’m sure if I ate salmon fillets or beige oven food it would probably be better but it’s noisy AF and looks ugly on the counter top. I’ve given up I’m afraid.

Mine is a shelf one, not drawers
I find it handy for "stuff on the side" so a naan, part baked roll, reheating pizza, some chips or potatoes to go with something as I live alone
Roasted kale is good in it, halloumi and yes beige food!

I don't use it to its full capacity really but I wouldn't be without it