Would you replace a microwave with an air fryer?

[Globules]

My microwave isn't going to last much longer.

I only really use it for defrosting things, cooking beans or soup, and DD cooks instant noodles in it at least once a week.

Several friends are still raving about how good their air fryers are. I only have counter space for one appliance.

The microwave is actually a combi oven, but I've never used any of those functions. I'm wondering if I buy an air fryer when the microwave breaks, if I'll actually use the air fryer aside from learning how I can defrost a shepherd's pie or a tub of soup in it.

Would you swap?

Me too, which I know isn't helpful if you have space for only one! But I use the microwave a fair bit, for defrosting, quickly cooking greens etc. The air fryer (well, Wonder Oven) is used a lot, for things like cooking one salmon fillet or baked potato, toasting seeds and nuts, toasting bread that I don't want to put in the toaster (the kind that has olives/nuts/cheese etc in), and potato wedges and rosti.
Not sure what I did before I had it, TBH.

We use the airfryer loads - toasted bread, home made pakoras, crisping up leftovers, roast pork, stuffing balls, roast potatoes, and so on.

But I would not replace it with a microwave as we need it for heating things.

Yes, 100%.

I wouldn’t . I have a microwave and a halogen oven and use both regularly for different things . I use the microwave for lots of my veg .

We replaced our microwave for an air fryer. I was only using the microwave for defrosting things very occasionally. It was just taking up space.

But the air fryer we use nearly every day! And rarely for chips/freezer food as some might assume.

Like you I only used my microwave for defrosting bread when I forgot to take it out of the freezer in advance and warming milk to make mashed potatoes. It died and I didn't replace it. I miss the mashed potato, but rapeseed oil and the potato cooking water make a very acceptable substitute as I no longer buy milk... Mysteriously I no longer forget to take bread out of the freezer.

Wouldn't know what to do with an air fryer, but I've always been a minimal gadgets cook.

Air fryers always baffled me until I realised that they are completely misnamed. I assumed they were some kind of replacement for a deep fat fryer, whereas actually they are just mini ovens, that heat up in a couple of minutes. That's where the saving is, our big oven takes at least twenty minutes to get to 180, so I don't get people saying there is no saving - I find anything that can be done in the oven (obv size is the limiting factor) can be done musch much quicker in the air fryer, which gets to that temp in 3 or 4. Its not an either/or for the mocrowave or air fryer, both get used.

No I use both. An air fryer is a mini oven; no good for defrosting or heating up a bowl of something. I agree with pp the name is misleading.

Same. I'm not sure why they are called air fryers.

My mircrowave can also be used as a mini-fan oven so there is considerable overlap.

I haven’t had a microwave for about 10 years. I have an air fryer that lives in the cupboard but comes out every other day (ish).
I’ve never missed having the microwave. It took up too much room and wasn’t worth having sitting there for the few things I could do with it.

I think they are called air fryers to make them sound like a healthy way to cook food that would traditionally have been fried like chips or sausages. Nowadays most people bake these in an oven though. An air fryer is literally just a tiny fan oven.

Personally I think they're probably quite good (in terms of saving money and time) if you're cooking for 1/2 and you eat a lot of frozen foods. DH uses ours when he wants to cook sausages for himself (I moan if he cooks these generally since they make the kitchen smell of fat)

They're not just good for frozen food though. I cook fresh fish fillets, potatoes, root veg etc in them.
I agree the name is misleading. The Wonder Oven is much more accurately named.

That's where the saving is, our big oven takes at least twenty minutes to get to 180, so I don't get people saying there is no saving

Our oven takes nowhere near 20 minutes to reach 180, more like 3-5. Some of the air fryers have wattages that are very close to single ovens. I know when i looked into it, it would take something like 5 years to save in electricity what the air fryer would cost.

I looked into this and there wasn’t a good alternative as the microwave/airfryers are pretty low powered so I’ve still got both microwave is new actually you can’t put a whole plate in the air fryer for example and I use microwave for my porridge every day

If I had to have one or the other, I’d choose my air fryer over the microwave as I use it most days. Microwave only gets used occasionally now.

No, i love my airfryer but it doesn't replace my microwave. I use my oven a lot less now I have my airfryer. But my microwave still gets used as much.

I have both, I will retain both. How the fuck do you warm your plates or heat milk for your morning flat white in an air fryer?

100% all day long the only thing I use my microwave for is reheating beans.

No, I use my microwave daily. Air fryer maybe once a week. You can’t reheat coffee or soup or noodles in an air fryer.

I wouldn't want to get rid of my microwave and I have no worktop space (or room in a cupboard) for an air fryer. I don't suppose you can reheat lukewarm cups of tea & coffee in an air fryer anyway. 😁

I have both appliances, the air fryer quite recently. The microwave I've got is 16 years old and I still use it for warming up cereal and cooking porridge.

My oven died and I was thinking the same thing - I've only used it for pizza recently anyway! But it's free standing and the hobs are still ok so it's basically a shit cupboard for saucepans now 😂

No, my microwave is used far more than my air fryer.

Not doubting you but our oven helpfully "beeps" when it is "up to temperature", which it does after about 5 minutes. An oven thermometer shows it up for the liar it is, it is nowhere near the dialed in temp at that point. If your oven gets to 180 in 3 minutes I'm seriously impressed. What make is it, out of interest?

Edit.. oh and our air fryer cost £39 so not too worried about the cost offset!

I use my microwave to warm milk, cook peas and defrost things. It’s only the defrosting that is not easily replicated.

I have 2 air fryers! A Ninja dual drawer and a Tefal Actifry. They are very different but the instant heat is great and the ovens get very little use apart from baking and roasting - when the air fryers aren’t big enough. The air fryers get more use than the microwave, but their functions can be done by other kitchen devices.

I wouldn’t be without either a microwave or an air fryer!