Air Fryer

[Ikeasucks]

Aibu to buy another kitchen gadget they might sit unused? Why should i buy one and which one?

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How can you cook a meal for 3 in them when there's only one pan/drawer thingy?

For instance, I'd normally use the oven for oven chips on the top shelf and crispy chicken wings on the middle shelf.

Or do you need a large one with 2 separate drawers?

Seems a very expensive gadget just to save 10 mins a day?

It's the kitchen gadget I use most often - sometimes two or three times a day. That said, my oven is broken, so it's doing that job too, but it does it quicker and more efficiently for small quantities.

I was also unsure about an air fryer. However, my oven broke a couple of months ago and I’m waiting for new kitchen to be fitted before replacing oven. I got an air fryer (ninja) for the time I don’t have an oven and I’m very impressed. I don’t miss having an oven at all. Everything cooks in half the time . It’s soooo good , disappointed I missed out on one for all these years!

@AlmostSummer21 my friend just sent me this - she has it and absolutely loves it and it’s on special offer. She says she never uses her oven now - she raves about it. There’s just 2 in her house and she thinks this is a good size and great value for the quality www.amazon.co.uk/Instant-Vortex-Air-Fryer-5-7L/dp/B083V6WNXC/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=PSSBXSZRND0R&keywords=Instant+Pot+Vortex+4-in-1+Air+Fryer+5.7L+-+Healthy+Air+Fryer%2C+Bake%2C+Roast+and+Reheat+with+1700W+of+Power&qid=1657604279&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&sprefix=instant+pot+vortex+4-in-1+air+fryer+5.7l+-+healthy+air+fryer+bake+roast+and+reheat+with+1700w+of+power%2Caps%2C215&sr=8-3&fbclid=IwAR2pn_BKEorETZfhHWUhmsTpenmvF43HdMa8C8LwBmaS9XlTmiB7HnOFdkc&fs=e&s=cl

What one do you have Ada

I have this one and I think it's worth every penny! Barely use my oven anymore. It has 2 sections and even if you have different cooking times, you can sync it so it's all finished at the same time. The compartments are big enough to do a whole chicken.

www.argos.co.uk/product/9523997

@Ikeasucks thank you for taking the time to post that. Off to have a look now!

I have the Philips XL one and I wouldn't want much smaller. I mainly use it to heat up stuff, jacket potatoes etc but also roast nuts, toast bread etc. I use it most days.

Trying to decide between the Mini and full sized Vortex. What can you cook in the mini?

I love mine! I've got ninja dual max (the largest one with 2 drawers). The 2 drawers are fab - can use individually or sync or match them so really useful when needing to do different things.

My 2 teenagers think it's the best thing we've bought for a long time.

I got mine from John Lewis as the ninja website didn't look legit and I read poor reviews on their service.

Thoroughly recommend it

I have to say , I was against one for a while. I got one as a Christmas present last year and USE IT CONSTANTLY!! I love it ! I use it to cook veggies or fries and they come out perfect ! We don’t have a microwave so I use the reheat option often too!

When everyone is talking about the ninja foodi dual is this the one you all have?

We have. gourmia. Only used oven about three times since beginning of March because the airfryer is quicker, cheaper and much easier to clean. Echo pp that you need to drop the suggested temp by about 20 degrees, and reduce cooking time - it's a bit trial and error, we've reduced cooking time between about a third and a half. As a vegetarian you won't care that you can roast a chicken in 50 minutes!

I got a basic cheapy lidls own and it's great. Bit small so I'm thinking of upgrading it. Easy to clean! Definitely using my oven less! And with the bills going up it's also using less leccy!

Absolutely love mine. I use it everyday but would love more suggestions.
I cook wedges. Pizza. Whole chicken - comes out beautifully (less than an hour)
Salmon fillets. Burgers.

My top is to buy cheap cake liners but it's not hard to clean anyway. I've the largest size.

We have Ninja Dual Max (with two drawers that can sync and match) and I absolutely love it - barely any oil used now and cuts food prep time to a third at least. We're a family of 3 and I think it would be perfect for a family of 4 (unless seriously big eaters).

Stupid question alert re the air fryer - the pictures seem to show food all just piled up in it - does that work? If I cook food in the oven you want a single layer of chips (or whatever) preferably with space around each chip to give them room to get crispy. Does this avoid the need for that?

My teen keeps asking for one so I think I will! As we have a huge fan oven and it costs a lot to run

Someone gave my daughter a Tefal 'actifry original' air fryer. It's in my kitchen now until she moves into her own place. I just cooked fish fingers in it for my lunch !
When she leaves and takes it with her I will be replacing it probably with a Ninja as w couldn't live without it now

We got a ninja foodie 7in1 multi cooker for Christmas and it's the best gadget we've ever owned it's honestly amazing. The only time we use the oven these days is for pizza/garlic bread, it's so quick and cooks everything perfectly. The pressure cooker part of it is amazing too, I've cooked a whole chicken in 25 minutes before. 110% recommend!

@Augend23 the pictures are ridiculous. Chips don't have to be in a single layer, but I only fill 1/3 - 1/2 full.

I have just listened to this podcast on the very subject - recommended on another thread about airfryers. I am also thinking whether its worth getting one - we have a combi microwave with convection setting so have been trying to use that instead. Not sure air fryer will be any better though the main reason for getting one would be energy usage.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0018hjr?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile
BBC Podcast - airfyers

@Ikeasucks
I've got the Philips XL, but the models have all developed since I got mine last November. I got it on special offer, and I see today and tomorrow are sale days at Amazon, with quite a few air fryers included.

I doubt I could fit a whole chicken in mine to roast, though I could probably get a couple of quail or a partridge in!

One point about air fryers is that they do need working space around them, to pull the drawer out, stand the hot basket etc. Also, mine has quite a short flex, so I had to change where I had planned to put it, as it had to be close to a socket.

One thing I miss when using the AF, is that using a conventional oven, I always used to heat up my plates in there, but I can't do that in the AF!

Thank you - that's really useful!

If I'm doing a lot of chips, I pull the drawer out halfway through cooking and "toss" them; so the less cooked ones get moved around a bit.