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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think an Air Fryer is more useful than a microwave?

70 replies

EmmaGrundyForPM · 05/09/2022 10:58

We will shortly be moving to a house where there is much less worktop space than we have currently. We don't think we will be able to have a microwave and an air Fryer, but we are disagreeing about which one to lose.

Currently we have a built in microwave above an eye level oven. Our new house has a large range cooker. I use the microwave a few times a week. We used to have an air Fryer but gave it to our son when he moved out a few weeks ago and I really miss it. Especially now that energy costs are rising. I really resent heating up a big oven to cook 4 sausages, or a chicken breast.

I think we should opt for the Air Fryer but DH thinks the microwave is more useful.

AIBU for opting for an air fryer? Is there a solution I haven't thought of?

OP posts:
Iloveyogurt · 05/09/2022 10:59

Watching with interest as I have the same issue

mumofbun · 05/09/2022 11:04

I would choose an air fryer over a microwave if it was one or the other. Before i had my son, the microwave hardly got used. Now it gets used for heating up beans etc. for him but could easily do that on the stove. The air fryer is constantly out and used most days!

We store ours on a tray and put it on the hob so it's under the extractor fan when we are using it. It mostly lives there but there is a cupboard we can slide it into if we need all the hobs!

10kidswhoscounting · 05/09/2022 11:05

Air fryer is used everyday in my house. The microwave broke about 6 months ago and never replaced it, i don't miss it as much, I would have to replace the air fryer because it's so convenient.

CurlsLDN · 05/09/2022 11:08

How about one of these 3 in 1 air fryer + steamer combos? I can't think of anything you couldn't do it in that you could do in a microwave except liquids, which can easily be done on the hob www.argos.co.uk/product/2010517

Bubblebubblebah · 05/09/2022 11:08

Forstly, there really is no point heating up oven for just that. Just use hob.

It really depends on what you eat and cook. I do lots of rice and pitatoes with veg etc, for me microwave is better. For someone who roasts more, air fryer might be better.

MuddlerInLaw · 05/09/2022 11:08

My air fryer has been a revelation! Used several times a week and suits the food I want to eat.

Have never found an enjoyable use for a microwave and don’t own one.

Think about what you need to cook. No one needs a reheated mug of tea …

ItsDinah · 05/09/2022 11:12

Compromise would be a combi microwave,which functions as both a microwave and a convection oven. This would suit if you are mostly using the Air-Fryer as a mini oven. If you are keen on fried food and are using it for that, then stick with the Air Fryer.

cardibach · 05/09/2022 11:14

Why are you heating the oven for a few sausages or a chicken breast? Non stick pan on the hob.

BarbaraofSeville · 05/09/2022 11:15

I use both near daily (I like my tea super hot and make a tea pot and microwave it to heat it up when its gone cold) but if there's a range cooker, unless you think you'll be cooking on all the hobs regularly, can you keep the air fryer sitting on the unused hob rings? If gas, put it on a chopping board.

As you say, the air fryer is brilliant for smaller amounts of food and will save so much energy compared with the oven.

LilacPoppy · 05/09/2022 11:16

What's the unit difference between using an air fryer versus an
oven? Does anyone know ?

hauntedvagina · 05/09/2022 11:21

LilacPoppy · 05/09/2022 11:16

What's the unit difference between using an air fryer versus an
oven? Does anyone know ?

Too many variables involved to answer this depending on size of air fryer, fan speed setting, etc...

The cost saving comes from the air fryer heating a smaller area than an oven. There's no preheat time and your food cooks more quickly.

A whole chicken can cook in 50 minutes with no pre heat, a garlic baguette is 8 minutes start to finish.

Cheeselog · 05/09/2022 11:26

I don’t have an air fryer but can you use them to reheat leftovers? I use the microwave all the time to make porridge, heat soup, baked beans, heat batch cooking etc (not fried stuff - things like bolognese, chilli etc)

wetpebbles · 05/09/2022 11:26

I would keep the air fryer, however mine actually sits on top of my microwave as have open space around and above so it's well ventilated

Cheeselog · 05/09/2022 11:27

Also we plan our oven use so that we’re not turning it on for one thing. If we want sausages cooked in the oven we’ll also bake something or batch cook jacket potatoes for example.

Thatswhyimacat · 05/09/2022 11:29

I use my microwave pretty much every day as I cook to leave leftovers for the next day's lunch. I really want an air fryer but don't have the space😂

hauntedvagina · 05/09/2022 11:31

Cheeselog · 05/09/2022 11:26

I don’t have an air fryer but can you use them to reheat leftovers? I use the microwave all the time to make porridge, heat soup, baked beans, heat batch cooking etc (not fried stuff - things like bolognese, chilli etc)

I don't, but I've seen plenty of people heat these types of things. You'd just the lowest fan speed to avoid the liquid flying around.

It's not just for fried food, it's really a small oven.

ThunderstomsAreComing · 05/09/2022 11:32

My DD swears by her air fryer - I've got her old one but have only used it once. I tend to make large batches and freeze so the microwave is useful for heating up.

Thinking short term over the next winter I plan to use the MW more for cooking - not just reheating - and have bought a cooks blow torch from Lakeland to use for browning the top of cheese dishes etc.

BarbaraofSeville · 05/09/2022 11:41

hauntedvagina · 05/09/2022 11:31

I don't, but I've seen plenty of people heat these types of things. You'd just the lowest fan speed to avoid the liquid flying around.

It's not just for fried food, it's really a small oven.

Show quote history

Ha ha, I wish I'd thought about the fan speed when I made apple crumble in ours. A good part of the crumble topping was blown all over the inside of the air fryer.

I think air fryers are such a game changer for so many people that positioning needs to be thought about when designing kitchen layouts. Ours currently sits on the kitchen island, which isn't great, but it's the 'best' place for it at the moment. If starting from scratch, I'd make sure there was a dedicated spot for it to live near to a power socket.

Plus when we got our new kitchen about 6 years ago now, we got two single built in ovens so we could use the grill and oven at the same time, but we wouldn't do that now. If one of the ovens broke, I think I'd just take it out and put the air fryer in the space (or more likely give the space to the microwave and put the air fryer where the microwave currently lives).

DreadingWinter · 05/09/2022 11:47

Kitchen manufacturers should look at how to build in an air fryer now that they are mainstream. I have a built in microwave. I did my first roast chicken dinner in the air fryer yesterday. So much better cooked that the oven. Roast potatoes were better too.

Tryingtokeepgoing · 05/09/2022 11:52

I don’t have a microwave or an airfryer!! We had combination microwave things installed alongside regular ovens in our last couple of houses, but to be honest the microwave bit was rarely used. So when I moved I didn’t bother, and I don’t miss it. I’m not sure what an airfryer would add to my life, so haven’t got one of those either. And, I don’t like cluttered work surfaces so there’d need to be pretty compelling reason to ever get one…

hauntedvagina · 05/09/2022 11:55

@BarbaraofSeville @DreadingWinter couldn't agree more. I don't have huge amounts of worktop space and now have a double oven that is barely used (grill hasn't been on since April, oven used maybe once or twice a month).

Someone needs to invent something pronto 🤣

Savingpeoplehuntingthings · 05/09/2022 11:56

I use my air fryer regularly, I use my microwave once in a blue moon so I'd prioritise the air fryer.

Arnaquer · 05/09/2022 11:56

We use our air fryer daily. Rarely use our microwave

Meatshake · 05/09/2022 11:58

Go for a air fryer like the Ninja 12 in 1 or whatever number it is now and you can use the pot in saute mode to heat things like soup, beans.

The only thing I can think would be a struggle would be microwave rice, but I've started just chucking in normal rice in the pressure cooker with whatever else im cooking (eg. Curry)

Honestly you would have to pry my Ninja air fryer/pressure cooker out of my cold dead hands. The microwave? Meh!

Arnaquer · 05/09/2022 11:59

Like @BarbaraofSeville I have 2 ovens but one broke down recently. I have opted not to replace it as we have the air fryer which is far more useful and economical