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Original poster

Air fryers…what’s the hype?

215 replies

mummy203 · 20/09/2022 14:16

am I being unreasonable thinking air fryers are hype? Or am I just not getting it yet

I’ve been bought a 4L tower one, not used yet because I’m not sure I’m going to keep it. At first I thought fab I will use instead of my oven, but all the tutorials seem to show everything cooked separately chips for 20mins, chicken for 20mins and so on. There’s not enough room to put everything in for a family meal to cook at the same time. I can’t see how this would work cooking a meal for even 2 people. If you have to put half the dinner in the oven anyway then why use the air fryer at all just put everything in the oven at the same time 🤷🏼‍♀️ What am I not getting?

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 20/09/2022 14:41

My DC are older now but I wish they had been around (or I had known about them) when they were teens coming in from school and needing quick food before sports clubs etc. And I would have got them one for Uni too.

Apparently they crisp up KFC very nicely but not tried that yet. Grin

starpatch · 20/09/2022 14:41

Which says they aren't cheaper than a gas oven. I am not against air fryers, but I do really notice the element of fashion. Someone tried to give a pressure cooker away on our whats app group the other day, they are super efficient, similar to air fryers in fact, but not in fashion, no one wanted it until I talked someone at work into having it.

TeeBee · 20/09/2022 14:45

Love mine.
Firstly, they are a 6th of the price to run than an electric oven, which I have.
I have bought a large airfrier, which comes with various accessories, one being a rack so you can double up the amount of things you can cook at one time. Using an example above, you could put chips on the bottom (enough for 3-4 people), and chicken on the rack above. You can cook cakes, pies, pizza, small joints of meat, whole chickens in it. Most of the things we have for dinner, I can put in there. I actually only use my regular oven to cook a roast now.

Sparklingbrook · 20/09/2022 14:48

Frozen Greggs sausage rolls come out a treat. Smile

Pinkpeony2 · 20/09/2022 14:51

torquewench · 20/09/2022 14:37

I've a 2 drawer Ninja one. Haven't used my big oven since I bought it in March. Everything goes in - fish, chicken, chops, bacon, oven chips, sweet potato wedges, other chopped veg like courgette, aubergine, red onion & cherry toms. I'll also warm up falafel, pies, pasties etc in a fraction of the time.

How do you cook family meals such as lasagne / shepherds pie or a chicken and bacon pie with pastry for 5/6? Just not sure how it works for family’s for 5? Even the larger fuel drawer ones

gogohmm · 20/09/2022 14:53

It's just a mini oven - useful for those living alone for sure but I cook for between 2&8 depending on whether kids are home and if they have their boyfriends or a friend visiting (hence shopping every day once I get a head count!) my oven is far better as I can often cook the full meal in there

tuesdayblues1 · 20/09/2022 14:54

I have a ninja 15-1 and I've used it everyday since we got it over 3 weeks ago. So for example I did cowboy pie last week (basically sausages, Beans and then covered with mash - my 3 year olds love it). The Sausages were cooked in 10 minutes, and then I cut my potatoes up and pressure cooked them for 6 minutes. Absolutely perfect for mashing. Then heated everything through in the air fryer. It was so quick and I'm using 1 appliance rather than the pans and the oven. I did homemade chips and fishfingers last night, again so so quick and the chips are the best we've ever had, never had them tasting so good in the oven.

The one downside is it's size. Luckily we have a cupboard for it to live, I would rather take it out and put it away every day than have it sat on my worktop permanently, that would drive me crazy

gogohmm · 20/09/2022 14:55

I've got one (combi) but only use it for cooking rice or pressure cooking beans and pulses

GasPanic · 20/09/2022 14:55

Sounds like your problem is that the one you have got is too small.

To be fair, they are much better deal economy wise if you have a small number of people. The reason is they use much less electricity than an oven, but generally fit much less food in. To fire up a normal oven (3kW?) for only a single person is such a waste of space and energy, but an airfryer (around 1kW) means you are only using the space/energy you actually need to get the food cooked.

Like @SoldierBoy I generally find it takes about 1/3 of the electricity to cook a meal for one with the airfryer compared with a standard convection oven. I calculate my cheapo one will pay for itself in less than 2 months.

I do kind of regret not buying a 2 drawer one (the 4l capacity for a single person is fine, but sometimes you want to do different stuff). Is it possible to control the temperature/om switch of the separate draws on the dual models differently ?

Sistanotcista · 20/09/2022 14:55

TeeBee · 20/09/2022 14:45

Love mine.
Firstly, they are a 6th of the price to run than an electric oven, which I have.
I have bought a large airfrier, which comes with various accessories, one being a rack so you can double up the amount of things you can cook at one time. Using an example above, you could put chips on the bottom (enough for 3-4 people), and chicken on the rack above. You can cook cakes, pies, pizza, small joints of meat, whole chickens in it. Most of the things we have for dinner, I can put in there. I actually only use my regular oven to cook a roast now.

Agree, Tee Bee. We also have a rack, but we put the chicken on the bottom and the chips on the top or the oil/juices from the chickens drop on to the chips. I was initially put off by the name (air-fryer) because I naively said to self, "Well, we seldom fry anything." But I hadn't realized at that stage that it could be used for "roasting" as well. Love ours.

Talia99 · 20/09/2022 14:56

It’s great for one or two people. Mine is a big pot that came with metal racks and two mesh baskets. I can put chips on one level and fish fingers etc. on the other. I also use it for salmon, chicken Kiev, pies etc. - basically all the stuff I’d have previously had to put the oven on for despite only having a small tray of food.

If you’d normally fill the oven for a family of 5, I’m not sure how cost effective it would be, though.

Randommother · 20/09/2022 14:58

I have a 2 draw one, and use it daily! It’s a compete game changer, I’ve not switched the oven on since I got it.

Happycow · 20/09/2022 14:59

So i have the 4.7l corsori one, which i bought a week ago so a relative newbie. For me:

Cons : a bit annoying to clean; i handwash the basket (takes a while 2 mins!!) as i dont want to risk the non-stick coating in the dishwasher even tho it says its dishwasher safe.

Takes space on the worktop.

If you want to do 2 things (eg. Fish fingers AND chips) for anything more than 2 kids portions, it doesnt fit (or you have to shake it about every 4 mins to cook evenly)

Pros: heats up in 2-3 mins to 230 degrees (oven is approx 10-12mins)

Uses less electricity than the oven for the same time

Cooks food more quickly and evenly than the oven (altho admittedly my oven is approx 15 yrs old)

Great for 1-2 portions of stuff, incl quick dinner for the kids

Reheat function is fab!

Overall, im happy with mine. Not a raving fanatic like some, but i will use it probably 3 -4 days a week.

ODFOx · 20/09/2022 15:04

We've been without a kitchen for a while, so use the airfryer along side microwave, kettle, toaster and panini press for everything.
I roast a medium chicken and stuffing balls in the airfryer, mashed potatoes in the microwave, then stir in spinach, make frozen peas and instant gravy with boiling water.

If we had an oven I'd probably do the chicken with stuffing and roast potatoes in there and then do the greens on the job and make proper gravy: but the 'oven less version takes 45
Minutes from beginning to serving, whereas it would take more time if I used oven and hob.
When the kitchen is finished I think I will use the airfryer less, but it has been a lifesaver, and a bit of an epiphany on what you can do with the right gadget! Before I bought it we were living on ready meals, sandwiches, toast, beans and soup! Mine is a cheap 4l Swan one.

GhostCastle · 20/09/2022 15:11

GasPanic · 20/09/2022 14:55

Sounds like your problem is that the one you have got is too small.

To be fair, they are much better deal economy wise if you have a small number of people. The reason is they use much less electricity than an oven, but generally fit much less food in. To fire up a normal oven (3kW?) for only a single person is such a waste of space and energy, but an airfryer (around 1kW) means you are only using the space/energy you actually need to get the food cooked.

Like @SoldierBoy I generally find it takes about 1/3 of the electricity to cook a meal for one with the airfryer compared with a standard convection oven. I calculate my cheapo one will pay for itself in less than 2 months.

I do kind of regret not buying a 2 drawer one (the 4l capacity for a single person is fine, but sometimes you want to do different stuff). Is it possible to control the temperature/om switch of the separate draws on the dual models differently ?

You can adjust the temp and time on both drawers. Pressing the sync button will mean both drawers are ready to serve at exactly the same time. It puts one side on hold while the drawer with the longest cooking time starts first. I cooked homemade breaded chicken pieces in one side for 16 mins and chips for 18 mins in the other side. I used the sync button so both sides finished together. My boys said it was the best chicken they have had. Must be good because they rarely say anything about the meals I cook for them. Not sure what that says about my cooking!😂

DoingJustFine · 20/09/2022 15:13

I love ours. Perfect for fish fingers (8 mins from frozen), onion rings, chips - small stuff you don't want the cost of running the oven for.

Hugasauras · 20/09/2022 15:16

We have an 8L dual drawer one which is a good size for our family. 4L single drawer is def too small for a family IMO.

Hugasauras · 20/09/2022 15:17

And yes we got it a month ago and haven't used big oven since!

LongLivedQueen · 20/09/2022 15:18

It's not hype, they're just brilliant. Why not learn how to use it before complaining?

BecauseICan22 · 20/09/2022 15:23

ALL our frozen food is make in the air fryer.

All our food is reheated in it too, it never goes soggy and tastes fresh unlike with the microwave.

I roast chicken pieces on one side and potatoes on the other. Veg as usual.

Jacket potatoes are great in the too.

I rarely use my oven now and even my 8 year old is able to use it independently (although we supervise, it still gets very hot!), and my 15 and 10 year old use it all the time.

I happily give it a clean as does DH and it really is better than my oven. I was VERY anti Air-Fryer, DH converted me and I'd now never not have one.

Skodacool · 20/09/2022 15:33

5zeds · 20/09/2022 14:24

I don’t get it either. It’s just a very small oven isn’t it?

It uses a fraction of the electricity that an electric oven uses

arethereanyleftatall · 20/09/2022 15:35

I thought the whole point of them is that no you don't cook a family meal - that's what an oven is for, but you do use them when you only say want chips, rather than having the whole oven on.

Skodacool · 20/09/2022 15:37

Northernsoullover · 20/09/2022 14:30

Its a lot cheaper than running an oven. Even a gas one.

This. Also cooks lovely crispy bacon, baked potatoes, burgers, sausages, fish fingers and a lot more. Not difficult to clean.

CoQ10 · 20/09/2022 15:37

Following with interest. Can you share the make/models you have as I'd like to get one.

Sparklingbrook · 20/09/2022 15:39

I have the Ninja Foodi AF400UK 9.5L Dual-Zone Air Fryer. It was from John Lewis.