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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU To not have an air fryer

55 replies

SJ70 · 07/12/2022 11:10

Everyone I know has one and swears by them. I don’t know if I’d use it that much tbh. I have a family of 4 and cook most things from scratch.
If I got one, I wouldn’t even know where to start. Any ideas?

OP posts:
lookersnoopy · 07/12/2022 11:13

Ideas for what?

It's a kitchen appliance that you don't have and don't think you would use that much. That's ok.

People are crazy for air fryers just now. You don't have to join in.

19lottie82 · 07/12/2022 11:13

YABU they’re life changing.
basicially you can cook anything in it that you would cook in a normal oven. It warms up in a couple of minutes and cooks in half the time. Plus everything comes out cooked evenly and crispy.

lookersnoopy · 07/12/2022 11:15

19lottie82 · 07/12/2022 11:13

YABU they’re life changing.
basicially you can cook anything in it that you would cook in a normal oven. It warms up in a couple of minutes and cooks in half the time. Plus everything comes out cooked evenly and crispy.

But, if there are 4 of you, you need the space your oven offers!

I read today someone cooked a chicken in one drawer of their ninja and potato's and all the veg in the other side. They must be eating fairy sized meals. Even the large ninjas are not particularly big for family cooking

Turquoisa80 · 07/12/2022 11:19

I want one for snacks and parts of a meal such as wedges or to feed my 2 dc but for a family meal I'd use the oven

chipsandpeas · 07/12/2022 11:21

well its not mandatory to have one, if you think you will use it get one, if not then dont
i dont have one and havent seen enough about them to decide i need one

GasPanic · 07/12/2022 11:26

It's a mini convection oven as opposed to a more usual large convection oven that you might already have in your kitchen.

If you cook in smaller loads (either you are only one person or several people wanting food at different times) it makes more sense to use than the big oven because it is more energy efficient. If you fill the big oven with food for all the family at once it makes less sense.

The food can cook a bit quicker and also have a different finish. IME oven ready stuff (oven chips, random beige stuff) tests to be a bit crispier and nicer.

Other than the above there isn't really much more to it.

SpinningFloppa · 07/12/2022 11:27

Well why would that be unreasonable? There are
lots of things people have that I don’t have , tumble drier, dishwasher…

Hugasauras · 07/12/2022 11:27

We cook for a family of 4 in ours. The 8L ones can easily fit in food for 4, and we are not small eaters! Meat in one drawer, sides in the other.

I mean it's not really about cooking from scratch. They are mini ovens. If you do a lot of stuff in oven you will get good use of an air fryer. If you don't then less so.

We have used our big oven 3 times in 3 months since we got ours, all for cooking lots of pizzas when we had people round. We use the AF every day pretty much.

Singlebutmarried · 07/12/2022 11:27

I’ve got a ninja dual.

family of three. I have done a whole chicken in one side and then roasties/snips for three in the other side. Veg in the pressure cooker or microwave. Yorkies in the oven.

if I’m doing a bigger roast then I use the oven for the meat on low n slow and fill the ninja with the roasties.

it’s great for single ready meals, garlic bread, cooked breakfast (still don’t get people doing eggs in them though)

people are going nuts cooking everything in them. But in reality I’d take half of not more of what’s on the interweb with a large pinch of salt.

Namechanger965 · 07/12/2022 11:27

Air fryers are okay but not life changing as some of the Facebook groups would have you believe. I find them helpful as on overflow space when doing pizzas, somewhere to cook the potato wedges/garlic bread (there’s 5 of us so pizzas fill the oven). Jacket potatoes are quite good in them. They’re good for cooking quick freezer stuff meals when I have to do quick dinners after school sports clubs. Or if I’m just doing something on the hob but want to do garlic bread or something like that alongside it means I don’t have to wait for the oven to preheat.

I have the type with shelves and find the top shelf cooks much faster than the others so have to move stuff around. I don’t understand how people do a roast in either type of them.

bozzabollix · 07/12/2022 11:30

You don’t have to have one and I’d certainly not replace my oven with one.

Say today I’ve baked pastries and a cheese toastie in mine, saves heating up a big oven and therefore energy. Yesterday I made paneer curry in it, sautéed then put it on baked setting to roast everything, then sautéed again to heat up tomato sauce. It’s quite useful flipping between the functions (have a 15-1 Ninja). I always cook from scratch too.

You’d like the pressure cooker too. Makes everything so much quicker.

19lottie82 · 07/12/2022 11:45

But, if there are 4 of you, you need the
space your oven offers!

there are large models that would do the job.

lookersnoopy · 07/12/2022 11:46

19lottie82 · 07/12/2022 11:45

But, if there are 4 of you, you need the
space your oven offers!

there are large models that would do the job.

I have the larger model. There is not a chance it's making a roast dinner for 4.

Hoppinggreen · 07/12/2022 11:51

We don’t have one but from what I gather it mostly replaces an oven and we use our hob far more than the actual oven so I don’t see the point

maroonhaze · 07/12/2022 12:03

We do lots in ours.
Various potatoes (fresh or frozen)
Chops/steaks
Whole chickens
Roasted veg
Casseroles
Rolls
Corn on the cob
Meatballs
Dehydrating stuff

It's not just for convenience foods. We'll use it Xmas day for stuffing balls and pigs in blankets to save oven space.
Plus for snack stuff like sausage rolls (homemade).

I haven't baked in mine yet but planning to try a loaf cake and maybe a crumble.

BarbaraofSeville · 07/12/2022 12:20

YANBU to not have an airfryer

YABU to assume that people use them to cook endless beige and chips and they'd be useless for your superior 'cooked from scratch' diet.

CharityShopChic · 07/12/2022 12:30

We have one and use it loads. Perfect for when a teenager wants a frozen steak bake for lunch, also we've made potato wedges, homemade nuggets in it, I've baked scones in it, DD made a pesto stuffed chicken dish thing in it last night, quesadillas - all sorts. As others have said, anything you would ordinarily cook in the oven.

Plexie · 07/12/2022 12:32

There was an article in one of the papers recently about the cost-saving claims of using an air fryer. They compared the cost of cooking a meal in an oven (I assume electric, which is more expensive than gas) and an air fryer. They said you'd need to use the air fryer once a day for about a year just to save enough money from reduced electricity consumption to cover the initial outlay of buying the air fryer. And if you use it 2 or 3 times a week (a more realistic usage), then even longer before you starting saving money from using less electricity.

OoooohMatron · 07/12/2022 12:33

I wouldn't bother. Unless there are just 1 or 2 people to cook for you end up using the oven as well which defeats the object. I sold mine recently after using it twice and hating it.

GratefulCheddar · 07/12/2022 12:38

I bake bread in mine, apple crumble, cottage pies, roast veg, cauliflower cheese, crispy belly pork, sea bass with roasted tomatoes plus many other things.

It is just a higher speed small oven.

BellePeppa · 07/12/2022 12:44

I love my air fryer but only use it for things like burgers and chips, sausages etc that type of stuff. Proper meal cooking I use the oven.

WildRosie · 07/12/2022 12:46

It's ok not to have anything you wouldn't use. I have neither an air fryer nor slow cooker because I don't need them. No peer pressure allowed in my kitchen!

rwalker · 07/12/2022 12:55

Wouldn’t have one in the house my mums got one it leaves a shitty greasy film over everything it’s near

lookersnoopy · 07/12/2022 12:58

rwalker · 07/12/2022 12:55

Wouldn’t have one in the house my mums got one it leaves a shitty greasy film over everything it’s near

An air fryer? Are you getting confused with a deep fat fryer?

xogossipgirlxo · 07/12/2022 13:02

I don't use oven much, and probably wouldn't make much use of airfryer, so I didn't buy it. I also don't have microwave 😝