To think that an air fryer is only useful if you don't already cook much?

[MyOldCaravan]

Everyone seems to have one and raves about them. But I honestly can't see the benefit, other than cooking things a bit quicker

I already have a microwave/combi oven, gas hob, slow cooker.

For things that need heating and crisping, eg croissants there's a setting on the combi oven that does that. All veg cooked in a steamer on the hob.

Don't tend to eat chicken nuggets/oven chips etc much.

So why would I need one?

For me it's stuff I wouldn't usually bother with, my microwave isn't a combi
So things like a part baked roll for lunch
Reheats pizza brilliantly
A handful of chips for with my evening meal

I don't use it often (maybe once a week) but it's great for stuff I don't want to put the oven on for as it seems a waste

MsMarch I slice or dice the aubergines, put in a bowl and stir with spices (cumin, turmeric and paprika usually) and a squirt of oil in advance then cook at 180° for about 15 minutes. I check them and shake the fryer every five minutes or so.

Depends. I love chips and they come out much better in the Actifry than they do in the oven. (I cut my own potatoes, rather than using frozen chips, not sure if that makes a difference.) I do use it for other things, but this is the only thing I 'need' it for.

We’ve got a duel one and I love it we use it all the time and yes we can both cook. I like that it means not wasting time or electricity heating up the oven and I can sync the compartments. It’s great for quick meals before taking the DC out to their activities.

Haven’t had it long so haven’t done more in it yet.

It depends what you like to cook and eat OP. My DH bought one for us a couple of years ago. I wasn't keen at the time, but we now use it regularly.

For some items we use it because it's cheaper than using the oven, some because it cooks quicker, and some because they taste better or are healthier. We use ours for:

Home made chips, wedges or hash browns
Oven chips- they taste much better in the air frier
Salmon fillets
Roasting veg such as aubergine, cauliflower, brocolli.
Cooking stuff the kids like such as chicken or fish goujons
Dehydrating apple slices (cheaper than the ones from m and s)
Tofu - I've never managed to get tofu quite right / restaurant quality before. Recently tried it in the air fryer and it was fantastic

What do you use the combi microwave for, except for microwaving?

But recently got a Ninja dual draw 9.5L

That uses more power than my fan oven.

Although, not if isn’t on as long.

Oh I need to try that. I pan fry my aubergine but it uses so much oil.

They are usually tiny inside. I do not consider them a replacement for a combi. They work a bit differently as far as I can make out. We don't like air fried chips (they main reason for buying one!) or fish fingers. They are good for crisping up croissants, making vegetable crisps.

I cook a lot and pretty much always from scratch.
We got a ninja foodie which is air fryer but also pressure cooker, steamer etc my oven is now turned off and I probably use the hob twice a week.
I can roast a chicken in 30 minutes, make a pasta dish (including cooking the pasta in 15 mins), make curries, air fry sausages in 8 mins etc etc. It's saving a lot of money by not using the oven and saving a lot of time. It also makes the most killer roast potatoes!

I think its personal preference but for us it works and our energy bills have reduced since

Also brilliant for roasting parsnips and carrots quickly

Did some great hasselback sweet potatoes in mine.

It's a cheap to run mini oven, good for one or two portions.

But also "All veg cooked in a steamer on the hob." There are so many delicious things to do roasting veg - not that it has to be in an air fryer.

www.secondrecipe.com/air-fryer-christmas-potatoes/

These were good!

I love cooking and I have one and use it everyday. It's just like a mini oven. Enjoying or not enjoying cooking is nothing to do with it.

One reason that I never see mentioned to have an air fryer is that it turns itself off after set time.

I love mine, and I used to use the oven a lot. Always seemed a waste as I live alone. A small air fryer is perfect for me.

Mmmm, those look delicious, and the slicing looks easier to do than it is for true hasselbacks. I'll defo try them.

What a bizarrely aggressive comment. Get a grip! It's a parents form and someone is asking about an air fryer!! Is there any need for the attitude?!

I think perfectly adequate comment by @BitOutOfPractice considering the title and some later comment tbh

It cooks things quicker and cheaper.

It's not just for chicken nuggets!

Does it fit in the dish washer

@missushbbb I think it was quite restrained given the unfettered snobbery of the op. Trust me, I could’ve gone further 😬

@Notaflippinclue yes, mine goes in the dishwasher. Although I tend to wash it by hand to preserve the non-stick coating. It's dead easy.

@Patineur I don’t have a fancy one, just a Gourmia single drawer from Costco. Cost about £45, I think. But it's perfectly adequate, does everything I need, as it's mostly just DH and me nowadays.

My oven is gas which currently costs a small fortune, I'll stick with the air fryer.