to think that air-fryers are just a passing fad?

[EeesandWhizz]

I know that they are everywhere do everything right now, but I'm sure that they'll soon join the steamers, breadmakers and George Foreman grills living in the back of the kitchen cupboard. The slow-cookers can stay on the worktop.

I bought a second hand Ninja Foodie, and to be honest I don't really get it. Do many people that cook from scratch really use them instead of the oven and hob? Or is it more like Pampered Chef that produced a lot of things for people that are not confident cooks that they didn't really need?

I am going to try cooking a 40 minute meringue in it later today though, so that might make me change my mind - I usually leave mine overnight in the oven for maximum crispy gooeyness, but an almost instant pavlova sounds fab!

It’s been a god save here. We don’t have a cooker so the air fryer allows us to have hot food

Didn't know steamers and breadmakers were out now, I still have and use mine. Slow cooker can fuck off though, I might ditch that.

My mother has an air fryer so I'm going to try it at Christmas. They've intrigued me for a long time.

I just cooked a whole chicken in mine for 1hr 10 mins. It takes longer in the oven and it was the only thing I needed to cook for tonight's dinner. If it was for a roast dinner with roast potatoes, parsnips and Yorkshire puddings I would have used the oven and possibly would have squeezed some cake in it too.

I do think it's silly the way they are marketed as an alternative to a deep fat fryer - that's not really how they work, so I think people trying to use it as a deep fat fryer will be disappointed.

I have not tried home made chips, it makes good wedges though. I just do oven chips in it if I want chips

Oven chips?

Yuk.

they are ok for smaller portions.

we looked into getting one as our main oven is shit large and takes ages to heat up. but then decided against it as our microwave has a combi function which works well for smaller amounts.

I've had my heated clothes rack for nearly 10 years and use it multiple times a week. If my air fryer has half the longevity and use I'll be delighted.

Mine is definitely staying

Been used pretty much everyday since we got it 15 months ago

My DH is a fan but I agree with you OP, feels very faddy. I think for single people /couples it could work well, but realistically for us as a family of 4 we'd often need to use the oven anyway based on space alone. I also don't feel it always shaves a significant amount of time off cooking, especially for meat.

For PP asking, we use it for anything that fits and would otherwise be cooked in the oven or under the grill. Including baking (only 2 of us so usual 6" round tin, 1lb loaf tin, 6-well muffin tin). We cook from scratch every day and like variety, I can see it not being useful for those who like to batch cook or have big families. OTOH I have 0 use for a slow cooker.

I'm just cooking for one and it's sooo much cheaper than heating up the oven every time I cook.

I use mine all the time. No heating up the oven. Saves so much time.

I need to expand what I cook in it.

My oven is shit and I don't have a microwave. Between air fryer and hob, I'm sorted!

I do use my George foreman and bread maker all the time as well though.

I do cook from scratch most of the time, it's great for heating up left overs, making chips or roasties etc

I use mine all the time - sauteing and slow cooking mainly. I used a slow cooker for years and this has replaced it. DS also uses it mainly for air frying. It's easy to use and keep clean. I mostly cook from scratch.

Still use the bread maker and the (manual) steamer

DP bought one years ago and uses it very regularly when he’s cooking just for himself. I fully expected it to end up being clutter, but it hasn’t. I’m happy with the way I make food and find the thing cumbersome to clean so I don’t use it, but he much prefers it and swears some things are better.

Ours is very much here to stay. I love it. But then our oven is crap and I hate that, so that might be why the air fryer gets so much love - if and when we replace the oven with one that actually heats up consistently and evenly I might switch my affections back.

We have the Aldi dupe of the ninja dual drawer one that they brought out around this time last year I think.

It’s a total myth that it’s only for breaded/ freezer food (although I’ll admit that it does do fishfingers and oven chips really well when required too). Mostly use ours for salmon/ chicken, roast veg, halloumi, prawn, quesadillas, jacket spuds, courgette or carrot fritters etc. But have also made pasta bakes, cottage pie and baking e.g mini loaf cakes. And I use it to make my own granola.

I do everything in mine, and it's only the cheap small one. I've used my oven maybe three times in the year that I've had my air fryer. I don't think they're faddy like other kitchen gadgets at all. DH gave me a randomly chosen George Forman grill a few years ago for my birthday and it's never been out of the box, but the air fryer is in use constantly.

For example last night I made salmon with roasted sweet potatoes and courgettes, rice cooked on the hob as usual, done. I can get three chicken legs in and they come out perfect with nice crispy skin. Baked potato started off in the microwave and finished wrapped in foil in the air fryer. Lovely! The kids chuck in part baked baguettes, potato waffles, Yorkshire puddings when they want, and it's all done in minutes.

One minute to heat up a mince pie!

I only got one a few weeks ago and I'm surprised how much I use it, I don't think they're a fad at all.

I love mine, after 3 years of nearly daily use it's not a fad in my house. I do loads with it - my recent discovery is that I can roast parsnips in it in 15 mins from raw. Also great for med veg etc.

I agree that it would be a game changer if they started making built in versions - combination of full oven and an airfryer would be a winner I think. And also if ready oven meals gave air fryer timings.

I also think the name needs to change, for ages I thought it was a new type of deep fat fryer! “Speed oven” would work better.

What I find baffling is that they have always been around - I had one in my bedsit in my teens - it was called a toaster oven then. New marketing and suddenly they are really expensive must haves...... it is a bit odd

I use mine most days but I'm more of a freezer cook. If I'm cooking something more fresh I use the oven

this looks brilliant, built in oven/air fryer combo.

stops my teens from heating an oven up to cook one solitary chicken kiev....must be money saving in that respect.