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!

My brother is a devotee, his house has a really crap gas oven so theirs gets a lot of use until they can replace it with something better as part of a kitchen refurb. I haven't bothered to get one as couldn't really see a particular use for it and we're short on counter space as it is.

Isn't it basically an old fashioned convection oven? Less passing fad than repackaging of something that has long had its uses?

Dunno I quite like being able to cook a chicken in 50 minutes. Doubt I'll go back to an oven.

Defeats the point IMO by being enormous like a normal oven. The clever thing about the air fryer is it is such a small space. Costs much less to heat up enough air to fill it and takes less time.

Convection ovens aren't new, so renaming them "air fryer mode" is just a marketing trick.

They aren't unhealthy. They are called Air Fryers but it doesn't mean you fry everything in oil. They use hot air to crisp things up rather than oil and if you do add oil for things like roast potatoes, you use a really small amount.

Love mine, I have the Tefal 9 in 1 model and it's brilliant, it's got a rotisserie in it and a full chicken takes around 40 minutes, it has a pizza tray, wire baskets which I use for roast potatoes/chips, it's good for reheating things that you want to keep crispy instead of them going soggy in the microwave, non stick trays and is very easy to clean. I did crispy BBQ chicken thighs, sweet potato fries and corn on the cob for 4 people yesterday in 20 mins

I don't have any other kitchen gadgets (apart from a microwave and a food processor - both of which I use) but I'm seriously considering getting an air fryer as I've seen how much the smart meter goes up every time the oven is on. I wouldn't get a £200 one though as I'm only thinking of using it for things like DS cooking one portion of chips and a pasty or when I want to roast off a few peppers/onion. To me it sounds far more economical than preheating my oven then 1/2 hour cooking.

If nothing else they're excellent for chips and other breaded/battered freezer foods so I suspect they'll get good mileage from that alone for busy families and quick mid-week meals.

The handled-basket style makes them perfect for shaking chips or nuggets or whatever else mid-cook to get an even brown.

They're faster, more efficient and cost effective than the oven.

Like George Foreman they slightly exaggerate how many portions they comfortably serve. Mine's a 4.3L family size (serves up to 4 supposedly) but it's perfect when cooking a whole meal (different components) for just me or 2-4 portions of one type of food such as chips or a protein etc. It doesn't fit a pizza 😁

I find it so versatile and quick that I'd like to upgrade to a 6L (I have the counter space) and branch out to other types of foods and recipes in it with various air fryer accessories.

It’s a huge marketing win. They have been around for ever, just a mini counter top oven. They were student and Bedsit godsends. But they then changed the name and called them air fryers, and boom they suddenly went viral.

I had a heated disagreement with some friends on this recently, who were trying to convince me to get one. I was all like, I have a fab range cooker with two ovens, why do I need to have a counter top oven taking up space. Yes it’s fractionally cheaper to run due to its size, but bung your own oven up a little bit hotter and throw the food in and you get the exact same result.

irs bonkers. Even these ridiculous air fryer recipes, like it’s not just a small counter top oven. 😂

Heated clothes racks are pretty good though, as for the majority it's the only alternative to getting clothes properly dry other than a tumble drier, which you either have the space and money for, or you don't. Whereas there are many very common (hob, oven, microwave, toaster) means of cooking things. I don't see heated clothes racks as a fad.

We use ours all the time; our oven is unreliable and takes ages to heat up, whereas the air fryer is energy efficient and fast. Our landlord won’t replace the oven, so we use the air fryer for most baked/roasted foods.

Don’t underestimate how many people are living in rented homes with crappy appliances, or rely on energy efficient air fryers because of the cost of electricity. They might seem like a fad if you have a big range cooker, but that’s not the case for a large chunk of the population.

Just like a full size oven 😂

I was well ahead of the “fad”, and my mum has been using one for over a decade. I got one as soon as I got my own house nearly 8 years ago.

I got mine because they’re quick, easy, you don’t need to use oil so can make healthier foods in it if you want. Some things simply cook better in it - like sausages (which cook evenly) or things you want crisp (like fries, nuggets etc).

I wasn’t “copying the trend” as there wasn’t one back then, and I still use it regularly.

I find mine very handy! I use it more than oven! 🙂 just as much I love my pressure cooker !

I use mine most days and also use my breadmaker a lot still.

I roasted a chicken in mine last night. Took 45 mins and it was so juicy and perfectly cooked.

My air fryer is staying put.

Slow cookers are shite though.

Exactly this - it's a compact oven. We've had ours around a year and it's used at least 3 - 4 times a week. Teenage sons use it to heat up steak bakes, pizza, sausage rolls, chicken nuggets, chips - things which can't go in the microwave as they go soggy. It's brilliant for cooking fish, last night I did salmon and roasted veg in it and it came out perfectly. We've made scones and cakes in it.

The main benefit is that it is up to temperature in seconds and you are not paying to heat a whole huge oven space for something like a single fillet of fish and a few veg. More economical, easier to clean.

The ninja foodie can do a heck of a lot more than just air fry.

I would say I cook 90% of our meals in it. Last night was a bit of a cheap mix of what was lying around. I used air fry for 5 mins to brown off some rashers and mushrooms. Then added 200g of pasta and 400ml chicken stock. Pressure cooked for 7 minutes. Stirred in some Philadelphia. Topped with a breadcrumb/ cheese/ herb mix and grilled for 5 mins.

I find the beauty of it is that I can walk away and know it will stop. I have a gas oven that won't do that. So right now I've just heard it 'baading' meaning I know the soup I am making for lunch is ready.

I use mine everyday pretty much. The only thing I use my oven for is pizza or a big roast (as it doesn't fit).

I use ours daily. We've got a huge Falcon range cooker and it seems pointless (and expensive) to heat an oven up to bake a potato or cook some sausages so we use our Ninja. They've come a long way from the actifry we had when our DC were growing up - that thing was shite beyond words.

This 👆

We have done roasts in ours, but find the potatoes are not as good 🤷‍♂️

I use mine everyday - I wouldn't say it's a miracle or anything, its just an oven but for someone who lives on their own and doesn't each much its far cheaper on the electricity to use the air fryer and much much easier to clean.

I compared this year’s September-November electricity bill to last year’s. It’s about 40% lower. OK, the government has stepped in but our only lifestyle change has been the air fryer.
Now to check the actual units consumed…

I don’t have one as I hate having loads of appliances. We’ve only just got a microwave as we have a baby on the way!

But I think they may stay a bit longer than a fad from what I’ve heard people say. Particularly for smaller households they seem to be really useful.

Also are steamers a fad??? We use ours pretty much daily for veg!

I haven't RTWT yet (I intend to!) but if anyone has any tips for accessories to make their air fryer more versatile I'd be all ears 🙂 I can see various silicone dishes, wide racks, silicone muffin cups and greaseproof liners with air holes on Amazon. I feel like upgrading my air fryer game 😂