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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To regret air fryer purchase

67 replies

Pastlast · 08/12/2023 17:51

Heard great things on here and IRL so took the plunge on Black Friday.

soo disappointed - it doesn’t appear to fry things at all. I mostly brought it for beige kids food. Chips were overcooked on the top and uncooked on the bottom.

have I just wasted my money on a tiny pointless oven?

has anyone got any recipes or tips that will change my mind?

OP posts:
Brieaddict · 08/12/2023 19:24

I love my air fryer, but I have found that it takes some trial and error, tweaking cooking temperature and time to get things cooked the way I like them.

With beige freezer food mine generally works well checking the oven instructions then reducing the temperature by 20°C and time by 20%. Learning to cook my favourite things from scratch took practice though.

There are lots of videos on YouTube with recipes. One channel I particularly like watching is Budget Cooking UK.

BoobyDazzler · 08/12/2023 19:27

We’re new ninja owners and bloody love ours! Cooks beige food so much more satisfactorily! We did have one fail with wedges that I’d assumed could be cooked from raw and it appears they came so the next time I did what I used to do and chop them, put them in the microwave for 3 minutes with a splash of water, drain, season and cook and they were so much nicer than the oven ones.

Kitkatfiend31 · 08/12/2023 19:31

Thisisthedawningoftheageofaquarius · 08/12/2023 18:11

With chips .(real) i par boil for 5 mins after I cut them and then cook for about 30 & they are incredible

I don't get air fryers either. You could eadily do chips in the oven in 30 min.

Hankunamatata · 08/12/2023 19:31

TeenLifeMum · 08/12/2023 18:14

I have a “good” one but don’t really get the love. For a family of 5 it’s too small and my ovens are new and AA energy efficient so it’s not even saving me money. I don’t get the love of them at all. I use it but I think I’m just trying to grow to love it. I got it last January and am wondering how much longer before I can justify putting it on marketplace.

This is my issue. Family of 5 with 3 teens. There's no way it cooks enough to feed everyone

SherbetDips · 08/12/2023 19:31

I recommend the book “bored of lunch air fryer” he’s got some good recipes.

LadyEloise1 · 08/12/2023 19:35

SherbetDips · 08/12/2023 19:31

I recommend the book “bored of lunch air fryer” he’s got some good recipes.

The title annoys me - surely it should be Bored With Lunch ?
😂

Dreamqueen · 08/12/2023 19:35

I bought the HYsapientia one that actually looks like an oven and love it. It fits all my pyrex dishes in it, makes great chips and I can see what is happening while it cooks. It's saved me from ahving to turn the big oven on nearly everyday. I love it but on the other hand I wouldn't want a drawer type one.

Skyblue92 · 08/12/2023 19:36

it'll take time, I have an Aldi one and we've done bacon, sausages, burgers, my daughters nuggets and alphabites, chips. the chips and alphabites need regular shaking to ensure an even cook

User2856948 · 08/12/2023 19:40

I just use mine for sausages as they are a bit of a pain to cook and you have to turn them anyway so I don't mind having to shake them

HeyHoTheWindAndTheRain · 08/12/2023 19:41

@LadyEloise1 The title annoys me - surely it should be Bored With Lunch ?
😂

YES!!! Glad I'm not the only one to be irritated by this - it annoys me each and every time I see it in a shelf 😂

HeyHoTheWindAndTheRain · 08/12/2023 19:42

*on a shelf (grrr)

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 08/12/2023 19:44

"Air Fryer" is a misleading name. They don't fry. They are tiny ovens. I have an unbranded Costco one, which I've had for about 18 months. It is superb for warming up food, and cooking frozen food. It's excellent for days when we are eating at different times due to shifts or evening commitments. Also good for jacket spuds, chicken, salmon and sausages!

EtiennePalmiere · 08/12/2023 19:51

Are you preheating it ? You might be trying to cook too much at a time too.

SweetFemaleAttitude · 08/12/2023 19:52

I have the ninja foodie and it is bloody marvellous.

The pressure cooker function I use a lot.

So pressure cook a whole chicken for 20mins then airfry for 20 mins. Cooked to perfection.

You can also saute, grill, bake in it too.

We use it almost daily.

Pinkpinkpink15 · 08/12/2023 19:54

I love mine, it's only the Costco brand. 'Sur La table'. I chose that one because it has a good foot print for its capacity. @Growuppeople it has 'a point' for ME thanks. I didn't WANT a giant UFO, like you like.

@Pastlast I think they take a little time to get used to. It's great to be able to do things I found it hard to justify putting the oven on for. It's brilliant for my vegetarian sausages, cooks them lovely and I don't feel bad putting a big oven in for 6 sausages. Can chuck in a couple of Yorkshire puddings. Half a garlic baguette. I do loads of 'roast' veg in it. It does pizza for me Because I just cut a piece off!

lovely to cook frozen croissants, baked potatoes and all Soooo much quicker than the oven.

id say, just keep on with things, reduce the heat & the time compared to what you'd do in the oven.

ButterCupPie · 08/12/2023 19:56

Got a Daewoo air fryer from Robert Dyas, used it half a dozen times, gave it away.

LizzieSiddal · 08/12/2023 19:59

SherbetDips · 08/12/2023 19:31

I recommend the book “bored of lunch air fryer” he’s got some good recipes.

This book is great. Gives you confidence to try cooking lots of different foods.

Tonight I cooked mackerel in my Ninja! It cooks fish to perfection.

flowerchild2000 · 08/12/2023 20:01

Turn your food over halfway through.
If the food is dry spray some oil on it first.
Play around with time and temp and different settings. It took me about a week to figure it out but now I can cook anything in mine, even breads, pastries, pizza, etc.

steff13 · 08/12/2023 20:02

DoIOrNot · 08/12/2023 18:49

Of course you can’t return it. It cooks, so isn’t faulty, it is definitely operator error.

Show quote history

Can you really not return it just because you don't like it? I'm in the US and as long as you have your receipt and it's within the time frame for returns you can return things for any reason.

I return to sweater once because it was green. It was green when I bought it but I had just been to the eye doctor and had my eyes dilated and I thought it was gray. 🤷‍♀️

Allegra567 · 08/12/2023 20:09

I have the Tefal 11litre air fryer with three shelves, the upper one heating most quickly (so needs shelf rotation). I cook extensively in it a whole host of items and love it. It suits the two of us, but not more. If the main oven is heated my response is 😱.

AllAroundMyCat · 08/12/2023 20:13

I find it odd that people are suggesting adding more fat to beige food when cooking in an AF.

Your really shouldn't be spraying more oil onto heavily saturated fat food.

I've read so many threads about Air Fryers and not one has convinced me into getting one.

Stir frying a soffrito brings so much flavour to a dish as does caremalising vegetables.

But if you love pastries, a tiny chicken, breaded food and previously cooked in a large quantity of fat food then an AF is probably your friend.

TeaKitten · 08/12/2023 20:16

steff13 · 08/12/2023 20:02

Can you really not return it just because you don't like it? I'm in the US and as long as you have your receipt and it's within the time frame for returns you can return things for any reason.

I return to sweater once because it was green. It was green when I bought it but I had just been to the eye doctor and had my eyes dilated and I thought it was gray. 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

A jumper is obviously different to cooking equipment though. A jumper could be resold as long as it wasn’t visibly worn, air fryer that’s been opened and used multiple times can’t be sold as brand new so it can’t be returned unless faulty.

TeaKitten · 08/12/2023 20:16

AllAroundMyCat · 08/12/2023 20:13

I find it odd that people are suggesting adding more fat to beige food when cooking in an AF.

Your really shouldn't be spraying more oil onto heavily saturated fat food.

I've read so many threads about Air Fryers and not one has convinced me into getting one.

Stir frying a soffrito brings so much flavour to a dish as does caremalising vegetables.

But if you love pastries, a tiny chicken, breaded food and previously cooked in a large quantity of fat food then an AF is probably your friend.

You can buy those very low calorie oils though which might work.

Stiritscrapeitmakeitbakeit · 08/12/2023 20:20

AllAroundMyCat · 08/12/2023 20:13

I find it odd that people are suggesting adding more fat to beige food when cooking in an AF.

Your really shouldn't be spraying more oil onto heavily saturated fat food.

I've read so many threads about Air Fryers and not one has convinced me into getting one.

Stir frying a soffrito brings so much flavour to a dish as does caremalising vegetables.

But if you love pastries, a tiny chicken, breaded food and previously cooked in a large quantity of fat food then an AF is probably your friend.

You're wrong there (and I said all the same things before caving in to my DC's pleadings).

I use it in the same way as I use my Aga, but it's a fraction of the price to run.

There are some things I won't do in it (risotto, for example), but you can do most things you'd do in an ordinary oven (pasta bake, fish pie etc).