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Original poster

Is there anyone who DOESN'T love their air fryer?

129 replies

veneeroftheyear · 30/08/2022 20:10

Just that really. They're not cheap and although I'm very interested in the idea, I wonder if I'm going to be disappointed.
If you didn't like yours, why not?

OP posts:
Stealhsquirrelnutkin · 30/08/2022 23:23

I use mine most days. I mostly use it to roast vegetables. I've become really addicted to air fried okra (dipped in yogurt and tossed in arrowroot and seasoning), air fried asparagus, aubergine, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and sprouts, as well as sweet potato wedges, and for heating up falafels and other ready made vegetarian stuff without it drying out or falling apart in the pan. I just discovered that if you buy a bag of Chantenay carrots from Asda you can run them under the tap, cut their tops off, and toss them straight into the air fryer without having to faff with cutting them to size. I've learnt to resist the urge to whack the heat up to 210° and do root vegetables on 180° for a bit longer, so they roast all the way through and don't get blackened on the edges. Frozen buttorn sprouts I toss straight in at 210°, shake the basket after 4 minutes and they are usually done in another four minutes. I like them a bit more well done.
I got a romanesco cauliflower in my delivery today and that will be going in the air fryer tomorrow. I'll eat half of it for lunch and use the other half to make a quiche. The quiche will be cooked in the halogen oven, because it is cheaper to run than the proper oven, and doesn't require any bending to check progress and get things in and out.

FiveDollarMilkshake · 30/08/2022 23:27

I don’t love mine. I want to. But I don’t. The pressure cooker is fab though.

LaBelleSauvage123 · 30/08/2022 23:33

Ours has a distinct smell - kind of chemical - which puts me off.It doesn't transfer to the food but I still don't like it.

TheStarsDontShine · 30/08/2022 23:41

I never make frozen type chips or packet beige food but use the air fryer a lot. We've made meat balls, koftas, spring rolls sausage rolls quiche, from scratch also roast chicken, muffins, the best cookies chicken and veg tray style and potatoes- jacket, wedges and salt and pepper chips and steak salmon and fish, sprouts with bacon ... we had one of the free Gousto boxes and used the air fryer for the fish fingers And fajitas

I've never found things need turning a lot, the potato chip function on ours has a pause for turning half way through to help with even cooking but nothing has come out burnt on top and soggy on the bottom- it cooks food evenly and tastes much better than the oven

CaptainBarbosa · 30/08/2022 23:48

A friend has one, and I dont like the taste of the chips or anything "fake.fried.in them"

I'll be honest, we only have chips once a week and I do them in a old fashioned chip pan with oil! They taste absolutely divine..😳

Fish fingers go under the oven grill for crispy deliciousness also.

Eightiesfan · 31/08/2022 00:28

They would be great for a couple who have really, really small appetites. I have one and to be honest I only use mine to make scotch eggs!

bert3400 · 31/08/2022 00:35

Everyone in my family hates ours. Tbf I've only cooked chips and they are a pain and taste like cardboard ........ my Pressure Cooker is my star appliance - love it

SardineStitches · 31/08/2022 08:38

I like it. Don't love it. Only really does chips, nuggets and spring rolls well. Nowhere near as nice as deep fried though.
Use it because it's there when I make those things but I could live without it.

SoupDragon · 31/08/2022 08:44

Lots of the things I do in mine are far better than other cooking methods. Fajita filling is amazing and the puff pastry for yesterday's pie was so much puffier than done in the big oven. Plus it's cheaper to run.

you need to remember it isn't frying anything. Things like chips fried in a deep fat fried are going to be far superior! It's basically a small oven that's more efficient to run.

SoupDragon · 31/08/2022 08:45

(I was very much on the fence before getting one. Once I'd grasped the fact that it's just a small oven I went for it as it's better than using the big oven for small amounts)

Sulusu · 31/08/2022 08:58

The amount of plastic in it really puts me off. I like the Idea of one as it saves electricity but hate the plastic side of it. I think a halogen oven would be better but I don't have space for one sadly.

Ziggyisthebestdogintheworld · 31/08/2022 09:13

We got one and it’s awful
so complicated to use,takes forever and a day to cook,soggy and burnt food and chips taste like soap
i want rid of the bloody thing

FlatWhiteExtraHot · 31/08/2022 17:57

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

See, I’m interested in this. What sort of meals are you eating that you don’t need to use your oven any more?

Given the cost of electricity I’d be quite happy to never put my oven on again 😂 but I can’t get my head around the logistics of an air fryer being able to make an entire meal and have it all ready at the same time.

NotLactoseFree · 31/08/2022 20:53

We've only just got one and so far I love it - so sorry i'm not in your actual control group. But what I'm starting to understand is that it's sort of a quicker, smaller, cheaper oven with a really good "grill" function. I did four jacket potatoes and they took about 45 minutes. Just based on the size of the space being heated, I can only imagine it was much cheaper than the oven and definitely quicker.

I bought a small one so don't expect to be able to do a whole meal at any time. For me, that's okay because I tend to cook on the stove a lot which makes turning on the oven to roast some butternut for a risotto annoying. I also think that DD, who is a bit fussy and eats separately, will probably be able to get whole meals in there without using the oven and three pots - I'm thinking chicken breast, veg and chips in one go. And I'm looking forward to things like lovely soft but crispy aubergine as a side or in pasta (we use it a lot) that hasn't first soaked up 3 tablespoons of oil! well, not really, but my waistline will be grateful

WingingIt101 · 31/08/2022 22:24

Oooh @pastabest how do you do a toastie in it?

I've only had mine a week or so and still learning how best to use it. I'd love to do stuff with sauces and hadn't worked that out yet - the silicone liners sound great - are they specific ones so they don't melt?! (Stupid question!)

Lastly - has anyone worked out how to do veg in it. I wanted to stir fry the other day but the veg just sort of dried out rather than softening then when I tried tossing in oil first they just sort of warmed a bit!

SoupDragon · 31/08/2022 22:52

WingingIt101 · 31/08/2022 22:24

Oooh @pastabest how do you do a toastie in it?

I've only had mine a week or so and still learning how best to use it. I'd love to do stuff with sauces and hadn't worked that out yet - the silicone liners sound great - are they specific ones so they don't melt?! (Stupid question!)

Lastly - has anyone worked out how to do veg in it. I wanted to stir fry the other day but the veg just sort of dried out rather than softening then when I tried tossing in oil first they just sort of warmed a bit!

When I did stir fry, I cooked the chicken in the air fryer but still did the veg in the wok. I have some silicone mats for my fryer though - I wonder if putting one on top of the veg would stop them drying out?

WingingIt101 · 01/09/2022 07:57

@SoupDragon I'm glad it's not just me! It feels so counter intuitive to be doing something in a different pan that should be a "Chuck it all in together" meal!

Good idea on the silicone basket!

AngelsWithSilverWings · 01/09/2022 08:14

I've had mine a week now. Had two failed attempts at sweet potato fries even though the people on the product's Facebook page say it does the best ones ever. Puts me off trying chips in it but any tips for crispy chips would be appreciated!

Cooked a jacket potato in it yesterday and it came out well with lovely crispy skin.

Chicken wings were delicious.

DD has started cooking herself corn on the cobs as a snack as it's so easy and they come out really well.

Cooked beef kofta kebabs in it yesterday and DH said they were more "melt in the mouth" than usual and the bonus was it was so easy to clean afterwards.

I've got the instant vortex and it would never cope with cooking a whole meal for 4 but so far what I've cooked in it has been ok. And it really is so quick and easy to clean after each use.

To not use the oven at all I'd need to have cous cous or rice with everything.

The best kitchen gadget for casseroles, chilli/ bolognese, risotto and joints of meat is my Crock Pot express ( like an instant pot multi cooker/ pressure cooker) I use it all the time and would replace immediately if it ever broke.

SoupDragon · 01/09/2022 08:20

WingingIt101 · 01/09/2022 07:57

@SoupDragon I'm glad it's not just me! It feels so counter intuitive to be doing something in a different pan that should be a "Chuck it all in together" meal!

Good idea on the silicone basket!

I had started cooking the chicken part of a stir fry separately before getting an air fryer - it gives a thick, sticky finish to the sauce/marinade. I add runnier sauce to the vegetables. My stir fries always turned out a bit "meh" before doing that.

CloudPop · 01/09/2022 11:03

What are they like to clean? I have visions of them being quite fiddly

Eyesopenwideawake · 01/09/2022 11:06

Got the Ninja dual air fryer - sent it back after a couple of weeks and replaced it with the Ninja max pro grill which is far better if you don't tend to eat fried food!!

SoupDragon · 01/09/2022 11:08

if you don't tend to eat fried food!!

it doesn't fry food though. It's just a small oven.

frazzledbutcalm · 01/09/2022 11:13

I have a Ninja Foodi max - I love it! Definitely agree it’s more of a mini oven. I’ve pressure cooked chilli, slow cooked joints of meat, roast chicken, jackets, chips, bacon, sausage etc, scones, cakes …

Having said that, I must learn how to cook actual meals in it too as I’m sure it has even more uses than I currently use.

Chesneyhawkes1 · 01/09/2022 11:15

I had just an air fryer and didn't like that much.

Now I've got a Ninja Foodie 15 in 1 and I love it!

LouLou198 · 01/09/2022 11:21

Love mine! Haven't turned the oven on since I got it a month ago!
I have this one: Instant Brands Vortex 6 Plus 6-in-1 Air Fryer 5.7L - Air Fry, Bake, Roast,Grill, Dehydrate and Reheat-1700W from Amazon that was recommended by a mumsnetter.