Slow cooker /air fryer a worthwhile investment?

[Eleano]

Me and my DH are confident cooks with lots of recipes we like to cook the traditional way BUT with our first DC on the way we're worried that we're not fast enough at cooking. We've got a few recipes that are quick and easy but even then, we spend too much of our weeknight evenings cooking and cleaning and tidying the kitchen and can only imagine this will be impractical with a DC in our lives. We also find it exhausting since we both work long hours and we're often tempted to be less healthy and stop cooking from scratch.

That's why we're thinking of investing in a Ninja (slow cooker + air fryer) and wanted to ask whether you think its going to solve our problem or if it's more geared towards people that aren't confident cooks.

Thanks!

A slow cooker is just basically a lidded saucepan on a low heat and an air fryer is just a fast oven that heats up very quickly. It’s nothing to do with being a confident cook it’s all about time saving.

I just made a new dish, chicken stuffed with mozzarella in a tomato, garlic and chilli sauce with orzo pasta. It took 30 mins as no need to pre heat oven. Last week I browned my mince for bolognaise but then chucked everything in the slow cooker so I didn’t have to keep stirring as am recovering from being really unwell.it cooked slowly over three hours while I had a rest.

@ViciousCurrentBun have you got a recipe for the stuffed chicken please.

Ive just bought a ninja dual and I love it so much. Also have a slow cooker, again love it for those meals you just want ready after a day at work or a trip out. As pp has said, it’s really just a different way to cook something without firing the oven up, waiting for it to heat etc. Being a confident cook will just mean you’ll be able to experiment more. I wouldn’t be without either of them.

We have a Ninja 6 in 1, had it a few years I’m not sure they sell the exact model anymore, but we couldn’t be without it! It’s an amazing bit of kit! It’s so much more convenient than the oven (depending on what you’re cooking), we use the slow cooker option regularly and love it.

@Firstinlastout season and cut chicken breast down the middle and fry to just getting golden brown on either side. Stuff with chopped up mozzarella. Put in a dish. Make a sauce of garlic, chilli flakes, chopped up fresh tomatoes and a tin of chopped tomatoes and basil add chicken stock. Pour this over the chicken and add orzo pasta adding a few more bits of chopped mozzarella and I then put in for 20 mins on 200c. I don’t have a recipe I can link to as I sort of made bits of it up as I went along. I served with broccoli and baby sweetcorn.

They are great if you have the space and can use them instead of the hob/oven for your usual cooking as they tend to use less fuel.