Help me understand the appeal of air fryers

[labracockapoodle]

I've never had one. I've never felt like I needed one as everything that can be cooked in an air fryer, I can already cook in the oven or in a pan. Are they really healthier or cheaper? What makes them so popular?

We have a Ninja 2 drawer Foodie.
We hardly have used the oven since we got it last year - saving substantially on electricity costs. I'd say it has paid for itself by now.

I was sceptical too but it’s just very easy, quick and healthy:

• put whatever you want in, press a couple of buttons and it’s done and beeps in 6-10 mins
• food ready, minimal fuss, no chance of burning, no oil needed
• i haven’t used my oven once since either!

This evening we are having roast shoulder of lamb (cooked in one drawer) and a heap of roast veg (potatoes, carrots, onions, peppers, tomatoes and onions in the other drawer). All will be ready in 45 minutes.

Really quick for something like chips - and makes them crispier imo

Alot quicker and cost effective for single people like myself, no point heating an oven for 20 minutes when an air fryer can do it in 12. Also really easy to clean.

No installation costs. No cost of rewiring/meeting new laws on where a cooker can be sited.

No bending or reaching into the oven.

Smaller area so less energy used to heat the same volume of food = more efficient, lower cost.

Different temperatures and times in different drawers, meaning it's possible to sync finish times. More accurate temperature regulation.

Easier cleaning.

Less heat escaping to heat the kitchen.

Multiple functions possible in the pot style ones, meaning less equipment required, less washing up, fewer sources of heat and again, a reduced cost of energy for cooking.

They are easy to use and more efficient, also the drawer is easier to clean than an oven!

I mainly use mine to heat things up or cook baked potatoes. It's easier, quicker and saves using a big oven.

I didn't see the appeal but my dc got me one for Christmas. It's great as an extra oven , or for just doing one portion so you don't have to heat the oven. A croissant only takes 4 mins to heat for eg.

Exactly the same. Hardly ever need the oven now. More economical, healthier, quicker. What's not to love!

I’ve got one. It was bought as a gift. It’s gathering dust in a cupboard as I just think it’s faffy, noisy and doesn’t cook as well as an oven. I’m obviously in the minority and I saw Jamie Oliver using one this week, but even what he produced looked liked it would’ve been so much easier and finessed in a proper oven.

I only use the oven for Sunday roasts and the occasional cake now.

I have two air-fryers now, a larger one and a small one. I do everything in there that I can - it cooks sausages perfectly, it even makes gorgeous crisp toasted cheese sandwiches.

I really resisted the idea at first, too, but now I wouldn't be without it.

I haven’t got one either. But I’m moving soon (hopefully 🤦‍♀️) and new house needs a new kitchen so I’m going to get one for while we do the refurb and see.
Any recommendations for which is the best one?

Are they healthy? Wasn’t there some suggestion that it isn’t a healthy way to cook?

Same as the others. Cooks something more quickly and cheaply. Have a double so can cook two things on different settings. We use it most days. Heating up the whole oven to cook a few chicken nuggets seems like madness now! Roasties are gorgeous. Quick chicken breast cooked for lunch. Freezer food done very easily.

It's because you can get a crispy/crunchy type finish without using much or any oil.

I use mine constantly to heat and crisp things from the freezer:
Croissants
Falafel
Fries / chips
Fish fingers
Chicken goujons
Frozen cookie dough (just a few portions, so fresh baked every time!)

I also like to use my air fryer to toast nuts, make cheese toasties, garlic bread, reheat pizza

It's good also for making small portions of roasted vegetables

Don't need to heat a whole 'big' oven, which always felt so wasteful for the small amount I needed to cook. ( and don't want to be making cakes/bread etc when all I want to do is roast a few veg)

I cook (vegetarian) sausages, & vegetables mostly, but I have 'cooked' part baked rolls. Pizza, focaccia bread & reheated Yorkshire puddibgs.

much easier to use (on worktop) my oven is under the worktop- no where for eye level one

much easier to clean

Stops cooking at end of timer, so I can put it on for 10 minutes & when I get distracted. No harm done. I know you can set timers on many ovens, but I can't on mine.

i procrastinated for ages about getting one as I wasn't sure how much I'd use it. I don't have much worktop space & I rebel against 'the current trend/in thing'

but I wouldn't be without it now!

It's been a life saver since I had a stroke earlier this year. It's WAY more manageable than the main oven (which I haven't used in the 2 years since I got my air fryer? In fact I've started using it as a cool storage space

mine is a side by side drawer. 'sur la table' from Costco. It was about £110 (incl vat) and is a small footprint for the drawer size)

I love mine it's a 'sur la table' from Costco it is a side by side drawer & was around £120 (incl vat)

What could possibly be 'unhealthy' about them ??

And what is the suggested reason that's unhealthy?

maybe we should do away with toasters too??

We got a big ninja one after reading so many threads thinking it would be amazing but I was underwhelmed.
We found we were only using it for one or two portions of food (we’re a family of 6) generally what I cook isn’t oven cooked and most of what is oven cooked wasn’t really something to fit in the air fryer, leg of lamb, side of salmon, lasagne etc.
I also found it tended to dry things out a bit unless you use oil or butter which kind of defeats the health benefit.
It took up loads of counter space and isn’t even pretty, just a big black box which is why I got a built in microwave to get the big box off the counter.
So I sold the ninja and bought a cheap one from Lidl, it’s fine for a couple of sausages at breakfast for DC or crispy chickpeas for my salad or what ever and can be put away easily.

There are various potential concerns - possible decreases in poly-unsaturated fats, increases in cholesterol oxidation products and formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (also a risk with frying). It depends on what you're cooking and how you cook it. You also need to check which non-stick lining a particular model has.

We've got a small cheapo one we were given when our oven packed in.
Only use the oven if cooking a proper meal for 4+
Air fryer is great for small meealls/snacks. Perfect for the teens to sort themselves freezer food, toasties etc
It's probably used everyday.
Happy with a small one compartment one (I use stacking racks) I can pop it back in the cupboard when not using it. I don't think I'd really use a 2 draw/bigger one. The oven is still much better for bigger meals.

It cooks fish brilliantly. Also jacket potatoes. Good for warming up croissants, or rolls. Roasted vegetables-particularly aubergines. But fish in particular. I impulse bought a massively barganous one in Morrisons with great scepticism, then after a couple of weeks bought a bigger one and use it nearly every day.

Oh, and sweet potato fries.