Some thoughts on my new Air Fryer

I don't like my Air Fryer at all.

Grantanow

Air fryer definitely saves using the main oven for quite a few meals and so saves money. Also good for heating croissants, roasting asparagus, sweet potato chips, meat pies, veg pies, breaded fish, breaded whitebait etc.

I use my cheap one from Amazon more than my cooker nowadays, so quick and easy

Air fryer definitely saves using the main oven for quite a few meals and so saves money. Also good for heating croissants, roasting asparagus, sweet potato chips, meat pies, veg pies, breaded fish, breaded whitebait etc.

Thank you for that tip re the eggs in the airfryer, I am always looking for ways to get my eggs ✅ done. Thank you

M0nica

Doodledog I have got a number of small pottery dishes that fit neatly into my round air-fryer. They are sufficiently large to hold two good size portions of food, and as there are only two of us in the household.

None of them were bought specially. They were all pots that I already used regularly to cook meals for the two of us.

None of mine (other than tapas ones) would fit in mine. I have the smallest Pyrex one (half a litre?), and that fits, but the handles mean that there is not space to get it in and out easily without spilling the contents. It's not big enough for two decent portions anyway - I think it was meant for serving side vegetables.

That's the main thing that puts me off the Ninja. The machine is large, but the style means that you have to reach down into the pot to get things in and out, which is tricky when it's hot, as it's deep. I have numerous racks, so that you can cook more than one thing at a time, but they are faffy, as they are collapsable and tend to collapse . It's great for chips, or things that would otherwise be fried, as you just need to shake the pot to cook evenly, instead of rotating the height of the shelves, as you do in the other one, but things like yorkshires are much easier in the shelf one (mine's a Tower 5 in 1), as a 4 hole tray fits in perfectly and they cook really well.

It really does just come down to preference though. There's no 'best' one, which is why anyone considering one should think about what they will use it for most.

We have a Tower that we bought when on offer from Amazon for under £50! We really only use it for making chips as DH does all the cooking and likes to use the ovens and hob! Makes brilliant chips with no oil which are obviously a healthy option. We sent one to DD who uses it a lot - it was brilliant when we stayed over with them as they only have one smallish oven that doesn’t cook very well. Have just bought a third for our static as the gas oven takes ages to cook. Really must investigate what else it will do and then might upgrade. Luckily have loads of cupboard storage so it lives in there!

I have two small towers, they are light and easily tucked away in a low cupboard. Two because they are small and can only cook small portions, also the second one was identical to first but in a sale. I use my tower to cook eg sweet potato wedges and/or to reheat a frozen hm ready meal but I need to use a foil formable containter, to fit it all into a 6" diameter space

I did but two metal containers which will fit inside if I want to make crumble or a small cake. I need a foil top for first half of cooking a crumble or the topping goes everywhere

When they die or if I feel unsafe, I saw a newspaper article about a tower AF catching fire, then I will revert back to my small oven, which costs more to run but into which I can fit almost anything I want to cook or bake. I would not buy another AF tbh

Doodledog I have got a number of small pottery dishes that fit neatly into my round air-fryer. They are sufficiently large to hold two good size portions of food, and as there are only two of us in the household.

None of them were bought specially. They were all pots that I already used regularly to cook meals for the two of us.

I bought a cheap air fryer from Aldi this time last year for £29.99. I thought it was worth a try at that price and as others have said I now hardly turn the oven on, mostly using the air fryer, microwave and slow cooker. It’s quite small and hardly takes up any room on the work surface, definitely not ‘enormous’ but does the job for me most of the time. I’d probably get a slightly bigger one next time but surprisingly I can get most things to fit in using a bit of ingenuity.

Before I bought my first air fryer I spent many hours looking through what Amazon had to offer. I did not want to spend too much in case I did not like it. My first was around £100 but I bought it at almost half price, one of Amazon's deals. It has paid for itself many times over and it was easy to work out what I liked and would insist on having with my next.

For me, the difference is that in the Ninja, because it is round it will only take a very a small dish (most casseroles have handles, which does't help) or you have to make the food directly in the pot and transfer it to a serving dish, unless you want to plate up in the kitchen, which we don't like doing. It would be easy enough to pour a casserole into another dish for the table, but a lasagne, for instance, would be ruined.

The shelf one will take oven-to-table dishes up to 9 inches square, and there is no faffing about with racks for the potatoes or yorkshires.

As I say though, it's different strokes for different folks.

I manage very well with a saucepan shaped one, it fits neatly into a corner of the kitchen. I do not have space for an air dryer with shelves. There are only the two of us. I did a cottage pie in it a lunch time, 2 individual pizzas a few days ago, lamb chops, with roast potatoes, baked potatoes, roast veg, sausages. I have yet to put the oven on because something is too big for the airfryer.

I purchased one 3 months ago nothing fancy £40 from Aldi best thing I’ve purchased in a while. I live on my own so far I’ve not found anything I can’t cook in it. I’ve purchased the silicon base to go inside from Amazon so I just have to whip that out to clean it, simple. Love it.

I also have an air fryer with shelves. Much more efficient I feel, even though I’m only cooking for my

Yes indeed, cc - air fryer is quite a misleading term, really.

Blondiescot

Mine certainly hasn't been a waste of money - in fact, I'd say it's more than paid for itself several times over.

Nor mine, I've had it almost two years and use it much more than my main oven. It's convenient, quick and very economical, particularly if you only cook for one or two people.
I think it is the "frying" aspect that puts some people off, but it's probably better to thing of is as a very powerful small fan oven rather than a fryer.

ExDancer

Complete waste of money IMO

What makes you think that?

Nagmad2016

Are there any particular favourite makes? I would like one but I am afraid of choosing the wrong type/make. Any recommendations would be appreciated (if allowed). There are just the two of us, but we do eat quite a lot!

There is a recent "Which" report on airfryers which looks at which types there are and which machines score highest in their tests. They looked at less expensive makes and various different sizes and suggest a Best Buy in different ranges.
There's also a very recent article in their on "What's the cheapest way to cook" comparing a variety of cooking appliances.
If you don't have a "Which" subscription you can often find them in your library or you can still take out a free trial subscription for three months I think, and cancel it if you don't want to take a full one out later.

Mine certainly hasn't been a waste of money - in fact, I'd say it's more than paid for itself several times over.

ExDancer

Complete waste of money IMO

I've heard that from other people ExDancer but I've never met anyone who had one who didn't like it when they try one!
The main difficulty seems to be that they take up too much space on the worktop in a smaller kitchen, but like many people I have space under the worktop where I can keep mine.
I use it in conjunction with my microwave for things like jacket potatoes. Chicken done with a temperature probe is particularly good, it looks more like rotisserie chicken with lovely brown skin and takes under 45 minutes.

Blondiescot

cc

Blondiescot

My Ninja doesn't live on the worktop - it lives on a shelf underneath one of the kitchen windowsills, and is only popped onto the worktop when it's in use. I'm making a chicken and chorizo paella in mine today - done and dusted in less than 10 minutes. Same with risotto. I couldn't believe you could make risotto in a fraction of the time it takes to do conventionally, yet still taste just as good - but it does.

How do you cook risotto Blondiescot?

I use the pressure cook function. If I'm putting things like chicken in it, I would just saute that along with onions etc first then add the rice, stock and so on and PC.

Ah, I see. I'll just have to go on using my ordinary pressure cooker for that then, it's probably as fast.

Complete waste of money IMO

I've got the 'oven' or 'shelf' type air fryer, bought about 3 years ago.
This sits on the work surface with my Pressure King Pro (electric pressure cooker), microwave and hot water machine (replacement for a kettle).
Since buying the Pressure King Pro about 9 years ago, I used the main oven about 6 times a year, but the door hasn't even been opened once since I bought the air fryer.
The microwave is about to be replaced with one that has an air fryer built in, so I'll be passing my AF on to my son, and I'll reclaim a 30cm x 30cm (12" x 12") space on the work surface.

cc

Blondiescot

My Ninja doesn't live on the worktop - it lives on a shelf underneath one of the kitchen windowsills, and is only popped onto the worktop when it's in use. I'm making a chicken and chorizo paella in mine today - done and dusted in less than 10 minutes. Same with risotto. I couldn't believe you could make risotto in a fraction of the time it takes to do conventionally, yet still taste just as good - but it does.

How do you cook risotto Blondiescot?

I use the pressure cook function. If I'm putting things like chicken in it, I would just saute that along with onions etc first then add the rice, stock and so on and PC.

My first air fryer was round but my second is a Cosori and square. I can fit more food in which is helpful when I am freezing food afterwards.

I have not used my oven for 18 months and like others, use it for storage.

I love cooking sausages in my air fryer as there are no cooking smells in the kitchen and all splatters are contained in the machine.