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Why do you use an airfryer?

(86 Posts)
Retread Mon 02-Feb-26 11:44:10

Fast pre-heating (my oven takes ages), less oil for "fried" items (I make chips fresh in mine in 20 mins with light spray of olive oil, no need for ghastly frozen ones), bake muffins in 16 minutes ... so I guess I'm saving money too. Easy to clean compared to the oven.

BlueBelle Mon 02-Feb-26 11:37:09

I have baked cakes, made those bread rolls someone on GN gave a recipe for, apple or rhubarb crumbles as well as main meals I cook my toast in there of a morning
It’s quicker, it’s cheaper, and it’s cleaner just take out the tub shelf and wipe it over, ovens are the pits for cleaning
Haven’t used my oven for 2 and a half years since I bought an Airfryer
Like Luckygirl I m on my own but my children all use them in family situations.
Things like stir fries, omelettes, pancakes, noodle dishes I use my hob Rice I ve got a rice cooker but my Airfryer which is a basic one is used every day

shysal Mon 02-Feb-26 10:44:45

I live alone so only cook for one. Why use time and power to heat the oven when you can produce any of the same meals in a fraction of the time with an air fryer? There is a misconception that users live on chips and junk food.
If I had my time again I would buy one with a full width dividable drawer to sometimes take a family sized baking dish rather than my dual drawer.
The element of my fan oven failed months ago and I still haven't got around to getting it repaired because I just don't need to use it.
I imagine you would need your oven, Kitty, as you have family visiting all the time, but when it is just the two of you you would find the AF quick and easy.
I am having salad today so have made some croutons in 3 minutes. You wouldn't bother turning on the oven for that!

pably15 Mon 02-Feb-26 10:41:58

Crazyh yes you can bake a cake in the airfrier, I was a bit wary at first, but I tried a lemon drizzle cake and it came out lovely,

tanith Mon 02-Feb-26 10:31:45

Rarely use my oven its the airfryer and hob to do veg or stews. Its quicker easy to clean and uses less electric than a larger oven. So i use it for quickness and if i save on the the electric too its win win.

Kate1949 Mon 02-Feb-26 10:29:40

Our is a pressure cooker too. We used it every day. We make soups, stews, we boil eggs in it, cook veg, make scones. We cook fish, pies, chips, sausage rolls etc - most things you can cook in an oven. We only really use the oven on Boxing Day when we have a few people round.

LucyAnna5 Mon 02-Feb-26 10:26:42

To save money (we have a gas oven), to save time and it’s easier to use and to clean. I often use just the Air fryer and the microwave to make a meal. I’m a reasonable cook, but I’ve made so many meals over the years - and there’s usually only the two of us now. I use the cooker if the family come round.

crazyH Mon 02-Feb-26 10:17:20

Why? To save time and money.
I am on my own. I don’t know when I last used my oven. I’ve been told you can even bake a cake in an airfryer. I don’t bake, so I’m not sure

ViceVersa Mon 02-Feb-26 10:11:46

Mine is more than just an airfryer - it's a Ninja Foodi 9-in-1, so I use the other functions a lot too, especially the pressure cooker. Makes fantastic soups, stews, risottos etc in a fraction of the conventional cooking time.

pably15 Mon 02-Feb-26 10:09:37

it is quicker, and if cooking roast potatoes or chips they only need to be lightly coated in oil, so it's healthier, also chicken fillets don't take as long to cook,

kittylester Mon 02-Feb-26 10:05:06

Following on from the aurfryer recipes thread, I started to wonder why people choose to use one.

Some people seem to only us their airfryer - never, or rarely, the main oven. I wonder why?

Is it to save money, time, a dislike of cooking?

We have an aurfryer but it would not be my main source of cooking. My range cooker has a tall fan oven wuth a small capacity. That is the one I use the most - which suppose it not too different from using the airfryer all the time.

How, and why, do you use yours?