Air Fryers - worth it or kitchen gimmick?

cambsno

cambsno

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Tempted by these, but am concerned it will be another kitchen gimmick consigned to the back of the cupboard. Am thinking it could be a good thing as a) want to be a bit healthier and b) often do small portions as busy schedules mean rushing and multiple dinners (so rather than use a whole oven to do some potatoes I can do it in this).

Do you have one, use it often and which one do you recommend?
 
We had a Tefal Actifry, it worked well for a while but there is a weak spot in the paddle that kept snapping. It was getting expensive so we ditched the Actifry (it's still here somewhere though) and went for the a Tefal Airfryer.

I find the Airfryer much better, it's simple to use. Ours gets used everyday and we cook all sorts in it but it's great for quick dinners, like chicken nuggets, oven chips, wedges etc for our little 'un. You can of course cook fresh meat and veg with it too.

2 things about it that could be better, the temperature setting seems to be way off. Packaging often recommends cooking at 200 degrees but at that setting, the air fryer just burns the food in minutes . I find the best heat settings tend to be around 150-160 degrees but that may just be our model.

2 is the size, it's fine for smallish portions but for any more than 2 people, I'd like it to be be bigger.

We've had ours a while now so maybe these problems have been ironed out in newer models.


It might be work looking at a halogen oven, a round, glass bowl with a lid that has a halogen bulb in it. It's more energy efficient than a full size electric oven. It's also bigger than an airfryer, I have cooked full roasts in one.
 
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We have been using one for years. We currently have a Power Air Fryer XL that gets used at least once a day. They are not the easiest thing to keep clean internally as you can imagine. We go down the route of buying a new one every couple of years.
 
We've had a Ninja Foodi Max grill/fryer combo for a while now. I'll say that it's, hands-down, the best kitchen gadget we've ever had. Has a temp probe for cooking meat etc. No more overcooked food. The air fryer function is ace - really crispy chips. We couldn't be without it now.
 
We have a Philips version. It's ok, but nothing more. Basically just a small oven that takes up extra space on the worktop.
 
They're a PITA - I'd say don't bother unless you eat far too much fried food that you're trying to save yourself from.

They do work well, but they're bulky and can be a pig to clean. They take up a lot of space and IME will eventually just end up gathering dust.

I'd also suggest you look at a halogen oven. (y)
 
Have a Cosori air fryer and think it is great. Have had no issues at all and even cooked the roast, in it, on Sunday. Very easy to keep clean, main tray and basket, easy removed for cleaning.

Wasn't sure, that an air fryer would not just be another piece of kitchen junk, so opted for this cheaper model and glad I did.
 
Just got an Instant Pot Pro looking forward to trying it. Replaced an old slow cooker so went for something that does everything.
 
We use ours every day and have done for about 6 years. We have a Tower one.

Chips, pies, pastries all crisp up lovely. Im partial to a warmed mince pie too!
 
I don't have a standard oven in the kitchen, I just use the air fryer. It's ideal for me, fast and healthy. The only downside is the longevity of them, I'm on my third in 2 years because 'something' dies on them.
 
I have an Actifry that I use on a regular basis. Mainly for roast potatoes and chips. I like oven chips done in it as they already have oil on them. Wouldn't do without it, to my Halogen glass bowl oven thingy.
 
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