Ask the Readers | Help Kate buy an air-fryer!
Reader Kate/KD (here's her Meet a Reader interview) wrote in with a request about air fryers.
Here's what she wanted to know:
I'd love to see an ask the reader post on air fryers. What do people use them for, and like/dislike about them? Which fryer do they have? There are so many choices that it paralyzes me to think about buying one.
This is indeed a very good question for an Ask the Readers feature because...I have never owned or used an air fryer.
When air-fryers became popular, I was still feeding 5-6 people every night, so I was put off by the small amount of food you can usually cook in one.
Also: my kitchen was pretty small! As it was, I was storing my griddle in the linen closet and my grain grinder in the coat closet. So, I did not think my kitchen had room for an air fryer since they're pretty bulky.
However, I can see that in the near future, I will be making plenty of meals that are just for 1-2 people, and that makes an air-fryer seem a little more appealing.
I will be reading and learning from the comments today. 🙂
So!
What air fryer do you use? And what do you cook in it?
Give us pros and cons, please!
We have a Farberware air fryer, but it does so much more! It also toasts, bakes, roasts, warms and even dehydrates. It's stainless steel and has lovely french doors. We have had zero problems with it and honestly we use it nearly every single day!
Here is the link: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Farberware-Brand-25L-6-Slice-Toaster-Oven-with-Air-Fry-French-Door-FW12-100024316/917700860?athbdg=L1100
@Dawn, I also have a Farberware air fryer/ convection oven and love it! We have had it for several years and I can't find my model sold anywhere anymore, but it has been wonderful. I use it almost daily. I have 4 kids so I love that I can toast 6 or 7 slices of bread all at once, or roast veggies while I have something else in the oven. I have baked cookies in it, but still prefer the normal oven for baking. I use the air fryer part for making chicken tenders, veggies or re-heating almost any kind of leftovers - so much better than the oven or microwave IMO.
I'm no help, as I don't have one either. My sister and daughter do, but I have no idea which brands they bought. My sister is feeding 2, my daughter is feeding 6 and they both use their fryers and both like them. How is my daughter using hers for 6? I never asked, because I didn't know they are supposed to only cook small amounts. I do know she said she made Orange Danish and Cinnamon Danish Rolls (the kind in a whack-it can) in hers and they turned out great.
I know on social media posts, I've seen people showing that you can only cook something like two servings of fries. But maybe they've gotten more spacious in recent years?
@Kristen, I don't have an air fryer (although those I know that do, love them), but I had to comment because I love that you called it a "whack-it can"! That made me smile and I may, or may not have, giggled. Can I use that phrase? Is it stealing if I ask permission?
I have Cuisinart's Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven. It's extremely handy for many things and I can make a surprising amount of food in it. My only quibble is that it's hard to choose the baking option you want via the knob.
https://www.cuisinart.com/shopping/appliances/toaster_ovens/toa-65/
I think I paid $200 for it at Costco.
@Rose,
I have this model too. I love it EXCEPT for the knob that you referenced. The knob is wonky... way to sensitive or something. Other than that, I love this machine. I cook chicken breast/tenderloins for 4-5 people weekly. I can get a pound of chicken in the machine at a time. (It takes less than 10 minutes and is delicious so if I have to do two batches it is no problem. I frequently do a second pound to have chicken on hand for salads.)
@Rose, this is the model we have also. We really like it and use it often. It also toasts and bakes, so we got rid of our toaster oven.
For the air fryer, we use it for things like frozen French fries and tater tots, Trader Joe's orange chicken, and roasted potatoes. We also use it to heat up take out fries and onion rings since they never make it home hot and tasty.
I have the Cuisinart too. After 16 months it quit. Just flat-out quit. But guess what? Cuisinart sent us a brand-new one! It was, of course, out of warranty so that’s pretty good customer service. We use it daily, for toasting, roasting, bacon, and it makes the best whole roasted chicken you’ve ever had.
We have an Ommo and I really do love it. It has two racks so I can cook more at once. We're a family of three so I can usually cook a whole meal for us on it. I really enjoy the air fryer for "roasting" veggies when I don't have the time but it's also been great for chicken, fish, and reheating leftovers. I don't keep it in our kitchen because it takes up quite a bit of space, but our mud room is close to the kitchen so I don't mind hauling it out when I need it (just like I do with our slow cookers or our rice cooker). I have a few cookbooks that have an air fryer section and that has been really helpful in understanding how to actually cook using an air fryer - there are so nuances to each machine.
I have a PowerXL 3 quart air fryer. It’s perfect for 2-3 people. However, I use it mostly for French fries, since it was bought as a healthier alternative to our Fry Daddy deep fryer. I tried to make Bang Bang shrimp once, but it was a flop. I’ve also cooked steak & chicken wings. One thing I’ve learned is to check the food sooner than recommended times. The pre-programmed buttons will overcook sometimes, especially if you’re cooking a small amount that doesn’t fill the basket. Is it worth the cost? I would say yes, since it can be a versatile appliance & cook a variety of foods. And it can save on gas/electricity by not having to use the stove or oven.
@LDA, that has been my experience with my ambiano (Aldi brand). If I follow instructions in recipes or food packages, everything will burn.
That said, I love the air fryer and use it a lot. It's very nice not to have to use the oven for everything.
I love cosari air fryer. I roast vegetables, bake potatoes. Cook whole chicken in my air fryer. It is also good for reheating leftover chicken fingers fries
@Kay, I have this one too. I really like it. I use it a couple times a week. Because I don’t have much room on my counter, I keep it on a shelf. Very lightweight for moving. I have yet to cook a steak in it, I keep hearing that they are really good. I bought it in the spring because I didn’t want to hit up my kitchen over the summer as I roast a lot of vegetables. I hardly use my oven at all the entire summer and it doesn’t heat up the kitchen
I have the Ninja Flip toaster oven countertop type and LOVE it. Have family of 5 and I chose this one because it was bigger. We use it multiple times every single day. Heats up so fast so was nice during summer not to turn on the oven. Food is so nice and crispy, without added oils. Perfect for heating up leftover pizza, making toast, baking frozen pizzas, quesadillas, healthy fries, casseroles, etc. Absolutely no complaints! 100% recommend.
@Anne, I to have the Ninja flip air fryer/toaster oven. We love it and use it almost daily. I had one of the older ones and really didn’t use it much. We also have a very small kitchen and it just took up way to much real estate on my counter. Sold it and bought the Ninja. I agree, in the heat of the summer it does not heat up the kitchen. Super easy to work. The only thing we haven’t tried to cook in it is a steak. Very much recommend it!
Question - is an air fryer pretty much a toaster oven with a different shape? (My son, who uses one that's a bit small for 5 people tells me so.) If not, what is the advantage of an air fryer over a toaster oven?
@Elaine N, it heats food up much faster because it has a strong fan on it, which toaster ovens don't. My air fryer is actually both a toaster oven and air fryer. You just choose which option you prefer.
@Elaine N, you can get toaster ovens with the fan convection feature, and then yes. That's what we have!
@Rachel, I do feel the need to point out that an air fryer's fan is much more powerful than a convection oven's.
@Elaine N, Sort of... It's a small convection oven. Often it has a basket to make it easy to shake the food up. It heats up quicker because it's smaller. There's a fan which makes it convection. Some air fryers are just a basket with the oven; some are a toaster oven shape with a fan and optional basket.
Our toaster oven became a danger so we bought an air fryer combo at Costco, a Gourmia. It’s not for us. I do love the french doors, but it’s so big and cumbersome to use. The toast feature which we use daily comes out more BAKED than toasted and thus very dry. I imagined I’d be making sweet potato fry’s in it but I’m so irritated by it I haven’t even tried. Weekly we talk about returning it. Strikes me all this is a character flaw as even the quick instructions seemed complicated.
@Sue, are you buttering or oiling the bread before you put it in? A thin layer of oil is my trick to most things turning out more amazing from the air fryer. Toast is not one of its strengths, but sweet potato fries can be. Good luck!
@Sue, we use the air Fryer feature on ours to make toast. It seems to work better than the toast feature.
I live with four people in a 750 sq ft apt. Our kitchen is small. We have an air fryer that is also a microwave, oven and a toaster. It is amazing and I just LOVE it. It is called a Galanz Toasted Wave. Toast comes out perfect every time.
I held out forever because I regarded it as a single use appliance and my kitchen is too small for that. What finally swayed me (I bought a Ninja) was our adult son who lives with us firing up the oven every night to cook a single batch of fries or some other frozen entree.
So it's saving on the natural gas bill, it's easy to clean and I have found it easy to cook really good fries for the family so that we can have burgers with the fixings at home. This was not something I did often because I don't do a good job of making fries at home. I can feed all of us at home for the cost of one plate of food at a burger restaurant, so it's a win.
Hi kate! I have a cosori air fryer in my tiny NYC kitchen. For a while I thought it was a wasted purchase. But recently I have been using it everyday for quick Indian veg - crispy okra, pototates, cauliflower, etc. i like that the air fryer is relatively quiet/I don’t mind the brown noise. It is extremely easy to clean. The controls are easy to understand. I got it from Amazon for $100. I am a researcher by trade and habits are strong. I did detailed and copious research and decided on this one for something long lasting and easy to use/clean. Hope you find what you need.
@Janice Dsouza, I never thought I needed an air fryer until I read your comment--but crispy okra?? You've captured my attention!
mmmm, deep fried okra. BFF told me she once pulled up to a drive through and asked for three servings of deep fried okra. The server said, 'No, we're kind of short today and there are only two people in your car, so you get two servings." Ha! It is delicious though.
@Rose, SO funny!
My favorite air fryer is the Ninja AF101 - Sells on Amazon for $99 - Works like a dream
We like to cook a big batch of chicken wings on it and they come out super crispy and delicious. There is no smoke or mess when cooking with the Ninja and I would highly recommend it.
I bought a cheap air fryer at Kmart that does the trick. Although the paint came off when I cleaned it, so I can't see temperature numbers or times anymore. Air frying's great because you don't have to babysit the food very much like with stovetop cooking. It's also not very picky - I cook most things on the highest setting and just keep checking back when it looks ready. Great for warming up pizza, cooking frozen egg rolls, and my favorite - roasting vegetables. Oh and roasting chickpeas to make faux-junk food! And it's great for cooking foods in the summer that you would normally have to heat an oven for, so you don't heat up the house.
It's not great for very light things like plain tortillas, which tend to go airborne in there and do weird things.
My mom bought one and loves it - got a bunch of library books on how to cook things.
She upgraded to a toaster oven style one which looks pretty good.
My advice would be get a bigger one if you can fit it, and not to put it right next to the wall (to prevent scorching). You will probably use it a lot, in which case you will save a lot on oil if you deepfry and probably energy from heating a full size oven, so I wouldn't worry about spending a little bit extra, especially to get a larger one.
Also, it makes good french fries if you follow the instructions (mine came with them), but that's one thing that is much better if you don't just wing it.
I have a Ninja Max, which I bought because it has a larger capacity even though there are only two of us at home now. My Black & Decker 6-slice toaster oven also has air fryer capability, but I've only used that once or twice. My complaints about both units are the same. I don't use them for things like french fries or onion rings because everything goes from underdone to burned in a heartbeat. You have to be very careful on those type items. However, the Ninja Max is great for heating leftovers, makes delicious pork chops and chicken, and is great for roasting vegetables such as zucchini. If I don't want to get the grill out, it does a fine job on hot dogs and turkey burgers. Overall, I'm satisfied with the Ninja Max, although I don't use it super often.
Ninja. Not sure what model. The drawer and tray in drawer can be washed in dishwasher. It was on sale somewhere around 65$. Someone on here recommended using it to reheat pizza. I also cook 1/4 frozen pizza. Taquitos, tacos, Chicken nuggets, fishsticks, chicken cordon blue, toast, potatoes, meatballs, sausages, reheating leftovers. Someone is always using it for 1 or two people. I have titanium camping plates that fit it perfectly when I heat up a meal or bake. I no longer use a toaster oven but I still heat soup in the microwave. Sometimes a pepperoni will fly off the pizza.
@Tiana, when the huge microwave died I took it out, made a shelf, put smaller microwave and air fryer on the shelf so saved counter space.
My air fryer was a gift. Do not know the kind. I did not want it because my kitchen is small and did not take it out of the box for months.
I. Love. It.
It does take up counter space. I have the kind with the pull out basket. It works great gor ourcrmpty best of usually 2 people SND rarely three people. Mine would not be handy for a large family.
We use it for the following. Not limited to.
Cooking all veggies
Cooking most potatoes
Reheating most foods
Pizza esp good reheated
Toasting bread for sandwiches
Making quesadillas
Making nachos
Chicken wings
Burritos
Etc etc etc
I always prefer multi-use tools so I opted for a combo toaster/oven/air fryer. My husband splurged for me with the Breville but it has been worth every penny. We use it multiple times a day and I have REALLY cut back on needing my oven. It reheats very quickly and is more compact so it saves on energy. Mine is good sized so I can bake a cake in it, a tray of muffins, a zucchini bake for four, a dozen cookies...I really love it. 8x8 pan definitely fits; I think even a 9x13 fits (snuggly).
I use the air fryer most often to make brussel sprouts, french fries, hashbrowns, reheat breaded things so they're crispy again, and to make crispy tofu. I've also used it to make baked potatoes (makes the skin crispy).
My mom has a cuisinart that she likes a lot. It is smaller but does a lot of the same things. The benefit of a combo is also that the tray for air frying is bigger so you don't have to do things in small batches.
@CrunchyCake, Oh ya, also great for things like eggrolls, samosas, chicken nuggets, etc. Again, since mine it's a combo, I can make bigger quantities all in one go.
My family uses our air fryer EVERY DAY! My husband didn't want another appliance on the counter at first and now he even admits he didn't know what we did before we got it. I cook dinner in it a few times a week (I have three teenage boys and it works!) and it is wonderful for leftovers too. Salmon, chicken, steak, elk, anything breaded, brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, pizza, etc. are a few of our favorite things to make in the air fryer. I bought ours at Costco in 2020, it is Cuisinart brand and has the door that opens top down. I like it because it is not plastic and has a stainless steel basket and tray and glass door. Looks like Costco has an updated model - ours is similar to this: https://www.costco.com/cuisinart-digital-airfryer-toaster-oven.product.100979581.html You won't regret an air fryer!
I have the Elite Platinum 3.5QT digital oil-free air fryer. I didn't like it at first because my fear of being creative might ruin the food, which in turn would have me buying take out because I failed. So I started slow. I bought a small bag of tater tots and YUM. Then used it to reheat leftover chicken strips. Fast, crispy and YUM. Yes I could have used the microwave, but then the food would've been OK. I decided to take a chance on raw chicken so I went with chicken tenders. I seasoned and made 1/2 regular 'grilled-like' and the other breaded. Life changing...for reals. So I decided...go big or go home.... I made pork chops (no breading). Because it is a smaller air fryer, I had to make them 1 at a time, but it was so worth it. I air fried 2 and baked 2 so that our family of 4 could do a comparison and everyone agreed that the air fryer won hands down. We literally use it everyday to cook or reheat, I no longer keep it stashed away, it is on a counter top. My only regret is that I didn't get a bigger one for our family of 4.
I have the Ninja Foodi 8 in one. I use it almost every day. This unit is a combined instapot/air fryer. It is a pressure cooker, Yogurt maker, slow cooker, steamer,sautes, air crisps, broils, bakes, and dehydrates.
I like it because I can sear my meat in it before using the slow cooker function. I make pulled pork in it by pressure cooking a pork butt and then air crisping. I use it to make stock, stews soups, and air fry many frozen foods. Bake muffin and breads.
It holds enough fries for my family of 5. Also the pork butt is usually 6 pounds.
It is bulky, and I keep it on a separate cabinet in my kitchen. I have a basket to hold the pressure lid and racks.
My husband got it for me when my slow cooker needed to be replaced about 2 years ago.
@Jeanne, this one sounds like the one I would sacrifice the space on the countertop for 😀
Could you please add a link to your model?
There was only one shop selling this brand in Norway and they had absolutely no information on their website about the different models.
I have one of the air fryer/toaster oven combos because I also have a tiny kitchen. (Cuisinart brand) I switched to a toaster oven years ago because I live in a warm climate and like being able to bake one or two things without heating the big oven. (I'm single so my meals tend to be small.) It's great for reheating things that you want to be crispy--during the pandemic it meant that I could get fried food delivered because I could crisp it back up--but one of its superpowers that doesn't get mentioned is the microwave + airfryer combo (ie, if you also own a microwave.) I can do a really good baked potato in 10 minutes because you nuke it for 5 + crisp the skin for 5. Caveat--although these days recipe writers are better about it, a lot of instructions assume you have the non-combo air fryer so you have to do a little converting.
We received a Dash Air Fryer as a gift. We tend to only use it to reheat things that you would want to use your oven for (rather than the microwave) like... French fries. I have roasted broccoli for two people in it, and it is super fast, but I doubt that I would replace it if it broke. Ours is on the small side.
I bought the one from Costco, and it is AMAZING.
I have a Paula Deen air fryer; it is a simple one with the pull-out compartment, one knob for temperature and one for time. I love it! I can cook enough fries in it for my family of five. A smallish pork tenderloin is done and juicy in 20 minutes. Asparagus, potatoes, roasted baby carrots…so many good things.
Just this morning, I made candied pecans in 15 minutes, rather than an hour in the oven. It definitely helps with keeping the kitchen from getting so hot.
We just have the Gourmia one from Costco. In addition to the notes above we also hard boil eggs. I also purchased parchment paper rounds that fit nicely in the tray so makes clean up a snap!
As soon as I read the post title I knew I would be commenting! Not at all surprised this question has garnered such an enthusiastic response. Several years ago I finally caved and asked for an air fryer for Christmas. We got the largest single basket type available at the time. I used it mostly for frozen french fries and brussel sprouts. I didn't use it as much as I'd like because it didn't work well for a family of 5 IMO. As I am also a minimalist maximalist (I like to have less stuff and I also love a good collection!) I decided to try the air-fryer lid option for our insta-pot. (It turns an insta-pot into an air fryer by using a special lid with a fan and heating coil) One less appliance but I was still only using it occasionally because the basket doesn't work well for a pile of food. So during last year's black Friday sales I went for the Cuisinart toaster oven, air fryer, convention oven combo and a smaller rice cooker. Off to Facebook Marketplace went all the other appliances including our two slice toaster. What really put me over was being able to toast more than two slices of bread at a time; a real necessity when 3 boys are all preparing their breakfasts in a short time each morning! I now use that one appliance (which takes up a significant amount of my limited counter space) every day and am so glad we have it. I love that my young boys can use it for cooking instead of the big oven. I love that I can put multiple trays in at once and cook enough to make it meaningful.
If you're wavering it means your considering. And if you're considering I highly recommend you take the plunge!
After reading these comments I see I need to rethink things and make a decent effort!
We, too, have the Breville Toaster Oven/Air Fryer combo. I wouldn't want to live without it. We have 5 people in our family, and it makes toast for all of us at once (it can fit 8 slices of bread at a time), cooks pizzas, chicken fingers, fries, homemade buns, reheats leftovers, bakes cookies, you name it. It was pricy, but worth every penny. We even considered getting a second one so we could make chicken fingers and fries at the same time. We opted for now to just get a second air fryer tray to try to do both at once.
@MD, that Breville the hardest working, best small appliance I've ever had.
I very, very strongly recommend checking out the "Fabulessly Frugal" YouTube channel. Cathy specializes in all things air fryer-related, including budget-friendly meals. She does a lot of head-to-head comparisons of different air fryer models, and there's really a wealth of information on her sites.
That said, I agree with Cathy's recommended model, which is the Cosori Pro 5.8 Quart model. I had the Ninja 4 Quart to begin with and loved it, but needed the extra capacity and square basket of the Cosori.
Honestly, air fryers are amazing, and they will crisp up almost anything - leftover pizza, limp fries, etc. - thereby reducing food waste. If you need to cook something stinky, plug in the air fryer outside or in the garage. They really are an awesome tool to have.
I put off buying an air fryer for a long time because I feed seven people. But then my friend who has feeds 8 people cooked up some sweet potato fries for us one night in hers, and I was convinced! Basically, anything you bake in the oven and hope it will turn out crispier than it ever really does, will turn out great in the air fryer. If I was on my own, or just had one or two other people to feed, I would use the air fryer most days, I think! We use ours quite a bit, and even if stuff needs to be cooked in batches, it is so much better than baking them in the oven that we can’t go back! We bought a XL ninja at target and it has held up well so far, no issues.
We love our air fryer. The specification to look for on different models is the quart capacity. Ours is 5.8 quart capacity. There are some smaller and some larger, depending on your needs. We use it for meats (chicken, sausage, pork chops, and beef) as well as seafood. Our salmon turns out perfect. Also all vegetables can be made in an air fryer and can be healthy -without breading or much oil. Seasoning is important. I love to thinly slice potatoes, toss in a bit of oil and seasoning, and air fry them into "chips" and I also do small diced potatoes this way. I recently saw a recipe for air fried beans that looked really amazing and I want to try - it made them into a crunchy snack food. I've also air fried pepperoni slices for a crunchy addition to the charcuterie board. There are YouTube channels specifically for air fryer reviews and recipes. One is Fabulessly Frugal. The options are many and varied.
I also have a tiny kitchen, but rather than buy a new appliance that replaced multi existing ones, I bought an air fryer lid for my instant pot, which I use regularly for soup and slow cooker recipes.
This is the one I bought: Air Fryer Lid for 6 & 8 Quart Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, Multifunction 1000W Pressure Cooker Lid to Air Fryer Dehydrator / Broil / Dehydrator with Fryer Basket…
It does not make huge batches, but it’s plenty for one or two servings at a time.
Drat! That was meant to be a handy link!
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pressure-Cooker-Multifunction-Dehydrator/dp/B09WYNYQRK?pd_rd_w=N3sI9&content-id=amzn1.sym.fea327c4-5fbe-469f-b9dd-c809442d925d&pf_rd_p=fea327c4-5fbe-469f-b9dd-c809442d925d&pf_rd_r=DPHB1771SK7000PDJQHQ&pd_rd_wg=VI5h3&pd_rd_r=30666080-3595-491f-9f63-eb24b216a221&pd_rd_i=B09WYNYQRK&psc=1&ref_=pd_basp_bia_rpt_ba_s_1_sc#
When my countertop toaster oven died, I replaced it with a Cosori toaster oven/air fryer combo. It's big enough to bake in, I use the convection oven feature, toast -- and use the air fryer. It also has a dehydrator feature. I mostly use the air fryer for chicken fingers, french fries, breaded zucchini, or fish.
Honestly, I use mine mostly to reheat leftovers! Pizza comes out great, and any kind of fried food comes out passably close to its original state. No more tossing out uneaten French fries!
We have a Cuisinart toaster oven with convection feature so it basically can also function as an air fryer as well and we use it multiple times a day! Having never had one before I did not realize that the entire outside of the appliance gets hot and we didn't have enough counter space, so in the end I repurposed a small table in the dining room to give it its own space. We absolutely love it and use it all the time and I'm so glad that we got it!
Costco air fryer that is 39.99 on sale quite often. One puked and Costco just refunded my money so bonus for buying from them.
Reheat pizza. I put my toaster away and do toast in it. My son uses it for lots of things like pizza rolls etc.
I have had a few air fryers - I started with the small basket type and graduated to an oven-shaped one. This thing gets used everyday - whether for baking, making toast, or airfrying frozen fries and fish sticks. Breville Smart Oven® Air Fryer Pro can hold up to 3 air-frying trays (you will need to rotate them). I can dehydrate, proof, keep warm, bake, roast, etc. I've had mine for 3 years and it works great. Pricey but can replace several kitchen things.
I have the Breville Smart Oven Pro. We received a Cosori for a gift and ended up using it almost daily. It did not wear well, so when I got ready to replace it, I wanted to go with Breville since I have had good experiences with their appliances. We now use this one at least 2x a day- it’s very versatile! We were able to get rid of a terrible toaster and a dehydrator that it replaces. So even though it is large I feel it was a win!
I have Black&Decker AF200. It us manual vs digital for a lower cost. It is great for chicken fingers and fish fingers - low to no oil - and crispy veggies. I have yet to master the fries and did better with sweet potatoes vs white potatoes but I think it deoe ds on yhe type of potato used. I have not had it for long so still discovering.
I use my air fryer to cook everything - steak, chicken, fish, vegetables, homemade French fries and much more! It is excellent for cooking for 1-2 people. I also use it to heat up "kid food" like chicken nuggets quickly. I also use air fryer liners to limit the clean-up! I buy these in bulk on Amazon.
@Kelsey, You're one of only two people to mention cleaning. I bought one but returned it because it was impossible to clean. I wish more people would talk about cleaning. Thanks for the liner tip.
I already had an Instant Pot we use almost daily for so many things--it has definitely earned it's spot on my counter. I bought a Mealthy Crisplid (air fryer top) that fits on the Instant Pot (a different brand that still works, but now Instant Pot now sells it's own). It doesn't take up much room, and it was inexpensive when I bought it.
Volume is definitely a con--especially with the Instant Pot set up I have, it just cannot hold a lot. There are only three of us at home right now, and not huge eaters, so it works for us. For health and environmental reasons, I like that the air fryer top on our Instant Pot and the Pot and basket are stainless steel, not plastic or coated with non-stick coating. I'm leery of dedicated air fryers that have you cooking at high temperatures in plastic and/or with non-stick coatings.
We mostly air fry veggies, potatoes, re-crisp leftovers. I've done wings, but you can do a lot more in the oven for not very much more time. The daughter who lives at home likes to heat frozen foods in the air fryer for quick meals between attending university and work and her social activities, although she eats dinner with us, schedule permitting. She does cook for herself as well. My oldest daughter, a busy medical resident in another state had the same set up. She says the air fryer is pretty much how she cooks everything (she can boil water for pasta on the stove, but that's about it). She tends to buy frozen and fresh ready made foods (especially from Trader Joe's) and uses the air fryer to cook them. She likes to make desserts in the air fryer, too. On Black Friday she bought herself a bigger dedicated air fryer because she uses it so much.
I know there's a lot more that can be done with an air fryer than we use it for, but it's nice to have.
I use the Breville Countertop Oven, which has literally 13 settings, including proof and warm as well as the requested air fryer. It takes up a lot of counter space but has a lot of capacity and does a good job of being your main oven: bake, toast, air fry, the whole 9 yards. If I lived in a small place I might have the Breville instead of an oven.
Thank you everyone for all your comments. I will take a close look at the air fryers you recommended.
We really like air-fried foods! Our first air fryer from Costco (I think) was used constantly until it died. Then my husband immediately bought a replacement from Amazon-not sure of the brand, but it's a little bigger. When we had to replace our oven, we got one with an air fry feature but kept the small air fryer too. We use both at least once a week. I think they are most useful for reheating leftovers which we call "lefties" around here, but my husband also likes to air fry frozen convenience foods as a treat or veggies as a side. Brussels sprouts are particularly yummy when air fried.
@Becca,
The only "nope" I can think of when it comes to using it was one time we followed a recipe for sweet potato fries that came with the fryer. It had you coat the sweet potato pieces in corn starch and that was a terrible idea! A powdery mess! Corn starch with regular frying is yummy, but air fryers do better when the food isn't super dry.
I have the 7qt Gourmia from Costco, which is great price when it's on sale ($39.99). I cook everything in it...fish, chicken, fries, bacon, shrimp.
What an interesting perspective these comments provide! Here I was thinking airfryers were just to make fried foods at home, so I never considered buying one.
Airfryers as an alternative to toaster ovens especially are interesting, since we now have a shift worker in our midst and we do not have a microwave (we decided against a combi MW/oven when our last one died, since we had literally ever used the MW function 5 times in 10 years).
I have the Instant Pot Duo Crisp it is a multi function machine. It is ok for 2 people. I can pressure cook chicken, pop the lid out and air fry them. That being said I tested the time difference between my stove and the air fryer and maybe because my stove heats up really fast there wasn't any noticeable time difference in cooking times. The air fryer does make things crispier. This can Sous vide, proof dough, bake, pressure cook etc. I love it in the summer as it does not heat up the kitchen.
I have had the Ninja Foodi 14 in 1 Flip oven for a year now and I LOVE it. It is an air fryer, dehydrates, cooks frozen pizza, bakes, hot griddle, toasts, reheats and so much more. It is large inside yet it flips up when not in use to free up counter space.
I've used the air fry mode for chicken wings, baked potatoes, motz sticks, you name it and everything has come out delicious. This past summer I dehydrated a ton of herbs in it and it took less time than I could imagine. Everything tastes so good.
We've never had a microwave but did have a small convection oven and toaster that this replaced giving us more counter space.
I have a 4.5 qt ninja that I had never even opened for a year. Now I can't stop using it. Chick tenders, fries, pizza rolls, mozzarella sticks... related pizza tastes just like fresh. My greatest dish is my take out burrito. Cover open end with foil and reheat. Shell is crispy. Tastes better that original. I want the bigger 2 sided one next.
Shortly after the COVID lockdowns started I bought the cheapest air fryer I could find on Amazon. It was under $70 and is a generic make ("Dash" brand). While the heating can sometimes be a little uneven, it generally works fine. I really don't see any reason to splurge on an expensive model. As a single person, I use the air fryer and a toaster oven much more than my actual oven. I especially like the crispiness that can be obtained with food in the air fryer. In addition to working with frozen foods, it will reheat leftovers without making them soggy like the microwave.
Wow! Lots of great advice. I only have one more tip - and I didn't see it in the comments I read - put a piece of parchment on the bottom of the basket to catch the bulk of the grease/juice/cheese/whatever that does come out of the cooking item. Even easier to clean up. Just DO NOT start the air fryer with only the parchment inside - it will smoke and create chaos!
I have a Power XL - family of 4 - we use it mostly for the things that should be fried and aren't quite as tasty if baked in the oven: fries, tots, egg rolls, etc... Reheating pizza is a game-changer. And my favorite is whole sweet potatoes, they take 45+ min but are so tasty!
We have had a Ninja Foodi grill that has features that allow you to air fry, grill, roast, bake, and dehydrate. My mom and I both have one that has the additional feature of a temperature probe for meat. She has the larger one which is good for 3 adults. We have the smaller version that we find to be good for 2 adults. I keep some frozen chicken nuggets, mini tacos, French fries, wontons, and mini pizzas on hand to air fry for quick meal convenience. We use the air fry feature most often, but I really like that it's multi-use and it's one of the main small appliances we use almost every day (our coffeepot gets the award for most used appliance). I have a couple small pyrex baking dishes that fit in it and it's perfect for baking small casseroles and lasagna without needing to heat up our regular oven. I am not a fan of keeping small appliances on our counter, but this is one that has a reserved spot because of how often we use it.