Do I need an air fryer?
3Okay, I don’t NEED an air fryer. But will it make my life/cooking significantly better? I’m single and live alone (other than the cats. But they’re happy with wet and crunchy food and the occasional treat…Kota occasionally sneaks a few laps of my milk). I don’t fry things. But maybe once a week I make a frozen chicken patty, tater tots or similar. I usually bake those in a toaster oven. It works. They taste fine. They’re obviously not as yummy as if I fried them but they clean up is easier and they’re probably healthier. It seems that this is the year that air fryers are going to be amongst the inexpensive holiday small appliances. Any thoughts?
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Maybe an air fryer toaster oven? An upgrade for your current appliance.
I recently learned that an air fryer can cook a kick ass pork tenderloin. It’s now in my weekly rotation.
@sammydog01 This. Also great at doing salmon filets, though definitely use a parchment sheet if its skin-on or you’ll scrub the nonstick right off the basket trying to get the scales off after cooking.
@duodec @sammydog01 salmon is still my favorite thing to cook in the air fryer although I use it for many other things as well.
Hey there @gt0163c, I live alone and I have a nice Breville Convection toaster/oven.
I like using it and as an added bonus I can still keep grannie’s quilts in my oven.
@therealjrn I have one of those! I haven’t ever tried the convection but it’s good at toast.
It’s one of those appliances I still haven’t succumb to as I have a convection toaster oven (plus a spare). Maybe one day if I run across one for stupid cheap, but the thrift stores in my area still charge $15+ for heavily used or incomplete ones.
@narfcake but a convection toaster oven is an air fryer, just with a door and rack instead of a basket.
Some even come with baskets.
Arguably, you have the better, more flexible thing.
@djslack @narfcake I bought a ninja foodi here as an impulse buy- I really love it.
@djslack @narfcake @sammydog01 me too! I find myself using it all the time
I had a Philips air fryer, which worked great, but was really sized for 1, not 2, no matter what Philips claimed.
I gave it to a friend and upgraded to air-fryer/toaster oven that works much better for two of us. It’s WireCutter’s top pick here.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-air-fryer/
I
my air fryer…it’s taken the place of the toaster oven
Another vote for a toaster oven/air fryer combo. I use my convection oven setting for most things I ‘air fry’ since I can actually set it to higher temp. It’s big enough for most of the stuff we cook in an oven, unless I am making sourdough in the cast iron skillet with the lid on it or a 16 inch pizza etc. Saves a ton of heat being wasted in the summertime.
Don’t spend more money on redundant appliances, maximize what you have and be realistic with your habits/favorite meals to prepare.
My kitchen dream team consists of my trusted toaster oven, a rice cooker (with steamer basket) and a wok with a lid.
An instant pot may be better than the rice cooker for someone who isnt as obsessed with fried rice and dumplings as me. A cast iron pan might be up your alley if you like to make skillets ond omelets on Sundays.
Build your own dream team, but don’t let the luster of Mecha Godzilla convince you it’s Superman
@onae I have a teeny tiny rice cooker on my desk at work. I use it to cook oatmeal for breakfast every work day. Apparently it confuses a lot of my coworkers because they never see me use it (I come in really early) and aren’t sure why I would even have a rice cooker at work. But it’s great for oatmeal and cleans up quickly and easily.
It seems the consensus is that a toaster+convection oven is the best option rather than a stand alone air fryer. Which is kinda what I’ve been thinking. Now I get to read up about toaster+convection ovens and figure out where I would put one if I got one (the hot air coming out the back is definitely something I need to keep in mind as my current toaster oven is kinda in a corner of the counter under some cabinets. I’m not sure that’s the best place for a convection oven.