Air Fryers? Hype or true (reviews, best, cookies, gift)

[Mayvenne]

I hear so much about air fryers that it's got me interested.
I really hate buying new gadgets/appliances and especially those that are large and might live on the counter.
So - what's your experience?
Is it the next microwave ( an appliance that everyone pretty much acknowledges is a basic in most kitchens) or is it a one and done?
And if it's great- which one do you love?

[Mattie]

We have one, but it was given to us. My husband uses it occasionally to make french fries and egg rolls, and they do come out much better than when baked in the oven. The rest of the time it lives in a cabinet. We're not big fans of fried foods. I don't think it's worth paying for.

[reubenray]

I use mine mainly for cooking/heating up frozen steak fingers, corn dogs, chicken tenders, etc.

[IonRedline08]

You can do a lot with an Air Fryer.. one of my favorite things to make is a marinated pork loin.. 20 minutes in the air fryer and its crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.

[Threestep2]

Originally Posted by Mattie

We have one, but it was given to us. My husband uses it occasionally to make french fries and egg rolls, and they do come out much better than when baked in the oven. The rest of the time it lives in a cabinet. We're not big fans of fried foods. I don't think it's worth paying for.

You do not bake, make burgers or chicken breasts, no sausages, no vegetables? No cookies!

[Hemlock140]

An air fryer is just too big and bulky for a one-trick appliance. We bought a Ninja Foodi, which is a real multi-tasker. We us it to Pressure Cook, Steam, Slow Cook, Sear, Sauté, in addition to air frying. Air frying frozen French fries or making them from scratch is much easier, uses less energy, not as messy, and they come out nice and crispy. When the weather is too nasty to use the BBQ, it will do ribs to "fall off the bone" tender pressure cooking in about an hour, including air fry time to crispen them up. We use it about 4-5 days a week. One of the best uses is for artichokes, 15-20 minutes pressure cooking.

[irman]

The word or name for that appliance is actually not quite right (wrong).

It has nothing to do with "frying" which brings out the thought of oil frying.
It is more like baking...

Our microwave can bake and it does it by having a heating coil in the top and using a fan to blow hot air all around the inside. Same as an "air fryer". The moving, "really hot", air actually does the cooking.
A regular wall oven can do the same thing but is less efficient than a forced air oven...
(That is why in a regular oven, you sometimes have to move the item you are baking around a bit...

Which one to buy? Read the reviews... (as many as you can) Think which items you would be "cooking" in that appliance. Some of them look like a cooking pot. Others are more like a small oven.

[davidt1]

I have 5 of them in different sizes and brands. What I like about an air fryer:

1. They are portable.
2. They cook fast.
3. They are easy to clean. I just wipe it clean with a paper towel.
4. You don't need a lot of oil to get that crisp golden texture.

[Lillie767]

I got one as a gift.

I used it a few times.

Can't find any advantage over using my small convection oven (which is self cleaning).

Now sits on top shelf in closet in laundry room.

[FloridaRider]

Air fryers are nice, but they are just glorified single purpose convection ovens. Just use the convection feature on your oven.