Which is more useful - Air Fryer or Slow Cooker?

farmingquestion · 13-12-2022 9:03pm #1

Only have space for one. I use an air fryer but I would prefer batch cook for a few days which isn't really possible with an air fryer.

Only thing about the slow cooker I suppose is that if I want something now or quick, it's not possible and I'd need to plan much better. Or I'd need to use the normal oven.

So which do you find more useful?

13-12-2022 9:10pm

You would use an air fryer daily and a slow cooker biannually

Paul MCM · 13-12-2022 9:12pm

I have both and I use my Air Fryer daily and the slow cooker every few months.

13-12-2022 9:12pm

Neither. Halogen oven.

Charlie19 · 13-12-2022 9:23pm

I'll sell you my slow cooker so I can buy another air fryer:)

banie01 · 13-12-2022 9:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119993299#Comment_119993299

Same, I have both and the air fryer is in near daily use versus maybe twice a month for the slow cooker

bennyx_o · 13-12-2022 9:52pm

As others have said, I've both and the slow cooker get's used maybe once or twice a month but the air fryer is used almost daily

Clarecall · 13-12-2022 10:04pm

Halogen oven not perfect. Fine for say fish fillets and veg, but not good for a cake in a loaf tin, or brown bread in a loaf tin.

Caranica · 13-12-2022 11:13pm

You can get an instant pot with an airfryer (duo crisp) so it's a slow cooker, air fryer and pressure cooker all in one. You don't need separate devices in this day and age

redlough · 13-12-2022 11:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058275722/which-is-more-useful-air-fryer-or-slow-cooker

An airfryer is in really just a very fast fan oven. But I use it nearly daily because I find the food tastes better and so handy for lots of quick recipes.

Instead of a slow cooker I have bought a huge pot which I can throw loads into it and put into the standard oven at a low temp. Personally I find the food tastes better using that instead of the slow cooker.

Graces7 · 15-12-2022 8:54am

Slow cooker is a lifeline for me. I am perforce off my feet a lot and by the time I have cooked am too tired to enjoy eating.

This week I made a slow cooker soup... Potato, carrot, parsnip, onion... chicken portion... That was at 2 am as I could not sleep! Left the peel on everything.

Left it to its own devices... came back and removed bones and blitzed,, Delicious base to add herbs etc to.

That for me is the beauty of the slow cooker. And I would not be without it.

Never looked at the other yoke!

phormium · 15-12-2022 6:30pm

I don't have an airfryer, have a halogen oven though for about past 20 yrs, not same model but similar! I use it every few days and I also use my slow cooker very regularly for all sorts of things. Used it lately to cook the oranges for making marmalade, good for Christmas puddings too.

I might not be a good example as I wouldn't use the oven very often either for dinners etc, if I wanted to roast a chicken I'd use the halogen and I cook a second turkey in it at Christmas, it's great for roast potatoes/veg or a fry. Bacon/ham/pork I would usually do in slow cooker, although I have always considered my 'slow' cooker to be not that slow! On high it bubbles away so I treat it just like a pot on the cooker that doesn't need as much minding.

Halogen makes great scones although I would agree it doesn't bake much else well, biscuits maybe but for bread I would bulk bake and freeze to make best use of oven time.

They are both very different items so it would depend on what foods you cook mainly.

horse7 · 16-12-2022 11:24am

Have you thought about an electric pressure cooker?

boardlady · 16-12-2022 11:28am

OP, give us a bit more info? What type of foods do you like to eat? You do say that you might need food quickly and if that's the case, the airfryer wins hands down. However, if you can plan a bit better and in advance, you can make great soups and stews in the slow cooker - which are probably better for you as a quick meal than most things we all bung in the airfryer when we're hungry!

boardlady · 16-12-2022 11:29am

Or, how about airfryer for lunches, slow cooker for dinners? I don't keep my slow cooker on the counter at all times. It lives in a cupboard down the hall unless in use. The airfryer sits on the counter in the utility room as that's the only space for it!

farmingquestion · 16-12-2022 12:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120002648#Comment_120002648

I like bad foods.

But my thoughts of the slow cooker would be I could batch cook for a few days and make healthier food.

In the airfryer it's always chips and fish or breaded chicken. Quick and easy foods.

I was just kinda wondering if people use the slow cooker for their daily foods but it seems from this thread people might only use it once every few weeks.

Caranica · 16-12-2022 1:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120002626#Comment_120002626

See above where I mentioned the instant pot duo crisp. Pressure cooker, slow cooker and airfryer. No need to get single function appliances

irelandrover · 16-12-2022 1:19pm

i use my slow cooker a few times a week during the winter but i do a lot of stews/curries. But the air fryer is used a lot more in the summer. So for me i use them about the same but when i use them depends on the season.

boardlady · 16-12-2022 1:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120002754#Comment_120002754

Slow cooker is best for soups and stews/casserole dishes. If you like eating them every day, then the slow cooker is very useful. I love the slow cooker for preparing a dinner in the morning and then I can just come in whenever and eat it later on. It is also great for bulk cooking. I agree the air fryer can be more useful for the convenience food if you are not careful! I roast a whole chicken in mine - you could try that as a dinner or for sandwich meat? Salmon darnes and chops (lamb or pork) are also great in the airfryer so you could branch out to them too?

Could you manage buying both but store one elsewhere when not in use? I know a family that leave their slow cooker to do its cooking plugged in in their shed - one of them hates the smell of food around the house!

Which is more useful - Air Fryer or Slow Cooker?

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