Air fryer to replace oven

Traded up to the Dual Ninja at Xmas. Picked this one up for 200 notes...

https://www.soundstore.ie/ninja-dual-zone-air-fryer-af400uk.html

2 person household. Oven is an ornament since we moved in 2 years ago.

Your microwave comment made me laugh, I actually bought a very very fancy microwave I'd say nearly 40 years ago because it had the ability to 'sense' when the food was ready, it was an excellent feature based on a partner who couldn't cook/heat anything! The microwave is still going strong but I haven't used that feature in years as I got rid of the partner but not the microwave 🤣

I think it cost me 525 pounds at the time and is a Panasonic.

It's not exactly rocket science though, making it a pretty poor excuse to discount them entirely. I've a lawnmower with adjustable blade height. First time I used it, it was too low and I scalped the back garden. It would be a pretty stupid position to say "well these things are crap, no idea why people use them" instead of recognising the user error and adjusting accordingly.

With even basic trial and error you can get your timings down, just do things in 3 to 5 minute increments if you're not sure. I've found my one needs 10 degrees lower and about 10-20% less cooking time than the conventional oven. I found that out about 25 minutes after I bought it. They're also great for timing things to finish at the same time, you can leave it running in the background, it switches off automatically after a set time etc. Timing things is an advantage of using an air-fryer, not a disadvantage. I mean, if you're blindly following instructions on the packet then yeah, maybe........but sure the oven timings aren't accurate half the time. Do you blame your oven if you undercook/overcook anything else even though you followed the guidelines?

It get up to temp reasonably quickly, but I've not found anything cooked in it crispier than from the oven.

As to your second question, because real men BBQ, with charcoal 😁

Good point. What has gone kaput? My parents have a fan oven that's on the go since the 90's. The element has had to be replaced a couple of times but other than that, it's still going strong.

who is being agressive?

its an oven, if you want to use yours knock yourself out, plenty of evidence to say there are better results in an air fryer, may depend on which one you have

you cant beat a toasted sandwich maker though 😙

Because this is a foodie forum I’d imagine most people would want both. I like my air fryer and it’s great for quick cooks and as a viable replacement for a deep fat fryer. I’d have thought though that most of us like experimenting with various things from time to time and if you’re baking, an air fryer isn’t so good for that. I would expect most would have both but if I had a gun to my head and had to pick one I’d go air fryer because I cook for just me but an oven would still be on my list too because it also has its uses. I’m not sure for instance how an air fryer would cater for an entire family on its own unless it was pretty large.

Air Fryers are great and cheaper to use in the short term at least, but I'm on my 5th air fryer now since about 2013, an oven, while more expensive to buy, will last decades, while air fryers tend to last a few years before breaking apart

(I've had Philips, Swan, and am on my 2nd Ninja after the first one just refused to turn on a few weeks ago.

Plastic handles, baskets and fairings that are just not built to last, compared with a proper oven with high quality metal and glass parts.

A couple of points.......

• You don't have to pop back every 5 minutes. You do that the first time you ever cook [insert whatever food you like here]. You compare it to the time on the packet for the conventional oven, then you now know it's X temperature for Y amount of minutes.
• Remembering cooking times isn't some herculean task. "Oh look, last time I did these for 10 mins less than it says on the box and they were still a bit overdone, I'll drop the temp by 10 degrees and go for the same time". My airfryer has a sticker on the side for common items with temps and times.
• I don't see any difference in "I'll go to the park for 40 mins while that's in the oven" versus "I'll do these in the airfryer, saving me 20 minutes, and then I can go to the park". The second is preferable to me because you don't have to go home to make sure the food isn't burnt to a crisp.
• There's also no need to preheat an airfryer like you do with a proper oven, saving another 10-15 minutes at least. Chips would be ready to eat from the airfryer, when they'd only be going into the oven
• "Cooking in an oven doesn't take any extra time" is an objectively incorrect statement. It takes twice as long in most cases.
• The cooking information on the pack is wrong more often than it's correct

Do you even hear yourself?

Its a thread about a fecking cooking appliance?!? What a thing to get defensive over. 🙄

OP, good luck with your choice, whatever it is! You can also have both 😉

Have that as well, love it. Pressure cooker with saute function is great for quick stews. Also like doing roast veg with the air fryer function. Got a dreo recently as well, great for meat as my Ninja Foodie model didn't come with a meat probe.

I've timed them, and the difference to reach temp is only a few minutes between the oven and air fryer. Anyhow, they both have their uses. I've just personally found they have not lived up to the hype.

Charcoal is wood, heated in a minimal oxygen environment 🤗. With the charcoal I get higher heat for crispy chicken wings.

Enjoy your evening.

I want one of these now, 2 of us here, would this one fit a 2kg chicken?

Any thoughts on that model?

My oven has not been used for 4 years or more , only myself to cook for.

I have the old JML halogen oven on which i like to use for steaks and chops and maybe a joint.

Old Philips Air Fryer is used for chips and onion rings.

3ltr PKP was used for stews but pot had issues and use it for Rice Pudding OMG.

Needed a bigger pot and bought the small Ninja Foodi which i can use for pressure cooking and a Steak and Kidney stew on the cards for tomorrow's dinner.

If you like stews then a pressure cooker is needed , i can also air fry and bake but never done bread or cakes. Many have done fab dishes in those units.

Luckily a shelf is handy outside kitchen door and items on there brought in as needed.

ITEMS can be heavy so be warned

I was thinking of a twin drawer but cost and use for one is overkill.

2kg is an x-large chicken.

I think you'd need one of the airfryers with a double flexible drawer if you wanted to use it for a chicken that size.

I have a Tefal Easy Fry, its 4.2l and it would just about fit two breasts on the bone (with wings), at a squeeze.

charcoal is not wood, in the same way ash is not wood

the air fryer heats up in 2-3 mins

no oven does, could be 15-20 at least, maybe more to reach the high temp the air fryer does

the wood thing was a joke

Have you a link by any chance? Or it is just a case of Cos I Say So?

"you can't beat a toasted sandwich maker though"

I find if you toast your bread in the toaster until it's a bit underdone, then make your sandwich and pop the lot into the air fryer the toasted sandwiches are 100%

I know it was!

LOL….You started calling others out for being “aggressive” (incorrectly, IMO) towards those who prefer a conventional oven. I pointed out half a dozen instances where it was actually the conventional oven side, of which you are a member, who were being aggressive. You have yet to show one example of anyone being aggressive from the air fryer side, I’ve shown you plenty from your side.

Now, when your rank hypocrisy is pointed out to you, instead of accepting or refuting the argument, you’re accusing me (incorrectly again, coincidentally) of being defensive? That’s a fantastic debating style you’ve got there, lashing out accusatory statements like they’re going out of fashion while avoiding the topic at hand. 

Yes, sides. You pointed out that one side is being aggressive toward the other. You're the one who differentiated between the two in the first place, remember?

For the record, I'm well chill. I merely pointed out your hypocrisy and you've made multiple replies now without addressing the points raised. Your refusal to address this speaks volumes. But you go ahead and keep pretending others are taking it too seriously, after trying to label others as cranks.