By the author of The Ultimate Guide to Frugal Living and What to Eat When You’re Broke
I’m not one for complicated kitchen gadgets. There are many that I have no interest in owning, but I had been very interested to try out an air fryer. I did some research and decided that if I were to get one, it would need to be a) affordable and b) the toaster oven type, not the basket type.
These aren’t inexpensive items, and I got mine with some accumulated Amazon gift cards. Here’s the one that I purchased. Because my kitchen is small and I don’t have a whole lot of storage space, I wanted something that could serve more than one purpose. This one has the functions of both an air fryer and a toaster oven. It has a digital screen with these features: Air Fry, Toast, Bagel, Bake, Roast, Broil, Pizza, Convection Bake, Dehydrate, Reheat, Keep Warm, Fries, Wings, Bacon, Snacks, Vegetables, Seafood.
At the time of this posting, it’s 25% off as a limited-time deal. If you want an air fryer, this is a killer sale.
The Pros of an Air Fryer
Of course, with any new appliance, there’s a bit of a learning curve. But the Gourmia air fryer is super easy to use. Here are the things I like about it in my frugal kitchen.
- It’s very easy to use. Simply preheat to your selected temperature, pop your food in, set the timer, and walk away. You don’t really need to flip things over or stir your food or any of that. Load it and leave it. Time spent on my feet each day is limited, so it’s nice to be able to pop together a healthy meal and not have to hover in the kitchen.
- It works fast. It preheats to 400 degrees in minutes. It’s really quick – sometimes so quick I haven’t even finished preparing whatever it is I’m putting in when the bell dings to let me know it’s ready. Likewise, it cooks things quickly. It takes about the same amount of time for most stuff as a microwave, but the texture is way nicer.
- It makes things perfectly crispy. Speaking of texture, if you like a nice crisp surface to your meat or other food this is the right tool for the job. If you ever get any of those little frozen Chinese dumplings or other appetizers, this is the perfect way to cook them without using a bucket of oil or a lot of hands-on time. You can heat up a slice of leftover pizza to crisp perfection in less than 5 minutes. It will also cook a 12-inch thin-crust pizza in about 15 minutes.
- It doesn’t heat up the house. Gone are the days when you avoid cooking certain items because it’s hot outside and you don’t want to turn on the oven. Partly because it’s a smaller appliance and partly because it cooks so fast, you don’t risk heating up your house with this.
- It’s healthy. We all know that deep-fried things aren’t good for us (even though they taste so lovely.) Even folks who eat keto want to choose healthier fats for their diets. An air fryer allows you to get a nice crisp “fried” type texture without additional oil. I do use an olive oil spritzer on some items so that the coating isn’t dry.
All in all, I’m really pleased with my purchase.
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The Cons of an Air Fryer
Of course, nothing is perfect. Here are the negatives.
- It takes up a fair bit of space. These things aren’t tiny, and they aren’t really something you’ll want to haul in and out of your cupboard if you use it with any regularity. Make sure you have the counter space for it before committing. I had wanted a toaster oven for a while, so when I found this multipurpose one, I knew it was worth my valuable counter real estate.
- They’re not cheap. Aside from the sale that is going on at the time of this publication, these usually run over a hundred dollars, with big-name brands like Breville and Ninja being over $200. You might also be able to grab one from Facebook Marketplace or a thrift store if you watch carefully.
- They can be smoky. If the item you’re making has a lot of fat, it can cause quite a bit of smoke. I made some mozzarella-stuffed meatballs (yes, they were as good as they sound) and, holy Moses in a market, that was a lot of smoke. The fat splattered a bit and got on the element, and it was ugly. I had to turn on a couple of fans and open the window. I have SINCE experimented with the same recipe, and the judicious use of tin foil greatly reduces this issue.
If these factors aren’t dealbreakers for you, you may want to give an air fryer a shot.
The bottom line
An air fryer certainly isn’t an essential kitchen appliance. But it can save a lot of time and effort, and for some folks, that is worth both the money and the counter space. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase, and I’m really glad I bought it. I thought that once the newness wore off, I wouldn’t use it quite as much, but we’re going on two years now, and I still use it nearly every day.
Do you have an air fryer? Do you like it? What do you see as the pros and cons? Would you buy it again? If you are considering an air fryer, do you have any questions?
Let’s talk about air fryers in the comments section.
3 Responses
Restaurants these days generally only re-heat mostly cooked pre-cut french fries. What they serve to you is spongy soft & not crispy. We generally eat just a few and then bring the rest home for later re-heating and actual frying in the air fryer.
The air fryer results are crispy, not greasy, french fries that are worth the extra effort. Makes me long for similar tasty fries bought at road-side “food trucks” along highways in France, Germany and Belgium back in the late 1970’s whilst we were living in Germany & Belgium thanks to US Army assignments.
I actually have a brand new one sitting in its box in my kitchen that I have never used because of the space issue and my own ignorance about what I would cook in it. I rarely ever use the oven simply because it is so time consuming. I only bake once or twice a year, and usually when it is cold out, so it heats the house. Most of my cooking is stove top, and reheating in the microwave. I have even started cooking a whole turkey in a pressure canner, which is like only 2 hrs from frozen. You may have convinced me to clean up a spot and give it a go! I picked it up for $10.00 at an estate sale and intended it to go into a renovated camper. Since the camper never materialized, I might just have to clear space for it in the house.
I’ve been using one for years. Started with the basket and graduated to a ninja (toaster oven)
I LOVE it. It folds up vertically to store, and yep, does everything from broil to air fry to pizza to toast to reheat and does them all well.
I’ve wondered if we ever went Tiny Space (and one of us wasn’t charged w murder inside of a month) if we could get by with a two burner induction or gas cooktop and an air fryer. I’m betting Yes
I do wonder how much it actually costs in terms of electricity (I’ve never done the math) but the space it takes up is (m minimal when flipped up) is a very fair trade for the results.