Full disclosure, I am not anappliancesperson.
I grew up watching Food online grid, specifically Alton Brown onGood Eatsrailing against “unitaskers.”
I believe that everything in thekitchencan be done with the old-fashioned oven and stovetop.
Meaghan Cameron
In fact, I didn’t even have amicrowaveuntil my place came with it.
But what makes an appliance earn its keep?
What allows it to take up space on the counter as a daily friend rather than an encroaching enemy?
Meaghan Cameron
Plus, don’t missI Tried Texas Roadhouse for the First Time EverHere’s What I Loved.
What I Loved
Welcome to reheating heaven.
I was surprised to see the package had air fryer instructions, which I always skipped over.
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And, oh my, everything was crunchy and the chicken fingers were juicy inside.
Was this thing for real?
Don’t set it and forget ittake a peek!
Meaghan Cameron
The air fryer heats up so quickly in a way the oven does not.
Later in the week I reheated pizza, which I used to do in the oven.
The air fryer is far superior.
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The one I used didn’t require preheating and it took four minutes.
Are you kidding me?!
If you have a hungry kid or significant other, this tool is magic.
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It makes a perfect baked potato.
Sleeping babies aren’t a fan of that.
The air fryer is a game changer!
Meaghan Cameron
Baked potatoes come out perfectly in the air fryer.
If you love baked potatoes this machine is worth it.
It doesn’t heat up the whole room, it doesn’t set off the smoke alarm.
Photo: Shutterstock
Foods You Should Never Cook in the Air Fryer
It cuts cooking time in half.
Did I mention it also took only 30 minutes?!
A typical baked potato would take about an hour at 400 degrees.
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The air fryer seems to cut the cooking time of everything in half.
So here’s a cheat sheet if you don’t want to look up everything online.
Try cooking everything at the same oven temp but at half the time.
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It’s great for prep work.
The air fryer does small tasks like a champ.
It toasted walnuts in four minutes for a salad without hot spots or random burned areas.
I air-fried tofu for a crispy stirfry while the veggies softened up in a pan.
It is best forsurprise, surprisethings that you would fry.
They didn’t peel great, as promised.
It’s not going to replace your oven.
If you have a few people wanting reheated pizza, the air fryer isn’t going to cut it.
If you have one child this would work, not with two or three.
Though there are larger air fryers that people swear by.
Then again, this one could have been chalked up to user error, so give it a try!
It’s another thing to clean.
I guess there really is no way of getting around this one.
I hear it makes great bacon but I imagine the cleanup is a pain.
Verdict
Is it worth it?
In a word, yes!
The air fryer is staying on the counter because I just need to try so many more things.
It checked off all of my boxes for convenience, ease of use, and saving time.
