They are just a small oven with the contents being closer to the fan.
Technically correct but that's like saying a toaster is just a small grill. You end up using more often and in more creative ways because it is so easy to use and you get very good results.
Not meeting the OPs requirements, but we bought https://www.sageappliances.com/en-gb/product/bov860 about 2 years ago, when it was on offer. We started with a cheap Tower single basket one, found it worked really well, donated that to one of the kids when the moved out and bought the Sage.
We barely use the cooker now (still use the hob for veg mostly). Cooked loads of different stuff using the Air Fryer mode, but also most of the other modes as well. Even the "toast" setting makes better toast than our Duallit. Bought a couple of air fry cook books and found some new recipes we like as well.
Both offspring have one of those cheap-ish £50 Tower ones now. Apparently very good for Chicken Nuggets;)
Technically correct but that’s like saying a toaster is just a small grill.
Well..... it is!
You end up using more often and in more creative ways because it is so easy to use and you get very good results.
For some things... you could also be just as creative using the oven. They're not some kind of magic and for some things they're not as good as an oven.
I like ours but it has it's place.
I believe most ovens have a timer now
But the timer doesnt actually turn off the Oven, with my Airfryer I can chuck some fish fingers in for 9mins and go get a shower and then come back down to some cooked food ready to go in a sandiwch. With the oven, it might beep when I'm in the shower still or I might not hear it and the food is getting over cooked or burnt. Its a little level of convenience for me that makes me love mine.
There a oven replacement, that’s all.. why heat a whole oven for ‘some’ chips or fish fingers when you can do it cheaper/more effiently with an airfryer (ignoring the cost of the airfryer).
I wonder how long it would take for the electricity saving to pay off the purchase price?
I tend to use our combi microwave as an oven if I don't need the space in the main oven. It's small so heats up quickly and means no need for yet another plastic gadget.
Purchased the tefal one, seemed to be the best for capacity and overall footprint.
will report back on how it performs for the next air fryer thread 🙂
also I do know how to program my oven timer and it does switch the oven off. The oven is till hot, even though the timer has finished and the oven is now off, so food can over cook if you don’t get it out pronto, but surely the same for an air fryer too.
but surely the same for an air fryer too.
Not found that to be the case. Less thermal mass and the heat is mostly transferred by the fan (which goes off after the timer). I suppose something delicate might slightly overcook but generally it just keeps things warm for a short while.
But the timer doesnt actually turn off the Oven, with my Airfryer I can chuck some fish fingers in for 9mins and go get a shower and then come back down to some cooked food ready to go in a sandiwch
It does turn off the oven..... but ovens are insulated to make them more efficient over longer cooking periods - this obvs stops them cooling down faster so the contents will keep cooking for a certain amount of time.
Your average air fryer, on the other hand, is not insulated as they're really only designed for short cooking periods (and it would add size and expense) so they cool down much quicker so the food therein stops cooking quicker.
The oven is till hot, even though the timer has finished and the oven is now off, so food can over cook if you don’t get it out pronto
Use the knowledge that the heat doesn't magically disappear immediately and switch the oven off before the 'set' cooking time but leave the food in to continue cooking?
Use the knowledge that the heat doesn’t magically disappear immediately and switch the oven off before the ‘set’ cooking time but leave the food in to continue cooking?
I don’t have any issue using my oven with, or without the timer 🙂 it was the potential for something to overcook, if you are not at one with your oven. Which I am.
I got a cheapy one from Aldi, small single drawer, 30 quid. Great for doing 2 or 3 Bratties, or a couple of salmon fillets. I'd like a bigger one though to do, erm, bigger things.
