Air fryers

aVdub said:
One is the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, which I use mostly for sous vide, pressure cook and occasional air fry.
One is the Foodi Max Health grill, which we like to use with the probe to get perfect results with meats.
One is the Speedi 10 in 1 which the OH enjoys using for instant meals and to work alongside the Foodi Max Health Grill.
This one (AF300UK) has a place for us, the OH really really wanted this one and I always get her what she wants + I batch cook quite often and this will be useful.
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How does it compare to the others?

I've tended to think of "air fryers" as that 4th one you've got or the single-draw equivalents... they're after all built with air-frying as the main purpose i.e. small 4L -ish, rapid cooking oven.

But it does seem popular to incorporate air fryer functionality into other appliances like two of the things you've listed are basically multi-cookers (pressure/slow/steam) with air fryer lids and the other is a grill with air fryer lid... the other type I've seen are the sort of microwave sized oven air fryers (sometimes with a rotisserie attachment) which can be more like 10L - 30L in size.

I think personally I'd want an instant pot or ninja equivalent separately to an air fryer but the idea of an air fryer and grill combo seems like it might work for me.
 
dowie said:
How does it compare to the others?

I've tended to think of "air fryers" as that 4th one you've got or the single-draw equivalents... they're after all built with air-frying as the main purpose i.e. small 4L -ish, rapid cooking oven.

But it does seem popular to incorporate air fryer functionality into other appliances like two of the things you've listed are basically multi-cookers (pressure/slow/steam) with air fryer lids and the other is a grill with air fryer lid... the other type I've seen are the sort of microwave sized oven air fryers (sometimes with a rotisserie attachment) which can be more like 10L - 30L in size.

I think personally I'd want an instant pot or ninja equivalent separately to an air fryer but the idea of an air fryer and grill combo seems like it might work for me.
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It is a very capable machine (AF300UK) with the twin draws sometimes taking care of the roasting duties while the Speedi 10-1 is steaming veg and the Foodi has a slab of meat in it, being cooked to our tastes, via the probe.

I imagine many may miss the full functionality of some of these machines and what they can do and see them as nothing more than a chip cooker.

The Instant Pot duo is a great machine and one I use a lot for sous vide and pressure cooking that can turn many all day cook meats into melt in the mouth in less than an hour.

Recently did a 1.9kg Silverside joint for 6hr @ 60°c dehydrate in the Speedi and at the end you could cut it with a spoon it was that tender.
 
aVdub said:
It is a very capable machine (AF300UK) with the twin draws sometimes taking care of the roasting duties while the Speedi 10-1 is steaming veg and the Foodi has a slab of meat in it, being cooked to our tastes, via the probe.

I imagine many may miss the full functionality of some of these machines and what they can do and see them as nothing more than a chip cooker.

The Instant Pot duo is a great machine and one I use a lot for sous vide and pressure cooking that can turn many all day cook meats into melt in the mouth in less than an hour.

Recently did a 1.9kg Silverside joint for 6hr @ 60°c dehydrate in the Speedi and at the end you could cut it with a spoon it was that tender.
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Cooked my turkey in two sections this year. Cut the legs off and roasted them in an air fryer (AF450) and served with mashed potatoes. Seasoned the body and pressure cooked it with stock in an Instant Pot Duo so it stayed moist. Served on Christmas day with roast potatoes, carrots and Brussel Sprouts done in the air fryer plus some boiled veg. Both meals received rave reviews. :-)
 
While this thread's surfaced, I'll add to the fanboydom and say that before Christmas I finally caved in and forked out the grand total of £40 for a 7l, single tray, three year warranty, Tower
Vortyx air fryer from Argos. It's a bit noisy, and a bit of an ugly black carbuncle in the kitchen, but its basic controls suit me very well #ButtonFaff, and as a bloke who usually cooks for one and can rarely justify putting the oven on, it's become a huge asset. I must have had more roast veg in the last three weeks than in the past three years combined... just so quick and tasty! I've proved and baked bread in it, made a quick cake, cheese on toast, and my fish finger sarnie quota is through the roof.

There's nothing magic about an air fryer. But as a small, fast worktop oven, the convenience and flexibility are every bit as useful as the fryer hype implies. I thought these things had "landfill fad" written all over them for a long time. I was wrong. Mine's changed the way I cook for the better. Big fan!

Well, actually quite a small fan, but... :D
 
Might be wrong place to post and deserve it's own thread but...

Me and the missus are looking at getting a new air fryer, we currently have a Phillips one that's about 10 years old and was before this latest fad.

We bought it as wanted to cook chips but didn't want a deep fat fryer.

Anyway, it's now due for replacement and we've found many many different uses for it over and above just cooking chips through the years we've had it.

What we can't decide on however is what one to get, we were looking at the ninja af300, then looked at the af500, then started down the tower route from Argos...

Very much a case of too much choice and an awful lot of reviews tend to be over hyped so it's a bit difficult to make a well informed decision imo.

I see a lot of people own various types on here, so any advice or suggestions be most welcome
 
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ddoubleep said:
The larger AF500 would allow plenty space for chips and the air to circulate better. Amazon do a large one similar for less call Duronic AF34.
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Thanks, checked it out, does seem very good, a bit ££ for essentially a no name brand, very good reviews though, so it's been added to the list.
 
sx_turbo said:
Thanks, checked it out, does seem very good, a bit ££ for essentially a no name brand, very good reviews though, so it's been added to the list.
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Big benefit I saw was you get both the dual basket and the big basket so can mix it up depending on the meal or whack another lot of food in whilst clean the other drawer.
 
Can confirm the AF500 has been great for us so far. The megazone has meant we can use it to cook larger stuff like those part baked baguettes without needing the oven at all, then splitting it back again to keep meat / veggie drawers. Would definitely recommend for the flexibility aspect.

One thing to note though - it's not separate baskets. There's a divider you remove depending on what you want to do.
 
aVdub said:
It is a very capable machine (AF300UK) with the twin draws sometimes taking care of the roasting duties while the Speedi 10-1 is steaming veg and the Foodi has a slab of meat in it, being cooked to our tastes, via the probe.

I imagine many may miss the full functionality of some of these machines and what they can do and see them as nothing more than a chip cooker.

The Instant Pot duo is a great machine and one I use a lot for sous vide and pressure cooking that can turn many all day cook meats into melt in the mouth in less than an hour.

Recently did a 1.9kg Silverside joint for 6hr @ 60°c dehydrate in the Speedi and at the end you could cut it with a spoon it was that tender.
Click to expand...

That does sound awesome, thanks for answering. I'm very sold on getting a pressure cooker/multi-cooker of some kind. How does the air fryer mode on the combo ones compare? Like is the standalone dual draw one you just got better at that particular task or is the air fryer lid on the instant pot, speedie or air fryer mode on the grill just as capable?

Do you ever try a combo in the speedi or instant where you pressure cook initially then air fry to give it a bit of crisp at the end of cooking?
 
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dowie said:
That does sound awesome, thanks for answering. I'm very sold on getting a pressure cooker/multi-cooker of some kind. How does the air fryer mode on the combo ones compare? Like is the standalone dual draw one you just got better at that particular task or is the air fryer lid on the instant pot, speedie or air fryer mode on the grill just as capable?

Do you ever try a combo in the speedi or instant where you pressure cook initially then air fry to give it a bit of crisp at the end of cooking?
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I'll be honest with you and state that I've only used the air fryer function on the Instant Pot Duo a couple of times as we primarily bought it for it's sous vide and pressure cooking functions + the air fryer lids is a monster in size.
The Dual is good for us as we can set different temps + times and get it to sync, so all food is ready at the set time.
In answer to the last question I have many times taken longer cook meats and done them in the pressure cooker for 20/40 mins for example and then finished in a pan or air fryer with the same applying with the sous vide function.

Speedi has a few other useful functions over some, in that the speedi meals are quick, the meal builder is pretty decent and there is the steam+air fry function and I'm starting to do more with this machine.
The Dual just sits there in the background, doing its thing and never bothering you.
The Foodi has the probe and carries on cooking your joint to how you prefer.
The Instant Pot Duo is an allrounder that is bulky with the air fry lid, but with its normal lid can do a 50 hour sous vide and never need the water topping up, or will tenderise tough beef in 25 minutes.

I seriously am thinking what one I could do without and am struggling.

Sorry for the waffle and hope this helps a little.
 
aVdub said:
I'll be honest with you and state that I've only used the air fryer function on the Instant Pot Duo a couple of times as we primarily bought it for it's sous vide and pressure cooking functions + the air fryer lids is a monster in size.
The Dual is good for us as we can set different temps + times and get it to sync, so all food is ready at the set time.
In answer to the last question I have many times taken longer cook meats and done them in the pressure cooker for 20/40 mins for example and then finished in a pan or air fryer with the same applying with the sous vide function.

Speedi has a few other useful functions over some, in that the speedi meals are quick, the meal builder is pretty decent and there is the steam+air fry function and I'm starting to do more with this machine.
The Dual just sits there in the background, doing its thing and never bothering you.
The Foodi has the probe and carries on cooking your joint to how you prefer.
The Instant Pot Duo is an allrounder that is bulky with the air fry lid, but with its normal lid can do a 50 hour sous vide and never need the water topping up, or will tenderise tough beef in 25 minutes.

I seriously am thinking what one I could do without and am struggling.

Sorry for the waffle and hope this helps a little.
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What foodi do you have?
 
aVdub said:
Sorry for the waffle and hope this helps a little.
Click to expand...

Nah that's super helpful, I guess there isn't much difference between the Ninja and the instant pot then other than the instant pot has that sous vide function too? But the ninja is a bit more compact/a smaller air fryer lid(?) despite having the same capacity?
 
sx_turbo said:
What foodi do you have?
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I have the Foodi Max Health Grill

dowie said:
Nah that's super helpful, I guess there isn't much difference between the Ninja and the instant pot then other than the instant pot has that sous vide function too? But the ninja is a bit more compact/a smaller air fryer lid(?) despite having the same capacity?
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Should have added that the Instant Pot Duo Crisp model I have is the 8l, so is a bit of a lump and tbh is just slightly too big for us, so a small model with those functions on would suit.

I believe the American model (Speedi) has more functions that include sous vide and as you say, there isn't a great deal between them and I've not really looked at the Instant Models for a while now, so couldn't say this or that about them.

If I was buying now would probably compare the two and narrow it down to what would suit me.
 
ddoubleep said:
Big benefit I saw was you get both the dual basket and the big basket so can mix it up depending on the meal or whack another lot of food in whilst clean the other drawer.
Click to expand...

I’ve got the Duronic AF34 with both the 2 small and 1 large basket. Does come in useful having both options - I mainly use the 2 small baskets though.

Not got anything to compare it to, but seems to work fine. Buttons can be a bit hit and miss, especially trying to adjust time or temp - usually takes a couple of goes, then it jumps right past the time/temp I want.
 
dowie said:
That does sound awesome, thanks for answering. I'm very sold on getting a pressure cooker/multi-cooker of some kind. How does the air fryer mode on the combo ones compare? Like is the standalone dual draw one you just got better at that particular task or is the air fryer lid on the instant pot, speedie or air fryer mode on the grill just as capable?

Do you ever try a combo in the speedi or instant where you pressure cook initially then air fry to give it a bit of crisp at the end of cooking?
Click to expand...
I have a Duo and it is great for doing combi cooking. Cook a small/med chicken on pressure cook for 8 to 10 mins, release pressure, swap lids then crisp with air fryer.
 
I haven't costed up the price difference between a single "do everything" device and a separate air fryer and pressure cooker, but I do prefer the flexibility of having both (alongside a gas hob and occasional microwave use) to prepare and serve up various components of a meal at the same time.
 
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