Stupid question time - Air Fryers

[Andr3w]

Is an Air Fryer just a countertop fan oven?

Everyone seems to have gone air fryer crazy this past year and I can't workout why.

I know it'll use a little less electricity as it's smaller, but isn't it just a heating element with a fan - identical to a bigger fan oven??

 

[Andr3w]

Pretty much yes, but they cook certain foods much better and a lot quicker.

They draw about 1.5Kw compared to an average ovens 3Kw, so are a money saver for sure, especially when you’re just doing a portion of chips or a few fishfingers

Ah ok so they are just a much more energy efficient way of cooking smaller portions.

What sort of thing do they cook better?

 

[Andr3w]

They're a smaller, more efficient fan assisted oven. If you often cook for 1-3 people they're cheaper to run, do aperfectly good job and sometimes can get hotter depending on the model.

Were I to buy one I'd get the Instant Air. It's both a small air fryer, slow cooker, pressure cooker and dehydrator in one for £120.

Oh wow I didn't realise they offered those features.

I started this thread thinking they were a silly gimmick. We cook for 2 people pretty much every night, maybe I should actually do a bit more research and consider getting one