Should I get an air fryer (2022 edition)

@thumper1 - Nordstrom Rack has the Dash on sale. Is this like the one that you have?
https://www.nordstromrack.com/s/dash-compact-2-quart-air-fryer/5912577?color=AQUA&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=11509912938&utm_term=&utm_content=110705803885&utm_channel=LOW_ND_SHOPPING_LIA&sid=545650&adpos=&creative=476701069112&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&acctid=21700000001756534&dskeywordid=92700058358702694&lid=92700058358702694&ds_s_kwgid=58700006458222794&ds_s_inventory_feed_id=97700000012930068&dsproductgroupid=768081215241&product_id=35320173&merchid=100921846&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=local&storeid=369&locationid=9031349&targetid=aud-1002921893001:pla-768081215241&campaignid=11509912938&adgroupid=110705803885&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1vSZBhDuARIsAKZlijTaUr3RUiw4BY9fTssBroGFQTBMnkxVjB53c2ssMw_FB0JBnn8DK2AaAr5IEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Yes…that is similar to the one I have. The Dash I got our daughter had a temp control too.

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Here’s BBB…this is exactly what I have. If you can use a 20% off coupn, this is a deal!

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/dash-express-tasti-crisp-2-6-qt-air-fryer/5541195?keyword=air-fryer

It looks like the one from Nordstrom Rack has a temperature setting. Mine from BBB is fixed at 400.

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Who has a toaster oven/air fryer combo and what is your brand and your review???

I’m also curious about the toaster oven combo! Our family uses the toaster oven quite a bit - for toast of course, and also for toasting sandwiches/hoagies and reheating pizza, quiche, etc. We all prefer a toaster oven where you can watch the toast/bagel/English muffin through the window, rather than a regular toaster, so a question I have is it worth it to combine the toaster oven/air fryer into one appliance, or best to let each do what it does best - ? Does having a window on the air fryer make a difference when you are air frying???

When we needed a new microwave, I bought a GE model that combines the microwave, along with convection and air fry. We don’t have much counter space, so it seemed like a great way to add an air fryer.

I have not used the convection setting yet. I have used the air fryer a couple times for frozen fries and reheating pizza. It doesn’t really seem any better than cooking in the oven. Maybe I’m not doing something right…

Haven’t I heard that convection sort of = air frying??? I don’t know if your air frying results would be different than an oven but I assumed a shorter cook time?

The convection part is a completely different setting. So, this can be used as a microwave, as a convection oven, or as an air fryer.

I was turned off of air fryers by an article I read that said it takes just as long to use it as to use the oven (comparison was for a baked potato). My friend said her sister didn’t like hers because of that reason, it is not faster. I do think it would be easier to clean and waste less electricity than a regular oven.

I’d still like to try it. My friend’s husband bought one during covid and they have never used it (working from home he kept ordering things). It is a running joke that they give me an appliance when I ‘senior sit’ for her MIL when they go on vacation, and I have another week to do that coming up, so maybe that will be my new appliance? So far I’ve gotten a sewing machine, a warming tray and something else I can’t remember.

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I bought a small air fryer. (Dash Tasti Crisp) Single adult with limited space. Many the air fryers have a big footprint and I just don’t have space for a countertop convection oven. I have a full size oven, but much prefer to use the air fryer since it heats up faster, uses less energy than a full sized oven.

My daughter has a 8 qt Instapot convertible cooker that has a air fryer lid but it’s very tall (won’t fit under a cabinet) and cumbersome to pull out and out of storage. She uses it occasionally since she doesn’t eat or cook “fried” foods often. She mostly uses it to make French fries.

I think it’s so interesting how many people use their air fryers for French fries - we never eat them at home so it’s not at all a selling factor for me! I do think my daughter would make sweet potato fries however.

The big selling point for me would be the ability to take the oven activities outside when it is too hot inside for firing up the wall oven and when the grill would not do.

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I got an air fryer because my son wanted one for his birthday in December of 2019. He soon lost interest but i have used it constantly since then. My favorite things to make in the air fryer are chicken and asparagus but I use it for all kinds of things. The original one (I think Gourmia) died mid-fry one night so I got one with high ratings and a reasonable price on Amazon (Cosori) and it is much better than the old one. Bigger, too.

When I needed a new toaster I got an Oster toaster oven that purports to have air fryer capabilities. I don’t know what it thinks it’s doing when it’s set to air fryer, but it isn’t air frying.

So in the smaller units like Dash that @thumper1 has, how much can you air fry at a time. Like a cup of vegetables? 2 cups? We aren’t chicken nuggets eaters but how many can you do at a time? Do things have to be a single layer?

Not much, IMO. I don’t understand the design of these, to be quite honest. I have one that has a deeper basket but the diameter of the basket isn’t any bigger - so if you fry things in a single layer, it doesn’t feel like much fits in there (I couldn’t fit a slice of pizza longways). I’ve done things in stages, like wings, and kept them warm in my oven (so much for saving electricity). The exception is the ones that look like mini ovens - but those are $$$

For me, it makes things crispier than my oven, which is why I like it for certain foods. And I had Kohls Cash that I had to use…

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They come in different sizes. My Cosori, which is one of the bullet shaped ones, will easily fit three Costo boneless chicken breasts. Maybe four from the grocery store. I could probably get a couple of cornish game hens in it. It holds all the asparagus you would care to eat. You can get accessories like an extra grill on legs that fits over the regular grill plate (or whatever it’s called) so you can cook two or three more chicken breasts at the same time.

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I bought a small one to try it out, mostly to do fries and such, not planning todo anything else.

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I had a couple of Gourmia air fryers but the baskets are a pain to clean. I bought Costco’s Sur la Table air fryer and love it. The trays are dishwasher safe and easy to clean by hand. It is a larger footprint than the smaller air fryers but I like being able to cook vegetables and meat on two different racks at the same time.

Edit: If you are interested in this air fryer, it frequently goes on sale for $79.99. I don’t use the basket but have tried some of the other toys for things like kebabs. My default is still the two flat trays.

I have not used it for toast. @abasket.

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I somewhat recently got the Instant air fryer (by Instant Pot) because a friend recommended. I got the larger multi-function version since I needed a new toaster oven (kid took mine to school this year) and this has that option. So far I really like it. It’s my first air fryer so I’m still experimenting. It also has a rotisserie feature but not sure how often I’ll use that.

This is an interesting option. Seems it can be used much like a toaster oven as well? My thing is I don’t want an ENORMOUS item on the counter and I don’t want multiple appliances. If this could serve as a toaster oven AND an air fryer with decent results I might consider it.