I Switched To Air Fryer Cooking For Everything and I Won’t Go Back

I have had the opportunity to test several air fryers, with a couple of them always displayed on my kitchen counter. This experience led me to question whether I truly needed to rely on my oven for cooking, especially for simpler tasks. To put this curiosity to the test, I decided to exclusively use an air fryer for all my oven cooking for a month.

The air fryer I utilized for this experiment was the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer. This particular model offers two separate cooking zones of 5.2L each, which can also be combined into a single 10.4L “megazone” for larger dishes. This flexibility allowed me to cook a variety of meals, from whole roasts to full-size cakes, in the air fryer.

Throughout the month-long experiment, I learned several valuable lessons. Firstly, reheating food in the air fryer requires adjusting the temperature slightly lower than recommended to avoid overcooking. Additionally, combining the microwave with the air fryer proved to be a faster and more efficient method for heating up dishes like shepherd’s pies.

Surprisingly, baking in the air fryer was easier than expected. By following oven recipes and reducing the temperature slightly, I was able to bake cakes that tasted just as delicious as those baked in a traditional oven. Experimenting with different foods in the air fryer, such as crisping up gnocchi and roasting vegetables, also yielded tasty results.

However, there were limitations to using the air fryer, such as not being able to cook large pizzas due to size constraints. Certain foods, like leafy vegetables and wet batters, were also not suitable for air frying. Despite these limitations, the overall convenience and efficiency of the air fryer outweighed the drawbacks.

After the month-long experiment, I found myself rarely using my oven, as the air fryer proved to be a more efficient and convenient cooking appliance. The energy savings and time saved in cooking and cleanup were significant benefits of exclusively using the air fryer. Overall, the experiment highlighted the versatility and effectiveness of air fryers in everyday cooking.

If you are interested in trying out air fryer cooking yourself, I recommend exploring the Ninja Foodi FlexBasket as an alternative to the FlexDrawer. Additionally, considering an air fryer oven for larger cooking capacity may be a suitable option. Experimenting with different air fryer models and recipes can help you discover the benefits of air frying in your own kitchen.