After resisting for quite some time, I finally took the plunge and bought an air fryer. Here’s my experience.
Call it a COVID-life crisis, but I finally gave in and treated myself to an air fryer back in February 2021 for my birthday. While everyone else was busy baking bread, I was determined to uncover the magic of this appliance that had knocked the Instant Pot off its throne as a bestselling item.
Despite my hesitation towards trends and my dislike for complicated cooking, I got myself a Ninja Foodi 8-Quart Original Dualzone 2-Basket Air Fryer. Fast-forward to today, and my air fryer has become an essential part of my kitchen. It’s helped me diversify my menu and feel proud of the healthy meals that I prepare, given that air fryers use significantly less oil than traditional fryers. Not to mention, everything is fast and easy with this gadget, and I’m convinced that it has the potential to turn anyone into a confident cook.
All those pandemic-inspired bread bakers might have moved on, but I’m still going full steam ahead with my Ninja Foodi Air Fryer, which is currently on sale at Target. On top of that, air fryers have far more to offer than meets the eye; here are five unexpected reasons why.
When I initially thought of an air fryer, vegetables were not the first thing that crossed my mind. I, like everyone else, envisioned French fries and chicken wings. But, lo and behold, I’ve discovered that broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts are my favorite foods to cook in the air fryer. I’m able to achieve the most tender results using minimal oil, and it’s incredibly easy. Additionally, I’ve found out that I can also cook corn on the cob in my air fryer. It results in the crispiest, juiciest, and healthiest vegetables I’ve ever tried, without the guilt of consuming excess oil. Plus, with my Ninja’s two baskets and DualZone Technology, I can cook two things at once!
At the peak of winter, I turned to my air fryer to cook corn on the cob, which resulted in a delightful, summery dish – crispy, juicy, and absolutely mouthwatering. It was a first for me, considering the heavy snow outside my door.
Another surprising discovery was that my air fryer quickly became my go-to for preparing breakfast. I can now easily whip up a full diner breakfast – eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast – using only my air fryer. It’s also worth noting that I’ve started to toast bread in my air fryer, making my old toaster practically redundant.
Moreover, it turns out I can also hard-boil eggs in my air fryer. And you guessed it – the process is much simpler than boiling a pot of water. In essence, an air fryer is a multifunctional kitchen dynamo. It does more than just air frying – a prime example is that it can hard-boil eggs, as demonstrated by the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL, which is currently on sale.
One quirky hack I’ve discovered is that air fryers can revive stale baked goods. Adding water before air frying can make stale bread and pastries taste fresh again, providing a quick and effective solution to an age-old problem. I can confirm that it works like a charm, especially with day-old croissants, cookies, and muffins. Another non-traditional method that my toaster oven like the Cuisinart Compact Air Fryer Toaster Oven – on sale at Kohl’s – comes with drip pans to help with this process.
On top of all of that, air fryers have made cooking seafood a cinch. Thanks to my air fryer, I’ve successfully cooked scallops, a dish that has historically given me trouble. In conclusion, this appliance has proved to be a game-changer, not just for frying, but also for other cooking tasks.
