Air Fryer Benefits: Why I Bought Into The Hype

It’s hard to escape the hype about air fryers these days. Everywhere you look there is a new angle; healthy, low fat cooking, no-oil, low cost dinners, energy saving, faster cooking times, crispier fries. However I’ve lived much of my life without an air fryer – do I really need one? Will I continue to use one? Where will I store another kitchen appliance? 

Whilst I struggled to avoid the hype, it took me a long time to buy an air fryer. You can buy an air fryer from as little as £20, or you can shell out more than £250. If you pick the wrong one it will be stuffed away in a cupboard for evermore, or a constant nuisance taking up valuable space on your kitchen workshop. I didn’t want to waste money on a passing craze! 

Some of the top reasons to get an air fryer include:

• Energy and cost savings
• Health benefits
• Ability to cook a broad range of food

I generally only cook two or three times a week. Between a full time job and trying to cram in exercise in the evenings I usually eat a bowl of fruit, some greek yoghurt and a shake. I find this means I’m not spending ages in the kitchen, and don’t overeat so I can get started on exercise quickly and still have time to wind down before bed.

As a result, an air fryer isn’t going to get used every day and hence energy saving wasn’t a huge factor for me. If it’s a factor for you, then there are lots of studies that show you can make a pretty decent saving versus using conventional oven. Balance this against the initial cost and remember that most people won’t air fry everyday either, so you’re unlikely to see this cost saving every day.

Similarly, I don’t deep fry food often. I regularly exercise and so I’m not concerned about the odd unhealthy deep fried meal. The health benefits of an air fryer weren’t a key consideration for me. 

The main reason I bought an air fryer was being able to cook a wider range of food to a better quality than a conventional oven. Having found myself googling for air fryer recipes, there were a number of dishes that seemed easy to cook that I wouldn’t attempt with my oven. 

With the decision made to purchase an air fryer, I created a shortlist of requirements to narrow down the options ahead of the forthcoming sales season. 

• A brand I recognise and feel I can trust – simply I don’t want to risk a fire!
• Not too expensive – sub £120 ideally, just in case I don’t get on with it
• Easy to clean
• Capacity to cook enough for at least 2 people
• Small enough to fit in a corner cupboard 

The shortlist contained multiple products from Ninja, Instant and Tefal. All the products appeared well made, came in around the £100 mark, were well rated. They were also single basket units, so no way of cooking two different dishes at once. On the plus side, they were much more likely to fit in the cupboard (30cm wide vs 40cm+). Crucially they all had baskets 4.2L or larger, so enough space to cook decent portions. Recipes often recommend spacing out contents inside the basket hence capacity is key for even cooking. 

The combination of a good discount, the large 5.7L capacity and a clear front to the basket so you can check on the food inside without pulling out the basket won me over to the Instant Vortex Plus ClearCook. 

I’m enjoying the air fryer. I use it roughly once a week and it has encouraged me to try out new recipes and ideas. I do like fried food, but I don’t want to deep fat fry; for safety, convenience and health. The Instant Vortex has allowed me to indulge in new dishes, cooking them quickly and easily and getting crispier results. 

It’s also practical. It fits a good amount of food, more than enough for two people with left overs. However given how good some of the food is, left overs are often hard to come by. There are many settings you can use, I’ve not explored them all. Simple air frying is only couple of button pushes to set the temperature and the time. The clear front means you don’t have to stop the cooking process to check on progress, and you can tap a button to turn on a light for a better view inside.

Another nice touch is the countdown timer and progress bars along with the light automatically turning on for the last 60 seconds of the cooking process. I’m not sure this is a key benefit, but I certainly enjoy the excitement of dinner time building! 

My highlights would include Chinese and Thai dishes. Crispy shredded beef is incredible, lemon chicken or General Tso chicken are also now regulars on the menu. Another perhaps surprising highlight was falafel; a group of 4 of us managed to demolish 30 falafel balls in under half an hour. Having cooked all of these dishes without the air fryer previously, I can safely say they were much better, and quicker using the Instant Vortex. Oh and as advertised, chips are super tasty as well. 

Air Fryer Halloumi Recipe

A great snack or part of a bigger meal, halloumi is really simple to cook.

• Cut a block of halloumi into 1cm slices
• Air fry at 200°C for 8-12 minutes until brown

Air Fryer Fries Recipe

A great accompaniment to a meal, BBQ or for a treat. Feel free to mix up the coating.

• Peel and thinly slice potatoes aiming for fries about 1cm thick
• Place in a bowl or container and add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• Add coatings of your choice, perhaps salt and pepper or cajun
• Toss until you have an even coating on the fries
• Air fry at 200°C for 10-14 minutes, until golden and crispy. Make sure to only air fry a single layer at once for even cooking and better crispiness!

Air Fryer Chickpeas Recipe

A quick and simple snack, feel free to use your own seasonings.

1. Drain a can of chickpeas
2. Lightly coat in spray oil / olive oil
3. Season with salt, smocked paprika, curry powder or your own choice of seasoning
4. Air fry at 200°C for 8-10 minutes until golden brown

For my household an air fryer is a nice addition to encourage us to cook a broader range of dishes. Food is now crispy but not overcooked. It wasn’t a cheap purchase, and we put good thought into picking the Instant Vortex. Are we saving money versus a conventional oven? Probably, however for us this wasn’t an energy cost saving exercise.

I can safely say the addition of an air fryer was a good choice, and one I’d recommend for others, even if I’m not fully behind all the hype! You don’t have to spend too much to get a good product, and there are regularly offers bringing quality products well under the £100 mark.  

If you do decide to get an air fryer I recommend the Instant Vortex. Instant is a recognised kitchen brand offering a range of air fryers including dual zone if you want a larger cooking capacity to feed the whole family.