Vent: That flash-in-the-pan air fryer craze I laughed at back in 2018

I remember telling my buddy Dave that the air fryer was just a tiny convection oven for people who fell for gadget marketing. Then last Thanksgiving, I had to make a backup batch of frozen fries after I dropped the first tray on the floor. I figured I'd try Dave's air fryer just to see, and those fries came out crispy in 12 minutes flat. No preheating, no soggy bottom, no grease splatter on my stove. Now it sits on my counter six months later and I use it for chicken thighs at least twice a week. I still won't call myself a convert, but I haven't touched my deep fryer since. Has anyone else had a kitchen tool they totally dismissed that ended up surprising them?

3 comments

3 Comments

robert_lopez6414d ago

Actually it's just a small convection oven, you're right. But the real trick is the basket shape lets air hit all the sides, which my big toaster oven can't do as well with frozen stuff.

the_eva13d ago

500 frozen pizzas tested @robert_lopez64? It's an oven, not a life hack.

diana_black10d ago

The 500 number is a bit of a stretch honestly (I mean, who has that kind of freezer space?). Most of those convection ovens can't hold more than maybe 10-12 pizzas at a time if you're doing small ones, so that's a lot of batches. The basket shape does help with airflow though, air fryers work the same way with their little mesh trays.