Cooking and energy use - best methods to reduce costs?

Mstty

Blondetotty said:

I have a ninja and I swear by it. I've got the 15 in 1 but it is a lot of money for the initial outlay.  That being said, it is saving me money, how much is dependent on the setting but I fear I'm sometimes taking it to extreme.  I pressure cooked boiled eggs this morning and given I had to make two batches because the first was overcooked, it was a lot of faffing around when it reality it would probably have been cheaper to cook on the gas hob in a saucepan of water!!!  

I do use it much more than my electric oven though and finding myself using pressure cooking a lot more.  I cook for two hungry adults and it's big enough for us.   The biggest surprise for me was home made chips.  Cheap potatoes chucked in and they're better than the £3 a bag gastro chips that I was paying out for and a lot healthier as well.  A whole chicken cooked in about 20 minutes using steam airfry while the roast potatoes cooked underneath saved an hour in the oven. 

I absolutely love my ninja but I know they're not for everyone and the initial expense can be off-putting (I paid in 5 interest free instalments on amazon)  

I think we will progress to a ninja.

We have just entered the air fry world with a small Tower model and at 2.2l and £31 on an Amazon deal it's been great for the bits we would put in the oven this time of year like Salmon fillets, chips, roast potatoes we even did a copy of the bang bang cauliflower dish last night which was delicious. This would pay for itself against our Neff fan assisted oven in about 60-70 uses being so cheap to start with.

The ninja would have to last quite a few years I suspect to pay for itself.

Northern_Wanderer

Blondetotty said:

I have a ninja and I swear by it. I've got the 15 in 1 but it is a lot of money for the initial outlay.  That being said, it is saving me money, how much is dependent on the setting but I fear I'm sometimes taking it to extreme.  I pressure cooked boiled eggs this morning and given I had to make two batches because the first was overcooked, it was a lot of faffing around when it reality it would probably have been cheaper to cook on the gas hob in a saucepan of water!!!  

I do use it much more than my electric oven though and finding myself using pressure cooking a lot more.  I cook for two hungry adults and it's big enough for us.   The biggest surprise for me was home made chips.  Cheap potatoes chucked in and they're better than the £3 a bag gastro chips that I was paying out for and a lot healthier as well.  A whole chicken cooked in about 20 minutes using steam airfry while the roast potatoes cooked underneath saved an hour in the oven. 

I absolutely love my ninja but I know they're not for everyone and the initial expense can be off-putting (I paid in 5 interest free instalments on amazon)  

Thank you. I found a youtube channel called The Salted Pepper, she does eggs in Ninja plus a lot of other things - I suppose we have to learn how to cook with it.

I don't mind the outlay as I need to replace my mini oven as it does my head in, plus I was considering an air fryer and slow cooker anyway. Mostly want to save on electric costs and have meals ready quicker.

Norman_Castle

I've started soaking pasta for a hour or two before cooking it. I tried this because I go camping and have a limited gas supply. I put cold water in a saucepan, add the pasta and a bit of oil then leave it to soak. I haven't tried different times and I often forget although when I forget I put the pasta into the cold water straight away rater than waiting for it to boil. If the pasta is soaked its softened and ready to eat almost as soon as the water boils. This saves leaving it simmering for 10+ minutes.

Biggest problem is remembering to do this hours before I plan to eat.

Chloe_G

Are the air fryers everyone's talking about different to my air fryer - a Tower smallish one? It cooks chips fine but I can't see that it would cook a joint of meat properly.  I did try warming up frozen sausage rolls in it and they took ages to cook through and didn''t taste great.

Mstty

Chloe_G said:

Are the air fryers everyone's talking about different to my air fryer - a Tower smallish one? It cooks chips fine but I can't see that it would cook a joint of meat properly.  I did try warming up frozen sausage rolls in it and they took ages to cook through and didn''t taste great.

The tower models generally are the starter range just an air fryer especially if yours is like ours just a small £31 2.2l one just to test out whether we like it and will use one etc.

Must admit so far so good, read some reviews and turned it down (beta wise) otherwise it will cook the outside before the middle of foods. But that's a good thing to a lower temp is less energy.

Mostly used for fresh salmon fillets, roasting up pre cooked potatoes, some bang bang cauliflower this week was good and Quorn frozen bits and bobs. Reheating croissants in 2 mins is good as well and smells lovely.

Saving a lot on this little thing over putting the oven on.

Chloe_G

Maybe I should have turned the temp down and, as you say, the outside of my sausage rolls were cooked, but not the inside.  I want to try baking a cake in it but think I need to get a special cake tin.

elsien

Northern_Wanderer said:

Thanks for the comments so far.

The Ninja Foodi does look quite big, but I'm very tempted because it has air fryer/ steam/ slow/ pressure cooker in one. I'm not sure which size to go for as it's just 2 of us but I do tend to cook more than needed and freeze it. There's a 11-in-1 6L 1460W and a 14-in-1 7.5L 1760W (which is cheaper on offer just now) - anyone using either of these? Is it going to cost a lot more to run the 7.5L?

Sibling has one. Got a lot of use to start with but then he reverted back to his normal style of cooking so now it’s an expensive kitchen ornament. I think you’d have to keep it out and make a conscious use of all the functions for it to be  worthwhile. 

Mstty

I think if you don't commit to it and learn as you go you will easily give up and revert to the big oven.

I can see how people would be put off air fryers because cooking times printed on food don't account for the air fryer speed and that means it's a bit trial and error especially with the lower cost models.

Most will burn things and then not use it again.

LindsayT

Someone I know bought an air fryer, cooked chips in it once and didn't like them for some reason, so she didn't use it again. I asked if I could borrow it to try as I was wondering whether to get one. I've got it now, it's a Tower 1.6 litre and is supposed to be okay for one person. Today, I'm having a breaded chicken thigh and 3 spring rolls. Obviously, the chicken thigh will take longer than the spring rolls but do I cook the thigh and rolls separately or put the thigh on the grill plate and spring rolls underneath?. Sorry if the question sounds stupid but I am completely new to this way of cooking and didn't know where else to ask.

wild666

Blondetotty said:

I absolutely love my ninja but I know they're not for everyone and the initial expense can be off-putting (I paid in 5 interest free instalments on amazon)  

I've just purchased the Ninja air fryer pressure cooker and am paying over 5 months, I expect it to be as good as the reviews say for the £190 I'm paying. I expect my cooker to become redundant and even the microwave will be used less as I only used it to heat rice and jacket potato's.
I was thinking of upgrading my cooker to induction but I don't think I will need too now as the other methods I used to cook by will mainly be done by the air fryer and my 6L pressure cooker will become redundant in favour of the air fryer pressure cooker lid option the fryer.