Did I fall for the air fryer fad?

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I've wanted an air fryer for almost a year now. I finally shelled out for the Ninja 400 despite my wife saying it looks too bulky and will just be a fad.
I've used it twice now, and I think I might have to swallow my pride and tell my wife she was right.
Pros:
- Cooks quicker than the oven and doesn't need to warm up
- Food is crispier
Cons:
- Have to shake every 5 mins
- Two huge baskets to clean by hand afterwards, versus just chucking foil in the bin and putting oven tray in the dishwasher. This seems to completely negate any time saved cooking
- The kitchen cupboard door/unit above the fryer was saturated with condensation after using it. This was with two windows, the extractor fan on and the air fryer pulled out away from the wall. I'm thinking this will cause the cupboard door above to delaminate fast
Do I need to give it a bit more time or did I fall for all the hype?
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I have a 6.5l Uten Air fryer that cost £60 and I use it every day (sometimes twice a day). I only ever shake it if the basket is full. Even then it's only once. It sits on an open space on the countertop so not beneath any cabinets (I imagine the ninja is more difficult to find space for). And cleaning the basket is far easier than cleaning the oven!
I cooked a whole chicken in it for the first time the other week - as it's a pressure cooker as well - it was used on that mode first, and then the air fry grill - very moist chicken, well cooked, with a crispy skin. So far I can't say I've seen any downsides. Location wise - you'll have to think about where to put it so that it's not under a cupboard if possible. They use a lot less power than an oven, so you could get yourself a nice block of marble or something to put onto your hob, place it on top (under the extractor) and then use a short, decent quality power extension to reach the nearest socket. (Making sure that if it's on a reel it's fully unwound).
pre covid it gave up the ghost so we bought a large Ninja air fryer/health grill. large square surface so food can be spread and no shaking required. we really use it every day and the main oven rarely goes on. we line the base pan with foil which gets changed every few days and bought an extra inner pan so we swap them in and out of the dishwasher
Atkins since 2004 - 8 stone loss maintaining
Fad ? No,you either bought the wrong one or aren't using it to it's fullest.
I'd recommend the twin drawer Sur la table to anyone in the market for one.....I wouldn't recommend a single drawer air fryer at all
We went for a small mid-range Tefal thou, as its just for two of us, and if we were going to shell out for a Ninja we would have just bought a new oven instead.
We are happy with it, although it is LOUD!
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