Air fryer shopping in 2024

Something like three years ago, we decided to get an air-fryer oven. We bought an Instant Pot brand device because it ticked all our boxes and we like the Instant Pot pressure cooker. It died after just one year. We replaced it and now the replacement is dying after only about two years. We've loved having one device that toasts, bakes, crisps, reheats pizza like a champ, dehydrates, warms, proofs, etc. So now, we're looking to replace it again but want to get something with better lasting power.

I've found a couple threads here with some good info, but they're dated in a quickly-evolving market:
https://permies.com/t/205215/Air-fryer-Good-Gimmick-save
https://permies.com/t/140455/air-fryer-cook

I often turn to Serious Eats as a source I trust and here's what they have to say: https://www.seriouseats.com/best-air-fryer-toaster-ovens-7229358 -- other sources seem to agree about the top end of the niche.

And so we're considering the Breville Joule. But it's a whole lotta money. We can afford this but don't want to waste the cost if it isn't worth it.

So I'm wondering what current experience people have with Breville and other high-quality air fryers. Any stories or suggestions?

Don't know which is my thread so I can't remember how hold this is.  

Use 5 to 10 times a week, still completely in love and replaces the oven 90 percent of the time. If a bit dirty.

I think that there are so many extra uses beyond air frying is why it’s working well for our style.

r ranson wrote:Don't know which is my thread so I can't remember how hold this is.

You reported on 04 December '22 that you got one. So the Ninja lasts at least 1.5 years.

Awesome.

I'm so happy ours fits our style of using the kitchen.  It's replaced the toaster, toaster oven, and one of the big ovens.  So much that we are considering big changes to the kitchen to make the space use more efficient.

Downside, too big and heavy to put away between uses so it takes a big chunk of counter space.

But if do a redesign, we might try something like a microwave nook,  but with more open space around it so the fan can be efficient.

I tried tucking our first one into a sort of large cubby and it ended up being too enclosed so now we have it on a steel table with open area around it.

There is no sign of anything wearing out on mine yet.  But the grease that gets on the inside is a challenge to clean and starting to smell at higher heat.

i bought a cheapie (Philco, a domestic brand here) and it has been a champ, I use the heck out of it. Wish I had bought an air fryer oven years before I did!!!

But the one thing I would change is, as R Ranson mentions--- get one with a drawer on the bottom that pulls out for cleaning. I kept up with it until suddenly one day it was out of control and beyond the point of no return. I bake cakes in it and also make Korean wings-- but that chicken fat is never coming out of it the oven floor now.

I have two air fryers.  One is a toaster oven style, and I don't like it.  It works just fine, but it's hard to clean the grease splatters from cooking meat (and that is just about all we do eat, as we are on carnivore for health reasons).  

The other air fryer is in a Ninja Foodi (an 8 qt. instantpot type thing).  This one doesn't work quite as well (it helps to turn things over halfway through cooking), but it is MUCH easier to clean.  I've had it less than a year, so am reluctant to give an opinion on longevity yet, however, I'm doing almost all of our cooking in it.  It is used every single day, often twice or three times.  I fry hamburgers, roast chicken, pressure cook a big roast, make meat stew, and just yesterday cooked a pork roast sous vide (and then roasted it). It will make yogurt or dehydrate food.  I am very happy with it.

I had a six quart instant pot for several years (no air fry feature).  It still worked fine when I got rid of it, but I didn't use it much because half the time when I wanted to pressure cook something, the lid wouldn't seal.  If you look at the reviews on Amazon, failure to seal is one of the top complaints for Instantpot.

I do have one other Ninja product, a blender that is around ten years old and still working fine, though I hardly ever use it now.  But I've been impressed the the quality of the Ninja brand so far.

Tereza Okava wrote:........-- but that chicken fat is never coming out of it the oven floor now.

Agree with this and other comments on the cleaning aspect of these ovens....*AND* the issues with carry-over tastes in some foods due to build-up of grease and oil.  When we air-fry items, we now only use one basket-tray combination that has been used from the beginning.  It gets cleaned once  about every 4-5 meals, but no amount of scrubbing will get rid of the build-up.  So for baking, I bought a second basket-tray combo that does NOT get used for air-frying.  Experience showed me that glass bakeware is better placed inside the basket and on a tray if placed in the lower rung of the oven (Cuisinart TOA60)....have broken Pyrex pie plates when I didn't have that barrier between the bottom heating element and the pie plate.  But with the right set up, bakes an amazing number of things without resorting to the main kitchen oven.  As r ranson noted, would almost like to get rid of big stove/oven in the kitchen but still use the stove-top a lot.

I have had a Breville Pro air fryer for several years (3 of them actually). About every two years something goes wrong. Generally Customer service will take care of it but this last time, it was the door just flopping down. They said they won't cover it and I would have to buy a new one. It worked fabulously until this happened. Apparently, if the door spring no longer works, the rest of the appliance won't work either. It basically needs to be taken napart and an O ring replaced. It is a cheap fix, just not easy for me. I just can't see spending the bucks to keep purchasing new ones- planned obscolescence, or some form of it.

John Weiland wrote:

Tereza Okava wrote:........-- but that chicken fat is never coming out of it the oven floor now.

Agree with this and other comments on the cleaning aspect of these ovens....*AND* the issues with carry-over tastes in some foods due to build-up of grease and oil.  When we air-fry items, we now only use one basket-tray combination that has been used from the beginning.  It gets cleaned once  about every 4-5 meals, but no amount of scrubbing will get rid of the build-up.  So for baking, I bought a second basket-tray combo that does NOT get used for air-frying.  Experience showed me that glass bakeware is better placed inside the basket and on a tray if placed in the lower rung of the oven (Cuisinart TOA60)....have broken Pyrex pie plates when I didn't have that barrier between the bottom heating element and the pie plate.  But with the right set up, bakes an amazing number of things without resorting to the main kitchen oven.  As r ranson noted, would almost like to get rid of big stove/oven in the kitchen but still use the stove-top a lot.

I actually have a nice gas range that I bought new just before covid started, so over 4 1/2 years ago, and it's still not hooked up -- I don't need it!  I am thinking that when my microwave dies, and the toaster oven/air fryer, I probably won't replace them, either.  I have a hot plate, an electric kettle for heating water, and the Ninja Foodi, and that's really all we need.  Of course, being on carnivore, I'm not doing any baked goods.  We do still eat small amounts of veggies once in a while, but don't need the range, toaster oven, or microwave for any of those.  If we have dessert at all (usually only when we have company), it's a bit of plain yogurt with some berries.  I need to figure out what to do with the unused range (I bought a cutting board that fits perfectly on top of it, for more counter space).

My wife found a Gourmia air fryer on the curb being tossed out by some departing college kids. Turned out it had a bad thermal switch which was easily replaced with a $5 part and 10 min of work using a YouTube video. These machines are incredibly simple so if one dies on you consider trying to fix it. Ours has been going strong for over a year. It’s on the smaller side like toaster ish.

Jon

Elissa Ward wrote:I have had a Breville Pro air fryer for several years (3 of them actually). About every two years something goes wrong. Generally Customer service will take care of it but this last time, it was the door just flopping down. They said they won't cover it and I would have to buy a new one. It worked fabulously until this happened. Apparently, if the door spring no longer works, the rest of the appliance won't work either. It basically needs to be taken napart and an O ring replaced. It is a cheap fix, just not easy for me. I just can't see spending the bucks to keep purchasing new ones- planned obscolescence, or some form of it.

So if you or hubby is handy enough to replace the O ring, might be a good buy?

Karen Lee Mack wrote:

Elissa Ward wrote:I have had a Breville Pro air fryer for several years (3 of them actually). About every two years something goes wrong. Generally Customer service will take care of it but this last time, it was the door just flopping down. They said they won't cover it and I would have to buy a new one. It worked fabulously until this happened. Apparently, if the door spring no longer works, the rest of the appliance won't work either. It basically needs to be taken napart and an O ring replaced. It is a cheap fix, just not easy for me. I just can't see spending the bucks to keep purchasing new ones- planned obscolescence, or some form of it.

So if you or hubby is handy enough to replace the O ring, might be a good buy?

Yes.

Units of the duo crisp instant pot air fryer are on fb marketplace like 60 dollars.  That could give you a replacement of the part that broke, and other replacement parts also.

It is always nice to have additional inners, and just be able to swap it out.  Then you'll have two baskets also, that you could just remove when one thing is done and drop in the other.  This simple change might improve efficiency and save money.

I am a big instant pot fan.  I have like five or six of them.  

To me, they are the perfect form factor for a food truck.  I have two of the regular units, one small one, one Maxx unit for high pressure canning, and my duo crisp air fryer.  

My choice would be to stay with a unit that you are familiar with, with the thought that 60 dollars should last two years.  

The instant pot air fryer is really nice at browning, as you can put things close to it.  This is not the case for many other air fryer units.