Full disclosure, I am not an appliances person. I grew up watching Food Network, specifically Alton Brown on Good Eats railing against “unitaskers.” I believe that everything in the kitchen can be done with the old-fashioned oven and stovetop. In fact, I didn’t even have a microwave until my place came with it. I used a French press for my coffee for the longest time, grinding each loving cup from scratch—but then I had kids and fast coffee tasted way better than no coffee. Enter the Keurig. I had already fallen from kitchen grace, so when I had the opportunity to try the fabled air fryer for free, I had to take it.
Convenient appliances are a slippery slope, but I have to admit, the Keurig changed my life, so maybe the air fryer could too. But what makes an appliance earn its keep? What allows it to take up space on the counter as a daily friend rather than an encroaching enemy? Before I even pushed the “on “button on the Ninja Air Fryer Max XL, I wanted to set some parameters. Here were my questions:
- Would it be easy to use?
- Would it make sense in my routine?
- Would it save me time?
I decided to use the air fryer for a week to make all the things I usually do to see if it was worth it. Here’s what happened along with some tips to help you figure out if this is the appliance for you. Plus, don’t miss I Tried Texas Roadhouse for the First Time Ever—Here’s What I Loved.
What I Loved
Welcome to reheating heaven.
For my first air fryer experience, I made the best chicken fingers on the planet—Bell & Evans—and reheated leftover french fries. I was surprised to see the package had air fryer instructions, which I always skipped over. Halfway through the cooking time, which was about ⅓ of the oven time, I tossed some fries over the chicken. And, oh my, everything was crunchy and the chicken fingers were juicy inside. Was this thing for real?
