People should learn to use the things they most probably already have in their kitchen.
slow cooker is just a tiny pot shaped low temperature oven with a timer
Air fryer is a tiny oven with a fan
Why do people get so hyped about a smaller and more limited version of the thing they already have? Just use your oven which most likely already has all these features. I haven’t seen an electric oven without a fan or without a timer in my lifetime
That your oven is heating slow is a flaw of your oven. You can get half height convection ovens who heat up much faster and have all the benefits of a normal oven but the convection works just as well like in an air fryer. some even have microwave functions so you save another device.
And I guess your oven is also full size so that’s not the type of oven I’m talking about. There are one 2/3 of the height and have basically zero heat up time like an air fryer. I value my time and kitchen real estate so if I can have something that does both I will always choose that
I have a full size convection oven. I also have a really fancy countertop convection oven I got last year for like $120. I rarely use the regular oven anymore.
Why?
For one thing my full size oven is gas, and I’d rather use electric. My stove and furnace are the only gas appliances I have, but I try to run them as little as possible. For another, I live alone and often cook smaller portions. I don’t need to heat up that much oven for just a burrito or whatever, that’s wasteful.
And finally, my countertop convection oven has a suite of settings and features my standing oven can’t remotely compete with, and it can still cook something the size of whole chicken/roast and a side dish, just like my big oven. For example it has a meat probe that automatically shuts off the heating element when the internal temp reaches whatever it needs to be for the meat type and cook level you want. Perfect every time, no hassle, no guesswork, no adhd memory wipe leading to overcooked food. It also has a bunch of preset modes, and any changes I make to them get saved in the memory until I change or reset them, so when I find something cooks better at a different temp or time I can just save that on a setting I don’t use, and have to ready for next time.
It’s not that I don’t know how to use my oven. I do. I bought it myself 12 years ago and know exactly what it’s capable of with its luxurious 6 buttons and basic features. That’s why I wanted the countertop model.
My slow cooker is the same sort of thing - it’s an 8-in-1 pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, etc. it does a lot of things and I use it frequently. It’s worth the hype.
I’m not knowledgeable about air fryers, so I can’t really comment there, but slow cookers / crock pots are fantastic and in my opinion, should be in everyone’s kitchen. Maybe I’m biased, though, because I really like soups and stews and sauces and things, which they’re great for. Not things you’d cook in an oven, and my stovetop at least doesn’t have any kind of timer mechanism.
You can make stews, soups and other things one would use a slow cooker for by taking a stainless steel or some other not-made-of-plastic pot and sticking it in the oven
Why do people get so hyped about a smaller and more limited specialized version of the thing they already have?
Because they’re better and/or easier to do specific things with.
I haven’t seen an electric oven without a fan or without a timer in my lifetime
I’m 42 and have never had one WITH a timer, but congratulations, I guess 🤷
Fact is that some of us lack certain resources such as energy, attention stamina, or time to make everything using standard equipment.
I for one know I’d never get my super healthy post-workout smoothie made without my nutribullet, or eat much cauliflower and skinless chicken breast (when I can afford it) without my air fryer.
In my experience, it is not an issue. I turn the oven on when I want to start cooking and only then start gathering the items. By the time I want to stick something in the oven, it is already hot. Doesn’t work with frozen pizza tho
I find that my air fryer leaves things much crisper than a regular oven, even one with a fan (which my current one doesn’t have and I’m not replacing right now because I want to redo the entire soviet era kitchen with modern furniture and integrated appliances). It also heats up to 200 degrees in under a minute vs nearly 10 minutes for the big oven.
It was a great convenience buy. I barely use the big oven now, only for things that don’t fit in the air fryer. And for some things I use the wood-powered oven instead.
Rant about kitchen appliances:
People should learn to use the things they most probably already have in their kitchen.
slow cooker is just a tiny pot shaped low temperature oven with a timer
Air fryer is a tiny oven with a fan
Why do people get so hyped about a smaller and more limited version of the thing they already have? Just use your oven which most likely already has all these features. I haven’t seen an electric oven without a fan or without a timer in my lifetime
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That your oven is heating slow is a flaw of your oven. You can get half height convection ovens who heat up much faster and have all the benefits of a normal oven but the convection works just as well like in an air fryer. some even have microwave functions so you save another device.
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And I guess your oven is also full size so that’s not the type of oven I’m talking about. There are one 2/3 of the height and have basically zero heat up time like an air fryer. I value my time and kitchen real estate so if I can have something that does both I will always choose that
deleted by creator
I have a full size convection oven. I also have a really fancy countertop convection oven I got last year for like $120. I rarely use the regular oven anymore.
Why?
For one thing my full size oven is gas, and I’d rather use electric. My stove and furnace are the only gas appliances I have, but I try to run them as little as possible. For another, I live alone and often cook smaller portions. I don’t need to heat up that much oven for just a burrito or whatever, that’s wasteful.
And finally, my countertop convection oven has a suite of settings and features my standing oven can’t remotely compete with, and it can still cook something the size of whole chicken/roast and a side dish, just like my big oven. For example it has a meat probe that automatically shuts off the heating element when the internal temp reaches whatever it needs to be for the meat type and cook level you want. Perfect every time, no hassle, no guesswork, no adhd memory wipe leading to overcooked food. It also has a bunch of preset modes, and any changes I make to them get saved in the memory until I change or reset them, so when I find something cooks better at a different temp or time I can just save that on a setting I don’t use, and have to ready for next time.
It’s not that I don’t know how to use my oven. I do. I bought it myself 12 years ago and know exactly what it’s capable of with its luxurious 6 buttons and basic features. That’s why I wanted the countertop model.
My slow cooker is the same sort of thing - it’s an 8-in-1 pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, etc. it does a lot of things and I use it frequently. It’s worth the hype.
I’m not knowledgeable about air fryers, so I can’t really comment there, but slow cookers / crock pots are fantastic and in my opinion, should be in everyone’s kitchen. Maybe I’m biased, though, because I really like soups and stews and sauces and things, which they’re great for. Not things you’d cook in an oven, and my stovetop at least doesn’t have any kind of timer mechanism.
You can make stews, soups and other things one would use a slow cooker for by taking a stainless steel or some other not-made-of-plastic pot and sticking it in the oven
Because they’re better and/or easier to do specific things with.
I’m 42 and have never had one WITH a timer, but congratulations, I guess 🤷
Fact is that some of us lack certain resources such as energy, attention stamina, or time to make everything using standard equipment.
I for one know I’d never get my super healthy post-workout smoothie made without my nutribullet, or eat much cauliflower and skinless chicken breast (when I can afford it) without my air fryer.
Alright, now you tell me how I’m supposed to put a fan of my oven and how I’m supposed to make it preheat 10 times faster.
If you don’t have an oven with a fan/convection, then sure, get an additional appliance.
And the second thing?
In my experience, it is not an issue. I turn the oven on when I want to start cooking and only then start gathering the items. By the time I want to stick something in the oven, it is already hot. Doesn’t work with frozen pizza tho
I find that my air fryer leaves things much crisper than a regular oven, even one with a fan (which my current one doesn’t have and I’m not replacing right now because I want to redo the entire soviet era kitchen with modern furniture and integrated appliances). It also heats up to 200 degrees in under a minute vs nearly 10 minutes for the big oven.
It was a great convenience buy. I barely use the big oven now, only for things that don’t fit in the air fryer. And for some things I use the wood-powered oven instead.