Review: We tried 2 raved-about air fryers & here's what we think

Love all things fried and crispy? You may have considered getting an air fryer. Using a circulation of hot air, air fryers require zero or minimal oil to dish up crunchy chips, fried chicken, veggies, and lots more — not only is it healthier, but it also means less oil to mop up in the kitchen.

We try out the Ninja Foodi, which is a nifty multi-cooker, as well as Mayer’s popular Mistral 3.5L air fryer which has been given the cutest Disney spin.

Ninja Foodi Multi Cooker, $599

This multi-cooker promises the convenience of various cooking equipment in one – its functions includes Pressure Cooking, Slow Cooking, Rice Cooking, Steam, Sauté, Brown, Air Fry, Bake, Roast, and Grill.

With the cooker, you’ll get two lids (one attached), a large six-litre pot, a 3.2-litre removable frying basket, and a reversible rack.

Senior writer Michelle says,

“With all the hype surrounding the Ninja Foodi, I was pretty excited to try it out. First of all, it’s pretty bulky and will take up a substantial amount of space on your counter. But if you’re looking for an all-in-one gadget instead of several appliances, this does the job.

Secondly, the number of safety measures and instructions did seem daunting and there’ll be lots of referring to the manual. But once you’ve gotten the hang of it, it’s quite a breeze.

Air frying

At the time of writing, I’ve only tested out the Air Crisp (air frying), Pressure Cooking, Sauteing, and Grilling functions. For newbies to air frying, it can take a bit of guesswork. The instruction manual’s recommended time for air frying broccoli is 12 minutes, but it took about 7 minutes in real time – any longer and it would have charred.

My potato wedges, however, were crisped to perfection according to the time recommended. The good thing is, you can lift the lid of the air fryer whenever to check on its progress.”

Pressure cooking and grilling

“For first-timers like me, pressure cooking can be intimidating, with all the safety precautions to keep in mind. There’s also a separate lid that comes with a valve – do not put your hand above the valve when releasing since hot steam spurts out.

There are various easy-to-follow recipes in the guide that comes in the box, and more on Ninja Kitchen’s website. But if you have a recipe of your own, or are looking to tweak its original ones, expect a bit of trial and error.

I followed a beginner’s recipe for rice and grilled chicken that uses the Tendercrisp method (pressure cooking, followed by grilling for crisp skins and juicy insides) but tweaked it to cook spiced rice instead.

“First I sauteed onions and garlic in the pot using the Saute/Sear function – all you have to do is lift the crisping lid, push the right button, and use it as you would a regular pot or pan. Easy peasy and works perfectly well.

Then in went basmati rice, chicken broth, and spices. I followed the recipe for drumsticks to be placed on the reversible rack, as well as experimented with chicken breast pieces mixed with the rice.

After a mere two minutes in the pressure cooker, the rice and chicken bites turned out really well — fluffy, moist, and perfectly cooked. The drumsticks, however, needed a bit more cooking.

But after following it up with the Grill function (I switched to the crisping lid), while my drumsticks came well grilled, the rice was also scorched at the tops. Though that’s not a bad thing for fans of burnt rice bits.

My verdict? It takes a bit of experimenting and is certainly not the most affordable appliance but if you’re going to be using it regularly, it’s quite fool-proof once you’ve gotten acquainted with its functions and is certainly a time-saver. Plus, if you don’t already have other gadgets like a steamer, grill, or pressure cooker, this baby makes for a less cluttered kitchen and can cook up a entire meal on its own.”

Can’t wait to get yours? Get it at a special price of $399 (U.P $599) with the promo code  “SWWMAM” at the checkout page via this link.

Disney X Mayer Air Fryer MMAF8083 (3.5L), $98

Mayer’s popular Mistral air fryer model comes in the cutest Mickey and Minnie themes that’ll make the cutest addition to your countertop.

Part of the Mickey Heritage Collection, each comes with features like a 30-minute timer and a removable basket tray. The temperature can be adjusted between 80-200 degrees Celsius, and there’s also an automatic cut-off switch and overheating protection.

Editor Elizabeth Lee says,

“For some time, I’d been hesitant about introducing an air fryer into the kitchen because I much prefer steaming, blanching or grilling to frying. Needless to say, trying out the Mayer Air Fryer (MMAF8083) has been nothing short of surprising.

First, you hardly ever need to use actual oil when you air fry, so you get crispy bites that feel less guilty. The first dish I tried making was sweet potato fries, which was easy and fuss-free

(P.S. Just Google for recipes). After chopping the sweet potatoes up, they were lightly seasoned with paprika and in they went into the air fryer set at 190 deg celcius for 15 mins. At around the seven min mark, I opened the tray and gave the fries a nice toss. Once the timer went off, out came golden pieces of sweet potato fries – a perfect accompaniment with good ol’ burgers.”

“I’ve also learnt that the air fryer is great tool to have around when you want bread or pastries you bought the previous day to be crisp and warm. A method that has worked well for me:

Let the air fryer “pre-heat” for about two mins at 180 deg Celcius, toss in your pastry (I tried it with the croissant pictured), and leave it inside for about two minutes. My croissant came out warm and super flakey (in a good way) – as though it was freshly baked.”

“The best thing about this particular air fryer? It only has one main frying basket and tray that’s detachable and washable. This means no extra parts that need to be taken apart and scrubbed, or worst get lost. Clean-up is always easy and a breeze.”

Available on the Mayer E-store and Mayer showrooms, and on Mayer Official Stores on Marketplace Platforms. While stocks last.

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.