Alternatives to the traditional oven

stevetiler

stevetiler

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Steve
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Hi all ,
With the cost of energy me and my wife have been looking at these new fangled air/pressure cooking machines , there is only the two of us now and it seems crazy to heat up the oven to cook a chicken breast and such ! Was wondering if any people here have gone down the same route and was looking for advice/opinions on this type of cooking This is the type of machine we are looking at .
Thanks in advance
 
I've had one of these for a while now.

Deal of the day: Instant Pot Pro Crisp 11-in-1 Electric Multi Cooker - Pressure Cooker, Air Fryer, Slow Cooker, Steamer, Griller, Dehydrator and Sous Vide Machine -Black Stainless Steel, 1500 W, 7.6L https://amzn.eu/59F7ZKA

I chose this over the one you linked because it had sous vide as well, and the stainless pot rather than a nonstick one.
It's great for small amounts it cooks really quickly.

We also don't use a full size oven at all we have a fancy Panasonic microwave oven that we use mostly between that and the Instant Pot Pro Crisp it's been fine. That's for a family of four.
 
Overall if your goal is to save money microwave is the most efficient way of heating food, I think slow cookers are good as well.
User pressure where possible.
If you do want oven, then use as small an appliance as possible such as an air fryer.

Worth batch cooking as well if you can, got the oven on, put some jacket potatoes in as well for another day then they just need warning up in the microwave.
 
A standard pressure cooker is much cheaper but clearly can't do frying. However, it cuts the cooking time down a lot.

We also have a slow cooker which is handy. Again it can't do everything but it is handy, especially for anyone who is on Economy 7.


Dave
 
I have both a halogen oven and an air fryer. The halogen for bigger things and the air fryer because sometimes even the halogen is too big.
 
We have a combination microwave,oven, grill and micro.we have not used the big oven for ages.
The jury is still out on an air fryer
 
robj20 said:
I've had one of these for a while now.

Deal of the day: Instant Pot Pro Crisp 11-in-1 Electric Multi Cooker - Pressure Cooker, Air Fryer, Slow Cooker, Steamer, Griller, Dehydrator and Sous Vide Machine -Black Stainless Steel, 1500 W, 7.6L https://amzn.eu/59F7ZKA

I chose this over the one you linked because it had sous vide as well, and the stainless pot rather than a nonstick one.
It's great for small amounts it cooks really quickly.

We also don't use a full size oven at all we have a fancy Panasonic microwave oven that we use mostly between that and the Instant Pot Pro Crisp it's been fine. That's for a family of four.
Click to expand...

Instant pot are masters of the upgrade. 11 "basic" functions but missing the one you really want :)

Since I'm not even sure you can sous vide vegetables we got this one https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08VNPVFWW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1. I notice that if you want the bigger one you don't get the stainless steel pot. But for just a small upgrade......

Small one is plenty for the 2 of us. Yesterday we made 8 portions of curry with "spare" courgettes and some carlin peas. They will go in the freezer so we can nuke them at our leisure. We got the air fryer lid because the one we wanted had it but actually use it more than we thoguht we would.
 
We have a Cosori Air Fryer from Amazon, use it lots for chips, croquettes sausages, bratwurst, bacon and chicken.
Just like a little fan oven really, but heats up and cooks quicker, also nice that the fat drips down into the pan.
 
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I gave up with an air-fryer - all hype and no result IMO and a right royal PITA to clean.

You can't beat a combination microwave in my book. I've had just a microwave in recent years, but will probably be getting another combi again soon.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Instant pot are masters of the upgrade. 11 "basic" functions but missing the one you really want :)

Since I'm not even sure you can sous vide vegetables we got this one https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08VNPVFWW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1. I notice that if you want the bigger one you don't get the stainless steel pot. But for just a small upgrade......

Small one is plenty for the 2 of us. Yesterday we made 8 portions of curry with "spare" courgettes and some carlin peas. They will go in the freezer so we can nuke them at our leisure. We got the air fryer lid because the one we wanted had it but actually use it more than we thoguht we would.
Click to expand...
Go on then what's it missing?
 
We've got a Ninja Foodi Max Health grill - brilliant gadget. Has a temp probe to make sure meat is cooked to correct/safe temp, frys chips perfectly etc. Not a cheap bit of kit, but onsale at Amazon quite often, and takes a fair bit of worktop space but we wouldn't be without ours.
 
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I'm pleased for you, mine was a pig. I was glad to see the back of it - it went in the bin 'cos I couldn't give it away . . .
 
got air fryer she uses that a lot , couple of slow cookers different sizes . a microwave with built in oven for camping virtually unused , also one of them tapaki grill plates as yet unused .. I would say the normal microwave and air fryer get most use .. but if it happens that theres four for dinner the cheapest option is the Chinese takeaway
 
No chance in hell I will be experimenting with my food and health in microwave. They are great for chemical reactions that don't work under normal heating. Best of luck if you try it!

Plan is to protest, cook steaks as they take less time, or fill oven with multiple items such as bread, cake, roast etc all at once. And protest / boycott some more dontpay.uk till these greedy parasites back down or go down
 
tijuana taxi said:
Until they either cut you off or force you onto an even more expensive prepayment meter

Good plan
Click to expand...
It needs to be done by millions to have any chance of success. If we don't next autumn none of you will afford any energy at all (how does £10k sound?).
I'm formulating emergency escape plans if things get as bad as they proclaim so prepayment meter seems unlikely in my case, or it would be the least of my worries in any case.
 
JonathanRyan said:
There's no button to cook rice :( My s-i-l has one with a rice button but she didn't get an air fryer top :)
Click to expand...
Pressure, low for 5 minutes isn't it.
I have a rice cooker which does rice far better than any pressure cooker I have ever had.
 
Steep said:
I have both a halogen oven and an air fryer. The halogen for bigger things and the air fryer because sometimes even the halogen is too big.
Click to expand...
+1 for the halogen oven. I've even cooked a small turkey in one. An extention ring and spatter guard is recommended to keep the halogen element clean, my first oven lasted less than a year because of accumulated fat (purchased secondhand).
You also have to get used to the element switching itself off when cooking temperature is reached
 
tijuana taxi said:
Until they either cut you off or force you onto an even more expensive prepayment meter

Good plan
Click to expand...

LongLensPhotography said:
It needs to be done by millions to have any chance of success. If we don't next autumn none of you will afford any energy at all (how does £10k sound?).
I'm formulating emergency escape plans if things get as bad as they proclaim so prepayment meter seems unlikely in my case, or it would be the least of my worries in any case.
Click to expand...


How can such an innocuous thread title and question be turned into a potentially venomous debate?

Stop it! :police:
 
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