The air fryer on my counter has a dent on one side and the sticker is peeling off the handle. It has been there for three years and makes a humming sound like a loyal pet that is a bit noisy. I use it for frozen fries & chicken on weeknights and for reheating pizza slices that taste better than delivery pizza. It has handled all of these foods without any problems.
I was skeptical when my friend showed up at my door carrying a box about the size of a small microwave. He set it down on my kitchen counter & made a bold claim that I would never use my air fryer again once I tried this new appliance. At first I thought he was exaggerating. I had been using my air fryer regularly for months & was pretty satisfied with the results. It made decent chicken wings and crispy vegetables without much effort. But my friend seemed confident about this mystery device. He opened the box and pulled out what looked like a compact countertop oven. It had a sleek design with a glass door and digital controls on the front panel. The brand name was unfamiliar to me but the build quality seemed solid. My friend explained that this was a combination appliance that could air fry and do several other cooking methods all in one unit. I watched as he plugged it in and started demonstrating the different functions. The interface was straightforward & easy to navigate. He showed me how it could bake, roast, broil, dehydrate & air fry. The temperature range was impressive and it seemed to heat up faster than my regular oven. To prove his point he decided to cook the same batch of frozen french fries in both appliances. He set identical temperatures and times on each device. I stood there watching both machines work simultaneously. The new appliance finished slightly faster and when we compared the results the difference was noticeable. The fries from the new machine were crispier on the outside and fluffier on the inside. Over the next few weeks I found myself reaching for the combination appliance more often than my dedicated air fryer. It took up about the same amount of counter space but offered more versatility. I could cook a whole chicken bake cookies, or make jerky in addition to air frying. The larger capacity meant I could prepare food for my entire family in one batch instead of cooking multiple rounds. My friend was right about his prediction. The air fryer gradually moved to the back of my cabinet while the new appliance earned a permanent spot on my counter.
She was not completely joking about it. That moment made me understand something that felt a bit awkward. The air fryer that seemed like a revolutionary device just a few years earlier now appeared quite basic.
From single-use star to crowded countertop
The first air fryers seemed almost magical. They used less oil and created less mess while making food crispy whenever you wanted it. For people managing jobs and children and takeout orders while trying to eat healthier, these devices felt like a small miracle wrapped in plastic. They changed how many households approached cooking. Instead of heating up an entire oven or dealing with pots of hot oil, you could toss frozen items or fresh ingredients into a compact machine & get decent results in minutes. The appeal was straightforward and practical. Air fryers became popular because they solved real problems. They fit on countertops in small kitchens. They preheated quickly. They made vegetables taste better to picky eaters and turned leftovers into something worth eating again. The technology was not revolutionary but the convenience was genuine. People who never considered themselves cooks started experimenting. The barrier to entry was low. You could start with frozen fries & eventually work up to salmon or roasted chickpeas. The learning curve was gentle and the failures were rarely catastrophic. These machines also arrived at the right cultural moment. Health consciousness was rising but so was exhaustion. People wanted to feel good about their food choices without spending hours in the kitchen. Air fryers offered a compromise that felt achievable rather than aspirational. The design was simple enough that it became approachable. Unlike complicated kitchen gadgets that required manuals & YouTube tutorials air fryers had intuitive controls. Set the temperature and timer & walk away. That simplicity made them accessible to different generations and skill levels.
Now the kitchen looks different. Counters are filled with gadgets like air fryers & slow cookers and rice cookers & toasters & blenders and bread makers. There is one device for every craving but no space left for chopping a carrot. A new all-in-one machine arrives in the middle of that chaos and quietly asks why you are keeping all of these.
Picture this scene. A compact device about the size of a large bread maker but stacked with nine modes: air fry, steam pressure cook, slow cook, bake, sauté, grill reheat & even sous-vide. One lid and one pot with one control panel that looks like a car dashboard but kinder. This machine sits on your counter & handles nearly every cooking method you might need. The design keeps things simple with a single cooking pot that works for all nine functions. You don’t need to swap out different containers or attachments for different cooking styles. The control panel displays all your options clearly without overwhelming you. Each button corresponds to a specific cooking mode. You select what you want and the machine adjusts its settings accordingly. The size makes it practical for most kitchens. It takes up about as much space as a standard bread maker but replaces multiple appliances. You can air fry chicken, steam vegetables, pressure cook beans slow cook stews, bake bread, sauté onions, grill meat, reheat leftovers or sous-vide steaks all with the same device. The single lid design means less clutter & fewer parts to clean or store. Everything stays contained in one unit. This approach to kitchen equipment focuses on efficiency and simplicity rather than complicated setups with multiple pieces.
You place salmon fillets on a small rack & pour some water underneath. Then you press the steam and air crisp button. Twenty minutes later the fish comes out juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. You do not need a pan or oil that splatters everywhere. You also skip preheating the oven for thirty minutes. This time you only need one appliance instead of three devices competing for the same outlet.
This development represents more than just another gadget for cooking enthusiasts. It marks the gradual decline of the air fryer as a standalone appliance. When one device can handle cooking rice and pressure-cooking chickpeas while also grilling vegetables and reheating leftovers without making them dry and it still manages to produce traditional air-fried potatoes, the old machine that only handles fries and nuggets suddenly seems outdated.
Brands understand this shift. Modern marketing has moved beyond simply advertising “crispy without oil” as the main selling point. Now the focus is on practical benefits like one-pot dinners and stackable cooking options and set-and-forget convenience. The message is no longer just about achieving crunch. It’s about giving people back their time and keeping their kitchen counters clear of clutter.
Nine modes, one pot, and a quiet shift in habits
The main advantage of these multi-function cookers is how they combine different cooking methods. You can begin by sautéing onions in the pot and then add lentils and stock. After that you pressure cook everything for ten minutes & finish by using the grill function to brown a cheesy topping. This means you only need one bowl and one spoon without leaving any pans to soak in the sink overnight.
This approach transforms how you handle weeknight dinners. Rather than asking yourself what you can toss in the air fryer you start thinking about what ingredients you can stack in a pot so your meal practically makes itself. It converts the cooking process into a few simple taps on your phone instead of juggling multiple burners at the same time. You get less chaos and much better control over everything.
On an ordinary Tuesday evening in a modest apartment a couple arrives home late feeling hungry & a bit irritable. Following their usual pattern they would normally throw frozen food into the air fryer and consider dinner done while feeling somewhat guilty afterward. This time they put rice & water in the bottom section of the pot & arrange a tray of seasoned chicken thighs with broccoli on the rack above it. They select a two-stage cooking program that steams first and then air fries.
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The machine cooks the rice slowly on the bottom while it steams the vegetables and meat at the same time. Then it uses dry heat at the end to make the skin crispy. After twenty-five minutes you have a complete meal that looks like it took real effort. An air fryer by itself cannot handle all those different cooking steps. This appliance is not just speeding up one task but managing multiple cooking processes together.
The practical benefits are significant. You no longer have to juggle three different cooking times in your mind for the roast in the oven and the sauce on the stove and the side dish in a pot. The appliance functions as an assistant chef that manages temperature and moisture levels. This represents the understated innovation concealed within those nine small symbols on the control interface.
The learning curve exists and you will notice it right away. The menus and presets and multiple steps make the experience feel similar to programming a washing machine when you first start. Your brain has already developed the skills needed for this type of interface through years of using phones and apps. After you make the same recipes a few times your muscle memory takes over. The nine modes transform from being just features on a list. They become part of your regular cooking routine and feel natural to use.
How to actually use all nine modes without going crazy
The key is to stop thinking of the device as just a machine and instead view it as different temperature zones. Consider three basic cooking methods: moist heat dry heat, & low heat. Moist heat includes steam & pressure cooking. Dry heat covers air frying baking, and grilling. Low heat is for slow cooking, reheating, and sous-vide.
You do not need to learn everything right away. Begin with recipes that have two steps. Try this: pressure cook beans for fifteen minutes and then open the lid. Add oil and breadcrumbs & finish cooking on the grill setting. Another option is to steam chicken first and then switch to air fry mode to make the skin crispy. When these combinations become familiar the rest is simply different versions of the same process.
Most people fall into the same trap they had with the air fryer by using only one or two modes forever. We have all been there in that moment when you buy a smart device and end up stuck on the single big button in the middle. The same risk lives here. Many users make the same mistake with new kitchen appliances that they made with their air fryers. They find one or two settings that work and never explore the other features. This happens all the time when someone buys a smart device. They locate the main button in the center & never venture beyond it. This appliance faces the same problem. People tend to stick with what feels comfortable and familiar. When they get a new gadget they often ignore most of its capabilities. The air fryer taught us this lesson already. People bought them thinking they would revolutionize their cooking but ended up using just the basic functions. The same pattern repeats itself with almost every multipurpose kitchen tool that hits the market. This device is no different from others in that regard. It offers multiple cooking modes and settings but most owners will probably use only their favorite one or two options. The other features will sit unused even though they could make cooking easier or produce better results. Breaking out of this habit requires conscious effort & willingness to experiment.
Let’s be real here. Nobody actually reads through all those recipe settings every day. You just figure out what works for you. Pick three combinations that you use most often. Maybe you like pressure cooking followed by grilling for your stews. Perhaps you prefer steaming & then air frying when you cook chicken or fish. And you probably use the reheat function for yesterday’s dinner. Just make those your go-to options & build them into your regular cooking habits. Everything else can wait. You can explore the other features whenever you feel like it. There’s no need to stress about using every single button just because you spent money on the appliance. That kind of thinking only makes cooking feel like a chore instead of something practical. The machine is there to make your life easier. It should fit into your schedule naturally without adding pressure to learn everything at once. Most people find that they settle into a pattern after the first few weeks. You start recognizing which settings actually save you time & which ones you can ignore. The manual might list twenty different functions but you’ll probably only care about five or six of them. That’s completely normal & there’s nothing wrong with it. The key is starting simple and staying consistent. Once those basic combinations become second nature you might get curious about trying something new. Or you might not. Either way you’re still getting value from the appliance because it’s doing the jobs you actually need done. That’s what matters in the end.
“People come in saying they bought a nine-in-one cooker and only use it to reheat fries” laughs Sophie a home economist who tests appliances for a living. “Once I show them how to stack rice, veg & meat in one go you can literally see their shoulders drop. It’s not the gadget that was complicated. It’s our habits that were stuck in air fryer mode.”
- Start with one-pot full meals – rice or grains at the bottom, vegetables and protein on a rack, ending with a crisping cycle.
- Use steam and sous-vide for delicate foods like fish or chicken breast, then finish with a quick grill for colour.
- Reserve classic air fry for snacks and quick sides, not your main dinners.
- Keep a tiny notebook or phone note of your favourite timings so you don’t rely on guesswork every time.
- Accept a few imperfect attempts; this device rewards repetition, not perfection on day one.
A farewell to the solo air fryer – and what replaces it
The air fryer is not going away anytime soon. It will continue to occupy counter space in millions of homes and handle frozen foods and quick evening meals. However its status as the champion of simple cooking is declining. When a single appliance can perform nine different cooking functions without making a fuss about it the older devices that only do one thing begin to seem unnecessarily large even when they have a compact design. People are not throwing out their air fryers in protest or declaring them obsolete. These machines still work perfectly well for what they were designed to do. They crisp up french fries and chicken wings with minimal oil. They reheat leftovers better than a microwave. They cook a quick salmon fillet on a busy weeknight. For these specific tasks they remain useful & efficient. The shift happening now is more subtle than a dramatic replacement. Home cooks are simply noticing that newer kitchen technology can replicate the air fryer’s main talent while also handling many other cooking methods. This realization does not make the air fryer bad or worthless. It just means the appliance is no longer the most versatile option available. The appeal of the air fryer was always its simplicity. You put food in a basket & hot air circulates around it to create a crispy exterior. No preheating a large oven. No dealing with splattering oil on the stovetop. The process was straightforward and the results were consistently good enough for everyday cooking. But that same simplicity becomes a limitation when you want to do something beyond crisping. The air fryer cannot slow cook a stew. It cannot pressure cook beans. It cannot sauté vegetables before adding liquid. It does one thing well and nothing else at all.
Some people will keep both appliances for a while. Others will feel surprisingly relieved when they donate the old fryer and get back some counter space. This is not just about technology. It is about how we imagine our evenings with less juggling and more breathing room and fewer cords and baskets & pans to wash.
| Key point | Detail | Value for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-mode flexibility | Nine cooking methods in a single device (from steam to grill) | Replaces several appliances, saves money and space |
| Stacked, one-pot meals | Cook grains, protein, and vegetables together in stages | Reduces dishes, shortens prep time, still feels “home-cooked” |
| Gentle learning curve | Start with 2–3 favourite mode combinations, expand slowly | Low stress, higher chances of actually using all the features |
FAQ:
- Question 1Does an all‑in‑one cooker really replace my air fryer?
- Answer 1
- Question 2Will food still be as crispy as in a classic air fryer?
- Answer 2
- Question 3Is it worth upgrading if I mostly cook for one person?
- Answer 3
- Question 4Does a nine‑in‑one device use a lot more energy?
- Answer 4
- Question 5What should I cook first to get used to all the modes?
- Answer 5
