The air fryer on the counter was still warm when Sophie unplugged it and sighed. Four years of loyal service, fries for the kids, late-night chicken wings, all done in that humming little box. Yet tonight, it felt strangely… limited.
On the other side of the worktop, a brand-new silver machine sat like a spaceship: one dial, a glass door, a row of icons promising roasting, grilling, steaming, baking, dehydrating, reheating, proofing, slow cooking, and yes, air frying. Nine modes in one chunky gadget.
She opened the door, slid in a tray of veggies, hit “steam + roast”, and watched the cloud of vapor rise behind the glass. Twenty minutes later the peppers were soft inside, charred outside, not the usual dry “diet fries” texture.
Her air fryer suddenly looked very 2020.
From one-trick fryer to 9-in-1 kitchen workhorse
Air fryers had their big moment. They were the heroes of weeknight fake-fry dinners, the saviors of soggy frozen nuggets, the excuse to say “we’re eating healthier” while still crunching on loaded fries.
Then reality hit: they fry well, reheat decently, and that’s basically it. The basket is small, the smell sticks around, and half the time you’re cooking in batches because only four chicken thighs fit in at once.
The new generation of multi-cookers enters exactly in that frustration gap. Not just hotter air in a smaller box, but a full mini-oven that can steam, bake, grill, slow cook, even dehydrate in one place. That’s when “goodbye air fryer” suddenly feels less dramatic and more like… natural evolution.
Take Marc, 43, who swore by his air fryer during lockdown. He used it every day: crispy potatoes, fish sticks, leftover pizza, everything went in the basket. One evening last winter, he tried to bake a simple focaccia. The dough rose high, touched the upper heating element, burned on top, stayed raw in the middle, and filled the kitchen with smoke.
Two weeks later he bought a 9-in-1 countertop oven with steam injection and a flat tray. The same focaccia came out golden, airy, with a crackling crust he’d never managed at home before. Now he uses the “proof” mode for his dough, “steam bake” for bread, “air fry” for fries, and “slow cook” for Sunday pulled pork.
The air fryer? It’s in a box in the cellar, “for backup”, which usually means “I’ll never use it again”.
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What changes everything is not just the number of functions, but the way they interact. Air frying alone sends hot, dry air at high speed over the food. Great for crunch, terrible for a tender roast or fluffy cake.
When you add controlled steam, low-temp cooking, grill elements at the top, and a fan at variable speeds, you can dial in textures that a simple basket fryer can’t reach. Soft bagels with a shiny skin, caramelised vegetables that didn’t shrivel, salmon that flakes instead of turning into cotton.
*Once you’ve combined steam and hot air on the same dish, plain air frying feels a bit like watching black-and-white TV after a 4K series binge.*
How this 9-mode gadget actually works day to day
The power of these “goodbye air fryer” machines is not in the spec sheet, it’s in the daily shortcuts they allow. A simple routine many new users adopt looks like this: in the morning, they throw oats and fruit into a small dish and use the “bake” mode like a mini-oven. No need to heat a huge range.
At lunch, they tap “reheat + crisp” for last night’s leftover pizza and get a crunchy base without drying the cheese. At night, they might start a chicken on “steam + roast” so the meat stays juicy while the skin crackles.
Nine modes sounds nerdy, yet in real life most people rotate between four or five: air fry, steam, bake, grill, slow cook. The others are there as a bonus, waiting for the day you decide to make yogurt or dry your own apple chips.
The biggest trap people fall into with these new appliances is treating them like a more expensive air fryer and stopping there. They only use the default “air fry” button, never touch the steam function, and keep their old slow cooker on the shelf, swallowing space.
There’s also the classic mistake of overcrowding the tray. When you stack food like Tetris, you block the air and steam circulation, and the result is pale, sad, half-cooked everything. We’ve all been there, that moment when you open the door expecting Instagram roast potatoes and find a sweaty potato sauna instead.
Being kind to yourself means allowing a few failed attempts while you learn your machine, rather than blaming the gadget or your cooking skills right away. The transition from one-trick fryer to 9-in-1 companion is a learning curve, not a magic button.
“Once I realized it could steam and slow cook, the ‘air fryer’ part became almost secondary,” admits Laura, 36, who swapped her basket fryer for a 9-mode oven last autumn. “It replaced my toaster oven, my old rice cooker and, honestly, half my pots.”
- Air fry – For fast, crispy textures on fries, nuggets, vegetables, and small cuts of meat.
- Steam – For fish, dumplings, reheating rice without drying it, and ultra-soft cakes.
- Steam + roast – For whole chicken, roast veggies, and crusty breads with a tender crumb.
- Grill – For browning cheese, finishing gratins, giving color to already-cooked dishes.
- Slow cook – For stews, pulled pork, lentil dishes that quietly bubble while you work.
- Bake – For cookies, brownies, tray bakes, and small-batch pastries.
- Dehydrate – For fruit chips, herbs, homemade granola with extra crunch.
- Reheat – For leftovers that taste like “freshly cooked” instead of “microwave compromise”.
- Proof – For dough that needs stable warmth without drying or overcooking.
The quiet kitchen revolution sitting on your counter
Once the novelty fades, what stays is this: a calmer kitchen. Less juggling between oven, pan, microwave, air fryer, toaster. One machine that does the slow simmering on Sunday, the crunchy fries on Wednesday, the tender salmon on Friday.
People often say they don’t cook from scratch because they’re missing time, energy, or space. A 9-in-1 gadget doesn’t magically give you more hours, but it does remove friction. One tray, one door, one interface you start to know like your phone screen.
Let’s be honest: nobody really uses every function of every appliance every single day. The point isn’t to become some multi-mode super-chef, it’s to have options that match your real life, from frozen nuggets to homemade bread, without a fortress of machines around you.
| Key point | Detail | Value for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| From frying to full cooking | 9 modes combine air fry, steam, bake, grill, slow cook and more in one device | Replaces several gadgets and opens new types of recipes |
| Better textures, less effort | Steam + hot air keeps food juicy inside and crispy outside | Restaurant-style results on weeknights without chef skills |
| Real-life friendly | Compact, multi-use, quick preheating, simple cleaning | More home-cooked meals with fewer dishes and less stress |
FAQ:
- Question 1Is a 9-in-1 cooker really different from a classic air fryer?
- Answer 1Yes, because it doesn’t just blow hot air. These appliances combine adjustable fan speeds, steam, grill elements, and low-temperature modes, which means you can slow cook, bake, proof dough, and steam food as well as crisp it. The result is a much wider range of textures and recipes.
- Question 2Will it take up more space on my counter?
- Answer 2Most 9-in-1 gadgets are larger than a basic air fryer, but they can replace several items: toaster oven, slow cooker, sometimes even the microwave for reheating. Many people end up with a clearer counter because one machine does the work of three or four.
- Question 3Is it complicated to use all those modes?
- Answer 3The interface usually stays simple: a knob or buttons for temperature, time, and a row of icons for each cooking style. You can start using just one or two modes, then explore new ones as you grow more confident. Most brands also add presets and guided recipes.
- Question 4Does it really save energy compared with my oven?
- Answer 4For small to medium portions, yes. The cavity is smaller, preheats faster, and the targeted heating methods often shorten cooking time. You avoid heating a large traditional oven just to crisp a few potatoes or bake one tray of cookies.
- Question 5Is it worth upgrading if my air fryer still works?
- Answer 5If you mostly cook frozen snacks and are happy with that, you can keep your current fryer. If you dream of juicier roasts, better bread, and one appliance that covers 80% of your daily cooking, the 9-in-1 upgrade tends to pay off in comfort and versatility more than in pure “wow” factor.