The first time I saw it, it was sitting on my friend Léa’s countertop, quietly humming next to a sad, unplugged air fryer. The thing looked like a tiny spaceship: glossy front, one big dial, and a row of icons that went way beyond fries and chicken wings. Steam, grill, roast, bake, slow cook… nine tiny symbols, like a secret code for weeknight survival.
We were supposed to eat “something quick”. Thirty minutes later, we had crispy salmon, roasted carrots, and a little apple crumble, all from that one box. The air fryer never even warmed up.
Léa wiped her hands on a tea towel, laughed, and said: “Honestly, the air fryer feels like a Nokia now.”
The weird part? She’s not the only one saying it.
From one-trick air fryer to nine-in-one kitchen sidekick
Walk into any small kitchen today and you’ll spot the same scene: crowded countertop, lonely blender, proud air fryer. For a few years, that basket with hot air swirling inside felt like the hero of easy cooking. Then this new wave of multi-cookers appeared, quietly promising something bolder.
Not just “less oil frying”, but nine functions packed into a single device. Fry, roast, bake, steam, grill, sauté, slow cook, reheat, even dehydrate on some models. Suddenly the air fryer’s single job feels a bit… thin.
You don’t have to be a gadget geek to feel the shift. It’s that sense that your next kitchen purchase should do more than one internet trend.
Spend five minutes on TikTok and you’ll see them. Compact ovens with glass doors. Squat multi-cookers with pressure lids. Countertop “stations” that turn into a griddle in the morning and a steamer at night.
One London couple I interviewed had actually hidden their air fryer in a cupboard. They now swear by a 9-in-1 multi-cooker that pressure cooks lentils, air fries tofu, and bakes banana bread when their oven is full. The husband joked that they “upgraded from frying to actual cooking”.
Numbers follow the vibes. Retail reports show double-digit growth for multi-function cookers, while classic air fryer sales are flattening in some markets. The trend is clear: versatility is the new crunch.
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There’s a simple logic behind this mini-revolution. First, space: people are tired of choosing between coffee machine, toaster, blender, and yet another bulky appliance. A gadget that replaces three or four others makes way more sense in a real-life kitchen.
Then there’s money. Why buy a slow cooker, a steamer, a mini-oven, and an air fryer when one device does all of it decently well? You might lose a tiny bit of specialization, but you gain flexibility and less clutter.
And finally, habits. Once the novelty of “crispy fries with no oil” fades, you start craving soups, breads, stews, grilled vegetables. That’s where these 9-in-1 machines quietly steal the show.
How this new gadget actually works in everyday life
The promise sounds almost too good: one device, nine cooking methods, dinner on autopilot. In practice, it starts with one simple move: you stop thinking “What can I fry?” and start asking “What can I cook in here today?”
Most of these gadgets work in layers. A base heating system, a fan, sometimes steam injection, and different modes that tweak temperature and airflow. You scroll or tap between “air fry”, “steam”, “bake”, “roast”, “sauté”, “slow cook”, “grill”, “reheat”, and “dehydrate”.
A typical weekday looks like this: steam rice and broccoli while gently roasting salmon on the upper tray. Later in the week, slow cook a curry all afternoon, then switch to “sauté” to thicken the sauce without dirtying another pan.
The real game changer comes when you start stacking uses. A busy parent in Lyon told me she preps her kid’s snacks and dinners in one go every Sunday. She dehydrates apple slices in the morning, slow cooks a batch of bolognese at noon, then air fries falafel for the freezer in the afternoon. Same machine, different moods.
We’ve all been there, that moment when you open the fridge at 7:42 p.m., starving, and see three sad vegetables and a pack of chicken. With nine modes on hand, those orphans suddenly have a future. Rapid roast the chicken, steam the veg, finish with a quick grill setting for a bit of color.
Let’s be honest: nobody really does this every single day. But even using three or four of the modes regularly changes how “possible” a home-cooked meal feels after a long day.
On paper, the air fryer and the 9-in-1 look like cousins. They both use hot air and high temps. The difference is ambition. The air fryer wants to mimic fries and nuggets. The new gadget wants to replace stove, oven, and sometimes even microwave.
That’s why so many people say it makes them feel like they “actually cook”, not just reheat frozen stuff. Don’t underestimate that feeling. When you can slow cook a stew, bake a crusty loaf, grill vegetables, and dehydrate herbs in the same device, you start seeing your kitchen differently.
*It becomes less about “pushing a button” and more about orchestrating a tiny, personal restaurant on your countertop.*
Tips, mistakes, and the small rituals that change everything
If you’re thinking of ditching the air fryer for one of these 9-in-1 gadgets, start simple. Pick two or three modes you’ll actually use this week, not nine hypothetical ones. For many, that’s air fry, steam, and bake.
Use the steam mode first. It’s underrated and almost impossible to mess up. Steam your veggies, dumplings, even reheated rice. You’ll notice how forgiving it is, compared with the usual “Oops, I burnt it again” oven setting.
Then gradually add complexity: roast a whole chicken one Sunday, slow cook a chili the next, try a sheet-pan bake with fish and vegetables another day. The device becomes familiar through repetition, not through reading the manual cover to cover.
Most people make the same mistake at the beginning: they try to cook everything at the highest temperature, like they did with the air fryer. That’s when you get burned edges and raw insides and blame the machine. Lower heat plus a bit more time usually wins with these multi-cookers.
Another common trap is ignoring the preheat function because you’re in a rush. It feels like a waste of minutes. Yet those few degrees at the start are what give you an even bake or a crispy crust, instead of a sad, soggy tray.
Be kind to yourself when a recipe fails. These gadgets are powerful and a bit sensitive. You’re allowed to learn, adjust, and laugh at your rubbery first attempt at “homemade jerky”.
“People buy them for the air fry mode,” says food coach Marta Ruiz, “but they stay for the steam and slow cook. That’s where dinners go from ‘blah’ to something you’re proud to serve on a Tuesday.”
- Start with one signature dish
Choose a go-to recipe (roast chicken, veggie tray bake, or lasagna) and perfect it in the 9-in-1 before trying everything else. - Group your cooking sessions
Do snacks, mains, and sides in one marathon use while the device is already warm. It saves both time and energy. - Use the right container
Opt for shallow, oven-safe dishes and perforated trays. Deep bowls trap moisture and kill the crisp you’re chasing. - Clean smart, not obsessively
Wiping the interior after warm use is often enough. Full deep-clean sessions once a week are more realistic than daily scrubbing. - Keep a tiny notebook or note app
Note down “200°C was too much for this” or “25 minutes perfect for brownies”. Your future self will quietly thank you.
A new way of cooking, not just a new toy
Something subtle happens when a single device can handle nine cooking methods. You start planning meals differently. You stop thinking in terms of frozen foods that fit a basket and begin imagining textures: tender inside, crispy top, juicy center, caramelized edges.
For some, it’s a quiet revolution: people who thought they “weren’t good cooks” suddenly turn out loaves of bread, slow-braised meats, and perfect steamed fish from a box that fits in a studio kitchen. The air fryer never quite promised that. It was fun, immediate, slightly junky. This new generation wants to be your daily partner, not your guilty pleasure.
You may still love your air fryer. You may keep it for late-night fries and quick snacks. Yet there’s a reason these 9-in-1 gadgets are winning hearts and countertop space. They speak to the life we actually live now: tiny kitchens, tight budgets, tired evenings, but still a desire for real food and real flavors.
The real question isn’t “Is the air fryer dead?” but something more intimate: which tool on your counter helps you cook the way you want to eat, right now, in this season of your life? Because once you’ve watched a single device glide from steam to grill to slow cook in one day, it’s hard to go back to just blasting everything with hot air and hoping for the best.
| Key point | Detail | Value for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-function vs. single use | 9-in-1 gadgets combine frying, steaming, baking, grilling, slow cooking and more | Save money and space by replacing several separate appliances |
| Learning curve | Start with 2–3 modes and one signature recipe before exploring every function | Build confidence gradually and avoid disappointing first attempts |
| Daily practicality | Use grouped cooking sessions and smart containers, not constant complicated recipes | Turn the device into a real weekday ally, not just an occasional “wow” gadget |
FAQ:
- Question 1Does a 9-in-1 gadget really replace an air fryer?
- Answer 1Yes for most people. The “air fry” mode uses the same hot air principle and often has more space and better temperature control, while also giving you extra options like steam or slow cook.
- Question 2Can I bake cakes and bread in these multi-cookers?
- Answer 2Absolutely. Use low-sided pans, reduce traditional oven temperatures by about 10–20°C, and keep an eye on the first batch to adjust timing.
- Question 3Are they worth it if I already own an oven?
- Answer 3They can be. They preheat faster, use less energy for small quantities, and offer steam and air fry modes your classic oven probably doesn’t have.
- Question 4Do they consume a lot of electricity?
- Answer 4The wattage is high, but cooking times are shorter and the chamber is smaller than a full oven, so for everyday meals they’re often more efficient overall.
- Question 5What’s the main thing to avoid when starting out?
- Answer 5Avoid cranking everything to the maximum temperature “for speed”. Use moderate heat, give food some space on the tray, and trust the preheat function for better results.