What would you buy instead of best air fryer recipe in '26?

[Distant Sienna]

Something I have been wondering about.

Real answers from people here are usually more useful than search results.

I have seen conflicting advice elsewhere and wanted to get a more grounded take on it.

I want to know what the second year of doing this looks like, not just the first week.

Curious how others are approaching it

[QueueJump58]

A dehydrator if you like snacks. Crispy apple rings, dried tomatoes, jerky. Not essential, but weirdly addictive once you start.

[Freddy]

A slow cooker. Cheap cuts, batch cooking, and no standing over the hob. Different job, but it earns its counter space.

[MidTable]

I would buy a pizza stone and a cheap pizza peel. Not as practical as an air fryer, but Friday nights would improve massively.

[MachineSaint50]

Honestly? A coffee grinder. I use the air fryer a few times a week, but good coffee is every single morning.

[Stuart_67]

A second-hand combi microwave if you can find one. Steam plus convection handles leftovers and vegetables better than my air fryer ever did.

[DarkKnight66]

A good blender. Soups, sauces, smoothies, curry bases. More daily use than any air fryer recipe book.

[Emily81]

A vacuum sealer. Buy meat in bulk, portion it, freeze it, and you save enough over a few months to cover the cost.

[Freddy52]

Nothing. I would put the money into better ingredients and a proper cast iron pan. The air fryer is fine, but the pan gets used every week.

[Mason_22]

A decent toaster oven. It does air frying, baking, reheating and can fit a small tray of chips. Way more useful than another single-purpose gadget.

[Inland Jay]

Depends what you actually cook. If it is frozen chips and nuggets, keep the air fryer. If you cook proper meals, a decent oven tray and convection oven will do more.

[Olivia87]

For me it would be a bread maker. Fresh bread with almost no effort, and the house smells incredible by dinner.

[Jacob_69]

Agreed with the toaster oven crowd. Mine has an air fry setting anyway, so it is basically the same thing with more flexibility.

[Matt80]

A wok and a high-output burner if you have outdoor space. Stir fries beat air fried everything, no contest.

[Paul]

An electric pressure cooker. Risotto in twenty minutes, pulled pork, beans from dried. It replaced three appliances in my kitchen.

[PixelBear]

I would spend it on a set of good storage containers. Meal prep is easier when the fridge is not a game of Tetris.

[Rose86]

A rice cooker with a steamer basket. Perfect rice every time and you can do dumplings or veg on top. Boring, reliable, brilliant.

[WearyScholar]

A mini oven. Same compact size, but you can roast a chicken, bake a cake, or grill cheese on toast without heating the whole kitchen.

[BosonSpark]

Counter space is the real currency here. I would buy a smaller air fryer and spend the rest on a good knife sharpener.