At first, it looked like any other evening in a small city kitchen. One pan of pasta on the stove, an air fryer growling in the corner, and a phone buzzing with yet another “healthy 10-minute recipe” reel. The problem was space: the counter looked like a parking lot of half-used gadgets. Blender, toaster, rice cooker, the famous air fryer that everyone bought during lockdown and now mostly uses for frozen fries.
Then something new arrived. A squat, slightly futuristic box with a glass door and a control panel that looked surprisingly friendly. The promise? One machine that could fry, roast, steam, slow cook, bake, grill, dehydrate and more. The air fryer suddenly seemed… small.
The first thing I cooked in it was not fries.
From air fryer hype to all‑in‑one kitchen command center
The air fryer craze started with a simple promise: crispy food, less oil, less guilt. It worked. Counters filled up with these turbo mini-ovens, and for a while, we were all tossing in chicken wings and sweet potato fries like there was no tomorrow. Then real life came back. Work, kids, late trains, empty fridges. The air fryer became just one more noisy box taking up space, good for nuggets, not much more.
So when brands started pushing a “next generation” gadget, people rolled their eyes. Another trend? Another box? Until they realized this one wasn’t about one cooking mode. It was about nine.
Picture a single appliance where you can slow-cook beef bourguignon overnight, then switch to steam vegetables at lunch, then brown a whole chicken with a rotisserie-style grill for dinner. No juggling pans, no turning half your kitchen into a sauna. One user I met, Sarah, a nurse in her thirties, swears this multi-cooker “gave her back her evenings”. She throws ingredients in before work, schedules the program, and comes home to a cooked meal she didn’t have to hover over.
Another parent confessed he hasn’t opened his big oven in three months. The new machine sits where the air fryer used to be, but it replaced his steamer, toaster oven, and even his yogurt maker. That’s when it stops feeling like a gadget and starts acting like a small, stubborn sous-chef.
So what are these famous nine methods that push the air fryer to the back of the cupboard? Depending on the model, you’ll find: air fry, convection bake, classic bake, steam, steam‑bake, grill, slow cook, sauté, and dehydrate. Some go even further with proofing dough or sous-vide style modes.
The strength isn’t just the number. It’s how they overlap. Steam‑bake gives you golden crusts with soft centers. Air fry plus grill crisp up skin on chicken without drying out the meat. Slow cook then quick grill gives pulled pork with caramelized edges. *This is where the old air fryer feels one-dimensional: fast, hot air, and not much nuance.* The new box doesn’t just cook faster, it changes how you think about meals.
How to actually use all nine modes (without a culinary degree)
The easiest way to get started is to treat the machine like three gadgets in one: your old air fryer, your oven, and a gentle steamer. For weekday rush hours, start with what you know. Use the air fry mode for your usual “panic dinners” — frozen fish, veggie nuggets, pre-cut potatoes. Then, once you’re comfortable with the controls, upgrade. Switch to steam‑bake for salmon with vegetables on the same tray. You get juicy fish, tender broccoli, and a slightly roasted edge in under 15 minutes.
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On weekends, experiment with slower modes. Toss onions, carrots, and a cheap cut of beef into the slow cook setting in the morning. Add broth, herbs, close the lid. At the end of the day, blast it on grill or bake for 5–10 minutes to brown the top. Dinner suddenly tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen, when you mostly ignored it.
One big trap? Trying every mode in the same week and then giving up because it feels too complex. We’ve all been there, that moment when you open a new gadget, read half the manual, and then go back to your old habits. The better rhythm is one new mode per week. Week one, master air fry and bake. Week two, add steam. Week three, try slow cook.
Another common mistake is treating the machine like magic. People toss in food, hit a random preset, and complain when the result is dry or uneven. These machines are powerful, they cook fast, and five minutes extra can be the difference between perfect and sad. Use the window, open the door mid‑cooking, poke, taste. That’s the part the marketing doesn’t say: you’re still the cook, the box is just the tool. And let’s be honest: nobody really does this every single day. But the days you do, the difference is obvious.
“Once I realized I could roast chicken, proof bread, then dehydrate orange slices for cocktails in the same machine, my oven felt like an old TV,” laughs Julien, a home cook who now runs a small batch granola side hustle. “The air fryer was fun, this thing is a system.”
- Air fry – For fast, crispy textures: fries, wings, tofu bites, reheating leftovers without sogginess.
- Steam – For tender vegetables, fluffy rice, dumplings, and reheating food without drying it out.
- Steam‑bake – For bread with crackly crusts, cheesecakes without cracks, and super-juicy roasts.
- Bake / convection bake – For cakes, lasagnas, gratins, sheet-pan dinners, and family trays of roasted veggies.
- Grill – For caramelized cheese, charred edges on meat, crispy toppings on casseroles.
- Slow cook – For stews, pulled meats, soups, and “dump and go” recipes that simmer while you work.
- Sauté – For browning onions, toasting spices, or starting a recipe before switching to a slower mode.
- Dehydrate – For fruit chips, beef jerky, herb drying, or crunchy homemade granola.
- Special modes (proof, yogurt, keep warm) – Depending on the model, they quietly replace yet another appliance.
What this shift really changes in everyday cooking
Once you cook with this kind of gadget for a few weeks, the real change isn’t just the recipes. It’s your mental load. Instead of asking, “Do I have the energy to cook tonight?”, the question turns into “What can I throw in there and forget for 30 minutes?”. That tiny shift is huge on a Wednesday when your brain is fried.
You start planning less and improvising more. Half a cauliflower, two sad carrots, a can of chickpeas? Toss them in with olive oil on roast mode, add a yogurt sauce, and dinner appears almost by accident. Parents notice that kids are more curious when they can watch food through the glass door, waiting for cheese to bubble or bread to rise. Cooking becomes a small show again, not just a chore.
| Key point | Detail | Value for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| Replaces multiple appliances | Combines air fryer, oven, steamer, slow cooker, dehydrator and more | Frees counter space and reduces clutter |
| Flexible cooking styles | Nine modes from fast air frying to long stews and delicate steaming | Adapts to busy weeks, batch cooking, and more varied meals |
| Energy and time efficiency | Smaller cavity, faster preheat, multi-step cooking in one place | Cuts bills, shortens cooking time, simplifies everyday routines |
FAQ:
- Question 1Is this new multi-cooker really different from a regular air fryer?
- Answer 1Yes. An air fryer mostly blasts hot air for crisping. These newer models add steam, slow cook, bake, grill and dehydrate, so you can do stews, breads, cakes, and batch cooking in ways a basic air fryer can’t.
- Question 2Can it really replace my oven?
- Answer 2For many households, yes for 80–90% of daily cooking. Large roasts or huge trays for parties still work better in a full oven, but for everyday meals, it often becomes the main tool.
- Question 3Is it complicated to use all nine modes?
- Answer 3Not if you go step by step. Start with air fry and bake, then add one new mode each week. Most machines come with presets and basic guides, and you learn fastest by repeating a few simple recipes.
- Question 4Does food really taste better with steam or steam‑bake?
- Answer 4Often yes. Steam keeps moisture inside while the hot air browns the outside. Bread rises higher, chicken stays juicy, vegetables are tender without going mushy.
- Question 5What should I look at before buying one?
- Answer 5Check capacity for your household size, ease of cleaning (removable trays, non-stick quality), noise level, and whether it has the specific modes you care about most: steam, slow cook, or dehydrate can be game-changers.
Originally posted 2026-02-06 19:35:47.