The air fryer looks like a little spaceship on the counter, and its basket is no longer shiny because of crumbs and lost excitement. It was the star of TikTok recipes and the hero of weeknight dinners a year ago. It promised crispy fries with no guilt. Today, it works as both a toaster and a dust collector, and it hums maybe twice a week when it’s working well.
You can find the next “must-have” kitchen upgrade on any social media feed: a big, multi-mode appliance with nine cooking methods and a price tag to match. This sleek cube has a steamer, grill, oven, dehydrator, yogurt maker, and air fryer 2.0 all in one.
You can almost hear all the power outlets sighing at once.
The question that hangs over this new hype feels too familiar.
From a miracle machine to a lot of useless stuff
The new generation of multi-cookers says they can do everything the air fryer could do and more. Companies brag about “chef-level results” at home, nine-in-one functions, and touchscreen presets. The marketing videos are very appealing: golden chicken, bubbling lasagna, and shiny vegetables shining under studio lights.
It makes sense on paper that this would be the next step after the air fryer boom. This one gadget can grill, steam, roast, bake, sear, reheat, dehydrate, slow cook, and air fry food. A lot of experts say we’re really walking right into the same trap.
When you talk to home cooks, you start to hear the same thing. Sophie, 37, bought one of these nine-function giants after her air fryer “changed her life” during the lockdown. She used all of the functions in the first week, posting on Instagram about salmon on Monday, banana chips on Tuesday, and a whole chicken on Wednesday.
She says that most of the time she only presses one button three months later. She laughs and says, “I use air fry and reheat.” “The rest? I forgot the settings. I still use the oven to bake cakes and the stove to boil pasta.
That’s what kitchen experts find most annoying. They see families paying £250 or more for a machine that often does the same things as things they already own, like an oven, a stovetop, or even a slow cooker or steamer. People often make claims about how energy-efficient their products are that aren’t true. Also, the lifespan of these products can be much shorter than that of solid pans or a reliable oven.
Let’s be honest: no one really uses nine different ways to cook on a busy Tuesday night. As time goes on, the “wow” factor wears off, the presets feel too complicated, and the “revolution” just becomes another appliance that takes up valuable counter space.
The new “must-have” that slowly empties your wallet
Experts say that if you want this shiny all-in-one, you should do a simple, unglamorous exercise first. Write down everything you really cook and how you do it for a week. Can you roast vegetables in the oven? Stir-fry on the stove? Grill toast? Putting leftovers in a pan to heat them up? At the end of the week, put a circle around the cooking methods you used more than three times.
That list is what your real kitchen looks like every day. *Not the made-up version of Sunday brunch with friends, but the real one when you’re tired, late, and half-scrolling through your phone while dinner cooks.
There is a strong emotional pull. We’ve all been there: you watch a video of someone taking out perfect, shiny ribs from a high-tech gadget and think, “Maybe I’d cook like that too if I had this.” Marketers are very familiar with that feeling. They don’t just sell the device; they also sell the idea that you’ll be a calmer, more organized, and more impressive version of yourself.
The ad doesn’t show the learning curve, the extra time spent cleaning, the trial and error with undercooked vegetables or rubbery fish, or the silent calculation of energy bills when the novelty wears off.
This is where professionals are beginning to be more direct. For a lot of families, that nine-function unit is more like a luxury toy than something they really need. If you already have a good oven and a few pans, the overlap is very big. The “energy savings” that people talk about usually only work in very specific situations, not when cooking every day.
Consumer advisers keep saying the same thing over and over: “A gadget that doesn’t replace anything and doesn’t change anything is just an expensive ornament.” Without the shiny interface, what’s left are basic cooking skills that you can already do with tools you probably already have.
How to ignore the hype and keep your kitchen safe (and your money)
There is a more relaxed way to deal with this new wave of kitchen technology. Before you buy, choose three meals that you really do cook a lot, not recipes that you want to try. For each one, ask yourself if this new gadget cooks it faster, better, or cheaper than what you already have. Experts say that if you can’t clearly say yes to at least two of those, you’re probably paying for marketing, not real improvement.
Another piece of advice is to borrow before you buy. A lot of people who work in an office, live next door, or are related to someone who does already have one of these machines and hardly ever use it. Using a borrowed unit to cook for a weekend will teach you a lot more than any influencer reel.
It’s a common mistake to think that having more presets makes things easier. In reality, having too many choices can make you stop. You don’t just throw vegetables on a tray and slide it into the oven. Instead, you stand in front of a glowing screen and wonder if “roast,” “grill,” “air crisp,” or “combo” is the best option. That doubt wastes time and energy.
Experts also say that the space tax is bad. A big gadget on the counter pushes other tools into cupboards where they are forgotten. The gadget you thought would make your life easier sometimes makes it harder by getting in the way of how you normally cook.
When professionals talk about this trend, they often sound like they want to protect it. They see families cutting back on fresh foods so they can buy a machine that doesn’t do anything their pans and oven can’t do.
One nutritionist in London says, “People tell me they can’t justify buying good knives or good olive oil because they just bought a ‘smart cooker.'” “But their meals every day haven’t gotten any better. The money went into the shell, not the stuff inside.
Ask what it really replaces. If it doesn’t let you sell, donate, or store away at least one other big appliance, that’s a red flag.
Look at how you really use it
Count every cost, like the price of the item, the cost of electricity, the time it takes to clean, the space it takes up on the counter, and the cost of repairs.
Start with skills, not tools. A sharp knife and a good pan can make more recipes than any nine-mode cube.
Wait 30 days. If you still want it after that, it might not be an impulse.
Maybe the next big thing isn’t a big deal at all.
In kitchens right now, there is a quiet movement going against the grain. Some people are stepping back after years of chasing the next gadget, like spiralizers, juicers, stand mixers, air fryers, and now multi-mode towers. They’re taking their heavy pots out of storage, learning one or two good pan techniques, and dinner suddenly feels less stressful, not more.
Many experts agree that the time of the air fryer taught us something. We saw how fast a “game-changer” can turn into just another plug. The new machines with nine functions could end up telling the same story, but with higher prices and bigger promises. That doesn’t mean that no one should ever buy one. This kind of device can be very helpful for people who live in a small flat without an oven or who have trouble moving around.
The real change could be as simple as this: don’t start with the ad, start with your life. Take a look at your kitchen as if you were someone else. What tools do you always have out, use, and never let get dusty? Which ones help you relax when you cook? These are the quiet heroes. They are usually simple, not branded, and not very popular.
Maybe the end of the air fryer era doesn’t mean giving up all gadgets, but it does mean not letting them control how we eat. When a glowing cube promises to solve all your problems, it might be a good idea to stop, open the cupboard, and say out loud, “Do I really need another box, or do I just need a better way to use what I already have?”
Main pointDetail: What the reader gets out of it
Ask about the nine-in-one promise.Most homes only use two or three functions on a regular basis.Helps you avoid paying for features you won’t use
Begin with your real habitsKeep track of one week of real cooking before you buy anything.Shows if a gadget really works or just sells a dream
Put skills before machinesBasic tools and a few reliable methods last longer than trends.Saves money and really makes everyday meals better
Questions and Answers:
Are these new nine-function cookers better than an air fryer?No, not automatically. They have more modes, but most people use them as a fancy air fryer or mini-oven, which doesn’t always make the higher price worth it.
Do gadgets that can do more than one thing really save energy?Sometimes, for small amounts or quick reheats. When cooking big meals or for a long time, the savings may not be as big as they would be with a regular oven or stove.
What do I need to have before I think about getting a multi-cooker?A good pan, a strong pot, a sharp knife, and a dependable oven or hob cover most of the things you need to do every day. You can check to see if there is still a gap once those are in place.
Is there anyone who really benefits from these gadgets?Yes, people who don’t have a lot of space, can’t get to a full oven, or have trouble bending or lifting heavy pans can find them very helpful.
How can I stop myself from buying the next cool gadget on a whim?Follow the 30-day rule, borrow or test a friend’s device, and only buy if it clearly replaces something big or makes a meal you make every week better.
