I have a perfectly fine oven, do I really need an air fryer?

A few years ago I wrote about almost being lured into the cult of Thermomix but I resisted the attraction of this multi-functional monster.

I've stood firm on the air fryer, too. The one feature most supporters have spruiked is that it makes very nice hot chips. So does my oven. So does the Watson takeaway, which isn't too far away if I want something more elevated than a frozen bag of Birds Eye Deli Seasoned Parmesan, Garlic and Basil Chips whacked in a hot oven in 20 minutes.

Does it really do anything special?

"I've had this conversation with so many people," laughs Steph de Sousa, former MasterChef contestant, now known as the "Air Fryer Queen". With more than 1.3 million followers on social media, de Sousa has just published her first cookbook that is flipping the fryer game on its head. I guess if there's anyone who can convince me, it's her.

Nearly two-thirds of households in the United States own an air fryer, market research shows. Philips Domestic Appliances sold 2 million units in Australia between 2019 and 2021.

De Sousa says the popularity can be attributed to a few things.

"I'll admit that at first maybe it was something of a novelty," she says.

"But now I think people are just hooked on the convenience and the speed of them, and there's the health aspect as well.

"Unlike a lot of other appliance trends, if you want to call them that, I reckon the air fryer is here to stay."

She wants people to think beyond hot chips and salmon.

"When people look at the book they're going to be really surprised by the things I cook in the air fryer," she says.

"I make whole meals in it, like crackling pork belly with Chinese five spice, a whole roast chicken with all the trimmings, Italian meatballs in a passata sauce, there's a butter chicken recipe, too, which people love."

She had me at butter chicken.

For this experiment I got my hands on an Instant Vortex Plus Versazone XXL Air Fryer ($399, instantbrands.com.au). In many ways, it was like learning to drive in a Lamborghini. The extra large 8.5 litre basket can be split into two zones, to cook separate things at the same time. There's even a SyncCook function where you can program both sides to finish cooking simultaneously. Luckily there were six one-touch programs, including air frying, roasting, baking, reheating, grill, even dehydrating, to get me out of first gear.

I played around with it all weekend and had quite a bit of fun. De Sousa's butter chicken was delicious. So, too, were the sizzling butter garlic prawns. And yes, I made chips, and spiced them up with her KFC-at-home shaker seasoning.

I'll admit I began to think about an air fryer a few months ago when I saw an online recipe for crumbed Babybel cheese. You know those little circles of cheese in the red wax. These ones were crumbed in crushed-up Twisties. I know, hardly a healthy use of the air fryer, but lord they were delicious, too.

De Sousa purchased her first air fryer when she started noticing recipes on TikTok and jumped on the bandwagon. Since her stint on season 11 of MasterChef, where she placed 12th behind eventual winner Larissa Takchi, she's been on a mission to spread the joy of home cooking, whether it's the air fryer, saving time and money, or making the most of what you have on hand.

Does she have any tips for first-time fryers?

"Size matters. Pick a size that matches your needs and will sit on your kitchen bench without taking up too much space," she says.

"You'll use it more if it's on the bench."

She says to have a think about price point.

"And read the reviews, sometimes a basic one might be all you need," she says.

Has she convinced me? Has the weekend of experimentation made me realise I can't do without one?

Not quite. But I'm going to keep it around for a while yet, for as de Sousa says: "Anything that makes cooking seem less of a chore and more fun is worth having in your kitchen."

The angels will sing when you bite into these pies, guaranteed. And if you are a breakfast prepper, you can make these ahead and simply reheat in your fabulous air fryer.

Ingredients

Method

1. Start by placing your spinach in a heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water. Drain; cool those leaves under running water. Now, squeeze out the moisture.

2. Next, mix your Greek yoghurt and flour in a bowl into a deliciously doughy consistency.

3. Now, turn it out onto a floured bench and give it a good knead - it's a great stress-buster! But only for about a minute.

4. Cut your dough into three equal pieces. Time to get handsy! Flatten out two pieces with your fingers until each is the size of a 12cm side plate then create a little rim to contain your egg.

5. Line your air fryer basket with baking paper then carefully place the two flattened pieces of dough next to each other on top. Crumble a third of your scrumptious feta in the middle of each round. Top each with a third of the spinach and create a little hollow, then crack over a beautiful egg. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Spray the tops with oil. Set the temperature to 200C and the timer for 15 minutes. TAADAA! You've got a Greek-inspired flatbread!

7. Repeat with the third piece of dough, and the remaining feta, spinach and egg. Sprinkle seeds over all your pies.

Makes 3.

Let the chicken hang out in the marinade for at least 30 minutes, or if you have more time, up to 24 hours. The longer it sits, the more flavourful it will be. You can go two ways with this recipe: simply make the tandoori chicken, or go next level and make the sauce to turn that into the most incredible butter chicken.

Ingredients

For tandoori chicken:

For the butter chicken sauce:

Method

1. For tandoori chicken, let's start with mixing the garlic, ginger, all our yummy spices, salt, pepper and yoghurt together really well in a big bowl. Add your chicken and stir well so they are coated all over.

2. Next, let the chicken hang out in the marinade for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours, in the fridge of course.

3. Once your chicken has soaked up all that yummy marinade, let's cook it. Line your air fryer basket with baking paper, then pop those marinated chicken thighs on top. Set the temperature to 200C and the timer for 20 minutes.

4. Don't forget to flip them halfway through so they cook evenly and come out nice and golden and cooked through.

5. That's it, easy peasy! You've just made a delicious tandoori chicken.

6. Time to mix the butter chicken sauce if you are going there! Take a bowl, add in your tomatoes, yoghurt, garlic, ginger and spices. Add in any resting juices from the tandoori chicken and give it a good stir. Pop it in your microwave and heat for two minutes.

7. Slice up the cooked tandoori chicken. Now, add them to your delicious, fragrant, warm sauce.

8. Find an air-fryer-friendly dish (just make sure it fits!) and pop your butter chicken mix in there.

9. Set the temperature to 200C and the timer for 20 minutes. Remember to give it a stir every five minutes.

10. Time to bring in our buttery friend! Add your cold butter and the sugar to the mix, then stir until it's all melted and you've got a lovely, glossy sauce.

11. Serve your butter chicken hot, straight from the air fryer!

Serves 4.

A little bit of spice makes everything nice, and these three little additions of brown sugar, garam masala and chilli powder turns your pork chops into a gourmet delight.

Ingredients

For yum brussels sprouts:

To serve: raita

Method

1. Start by mixing up your spice rub. In a bowl, toss in your brown sugar, garam masala, chilli powder (if you're using it) and salt. Give it a good mix until everything's well combined. This magic dust will turn ordinary pork chops into a carnival of flavours!

2. Next, it's time to dress up your pork chops. Cover them with olive oil. This will not only make them sizzle but also help your spice rub to stick perfectly.

3. Now, rub that aromatic spice rub all over your chops. Make sure you cover every nook and cranny so every bite is filled with taste.

4. Let's get them cooking! Pop your chops into your air fryer. Set the temperature to 200C and the timer for 12 minutes. Don't forget to flip them halfway through for even cooking.

5. While that's cooking, get onto those yum brussels sprouts: chop up your apples and the chorizo sausages into bite-sized pieces.

6. With the Brussels sprouts, you'll want to slice each one lengthways in four. Gather your chopped ingredients in a bowl, ready for a seasoning shower. Sprinkle over the salt and pepper, then drizzle with more olive oil; you need a good amount. Mix everything together like it's a colourful food party; they should all be well-coated with the oil and seasoning.

7. Once the chops are done, cover them with foil and give them a rest. They will be even more juicy and tender. Plus, it gives you time to cook the Brussels sprouts!

8. Put your sprout party mix in the air fryer. Set the temperature to 200C and the timer for 15 minutes. Do a little happy shake dance with your air fryer basket halfway through!

9. Now, tuck in and enjoy these spectacular pork chops with a little raita and the most yum brussels sprouts ever!

Serves 4.

This crunchy, chocolatey delight will have you wondering why you forgot about this one from your misspent youth. There is a reason these old-school recipes are making a comeback!

Ingredients

For the topping:

Method

1. Smash those Weet-Bix! Get 'em all crushed in a bowl. Add in your dry buddies: sugar, flour, coconut and cocoa. Give it a good ol' stir.

2. Time to get buttery! Melt that butter in the microwave in 15-second bursts and mix it into your bowl of dry stuff.

3. Grease, then line, a 20cm square cake pan with baking paper. Dump your mix into the pan and press it down like you mean it. Use the back of a spoon to get it even and firm.

4. Pop it in the air fryer and set the temperature to 160C and the timer for 20 minutes.

5. While the base gets all crispy, whip up that topping: combine icing sugar, cocoa, butter and two to three tablespoons of water until you get a thick icing.

6. Slather the topping over the base while it's hot, then sprinkle on the coconut. Let it chill out in the fridge and cool down completely in the pan.

7. Lift that beautiful slice out and cut it up into 20 yummy pieces.

Makes 20.