Goodbye air fryer : this new kitchen gadget goes far beyond frying, offering nine versatile cooking methods in one device

The first time I saw the thing, it was sitting on my friend Léa’s counter, next to a lonely air fryer that suddenly looked… old.
Dinner was supposed to be simple: a few fries, maybe some chicken. Thirty minutes later, she had roasted vegetables, a crusty loaf that smelled like a bakery, and salmon so tender it fell apart with a fork. All from one machine that hummed quietly in the corner.

We ate, we stared at this mysterious box, we tried to pretend we didn’t want one immediately.

Because this wasn’t “just another fryer”.
It was more like a Swiss Army knife for the kitchen.
And it’s quietly pushing the classic air fryer toward the exit.

From single-task fryer to nine-in-one cooking station

The air fryer had its glory moment: endless TikTok recipes, mountains of “healthy fries”, crispy chicken on a Tuesday night.
Then a new generation arrived, with a slightly arrogant promise: why stop at frying when one device can roast, grill, steam, bake, dehydrate, reheat, slow-cook, toast and air-fry?

On the counter, it looks like a slightly oversized toaster oven.
Inside, it’s closer to a mini professional kitchen.
Where the air fryer basically blasts hot air on your food, this new gadget juggles different heating elements and smart sensors to switch between cooking modes.
One minute your potatoes are roasting, the next a cheesecake is gently baking in the same space.

Take Max, a 34‑year‑old who used to brag about his air fryer wings.
He now swears by his nine-in-one cooker: on Sunday nights, he tosses in vegetables on the roast setting, slides in a tray of chicken on grill mode, then finishes with a tray of granola on dehydrate.

He cooks three totally different things without touching the oven.
On weekdays, he warms leftovers with the reheat function, without that sad, rubbery microwave texture.
Last month, he tried homemade yogurt using the low-temperature setting and was genuinely offended at how easy it was.
His air fryer has been moved to the top of a cupboard, next to the waffle maker graveyard.

What’s happening is simple: the single-function gadget is losing to the multi‑tasker.
The air fryer did one thing really well: fast, hot air for crispiness.
The nine‑in‑one concept asks a different question: what if one device *followed* your day, from breakfast toast to slow‑cooked dinner, instead of just appearing for fries and nuggets?

These new machines combine convection, top grill, bottom heat, steam or moisture control, sometimes even internal probes.
That means you can actually switch modes mid‑recipe: start with searing heat, then drop to gentle baking without opening the door.
In a small kitchen, that’s basically like gaining an extra oven, a grill, and a steamer in the space of a bread box.

How to actually use all nine modes without going crazy

The clever way to approach this gadget is not to learn all nine functions on day one.
Start with three: air fry, bake, and roast.
These cover 80% of what most people cook, from fries to chicken thighs to sheet‑pan vegetables.

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Once those feel natural, add one new function per week.
Try steam or steam‑bake for fluffy bread or fish, then experiment with dehydrate on a rainy Sunday for apple chips.
Treat it like getting to know a new roommate: slow, curious, no pressure to be perfect.

Most people make the same mistake with multi‑cookers: they let them become expensive toasters.
They try one or two recipes, get overwhelmed by the buttons, and go back to their old habits.
We’ve all been there, that moment when a “smart” device suddenly makes you feel slightly dumb.

The trick is to anchor each mode to a real‑life habit.
Use toast or bake for breakfast, roast for weeknight veggies, grill for weekend burgers, slow‑cook for days when you’re home late.
Let’s be honest: nobody really does this every single day.
But even two new uses a week are enough to send the old air fryer into semi-retirement.

“Once I decided each mode was linked to a specific meal in my week, it stopped feeling like a complicated gadget and started feeling like my tiny helper,” says Amira, a mother of two who swapped her air fryer for a nine‑in‑one last year.

• Air fry – your old standby: fries, nuggets, crispy cauliflower.
• Roast – vegetables, whole chicken, tray bakes on busy nights.
• Bake – banana bread, cookies, lasagna, small cakes.
• Steam / steam‑bake – fish, buns, reheated rice that tastes fresh.
• Grill – steaks, skewers, vegetables with real char.
• Slow‑cook – stews, pulled pork, soups that bubble all afternoon.
• Dehydrate – fruit chips, herbs, homemade snack mixes.
• Reheat – yesterday’s pizza, roast potatoes, grilled meat.
• Toast – bread, bagels, open‑faced sandwiches with melted cheese.

A quieter kitchen revolution, one countertop at a time

Something subtle is happening in our kitchens.
We’re tired of overflowing cupboards and that feeling of wrestling through forgotten gadgets just to find the blender.
This new wave of nine‑in‑one cookers taps into a deeper desire: fewer objects, more possibilities.

It’s not about buying the latest shiny thing every season.
It’s about having one solid ally sitting on the counter that really earns its space.
For a student in a studio, it replaces an oven.
For a family, it becomes the sidekick that keeps meals flowing when the main oven is busy or the parents are exhausted.

People are sharing their wins and fails with these devices the same way they once did with air fryers.
Photos of golden chicken, chewy cookies baked without preheating a giant oven, or slow‑cooked curries bubbling on a weeknight.
There’s a sense of “I didn’t think I could cook this on a Tuesday” that keeps coming back.

And yes, some will always prefer their classic pans and a full‑size oven.
But the line is moving: the air fryer, once the star of the show, is quietly becoming just one chapter in the story.
The future seems to belong to the compact, clever machines that can follow us from breakfast to midnight snack without blinking.

Key point	Detail	Value for the reader
Nine functions in one device	Combines air fry, roast, bake, grill, steam, slow‑cook, dehydrate, reheat, toast	Replaces several single‑use gadgets and frees up kitchen space
Step‑by‑step learning	Start with three core modes, then add one new function per week	Makes the gadget usable and less intimidating in real life
Everyday integration	Link each cooking mode to a specific meal or weekly habit	Helps you actually use the device daily, not let it gather dust

FAQ:

• Question 1Does a nine‑in‑one cooker really replace a traditional air fryer?
• Answer 1Yes, most models include an air‑fry mode that uses the same rapid hot‑air principle as a classic air fryer, often with better control over temperature and crisping.
• Question 2Is this type of device suitable for small kitchens?
• Answer 2It’s actually made for them: it takes the footprint of a large toaster oven while replacing several appliances like the air fryer, toaster, and sometimes even the microwave.
• Question 3Does food really taste different compared with an air fryer?
• Answer 3For simple fries and nuggets the taste is similar, but the big difference appears with roasting, baking, and steam‑assisted modes, where texture and moisture are much better.
• Question 4Is it complicated to clean?
• Answer 4Most brands use removable trays and racks that go straight into the dishwasher; the inner cavity usually needs just a quick wipe once it cools.
• Question 5What should I check before buying one?
• Answer 5Look at capacity (liters or number of servings), the list of cooking modes, ease of cleaning, noise level, and whether it fits under your kitchen cabinets when the door is open.