Goodbye to the air fryer as a new all-in-one kitchen device introduces nine cooking methods that go far beyond basic frying

The first time I heard it, I thought it was the kettle boiling over. A low, busy hum from the kitchen, punctuated by the soft clicks and sighs of something… thinking. Not the frantic roar of an air fryer fan, not the oven’s grumpy blast of heat. This was quieter. Smarter. In the fading light of a Sydney evening, with the smell of eucalyptus drifting through the flyscreen and a southerly finally pushing the heat out of the day, a new kind of kitchen companion had quietly taken centre stage on the benchtop.

The air fryer era is fading – and our kitchens are ready

For the last few years, Australia has been in a full-blown romance with the air fryer. They’ve been stacked like dominos in middle-aisle specials, wrapped under Christmas trees from Hobart to Cairns, and pressed into the hands of uni students heading off to share houses with dodgy stoves. Crispy chips in 15 minutes! Frozen nuggets in 12! Who could resist?

But slowly, the shine has dulled. Baskets are too small for families. Benchtops are cluttered with one-trick gadgets. Meals feel… the same. Chips. Nuggets. Wings. Maybe some veggie fries if we’re feeling virtuous. The machine that promised to change everything mostly made different shapes of beige.

Meanwhile, Australian kitchens are evolving. Energy bills are creeping up. Rents are rising. Homes are shrinking, especially in cities. More of us are cooking in compact apartments with one precious stretch of benchtop and a hungry household hovering nearby. We want more from our appliances: flexibility, flavour, efficiency, and a bit of joy.

So here we are, standing at the edge of a quiet revolution. Goodbye to the air fryer as the hero of the bench. Hello to a new all-in-one kitchen device that doesn’t just fry with hot air – it slow cooks, steams, grills, bakes, dehydrates, and more. Nine cooking methods in one machine, taking us far beyond the era of eternal chips.

Meet the new multitasker in the modern Aussie kitchen

Imagine a single device on your benchtop in Melbourne on a wet Tuesday night. Outside, tram bells echo through the drizzle. Inside, you’re cooking laksa stock low and slow, the broth quietly bubbling, while the built-in steam function gently softens pumpkin above it. No juggling pots, no hovering over a gas flame. Just one compact device, doing two jobs at once, and you still haven’t unpacked the dishwasher.

This new wave of all-in-one cookers feels like it’s been designed for real life in Australia. Not chef’s-kitchen fantasy; rental-flat reality. The kind of place where the oven runs hot on the left side and the grill is more decorative than functional. Where bench space is a luxury and you think carefully before adding anything new to the lineup beside the toaster and the coffee machine.

The beauty is in the range of techniques it can handle. Yes, it can “air fry” – the familiar, fan-powered, high-heat crisping we’ve come to love. But that’s just one setting in a toolbox of nine. It can:

• Slow cook a beef ragu all afternoon while you’re at work.
• Steam barramundi fillets and greens for a light summer dinner.
• Pressure cook a batch of chickpeas in under an hour.
• Grill halloumi and veg to smoky, golden perfection.
• Bake a banana bread on a rainy Sunday.
• Dehydrate apple slices for kids’ lunchboxes.
• Sauté onions properly before you throw everything into a curry.
• Keep food warm without turning it to cardboard.

It’s the kind of versatility that quietly rewrites your weeknight cooking. Instead of planning meals around what your appliances can do (or can’t), you plan around what you feel like eating. And one device just… adapts.

From air-fried beige to full-colour meals

Think of the difference like moving from black-and-white TV to full colour. Air fryers gave us one type of “better” – faster, somewhat healthier frying. But the meals often stayed in the same narrow lane: frozen chips, crumbed fish, party pies, bacon, reheated leftovers. Easy, yes. Inspiring? Not really.

The new all-in-one brings texture and time back into the equation. You can pressure cook lamb shanks until they collapse at the touch of a fork, then use the grill function to finish them with a sticky glaze. You can steam dumplings for the kids while a second layer crisps the bases just enough for that irresistible bite. You can sauté garlic and ginger properly before adding coconut milk and stock for a laksa that smells like a tiny hawker stall right in your kitchen.

Instead of everything tasting like “hot wind,” your meals regain depth – caramelised edges from sautéing, tenderness from slow cooking, brightness from gentle steaming. The air-frying function becomes just one accent, not the whole story.

Nine methods, one benchtop: how it actually changes your day

The true test of any new gadget isn’t the glossy promise; it’s a Tuesday when you’re knackered, it’s 7pm, and the fridge holds half a capsicum, some chicken thighs, and yesterday’s rice. This is where an all-in-one device quietly earns its place.

You toss the chicken in a quick marinade – soy, ginger, a squeeze of lime. First, use the sauté mode to brown the meat and build a bit of flavour. Then switch to pressure cook with a splash of stock. In ten or twelve minutes, you’ve got tender, saucy chicken. While that’s happening, you load the steamer tray with green beans and broccoli. Two minutes at the end on steam and they’re vibrant and just-cooked, not limp. If you’re feeling fancy, flick to grill for a quick char on top.

All of this in one pot, on one appliance, using far less energy than an oven and with barely any washing up. The tired version of you – the one scrolling food delivery apps in resignation – gets a decent, home-cooked meal before you’ve had time to talk yourself into takeaway.

Here’s how those nine methods can re-shape ordinary Aussie cooking:

An Australian rhythm: from heatwaves to winter southerlies

Our seasons here don’t behave like the tidy four-part stories in northern cookbooks. We get 38-degree scorchers in October, cold snaps in late April, muggy Queensland afternoons, frosty Canberra mornings, and those strange Melbourne evenings where you need both the fan and a jumper.

An all-in-one device slips into that rhythm more easily than a single-purpose air fryer. In January, when the thought of turning on the oven feels barbaric, you can steam fish and greens or pressure cook a quick coconut curry with barely any extra heat in the kitchen. In July, with rain hammering on a tin roof in Tassie, you can slow cook a barley and veg soup all afternoon, filling the house with that rich, comforting smell that makes people drift toward the kitchen.

It’s also a quiet friend to bushfire summers and blackout seasons. Some models sip power compared to blasting a full-size oven, and in regions where energy use is a real worry – both for bills and environmental impact – being able to cook efficiently isn’t just convenient, it’s responsible.

Less clutter, more intention

There’s something deeply satisfying about clearing the bench. About letting go of the graveyard of single-use appliances: the dusty sandwich press, the rice cooker with the missing cup, the air fryer that seemed like a miracle and now mostly reheats leftovers.

Swapping a clutter of machines for one thoughtful, flexible device feels like a small act of rebellion against “more, more, more.” It’s closer to how many Australians actually want to live now: smaller homes, simpler routines, less waste, smarter choices.

It’s not about buying the next shiny thing just because it exists. It’s about asking, Will this earn its place here? In a Balmain terrace with barely enough room for a fridge. In a Gold Coast share house with six people arguing over cupboard space. In a regional home running partly on solar, where every appliance matters.

When one device can cook your Tuesday stir-fry, your Saturday night lamb, your kids’ lunchbox snacks, and your Sunday banana bread, it stops feeling like a gadget and starts feeling like infrastructure – the quiet heartbeat of the kitchen.

Goodbye to the air fryer, hello to what’s next

Maybe the real farewell to the air fryer isn’t about throwing it out. It’s about acknowledging what it offered – speed, a healthier swap for deep frying, a way into home cooking for people who felt intimidated by stoves and ovens – and then stepping into a fuller story.

We’re cooking differently now. More plant-based meals. More conscious of energy use. More interested in flavours from across the region, from Indonesian rendang to Japanese karaage to Vietnamese caramel pork. We want appliances that can handle that curiosity, not flatten it into yet another tray of uniform crispness.

In the soft evening light of an Australian kitchen – the hum of cicadas outside, the cricket on the radio in summer, or the slow drip of winter rain – this new all-in-one device doesn’t shout for attention. It just does the work. It simmers and steams and sears and crisps. It gives you back something precious: the feeling that cooking at home can be both deeply practical and quietly beautiful.

So yes, keep the fond memories of those first miraculous air-fried chips. But as a smarter, more capable all-in-one moves onto the bench, there’s a new kind of promise in the air. Not just faster fried food, but slower moments. Not just convenience, but creativity. Not just saving time, but savouring it.

FAQs

Is an all-in-one device really that different from an air fryer?

Yes. An air fryer is essentially a compact fan-forced oven focused on high-heat crisping. An all-in-one device adds multiple other methods – like pressure cooking, slow cooking, steaming, sautéing, grilling, and baking – so you can cook a full range of meals rather than just “fried-style” dishes.

Will it take up more bench space than my air fryer?

Most all-in-one units are similar in footprint to a larger air fryer, but they often replace several appliances (slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, dehydrator, sometimes even the oven for small bakes). For many Australian kitchens, that means less clutter overall, not more.

Is it worth upgrading if I mostly cook for one or two people?

For singles and couples, an all-in-one can be especially useful. You can batch cook using pressure or slow functions, then portion and freeze. It also lets you avoid using a big oven for small meals, which can save energy and keep heat down in summer.

Are these devices hard to clean?

Generally, no. Most have non-stick inner pots and removable inserts that can be washed in warm soapy water, and many are dishwasher-safe. Because you’re using one pot for multiple stages (sauté, then pressure cook, then keep warm), you often end up with fewer dishes than traditional stovetop cooking.

Do they use less electricity than a regular oven?

In most everyday uses, yes. All-in-one units are smaller, heat up faster, and are better insulated than a full-size oven. Pressure cook and air-fry modes, in particular, are very energy-efficient for the amount of food they can cook in a short time.

Can I cook traditional Australian favourites, like roasts and bakes?

Many models can handle smaller roasts, baked veg, and desserts like puddings or banana bread. For a big Christmas turkey feast you may still turn to the oven, but for most weeknight roasts or bakes, the all-in-one does the job with less fuss and less heat in the kitchen.

Is it safe to leave an all-in-one cooking while I’m out?

Modern units are designed with multiple safety features and are generally safer than leaving an oven or open gas flame unattended. That said, it’s wise to follow the manufacturer’s instructions, ensure good ventilation, and avoid placing the device under low cupboards while in use.