Columnist Alun Newman: An air fryer apology

Many moons ago, I put the boot into the humble air fryer.

We were given an old one by my mother-in-law who likes to upgrade all electronic ‘kit’ in-line with the best deals on QVC. I was dismissive.

I had no appetite for this beeping, kitchen-surface hogger. I even pleaded with my wife Sonia to deliver a firm “no” when we next visited.

But you know how family hierarchies work when the top tier insists, boundaries wobble.

So the bright red head of a Dalek came home with us. It sat in the kitchen for months, mocking me.

I never touched it, never used it, and was never kind about it. Occasionally, I’d mention how much it irritated me, applying that mature adult tactic known as passive sulking.

Then a few months ago, Maggie Richardson from The Great British Bake Off joined us in the radio studio to judge a disastrous cooking challenge.

Maggie is wonderful, enthusiastic, creative, and gloriously opinionated about baking - still spending her life cooking and opening summer fetes.

During our off-air chat, she explained how much she loves her air fryer - the versatility, the speed, the efficiency, the creative way she uses it, and how cheap and quick it is to heat up compared to an oven.

That was the tipping point. As an empty nester (though the nest never seems to stay empty for long), I decided to let go of my bitterness and give it a go.

And this is where the apology begins: it’s brilliant. Fast. Effortless. It’ll cook almost anything in no time.

Why was I so bitter? How could I have been so wrong?

Now I’m addicted. My enthusiasm has reached the point where I suspect Sonia wishes the thing had never crossed our threshold - the tables have well and truly turned.

I’ve even broken new creative ground - using just one sheet of baking paper, I crafted a folded tray inside the air-fryer-basket. Each compartment is perfectly sized for sausages, hash browns, tomatoes, and mushrooms, like a paper school dinner tray. Then five minutes before the final beep, I crack in an egg. Yes, an egg. When it’s done, I lift the tray out, plate up, and boom - a fully cooked breakfast in 20 minutes with zero washing up. What a revelation.

I took photos of my progress, eager to share my innovation with Sonia. She couldn’t have been less interested - I saw her mentally packing for Spain, ready to live her Shirley Valentine moment.

This week’s experiments: bread rolls, apple crumble topping, and, brace yourself - an entire roast chicken.

So, to the air-frying faithful, I’m sorry, you were right all along.

Now, who’s in for a yearly Air Fryer Conference at the O2 in London? We’ll swap recipes, trade tips, and salute the mighty machine I once mocked.