I’ve been cooking with my Anova circulator for a few years now, mostly weeknight chicken breasts, pork loin, and the occasional batch of carrots, and it’s become the default way I handle proteins. What it hasn’t solved is the crispy side of dinner — roasted vegetables, wings, anything that needs browning after the bath. I usually finish things in a cast iron skillet, which works but smokes up the kitchen and takes another pan.
I keep seeing 6.5 qt smart air fryers with app connectivity and stainless interiors, and I’m tempted, but I’m uncertain whether it’s genuinely useful alongside sous vide or just another countertop appliance that gets used twice and then sits. Specifically I wonder whether the app features add anything over plain dials, and whether the stainless basket is easier to clean than coated ones.
For those of you running both an Anova and an air fryer, does it earn its counter space? What do you actually use it for that the circulator can’t do?
Found this Cosori Iconic Stainless Steel Smart Air Fryer Review while looking into whether the app actually earns its keep. Still unsure it replaces my cast iron for finishing, but the stainless basket sounds easier to clean.