This Christmas some lucky foodies may have been gifted an air fryer for Christmas – but how exactly do they work and what can you make with them?

Maidstone funeral celebrant, Hilary Steel, has "fallen in love" with her kitchen gadget, and has even taken it on holiday with her.

So, the 50-year-old has shared her tips and tricks to any budding home cooks out there ready and willing to learn.

She said: "I've had my Ninja Foodie air fryer, the multifunctional cooking machine, for over three years now.

"I just fell in love with it. They are expensive but when I work out what I've probably saved over the last few years, it's quite incredible.

"But it's not just the money saving, it's the decrease in time cooking that's great. "

According to the Ninja Kitchen brand an air fryer gives people a quick and easy way to cook with using little to no oil.

Air fryers allow you to use up to 75% less fat than traditional frying methods and cook faster than fan ovens.

Not only can you air fry with the gadget but also roast, dehydrate and reheat.
Hilary continued: "A small chicken in the air fryer can take about 45 minutes to cook.

"So it's a big difference when you're trying to get a quick meal on the table whilst still wanting to eat and cook fresh food."

Since the first time she used her air fryer Hilary began experimenting with lots of different ideas.

She said: "I can do all sorts of things; soup, meat joints, Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes anything.

"I've even taken my air fryer camping with me.

"We were staying in some glamping pods in Swalecliffe and they have electrics you can hookup to.

"As we went for a girly weekend, I knew we'd be out in the afternoon maybe indulging in a little bit of Prosecco, so I bought things like garlic breads that I could literally just air fry when we wanted that rush of food."

Hilary is such a fan of her Ninja Foodie that she even entered and won a multi-food processor in a competition during lockdown.

She said: "I'm not sponsored by Ninja at all but my air fryer is well worth it's cost.

"They're not cheap but if you're going to buy something like it, I would definitely go for the best you can afford.

"I didn't have much money back when I first got my Foodie so I did it on a four month payment plan which I found easier.

"So there are lots of options out there."

Despite not being one to follow recipes Hilary has begun to write down her own to give to friends.

She added: "I've done a lot of trial and error meals with the air fryer.

"Friends would ask me for recipes all the time so I've started writing them down and this built up to become my own collection and it's fun.

"Cooking for me is switch off time. My day role is quite sad and a lot of the time it's quite energy draining.

"So to come home, pour that glass of wine, which I do like when I'm cooking as it's the best ingredient for me, and to then create something delicious is brilliant."