One busy weeknight in a small flat in London, dinner meant that a lot of appliances were fighting for space and attention. There was a lot of stress in the room because the timers went off and something wasn’t preheated. A few weeks later, the kitchen looked different. One silver appliance could cook salmon, vegetables, and rice all at once. There was a light steam, no one was hovering, and the old air fryer sat in a cupboard, unused and forgotten.
Why All-in-One Cookers Are Taking the Place of Single-Use Tools
If you go to a big home store, you’ll see the change. People are still interested in air fryers, but they are now more interested in all-in-one countertop ovens that advertise bold multi-mode features. These appliances can do the jobs of a convection oven, a steamer, a grill, a dehydrator, and an air fryer all at once. It’s easy to see why: fewer plugs, less clutter from appliances, and one tool that can handle breakfast, lunch, and dinner with little effort.
Many families learned that air fryers could never fully replace ovens. They were great for small amounts of food, but not so great for big meals for the whole family. Newer 9-in-1 machines fill that gap. They roast, steam, grill, and slow-cook well, so users can make a variety of meals without having to switch appliances. For many people, this practicality has quietly made the air fryer less useful.
The Change’s Practical Logic
The change isn’t because of hype; it’s because it’s easier to do things every day. Families still used ovens, rice cookers, and slow cookers, but air fryers took the place of deep frying and some baking. The thought of one answer didn’t seem right. Modern multi-cookers handle heat and moisture in different ways. They can bake with steam, cook food very slowly, grill food at high heat, and dehydrate food gently. The air fryer starts to feel limited by comparison because one box can do so many things.
How People Use a 9-in-1 at Home
Remembering every preset isn’t what makes it valuable. Most happy users choose a default weekday mode and use it over and over again. After that, other functions only show up when they are needed. Slow cooking becomes a Sunday habit, grilling fits into quick weeknight meals, and dehydrating happens every so often. You don’t need a lot of different modes to replace the air fryer in your daily life.
There is also an emotional benefit. A number of users say they feel less stressed about cooking. Preparing meals ahead of time, starting late, or combining modes all help to reduce the feeling of chaos after work. Dinner goes from being a daily fight to a set routine, even if only four of the nine modes are used every day.
Mistakes That New Owners Often Make
The most annoying thing is trying to do everything at once. Switching modes a lot during the first weekend often leads to inconsistent results and disappointment. Picking a model that is too small is another problem. For families, capacity is more important than features. Cleaning also needs a simple routine; if you switch modes without wiping trays, the flavours can mix in ways that aren’t pleasant. The mental load goes down a lot once these habits are in place.
What Makes a Good 9-in-1 Different from a Gimmick
- Lots of room for trays and baskets that can hold full meals
- Options for steaming or baking to keep food moist when reheating or baking
- Grill function that really sears food at high heat
- Easy-to-read and access presets that are clear
- Parts that are safe to put in the dishwasher and make cleaning easier
When these basics are met, most owners say the same thing: they put the air fryer away “just in case” and don’t use it again.
How to Get the Most Out of Nine Cooking Modes
The most important thing is to give each mode a job to do during the week. Start with two or three reliable uses and connect them to things you already do. As time goes on, you gain confidence, and trying out other modes seems safe. You don’t have to use every feature of the appliance every day for it to deserve its place.
People who like their 9-in-1 know that some features are just nice extras. The goal isn’t to be perfect, but to be comfortable over and over again. Even on busy nights, using the one-touch mode doesn’t mean the machine has broken. It just means that dinner was easier to make.
The Quiet Direction of Today’s Kitchens
Changes in the kitchen don’t often feel big. They happen slowly, until the new setup feels normal. The air fryer used to do that job. Multi-function ovens are now the norm. What stands out is not just the technology but the feeling users describe: less stress, fewer takeaways ordered from exhaustion, and meals that happen almost automatically.
At its core, the 9-in-1 trend reflects a move toward simplicity. One appliance, one interface, and fewer choices when you ask, “What’s for dinner?” The air fryer didn’t just disappear. It simply lost the daily contest for usefulness, as kitchens shifted toward fewer tools that do more with less effort.
Important Points to Remember
- Multiple cooking modes replace several single-use appliances
- Default settings make daily use simple and consistent
- Capacity and cleaning ease matter more than flashy features
