Aussie Destinations Unknown: Choosing the right air fryer for your van

This month Miriam helps you choose the right air fryer for your caravan, cook with confidence off-grid and provides two caravan-friendly recipes.

Air fryers aren’t just a modern kitchen trend — for me they’re a caravan essential and have been for years. Whether you’re cooking for one or feeding a hungry crew, the right air fryer can completely change how you eat on the road.

I’ve been using air fryers since 2012, starting with that first purple and white Philips model — some of you might remember it. When our house oven stopped working in the year before we moved into the van, I didn’t even bother fixing it. I was already using two air fryers for everything.

Since then, I’ve used a variety — Kmart, Philips, Breville, Ninja — from standard air fryers to multi-cookers and even combo convection microwave ovens. And after more than three and a half years of living in a van full-time, I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t.

Caravan-smart air fryers

When choosing an air fryer for van life, the first thing to check is power draw. If you’re planning to cook off-grid, you’ll need to understand your electrical setup. For example:

• Most kettles won’t even run on a 2000W inverter
• Our Philips XXL air fryer used 2225W, which equates to around 140Ah. I loved it, and we used it for the first three and a half years of van life, but it wasn’t as efficient or versatile as the one we use now.
• The Ninja XXXL FlexDrawer is the dedicated air fryer we have now and uses 1670W, drawing roughly 105Ah.
• The Ninja Foodi 11-in-1 Multi Cooker draws 1460W which is roughly 90Ah — the most energy efficient of all of them and the one we use the most.

Miriam with her Ninja XXXL FlexDrawer Air Fryer

It’s important to note that all air fryers typically draw a higher current when coming up to temperature, then drop right back down — only pulsing back up as needed to maintain or increase the heat. That’s why understanding both your inverter capacity and battery limitations is so important before choosing what’s right for your setup.

We’ve worked our way up over the years — from a 2600W inverter setup to now having twin inverters combining 5600W with 900Ah of lithium batteries, which means we can run multiple appliances at once. But not everyone is set up like that, so it’s crucial to choose an air fryer that suits your power system and how you cook.

Size, weight and shape matters

There are heaps of great models out there, each suited to different circumstances. In a caravan, weight and size are just as important as function.

Some air fryers are tall with two drawers stacked on top of each other, while others are wider and lower in height. Some models are lightweight and easy to move, while others are quite heavy. You’ll find air fryers with one drawer, two side-by-side drawers, drop-down oven-style doors, lids that lift up and multi-cookers. The shape, weight and design all matter when space and storage are limited — especially in a caravan.

Always consider how and where you’ll store it, and how easy it will be to lift in and out of cupboards or drawers.

The Ninja XXXL FlexDrawer

Our top pick is the Ninja XXXL FlexDrawer Air Fryer (AF500). With a massive 10.4L MegaZone™, you can cook large proteins or full meals in one big drawer — or insert the divider to create two 5.2L drawers and cook different foods at the same time. You can cook two foods in two ways that finish together, or sync both sides. It also has seven cooking functions — air fry, bake, roast, proof, reheat, keep warm and dehydrate — making it one of the most versatile air fryers we’ve used in the van.

It also fits large dishes, like a lasagna tray and uses less power than many other models.

What didn’t work

I tried one of the Kmart air fryers, but found it underpowered, uneven and painfully slow. Food would burn on the top shelf while the bottom stayed frozen. I can’t recommend it for van life.

We also tested several convection microwave/air fryer combo ovens, including the Breville 3-in-1 and multi-cooker. On paper, the Breville was perfect: but in practice the only function that I found worked well was the oven. I stopped using it after multiple failed attempts.

Another issue with these convection units is that if you want to build them into caravan cabinetry, they require significant ventilation around all sides. In a small van, that’s just not practical — and can be a huge waste of space.

Why we don’t have built-in cooking

We’ve lived in multiple caravans, and for years now we haven’t had built-in cooktops or ovens. Instead, we use: a portable induction cooktop, Thermomix, Ninja FlexDrawer air fryer, Ninja 11-in-1 Multi Cooker, Traeger smoker and OZ Braai barbecue/fire pit.

This gives us more storage and more bench space plus complete flexibility across our three kitchens: the main kitchen inside the van, a rear butler’s kitchen and a slide-out external kitchen. We can cook anywhere with any appliance depending on the weather, power, or what we feel like making.

Multi-Cookers

The Ninja 11-in-1 Multi Cooker (XXL) is the latest addition to our collection, and it’s a brilliant fit for caravan life. It’s not too tall, too heavy or too bulky. I use the pressure-cooking function almost daily — it’s fast, economical and retains flavour beautifully. Think stews, risottos, pulled pork, lamb shanks, soups.

You can then crisp or brown in the air fryer after pressure cooking, which gives you the best of both worlds. It’s like having an oven, slow cooker, air fryer, dehydrator, pressure cooker, rice cooker and more — all in one unit. For those where space is limited, I suggest one of these over a standalone air fryer.

What can you cook in an air fryer?

Air fryers are capable of so much more than just cooking chips. You can use them to bake cakes, boil eggs, cook bacon and eggs, sear lamb chops, make hamburgers, bake lasagne, fry up sausages, roast veggies, dehydrate snacks, heat leftovers, toast wraps and even whip up a quick batch of nachos. Their versatility makes them a valuable addition to any caravan kitchen setup, and once you’ve got one you love, it’ll become the heart of your caravan kitchen.

Recipe: Air Fryer ‘Boiled’ Eggs

Ingredients:

• Eggs (as many as you like)

Method:

• Preheat your air fryer to 120°C
• Place cold eggs (straight from the fridge) into the basket
• Cook for (depending on your air fryer):
• 12 mins = soft-boiled
• 15 mins = medium
• 17 mins = hard-boiled
• Transfer immediately to a bowl of iced water
• Peel and enjoy
• Perfect for breakfast, snacks or meal prepping on the road.

Recipe: Pork Belly Roast

Ingredients:

• 1kg pork belly (skin scored)
• 1 cup water or broth
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• Optional: garlic cloves, rosemary, pepper

Method:

Pressure cooker

• Pat pork belly dry. Rub with oil and salt
• Add water/broth and position pork belly skin-side up keeping skin out of the liquid
• Cook on high pressure for 22 minutes
• Allow steam to naturally release for 15 minutes
• Turn the venting knob to venting position. Open the lid.
• Remove pork carefully, pat skin dry using paper towel and poke holes all over skin using a fork
• Pat skin dry again and brush with oil and sprinkle with salt

Air fryer

• Transfer pork to the air fryer basket
• Air Crisp at 200°C for 10–20 minutes, or until crackle is crisp and bubbly
• Rest before slicing
• Tender, juicy meat with perfectly crispy crackling — no oven required.

Final thoughts

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to air fryers or appliances for the road. What works for us might not suit your van or setup — but the key is to choose based on your power, space and cooking style.

We’ve cooked everything from cakes to curries in these appliances, and with a bit of planning, you can eat well anywhere in Australia.

If you’re heading off-grid or just upgrading your van setup, don’t overlook the humble air fryer. It might just become your most-used piece of gear, and it will save you heaps of space by not installing an oven.

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