Sometimes I have to ask myself, how lazy can one woman be? It all started when Alexa became affordable. I placed a unit in every room of my two-story, three-bedroom home. No matter where I stood, sat, or lay down, Alexa was within reach. That’s when I stopped googling. If I had to type in the question I wanted answered, that was too much effort when instead I could casually ask: “Alexa, what time is it?” “Alexa, tell me about…” or “Alexa, please find the best recipe with these ingredients.”
I got comfortable with that level of laziness. To keep it interesting, I strategically chose the call name “Echo” for some devices and “Alexa” for others; postulating this would boost my mental acuity by having to remember which room had what named device. I often got it wrong. No worries, it was a one-word mistake. “Echo, tell me the temperature today.” No answer. “Alexa, tell me the temperature today.” Mischief managed. I was back on track with only a slight course correction.
Is It Comfort or Is It Laziness?
Alexa wasn’t the only thing I got lazy over. My clothing choices are the same-ish every day, black yoga leggings with a black top, though I changed up the neckline and the fabric. Now that the debate over whether gym clothes can be worn all day long has been solved with the explosion of the active and leisure wear market – not to mention the mushrooming of virtual meetings – there was no need to worry about that.
My cooking routine was summarily boring. Almost the same day in and day out. After a visit to my daughter’s house, there was no doubt that pizza heated on air fry, which came out the perfect ready-to-bite-in temperature, moist and chewy with a bit of crunch in the crust was something I could not live without. Now it was time to get an air fryer.
I must disclose, I do not, repeat, do not, have a microwave. Several reasons for that: my Italian Aunt Dora would rise and beat me down; My kitchen counter space is limited; I am short and hanging it over the stove doesn’t work for me. Finally, I am a cancer survivor and although I do make some risky moves, no microwave is an easy one to accomplish.
Besides, how much unplanning and hungry can I be that I need it NOW? Well, truth be told, I am always trying to eat more mindfully, hence I am sans microwave. My appliances are great and very new albeit, I am one person and don’t need all that cooking real estate on a given day.
If you haven’t tried an air fryer; I am not sure what you are waiting for. I bought an extremely reputable machine for under 50 USD. Almost the price of one dinner out, for a machine that will likely last several years. The crispy factor on veggies is outstanding and there is no oil! Knowing that an air fryer is a good decision it all comes down to how lazy can one woman be.
Shortcut versus Workaround
I decided the workaround is an air fryer combo thing. This is not a shortcut because I believe shortcuts do cut us short. A workaround is a way of achieving an almost impossible end goal, how to reheat food without engaging my full-size oven or a microwave, as opposed to a short cut which is trying to get there faster or in an easier route.
Now the real conundrum begins, which one do I buy? A quick Google search on air fryers yields about 1,290,000,000 (that’s over a billion) results in 0.43 seconds. That’s quicker than a microwave works.
So many choices! Capacity, functions, door style, color, size, and price.
The One Touch Conundrum
Apparently, all 10-function Air Fryers are not created equal. For one-touch options, some go by mode, such as air fry, roast, toast, bake, and dehydrate. Others go by food products: bagel, pizza, chicken, beef, veggie, pasta. And still others, have some combo of the two. This means that first I had to classify my cooking habits and food intake.
There was no guide, or experts to provide advice. No app or AI tool to tell me which I would use more based on my cooking preferences. The reheat button seems to be the only thing they may all have. I had to decide which one-touch buttons I wanted. And while I love pizza, it’s not a common food group in my repertoire. Seeing the word on my machine every day may be too triggering of needing a pizza. I decided function was the way to go for me.
Rotisserie or Toast
Whew, one decision made, and, on its heels, another comes at me fast. To toast or not. I love toast. And I love to toast, proposing a few words to honor someone with a beverage. Toast is not a regular function. Now I don’t know about where you live, but for me, kitchen counter space is at an all-time premium. I cannot have the coffee maker, blender, toaster oven, teapot, and knife holder all out on the counter, I just don’t have that kind of space.
The 10-function air-fryer thing was supposed to be the workaround so when it didn’t offer toast as a function I was perplexed. How could I streamline when one of my used functions was not a one-touch? And then I saw it. Only on a few models. Rotisserie. Game over. My fondest childhood memories include rotisserie turkey wings, ribs, and kabobs. I love Rotisserie anything.
After extensive research, calls to the customer service line, and deep web searches to find the exact temperature a one-touch toast button commands, I decided I could survive a three-touch process to toast, it was a necessary trade-off to get the coveted rotisserie function.
Where Else Does Lazy Show Up in My Life?
We know I am okay with putting on comfy yoga clothes and never going to yoga. I would rather ask Siri or Alexa than stop to text or type a question to find an answer. I can live with three touches to toast my gluten-free bagel or bread if it means not sacrificing the rotisserie function.
How far does this laziness go? Do I buy new underwear instead of walking downstairs to the basement and doing the laundry? Do I settle for a bad cup of coffee because it is too much effort to rebrew and make it right? Do I sacrifice what I truly want because there is a shortcut or a one-touch solution that is easier? Is close enough enough for me?
What’s Next
If you haven’t made the plunge to a 10-function, air fryer thing, I suggest you do. Just decide how many buttons you want to press on any given day.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Do you consider yourself lazy? About what things? Have you stopped to consider why that is and what you gain or lose because of laziness? Or do you look for workarounds that make your life easier?
