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I'm an air fryer fanatic and a microwave skeptic. However, when I took IKEA's new 3-in-1 microwave, which works as an oven, air fryer and grill, for a spin in my kitchen, I was admittedly impressed.
Not only is IKEA's new GÅTEBO microwave only $199, it also comes with everything you need to grill and even air fry, including a basket and grate that slots neatly inside the appliance for any possible use.
But while the GÅTEBO can air fry, can it beat an actual air fryer? And if you're short on space, which is the appliance you should choose for your kitchen? I put the IKEA GÅTEBO microwave head-to-head with one of the best air fryers, and here's what happened.
Challenge 1: French fries
When testing an air fryer, one of the first things I do is to cook frozen french fries. In an air fryer this only takes a few minutes, and will usually leave me with a super crisp exterior and soft, fluffy inside. Best of all, I can tip them straight out from the basket and onto a plate.
By contrast, I needed to pour my frozen fries onto the raised air frying basket included with the GÅTEBO, and then pre-heat (which took about five minutes) before adding it in. You can choose your temperature up to 240°C / 460°F, which is actually hotter than the maximum temperature in my air fryer, which is 210°C / 410°F.
I followed the air fryer instructions on the bag of fries, cooking them at 190°C / 370°F for 12 minutes. According to the GÅTEBO instruction manual, you should expect french fries to take 21 minutes on the maximum temperature, which is almost twice as long as they'd take in an air fryer.
Sure enough, the fries did need the full 21 minutes to come out hot and sizzling, and even when they were ready, they weren't nearly as crisped or browned as those I cooked in my Dreo ChefMaker in half the time.
With that being said, they did taste nice. My partner said they reminded him of McDonald's fries — hot and greasy, but not very crispy. I personally preferred the fries that I made in the air fryer, but the GÅTEBO put up a good fight.
Challenge 2: Grilling chicken skewers
My air fryer has a grill setting, and so does the GÅTEBO microwave oven. So to test these additional features, I put a chicken skewer in each.
One commenter in my initial story on the GÅTEBO pointed out that they could see the microwave getting messy if you use it as an air fryer, so the bright red spicy marinade on my skewers seemed the perfect test on how high-maintenance this cooking method could be. With my air fryer, the grate and basket can go straight in the dishwasher, making cleanup a breeze.
Again, the GÅTEBO took much longer to cook my chicken than the air fryer, and I was left with a less browned, less crispy result. It still tasted perfectly nice — very juicy and full of flavor, but it took twice as long as the air fryer to cook through.
As for the mess? Honestly, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. Some juice had dripped onto the glass plate below, but this was easily wiped clean and didn't require any scrubbing to remove.
Can the GÅTEBO replace your air fryer?
I use my air fryer most days, so there's no way I'd replace it with this 3-in-1 appliance. But as I said at the very beginning, I'm not a huge fan of microwaves, and I don't typically keep one in my house. I'd much rather heat up soup on the stove, and I'm not a fan of microwave meals. So if you're anything like me and you use an air fryer more than you'd use a microwave, I'd stick to your trusty Ninja.
For those who love microwaves but are intrigued by the idea of having a multi-functional upgrade, I do think the GÅTEBO is a great option. While it's slower, it does air fry, and I was happy with the way it cooked both my chicken and my french fries. They weren't crisped up or significantly browned, but they tasted nice and weren't too messy to clean up after.
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