But is it really beating your meal prep if you're eating at an Asian market on a random Tuesday? I mean, that's not a plan, that's a treat you happened to notice. My issue is that hot bar food is way saltier and oilier than anything I'd make at home, so you're trading money for feeling bloated later. Plus, the price per pound thing gets sneaky, you think you're grabbing light but that container fills up fast. I've done the same thing at a Mexican market near me and walked out paying double what I thought. It's fine for a lazy day, but I wouldn't call it a system or a trick, more like a gamble on your sodium levels.

Wait, that blade was a 60 tooth and it just gave up like that? Crazy luck you had the glasses on, that scratch is honestly a badge of honor.

Nah, mid-towers are fine if you plan the loop right, full-towers are just for bragging rights.

Did you see that tear-down video someone did on those budget testers? They basically only check if the wires are in the right order, not if they're actually making good contact. So yeah, you're not being cheap, those things just give you false confidence.

Wait, is nobody else doing the whole 5 minute preheat with everything inside? I mean, I get your point about the temp drop, but honestly I never had that much trouble just tossing the food in cold and adding a couple extra minutes. The way I see it, that preheat time is just wasted energy, and my air fryer heats up so fast anyway that the difference is barely noticeable. Plus, I’ve found that if you shake the basket halfway through, the bottom crisps up just fine without all the extra waiting around. But hey, if it works for you, keep doing it, I just think it’s overthinking a pretty simple tool.