Air Fryer

[SheitlQueen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philliefan33 My mother bought an air fryer but doesn’t use it (don’t ask). While visiting, I cooked some chicken wings and fries for my dad. They were crispier than an oven would’ve made them. The air fryer itself is bulky and takes up a lot of counter space or cabinet space. For that reason, I wouldn’t want one. We rarely eat the kinds of food that would be enhanced by cooking with an air fryer so I don’t want to take up space in my kitchen.

Glad to know it works well. I'm not really concerned with storing it, I actually have plenty of space for it.

[SheitlQueen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by karen1972 I got an air fryer at Christmas (sale, it was less than $50 at BJs) so I figured worth the try. * Mine was small, so if you do get one be sure it is sufficient for your needs as you won't use it if you have to cook 2 to 3 batches to feed the family. * It heats up in 3 minutes, thats a HUGE deal vs. waiting for the oven to pre-heat. * Actually cooking time about the same but it shuts off automatically so I don't have to worry about overcooking if I get distracted. * In order to get the crispy coloring, you will have to use some type of oil.. however, if your spritzing it, it will have WAY less oil than obviously frying it..and if you don't spritz it, it won't have the coloring. We just use healthier oil sprays which work fine. * I'd say the fries are crisper than those in the oven and I was very satisfied with the experience. * It made decent "fried" chicken and the meat was still moist. * I like flash fried veggies, so thats my next big adventure. * They suggest you "shake" the basket midway through to ensure everything is cooked/browned evenly. Similar to "flipping" things 1/2 way through the oven baking process except takes 1/10th the time, you just click to the button to release the basket, slide it out, shake shake, insert it (it stops and restarts automatically and a lot less likely you accidentally burn yourself leaning over a hot oven. I'm happy with the purchase, I never had the patience to wait 45 minutes for fries (between pre-heating and cooking) so cutting that down to 20-25 is much more likely to happen...plus for some reason its motivated me to make my own fries. Between that and the instapot, I'm looking forward to not having to turn on the oven at all this summer in the hot muggy months.

Thank you for the excellent help! It's just me, so a small one would probably be fine but I will check prices vs size.
I cook exclusively in an Instant Pot now. And like the air fryer, it may not save a lot of time in some instances, but it is so much more convenient. Set and forget. My type of cooking! I also like the idea the air fryer won't be using the electricity the oven does, nor will it heat up the kitchen in the summer.

What brand do you have, and do you recommend it?

[Chuckanut]

I tend to favor devices that do multiple things. For example, the Instant Pot which does a number of cooking jobs well, a blender which does everything from blending to grinding grains for bread, a hand mixer, a small chopper, etc. etc. etc.

That said, I don't come from a cooking back ground that fries things a lot. If I did, an air fryer might qualify especially if I could make sweet potato fries. :-)

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SheitlQueen Set and forget. My type of cooking!

One of our kids go to meals in college used to be chicken in the convection oven with rice in a rice cooker with vegetables in a steamer basket on top of the rice. The convection oven and rice cooker shut themselves off and kept the food warm and it only took a few minutes of prep time.

[NYEXPAT]

As a card carrying member of NFLB (no fry left behind) I object to anything that does not use lard or preferably Duck fat!

[bloom2708]

https://www.target.com/p/dash-900w-1...elect=52532650

This is the air fryer we have. We use it way more than I expected.

Not only is the food crisp, it is FAST.

Batch of tater tots. 10 minutes. 8 fish sticks. 7 minutes.

We make a lot of hand rolled egg rolls and won tons with various healthy fillings. These cook in under 5 minutes.

Anything that you can cook in a regular oven or toaster oven you can cook way faster in an air fryer. The biggest obstacle is the size. Ours is smaller, but it is so fast that my wife can prep her meal while mine is cooking.

We have talked about getting rid of our toaster oven but will keep it because making a pizza in the toaster oven is much better than firing up the full sized oven.

I agree with shaking the basket part way through. I kind of bought it as a semi-joke, but it is super handy and it now resides on the counter in place of another appliance.

[Tailgate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bloom2708 https://www.target.com/p/dash-900w-1...elect=52532650 This is the air fryer we have. We use it way more than I expected. Not only is the food crisp, it is FAST. Batch of tater tots. 10 minutes. 8 fish sticks. 7 minutes. We make a lot of hand rolled egg rolls and won tons with various healthy fillings. These cook in under 5 minutes. Anything that you can cook in a regular oven or toaster oven you can cook way faster in an air fryer. The biggest obstacle is the size. Ours is smaller, but it is so fast that my wife can prep her meal while mine is cooking. We have talked about getting rid of our toaster oven but will keep it because making a pizza in the toaster oven is much better than firing up the full sized oven. I agree with shaking the basket part way through. I kind of bought it as a semi-joke, but it is super handy and it now resides on the counter in place of another appliance.

+1 on the good review above... we use ours all the time... bacon, fish, fries.. it's a Phillips and works great..... DW won't part with it or her Instant Pot... she calls her crock pot 'old fashioned' .

[tessaduncan]

Can batter-dipped items be used in an air fryer?

[bloom2708]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tessaduncan Can batter-dipped items be used in an air fryer?

Yes. Cleanup might be a little more involved.

The one that we have has an insert that puts a gap between the bottom of the holding container. It has holes for air flow. Taking the insert out makes it easier to clean.

We run water in ours and let it soak for a bit. Then cleanup is pretty easy.

[SheitlQueen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bloom2708 https://www.target.com/p/dash-900w-1...elect=52532650 This is the air fryer we have. We use it way more than I expected. Not only is the food crisp, it is FAST. Batch of tater tots. 10 minutes. 8 fish sticks. 7 minutes. We make a lot of hand rolled egg rolls and won tons with various healthy fillings. These cook in under 5 minutes. Anything that you can cook in a regular oven or toaster oven you can cook way faster in an air fryer. The biggest obstacle is the size. Ours is smaller, but it is so fast that my wife can prep her meal while mine is cooking. We have talked about getting rid of our toaster oven but will keep it because making a pizza in the toaster oven is much better than firing up the full sized oven. I agree with shaking the basket part way through. I kind of bought it as a semi-joke, but it is super handy and it now resides on the counter in place of another appliance.

Thanks for the good info! I'll try to get by a Target today and take a look at it.

[Sue J]

I just ordered one of these from QVC. It’s their own Cook’s Essentials brand on sale with free shipping as yesterday’s “Today’s Special Value”. I got a 3.4 qt unit so it’s not too big. I’ve learned many new techniques in my Instant Pot so I’m looking forward to learning new things with the air fryer.

I’ve noticed that I use my gas oven less frequently than I used to mostly because of how long it takes to preheat, and how it heats up the kitchen in the summer.

[timo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue J I just ordered one of these from QVC. It’s their own Cook’s Essentials brand on sale with free shipping as yesterday’s “Today’s Special Value”. I got a 3.4 qt unit so it’s not too big. I’ve learned many new techniques in my Instant Pot so I’m looking forward to learning new things with the air fryer. .

I saw that QVC show because DW was watching it. Now I know lots more than I did on Saturday about air fryers. They are convection ovens in a easy to use structure. They look useful if you don't like to use the big oven or have a poorly functioning oven. Kids after school or while the parents are gone from the house could use these safely, it appears.

[Katsmeow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SheitlQueen Phillips is one of the one's I've been looking at, but there are so many it is confusing! And I'm wondering if the more expensive ones are any better than the cheapie ones. And if there are any functions, buttons, etc to be looking for.

I was going to get the Phillips - the large one - since it had the best reviews and feedback from people. But, I went in a different direction.

I brought the Breville Smart Oven Air. It is a toaster oven that has an air fryer function. I like it since it isn't an entire separate device and I can use the Breville for lots of things other than the air fryer function.

Also after talking to someone who had a Phillips and replaced it with the Breville I felt the Breville was superior. The basket in the Phillips and most traditional fryer is deep and small around. The basket in the Breville is shallow and long (like a pan). The advantage is you can put stuff in there in a single layer. You can also buy additional baskets if you want to cook a larger portion.

WE use it a lot. I use it a lot to cook veggies - either frozen ones or fresh ones. I spritz with a little oil and then air fry. They come out very crispy and great tasting. Brussels sprouts are really good. We also bought baked Sweet Potato Fries and cooked them in the air fryer. They were great, much better than when baked in the oven.

I've also used to cook fish and it came out really well.

That said, if you have a super air convection function that is about the same as an air fryer.

[Jerry1]

On sale

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Farberwar...10080301008005

[jonat]

I started out with a Kalorik air fryer that worked fine, but was way too small for our use (just myself and DW.) Then I tried a "Big Boss" model that had a large glass bowl and halogen lamp for heat, but it was awkward to use and did not heat well.

What I ended up with was a Nuwave model I picked up at BJ's - it's larger than the Kalorik, just right for us. It is great for crispy vegetables and meats with just a spritz of olive oil, and is also very good at reheating. In fact, we used it tonight to reheat a lamb roast. Unlike a regular oven, it doesn't dry out the food as quickly.

[SheitlQueen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry1 On sale https://www.walmart.com/ip/Farberwar...10080301008005

I bought one similar to this last week at Target. I think it's a little smaller, but it's look identical although it's a different brand. It was on sale for $39.00.
So far I made fries in it which came out okay, not nearly as good as those cooked in oil of course, but an adequate substitute. I didn't use any oil at all, next time I'll try spraying a little on. Also made a burger at the same time which came out just fine. It's nice not to heat up the whole oven just for a couple of small items.

https://www.target.com/p/dash-900w-1...50#lnk=sametab