Went Down The Air Fryer Rabbit Hole

[easysurfer]

Never really thought much about air fryers as I have one of those round glass type turbo cookers that's been my workhorse as I seldomly use my old fashioned big oven.

The glass type turbo cooker hasn't been working that well recently (it is about 7 years old). Namely, occasionally, it turns off by itself. I'm not sure if it's a matter of the timer knob having some buildup (that cleaned off last night) or something not so simple.

As I was considering replacing with just the same model, seems not stocked at Amazon anymore (currently unavailable and don't know when will be back). Then I got to thinking (can be a bad thing ) maybe an air fryer would do the same thing as they seem to be the craze. One thing led to another and almost all yesterday I went down that rabbit hole looking at all the different types and models.

My gosh, so many has my head spinning.

For now, I'm going to give my turbo cooker one more chance. Maybe all it really needed was a cleaning on the timer dial. But in the meantime, down that rabbit hole .

 

[MRG]

I never heard of a turbo cooker till now. Recently bought a Ninja and it's pretty good. In hindsight I may have liked an over design better but this thing does an awesome job at what I bought it for. Crispy wings, fries , chips and unexpectedly cod.

 

[easysurfer]

I never heard of a turbo cooker till now. Recently bought a Ninja and it's pretty good. In hindsight I may have liked an over design better but this thing does an awesome job at what I bought it for. Crispy wings, fries , chips and unexpectedly cod.

Those turbo cooker types have been around for some time. They have appeared many times on infomercials. I've gone through I think 3 of them in the past. Two because of the halogen bulbs burning out and another time, I heard a loud crash one night as the glass bowl shattered when slipping off the dish rack after washing . The model I have now doesn't use a halogen bulb, which I like.

From what I see, the turbo cooker and air fryers work pretty much the same way, forcing hot air to do the cooking. I've even some of the turbo bowl types being advertised as air fryers.

If I will get an air fryer, I will avoid the toaster oven types as I understand they aren't convenient (hard to clean and don't cook evenly). I would like one large enough to make a meatloaf (if in a smaller than standard loaf pan) as that's one meal I rely on the glass bowl cooker for.

 

[Sue J]

A couple of years ago I bought one of the counter top air fryers. I got the type with the drawer that has the heating element and fan above the food.

There were some things that worked great in there, got crispy, etc. But because of the depth it was hard to get things out to turn them and some stuff stuck (despite being non-stick) and it sometimes was hard to clean. I would prefer it in the dishwasher but DH would hand wash it.

I had a Cook's Essentials brand from QVC and the thing started falling apart, the painted on symbols for the buttons wore off, the little cover for the thumb button to release the inner container broke off. The non-stick coating was disappearing and the inner basket showed rust. The whole idea of an air fryer became a chore rather than a nifty time saver. Maybe it was because I don't like a lot of appliances on my counters so I kept it in a cabinet and had to pull it out to use it.

I was looking at replacing it and checking out new models and types when my 27 year old full size oven/stove died so I bought a new full size oven with an Air Fryer mode. I use this all the time, it has plenty of room and makes much more sense for me.

As for the concept of Air Frying, I'm sold on that! I like the roasted taste and texture of things and using an oil spritzer I use very little oil while still getting the crispness. I do a lot of vegetables, chicken and fish.

Let us know what you decide on.

 

[Chuckanut]

My sister owned a Ronco Roaster that her BF bought her for her birthday after seeing it on a late night TV advertisement. Her first impression was extreme skepticism. But, she knew his heart was in the right place, and used it to make a dinner for him and some friends. After roasting meat with it a few more times, she was sold. And the BF ended up with a lot more points than one would have thought when he first gave it to her.

I use my air fryer more often in the summer. On warm days, I put it out on the deck and let it cook chicken and veggies, while heating the great outdoors instead of my non air-conditioned home.

Oh, it does a great job of warming up waffles.

 

[easysurfer]

...The whole idea of an air fryer became a chore rather than a nifty time saver.

I've felt the same way in the past about a George Foreman type cooker, the set it and forget it rotisserie cooker that appeared on infomercials and also a toaster oven type convection oven. After a certain point, was feeling like I got suckered .

 

[Music Lover]

We just got an air fryer and like it. Chicken wings and fries/roasted potatoes come out nice. Even boneless skinless chicken breast turns out a lot nicer than I would have predicted. We also cook pork chops in it.

 

[Sojourner]

I bought the small Ninja air fryer (4 quart model) several years ago when Amazon had it on sale for $66. Long story short, one of the best kitchen appliance purchases I ever made. This thing has been great for reheating pizza, fries, and really any sort of leftovers or takeout. It also works beautifully for cooking small items (or small batches of items) like tater tots. Also great for roasting nuts and for dehydrating things like tomatoes. You can even heat up and "recrisp" days-old tortilla chips from Mexican restaurants! Highly recommended.

 

[Chuckanut]

We just got an air fryer and like it. Chicken wings and fries/roasted potatoes come out nice. Even boneless skinless chicken breast turns out a lot nicer than I would have predicted. We also cook pork chops in it.

The AF does a great job of warming up things, espeically things whose texture and feel is ruined when microwaved. Waffles, roast potatoes, pizza, etc. come out much better and often retain their 'crispness'.

 

[Sue J]

I've felt the same way in the past about a George Foreman type cooker, the set it and forget it rotisserie cooker that appeared on infomercials and also a toaster oven type convection oven. After a certain point, was feeling like I got suckered .

Oh, but I love my George Foreman!

 

[Aerides]

As always, whenever it comes to a new cooking thing, there is an excellent write up from Helen Rosner in the New Yorker:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/k...-succumb-to-the-air-fryer-this-holiday-season

 

[JDARNELL]

We had purchased two air fryers in the past and immediately returned them as either they didn't work, operator error, or it was a cheap model no features, etc. Then in January one of my wife's friends asked her to do a virtual pampered chef party with all her friends online. So she did. Well the show was a hit and with her rewards she got us a pampered chef air fryer. Oh man! The best thing since sliced bread. It is now a staple in our kitchen.

 

[aja8888]

As always, whenever it comes to a new cooking thing, there is an excellent write up from Helen Rosner in the New Yorker:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/k...-succumb-to-the-air-fryer-this-holiday-season

Good article....whatever did happen to all those Christmas instant pots?

 

[easysurfer]

I never heard of a turbo cooker till now. Recently bought a Ninja and it's pretty good. In hindsight I may have liked an over design better but this thing does an awesome job at what I bought it for. Crispy wings, fries , chips and unexpectedly cod.

Here's a good article discussing the difference between air fryers and the halogen bulb type:

When it comes to cooking in the kitchen, there have been numerous “fryer” type appliances manufactured over the years to make your meal prep, cooking time, and meal enjoyment, tastier, more efficient, and healthier.
However, with so many appliances available and with so many names representing these devices, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them.
With home cooking becoming more common in households that are looking to cut back on food-related expenses, such as restaurant dining, more families are considering purchasing one of the numerous small counter-top kitchen appliances available on the market. Although these appliances do not completely replace your traditional oven, they can certainly come close, which is one of the main reasons these have become so popular.

https://kitchensnitches.com/air-fryer-versus-halogen-oven-the-differences/

The cooker I have that I'm thinking of replacing looks like the typical halogen type but doesn't use a bulb and uses a heated coil (like air fryers).

 

[Jerry1]

I’m sure the air fryers are great, but I don’t understand how they are any different than my convection oven. I’m sure my big oven is less efficient but for the amount of time I cook that way, I can’t see getting another appliance.

OTOH, DW’s InstaPot is humming along just fine. Go figure.

Our George Foreman type grill didn’t last long at all. I have a gas grill (pretty much always have) and it makes much better food. Also, I don’t really like the lingering smell of cooking (grilling) meat inside the house - unless it bacon. Bacon is special.

 

[braumeister]

I’m sure the air fryers are great, but I don’t understand how they are any different than my convection oven.

AFAIK an air fryer is essentially the same as a convection oven, so you're right. I just found that the air fryer (I have a Ninja) just does the job quickly and is such a compact gadget that it doesn't take much counter space. It's also much easier (IMO) to clean than a convection oven.

We use ours a lot and consider it a great convenience.

 

[Bamaman]

The air fryer is something we cannot do without. We have a big one at home, a medium size one in our lake house and a small one in our RV.

We use it at least 3x a day.

 

[NW-Bound]

We use our air fryer every day. Other appliances that see the same usage, not in any order, are the microwave, the electric kettle, the Instant Pot, and the induction cooktop.

Speaking of the portable single-burner induction cooktop, my wife now prepares meals with it, and has not used the 4-burner glass-top range in ages.

I offer to replace the range with an induction one, but she refused out of frugality.

 

[RobbieB]

Don't have an air fryer, have a deep fryer. Have a instant pot, don't use it. Love the induction range / convection oven combo. And the nuker and the toaster oven are quite popular.

 

[catii]

My turbo cooker IS an air fryer, which we've had for 5 years. Wife just made a prime rib last night, by packing the meat with salt, & sticking in a meat thermometer with an outside display. Cooked it to medium-rare by temperature, & it came out perfectly. No bells or whistles on our fryer, & it does what we want.

 

[ScoopKona]

I wouldn't take an air fryer if it was free.

I have a convection oven. And it is FAR BETTER than anything an air fryer can do. An air fryer is just a countertop, small-scale convection oven.

Anything an air fryer can do, a convection oven can do better.

 

[easysurfer]

I just made an order on Amazon for an air fryer.

Estimated arrival not til between 4/16-5/6. Actually, kind of a good thing in case I back out and change my mind.

My semi-working glass turbo cooker will have to limp along til then.

 

[Sunset]

I wouldn't take an air fryer if it was free.

I have a convection oven. And it is FAR BETTER than anything an air fryer can do. An air fryer is just a countertop, small-scale convection oven.

Anything an air fryer can do, a convection oven can do better.

Yes. I just wish I could stick a fan inside my regular oven to turn it into a convection oven.



I bought an airfryer months ago, but haven't taken it out of the box...

 

[Sunset]

.....

Oh, it does a great job of warming up waffles.

I heat up home made waffles, first zap them for ~22 seconds in the microwave to take off the fridge chill. Then put them in the toaster for ~1 minute to crisp the outside.

 

[ScoopKona]

I heat up home made waffles, first zap them for ~22 seconds in the microwave to take off the fridge chill. Then put them in the toaster for ~1 minute to crisp the outside.

I re-heat waffles INSIDE THE WAFFLE MAKER.

Trust me on this one.