Went Down The Air Fryer Rabbit Hole

[ScoopKona]

If you want to compare an air fryer to a guitar, then a $400 guitar would be more accurate comparison than a $100 guitar. There are plenty of guitars at that level that sound good, are are built well, and are easy to play. They're good enough for most amateur players. You can actually use and enjoy a $400 guitar, just like most people can make good food with an air fryer.

We diverge at this point.

The air-fryer is the $100 department store guitar. There are $400 (and better $600) convection ovens which I would be absolutely glad to discover in a kitchen -- if I was called on to throw down a nice meal for the President of the United States. (And I cooked him a meal already when he was Vice President.)

If I found an $80 Costco special, my first exclamation would be "oh [excrement], what am I going to make with this?" I've done plenty of System D* cooking. But just like with musical instruments, there is a lower end under which "abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

There are plenty of countertop appliances I'm 100% enthusiastic about -- particularly immersion circulators. Get one ASAP. It will up your cooking game. Rice cookers. That's part of a complete kitchen. I'm a big fan of Indian wet spice grinders for making pastes -- great things with no comparison in the occidental kitchen. A blowtorch for brulees and similar (keep these away from POTUS if you're cooking for him). Vacuum sealers for marinades. A good food processor -- I only use Robot Coupe. All good. These are necessary kitchen tools.

And then we have air fryers, instant pots, slap-chops, George Foreman grills, rotisserie toaster ovens and pasta extruders. These are the "$100 department store guitars" of the culinary world.

I wish I knew some sleazy gadget that promises to give a new guitar player Eddie Van Halen, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani skills (take your pick -- fill in your favorite player) for just four easy payments of $19.99.

That's what we're talking about.

* System D means sleazy, cutting corners, MacGuyver'ed, hacker kitchen techniques we don't talk about in polite company -- deep frying well done steaks to speed the order up, because well-done customers can't tell the difference. That sort of thing.

 

[old medic]

Chefs also prefer gas burners, I believe.

I must be a Chef then.... the only use I have for an electric range is using the self cleaning oven for baking clean and re-seasoning cast iron pans...

Got a gas cook top to go in the new kitchen and may add an electric wall oven. Or just stay with the toaster over...

 

[old medic]

Our air fryer is for heating small portions. Using anything larger to heat a few cups of food is like using a 50-cal gun to hunt rabbits.

LMAO.... I've done that.... Well a squirl... sat half the day in my tree stand and this squirl kept carrying on, raiding the corn pile... last day of muzzle loader season... Had to unload the gun anyway...

 

[Music Lover]

We diverge at this point.

The air-fryer is the $100 department store guitar. There are $400 (and better $600) convection ovens which I would be absolutely glad to discover in a kitchen

Guitars and ovens have different pricing scales.

 

[old medic]

I've seen the kind you've linked and that may be a good option when we replace ours.
When you do a rotisserie chicken how bad is the cleanup?

I highly recommend it, and clean up is a breeze. it has a drip tray, and we put aluminum foil on it. no other splatters ... YET.. I separate the skin and put the rub under the skin, wipe the outside dry and rub olive oil and sprinkle some more on it. The pain it trussing it up but totally worth it. Stuff the cavity with apple or pear... you wont buy another Cosco chicken again....

 

[old medic]

You can use these outside with an extension cord. Cook what you need. And vacuum seal/freeze the rest.

Vac sealer here gets a workout for sure.
I think you need to come and cook with us... Reading your replies makes me think you would enjoy it.. One of our hobbies is Dutch Oven Cookouts.. been to several with 50+ pots of food cooked over coals. I'm known for stacking pots... did one with 5 pots high... and the main course was a whole chicken, bake bread and desserts.

We do the majority of our cooking outside, or in the garage since we live in a camper while rebuilding a house. We do have an airfryer, give to us, and doubt we would buy another, but its convenient for reheating some stuff, actually gets used more than the microwave.
Instapot is another workhorse for us...
We still use my grandmothers pressure cooker for canning.

 

[MRG]

I'd have a hard time getting feed without some gadgets like an instant pot. Water boils at 192° here and its really hard to get rice, oatmeal... .. done without adding pressure. YMMV.

 

[dixonge]

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.

Especially using more electricity. Convection ovens are great at that.

Sure, all things being equal, it might be a better choice for the typical, modern American home, especially if you have kids and a gadget fetish. However...

Here in Mexico, where the lower tier of electricity usage is heavily subsidized, you really want to reign in your usage. If you pop up to the next level for too long, voila - congratulations, you've just raised your electric bill by approximately 5X.

We (just the two of us) have a smaller apartment kitchen w/ just enough counter space. But not enough for a convection oven. We're also vegan and batch cook our meals weekly. So the air fryer comes out for select items then goes back in the cabinet. Same for food processor and ninja blender. Gas oven for larger baking needs. Gas stovetop for everything else.

For us the air fryer is just about perfect, but a convection oven would be both overkill and potentially extremely expensive to use. This makes the air fryer a much better tool at a much better price/value.

 

[Chuckanut]

I use my insta-pot for making my own yogurt. It's very handy. The yogurt is very good. And, it's half the price of store bought plain yogurt.

I tried an experiment this morning. I freeze a batch of my home-made waffles every few weeks. This morning I buttered both up. One went into the convection toaster oven and the other into the air fryer. The air fryer won this one hands down.

I do have to admit my air fryer does not make good yogurt. And the cleanup is awful!!!

 

[ScoopKona]

For us the air fryer is just about perfect, but a convection oven would be both overkill and potentially extremely expensive to use. This makes the air fryer a much better tool at a much better price/value.

I live in Hawaii. I'll gladly swap electric bills with you.

The reason there is a double-walled, insulated, countertop convection oven in half the restaurants in North America is that they cook so evenly. Gas ovens fluctuate -- even the best gas ovens. They have their place -- they cost much less to operate.

But if you need an oven to hold temperature within a few degrees all day long, that's a job for electricity.

I'd like to think that people can wrap their heads around the fact that a convection oven will do everything an air fryer will do. But an air fryer cannot do everything a convection oven will do.

Anyone who has a problem with that is invited to bake a loaf of bread or a soufflé in their air fryer. Again, and I'll just keep repeating this until it begins to stick, there are countertop convection ovens that WILL do all of the above -- hold temperature, cook evenly, do just about anything (that will fit on a half or quarter sheet pan, at least).

I'll gladly install one of those in my kitchen. They aren't toys.

 

[Chuckanut]

Watch out for those counter top convection ovens. I have one of the smaller ones. I found out they recommend it be on its own circuit. They aren't kidding. When I use it, I can't plug in anything else that draws much power without popping the circuit. Just a word to the wise.

 

[punkinhead]

I'd like to think that people can wrap their heads around the fact that a convection oven will do everything an air fryer will do. But an air fryer cannot do everything a convection oven will do.

Anyone who has a problem with that is invited to bake a loaf of bread or a soufflé in their air fryer. Again, and I'll just keep repeating this until it begins to stick, there are countertop convection ovens that WILL do all of the above -

Everyone here gets that. You're presenting a strawman argument. We all know that a larger oven can do more things but we don't care. I don't need an oven that can hold temperature within 1 degree all day or that has steam injection to reheat some fries or make chicken wings. An air fryer is great for most home cooks for most meals. It takes up less counter space, heats up faster, uses less energy, and cleans up easier. When I'm baking a couple loaves of bread I'll use my full sized oven. For most other meals I'll use the air fryer. Plus I'll take it with me in the RV or when I rent a cabin.

 

[walkinwood]

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.

We have a 4 burner gas stove, but I've been curious about induction. Would you share the brand/model of the induction burner you use? Or would just about any "not the cheapest" do the job?

 

[ScoopKona]

We have a 4 burner gas stove, but I've been curious about induction. Would you share the brand/model of the induction burner you use? Or would just about any "not the cheapest" do the job?

Induction is great -- if you have the cookware for it. If a magnet will stick to the pot/pan, it will work. Otherwise it won't.

They're good for deep frying outside -- no smell or mess that way. They're also good for very low temperature "keep things warm" and poaching.

I throw one and a cast iron skillet in the trunk on any drive-to vacation.

Cheap induction cookers burn out. Good induction cookers will last a decade or more with regular use.

 

[ScoopKona]

Everyone here gets that. You're presenting a strawman argument.

There is no Strawman here. I'm saying that for anyone with a good convection oven, the air fryer is not only redundant, it is inferior.

My calculus is: "Why would I want something that takes up space and does a worse job than a tool I already have?"

Furthermore, they have no replaceable parts. They are not user-serviceable. I'm not dismissing them as "toys" lightly. Even an E-Z Bake oven has a replaceable light bulb to keep it running. By that standard, it is preferable to the Costco-special.

 

[NW-Bound]

We have a 4 burner gas stove, but I've been curious about induction. Would you share the brand/model of the induction burner you use? Or would just about any "not the cheapest" do the job?

We bought the Tramontina at Costco. It comes with different addons at different times and at different prices. I have had this one for 3 or 4 years.

Right now, I see that they have a $120 deal where you get the burner plus two pans.

Any induction burner heats up the pan fast! It's because it creates heat right at the pan bottom, which absorbs the magnetic field. It's the same as water absorbing the energy of a microwave oven. The heat is generated within, and not transferred via conduction.

 

[NW-Bound]

The reason there is a double-walled, insulated, countertop convection oven in half the restaurants in North America is that they cook so evenly. Gas ovens fluctuate -- even the best gas ovens. They have their place -- they cost much less to operate.

But if you need an oven to hold temperature within a few degrees all day long, that's a job for electricity.

I believe you. But I do not need or want to leave an oven on all day long. I do not run a commercial kitchen.

I set the timer on my air fryer for 4 minutes, then I am done.

 

[punkinhead]

There is no Strawman here.

The strawman is claiming that other people don't get that a full sized convection oven can do things that an air fryer can't. We all get that. You're arguing with yourself on that point.

My calculus is: "Why would I want something that takes up space and does a worse job than a tool I already have?"

I have a bottom of the line Honda Civic with a manual transmission. It's small and has a lot of road noise. It doesn't even have intermittent wipers. I also have a full sized truck. The truck can haul thousands of pounds in the bed and tow several tons. It's comfortable, quiet, has all the bells and whistles, and can do everything the Civic can do but better. But I drive the Civic every day and save the truck for the jobs it can do that the Civic can't. The Civic gets almost 3X the gas mileage and is easier to park and navigate in city traffic. Civic tires are about 30% less than the truck's and an oil change costs less than half. By your logic I shouldn't have the Civic because the truck can do everything the car can do and more.

It's interesting that everyone on here raves about how much they like their air fryer and how often they use it. The only one who doesn't is the person who doesn't have one.

 

[ScoopKona]

I have a bottom of the line Honda Civic with a manual transmission. It's small and has a lot of road noise. It doesn't even have intermittent wipers. I also have a full sized truck. The truck can haul thousands of pounds in the bed and tow several tons. It's comfortable, quiet, has all the bells and whistles, and can do everything the Civic can do but better.

I don't think that's a fair comparison. I think it's more accurate to compare your Honda Civic with a two-door Yugo or a Reliant Robin -- they both try fill the same transportation need. One does a better job and is more reliable.

We had massive Baxter ovens in the convention centers that can crank out food by the literal ton -- there's your truck analogy. A smaller version of this is the Rational oven, which I'm tempted to install here. Anova makes a countertop version of a Rational. If they turn out to work as advertised, I may just buy one of those instead. That would take care of 90% of my baking needs.

 

[braumeister]

We have a 4 burner gas stove, but I've been curious about induction. Would you share the brand/model of the induction burner you use? Or would just about any "not the cheapest" do the job?

FWIW, I bought this little induction burner 5 or 6 years ago and it has been terrific. It's so portable I have often taken it on road trips and works very well. I grew up with a gas stove and have always hated electric ones. Induction is as close as you can get to the control capability of gas, IMHO.

Duxtop 1800W Portable Induction Cooktop Countertop Burner

 

[Music Lover]

I don't think that's a fair comparison. I think it's more accurate to compare your Honda Civic with a two-door Yugo or a Reliant Robin -- they both try fill the same transportation need. One does a better job and is more reliable.

Your comparisons are unfairly weighted. For example, you wanted to compare hand made coconut shrimp cooked with professional equipment to boxed shrimp in an air fryer.

Let's swap that around. Would you prefer to cook your hand made coconut shrimp in an air fryer or cook store bought boxed shrimp with your pro equipment?

 

[ScoopKona]

Your comparisons are unfairly weighted. For example, you wanted to compare hand made coconut shrimp cooked with professional equipment to boxed shrimp in an air fryer.

Let's swap that around. Would you prefer to cook your hand made coconut shrimp in an air fryer or cook store bought boxed shrimp with your pro equipment?

I don't eat boxed food.

My point was that most people can tell the difference. Some cannot. I've met many people in life who are of the opinion, "I don't care what I eat. It all goes the same place."

There most certainly are correct and incorrect ways to cook various items. In general, a microwave falls under the incorrect way. Many chefs forbid them in their kitchens. (I'm not nearly so strict.)

The reason for this is that if there is a microwave around, cooks will cheat -- they'll throw the one well-done order of steak in the microwave so that table #114 doesn't take thirty minutes. (The correct way is to get the well-done steak fired as soon as the ticket arrives -- or if there's a convention of people who tend to order well-done, have a bunch of them most of the way finished in a sous-vide bath to be flashed off as needed.)

One of my many problems with air fryers is that I have never heard anyone say, "These pomme frites taste just as good as what we got in Brussels! Amazing! Astounding!"

If I'm going to take the time to make fries, they absolutely have to taste as good as Brussels -- otherwise its a waste of time, money and calories. There's really no point to half-assing fries. Make a different potato dish instead.

And it's the same with everything else -- not just in the kitchen, but in life.

 

[Music Lover]

I don't eat boxed food.

But you used boxed food cooked in an air fryer as a comparison to your hand made food cooked on pro equipment. For it to be a fair comparison the same food must be used in both cooking methods.

I assume that if you're a good cook/chef then your hand made coconut shrimp would taste pretty good in an air fryer, but a little better in pro equipment. The difference may or many not be noticeable to some people.

 

[MichaelB]

I don't eat boxed food.

No pizza or take out?

 

[ScoopKona]

No pizza or take out?

Never. I make pizza (and all doughy/bready things) quite well.

If I'm going to eat pizza, it's going to be at a VPN in the US, or in Italy. Otherwise, what's the point?

I also fry my own chicken, grill my own burgers, cut my own fries and similar. The problem with fast food isn't that it's unhealthy -- it's mediocre.