Air Fryer

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 1:27 pm

We have made a discovery of an air fryer. We were talking to the owner of the cafe we go to on occasions and Mrs D asked how the chips were so crispy and free from oil. She told us all about her air fryer. It is a bit of a misnomer as it is really a mini convection oven. We got hooked on the idea as it is quick and saves a lot of energy heating up our main oven. We bought a Tower one for £48 off Amazon.

When it came I experimented for the first time by cooking half a bag of sweet potato chips. It took ten minutes, you set the temperature and time and off it goes. I pulled the pan out after 5 minutes and tossed them and then resumed. In ten minutes the chips were lovely. No grease in the basket, hot and dry. Since then I have cooked some southern fried chicken strips and they also took ten minutes and were perfection. I tried battered fish fillets which normally take ages in the oven and this did them in about twelve minutes, lovely and crispy. I am still learning but first impressions are good. There are loads of Youtube vids to see on it.

What appeals to me is that when we use our main fan oven it takes about ten minutes to get to temperature and then fifteen to twenty minutes to cook most things. It is never crispy I find and it always a nagging thought of how much energy I am using for perhaps one meal. This is great

Anyone else got one? I never heard of them before last week.

DWD

Rorschach · Post by **Rorschach** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 1:59 pm

I have heard good things about them from family but not yet tried one myself. From what I have been told they are great for 1-2 people, not so useful for larger families, also only good for cooking one item, unlike an oven where you can do multiple items at once. Pro's and con's, just like with all gadgets I guess.

They are very economical however and a lot less messy than deep fryers etc.

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 2:16 pm

I am sad, I have seen them months ago on "infomercials" ("Chef" Tony) but I always thought its just another gimmick. Link to the one you have please.

Dave54 · Post by **Dave54** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 2:28 pm

Sounds good Walt. I've seen them, and thought they sounded like a good idea.
Might well try one in the New Year.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 3:07 pm

Here is a link to the one we got https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... pchoseo-21. It has a 4.2 litre capacity so it takes a fair bit but it would might not suit a family large portion. However, I can see a busy mum cooking chicken dippers and chips for her kids meal in ten minutes. You can put fish and the chips in at the same time and lots of other combinations like sausage and bacon but I have not tried that yet. When I did the fish fillets I bunged them in the microwave for a few minutes first as in the main you cook from frozen and I was worried in case it did not cook through. I need not have worried it was piping hot and cooked to perfection, better than when we oven cook.

One amazing thing is there is no grease left behind, perhaps a couple of drips, and it crisps and browns very well. Okay this might end up on the Ronco shelf in time, next to the bread maker, but at the minute I am very pleased with it and also the energy we are saving. There are a lot of videos on Youtube but many are boring chumps so be selective.

DWD

Rorschach · Post by **Rorschach** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 3:57 pm

Terrible timing with your recommendation here, if it had been a few months ago I could have borrowed one from my dad to try out.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 4:08 pm

Ha ha, I had never heard of them until a week ago. I accept it will not suit everyone but I like the healthy, thrifty and speedy aspects of using it.

DWD

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Sun Dec 01, 2019 5:30 pm

Thanks.

................and do you put "ordinary" chips in it? Or do you put "Oven chips" in it?

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Mon Dec 02, 2019 1:30 pm

But can it deep fry a mars bar, pizza or kebab

Edit. YouTube has the answers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2R8_XflC3g

wine~o · Post by **wine~o** » Mon Dec 02, 2019 2:29 pm

I used an air fryer once, about 3 years ago whilst visiting relatives. Didn't crisp evenly at all. I'll stick with my deep fat fryer thanks.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Mon Dec 02, 2019 9:17 pm

I do not know on the chips front?? I used oven sweet potato chips. If you can cook ordinary chips in an ordinary oven then I suppose you can because all this is is a mini fan oven. I have deduced that a lower temperature cooks thicker stuff through and you boost the crisping by turning up the temperature at the end. Not sure as I am still experimenting. This appliance will not suit cooking type people, it suits people like me who are not interested in food and eat to live and find cooking an inconvenience. I like the speed and low energy usage.

DWD

AleesLLD · Post by **AleesLLD** » Fri Dec 20, 2019 12:32 pm

We've brought my parents one for Christmas after them talking about it on and off for ages. I'm looking forward to having some tasty chips.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Fri Dec 20, 2019 12:50 pm

A couple of weeks in now and I love it. As I am Type 2 I have to watch what I eat which invariably means Mrs D and I eat different meals mostly. The air fryer helps this as it so quick with no warm up. I used to grill a fair bit but this seems to cook and crisp well once you have got the hang of it. I microwave stuff that is out of the freezer for a minute or so and this seems to help the process. For someone like me, who is incredibly impatient, it is a godsend.

DWD