Air fryer... yes or no???

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Replies

  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 7,082 Member
    bourbonblu wrote: »
    I have a tiny kitchen so I bought the Melfy Crisplid that turns your Instant Pot into an air fryer. Made sweet potato fries and "fried" fish sandwiches last night. Had no problem staying in my calorie range and it was so easy.

    I've been so curious about these lids! I don't have a convection oven and love how they cook but don't have the space for a full toaster oven or large air fryer. Does food have to be in a single layer for it to work?
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,961 Member
    I love my air fryer. The fan is more aggressive than my convection oven. I feel it is better at rendering off subcutaneous fat from skin on chicken, fish, duck. I also like that it is more energy efficient and better insulated than my oven so doesn't warm up the house in the summer. Mine (Phillips Viva) actually stays cool to the touch when running at the highest temperature.

    I hardly ever use my oven any more. I use the air fryer for roast dinners of beef or a half leg of lamb. I also roast veg and potatoes in it. For less healthy treats I make croquettes which I freeze and warm up in the air fryer. I find these work best if you use oily crumbs for the final breadcrumb coating.

    I have a flat perforated pan for the air fryer as well as the conventional basket. The flat pan makes it easier for removing delicate or easy to break items such as fish. It also means I can fit a small casserole dish in the air fryer for making lasagnas and gratin dauphinoise.

    For anyone who has an air fryer I recommend buying some silicon mesh sold for preventing small items such as shrimp and asparagus from falling through BBQ grates. You can cut to size to line the air fryer. Nothing sticks to that stuff.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,961 Member
    Katmary71 wrote: »
    bourbonblu wrote: »
    I have a tiny kitchen so I bought the Melfy Crisplid that turns your Instant Pot into an air fryer. Made sweet potato fries and "fried" fish sandwiches last night. Had no problem staying in my calorie range and it was so easy.

    I've been so curious about these lids! I don't have a convection oven and love how they cook but don't have the space for a full toaster oven or large air fryer. Does food have to be in a single layer for it to work?

    Single layer browns best but you can double capacity with accessory racks. Google air fryer double layer accessory for options.

    https://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/HD9904_00/viva-collection-airfryer-double-layer-accessory?origin=7_700000001578164_71700000025767916_58700003225417653_92700047001503429&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuZDtBRDvARIsAPXFx3BiCd5qbQaGOnGadKkCTi9XF_Gu8-qcKWY-3wj71QNHaPgpaZttLIYaAihAEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    I use ours mostly for fries, chicken wings, chicken strips/tenders/nuggets. Does a great job on these things. More a matter of convenience than anything else. We have the t-fal version.
  • Sharon_C
    Sharon_C Posts: 2,132 Member
    My daughter has one and uses it daily. I've been debating whether to get one. She cooks almost exclusively vegetables in hers. She makes carrot fries that are so good and so healthy.
  • jo_nz
    jo_nz Posts: 548 Member
    I looked into an air fryer a while back...but as I am cooking for our family of four, decided against it. I do have a good convection oven, and that suits us fine.

    Of the people I talked to about it, the people who loved it most tended to be people on their own, so didn't really want to heat a whole oven for a single serve. Or people with kids/teens, who liked to make themselves snacks and meals - they found it an easy and reasonably healthy way for the kids to cook themselves a serving of fries or chicken tenders, for example.
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,023 Member
    I'll put up this lemon pepper air fried piece of salmon against pan fried salmon any day of the week!
    057j0ltxfu9y.jpg
  • nighthawk584
    nighthawk584 Posts: 2,023 Member
    edited October 2019
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    I'll put up this lemon pepper air fried piece of salmon against pan fried salmon any day of the week!
    057j0ltxfu9y.jpg

    Without seeing what that looks like on the inside, there is no way to tell hehe :)
    Also, I will put that piece of salmon against oven fried piece anytime.

    haha...it was perfect melt in mouth buttery (without using butter) medium cooked.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    I had to ask Mr. Google what an air fryer was... ;)

    Nope, don't have one and I probably never will. A convection toaster oven does the work for me.

    Whoever disagreed with you must not have a decent convection oven OR must find ways to justify the extra kitchen gadget. There is a reason why you will never find one of these in a commercial kitchen.

    Because they are for small servings????????

    Nope. Because you are not kidding any one that the food served is actually fried and just as good.
    No restaurant is frying anything in big batches unless its fast food places doing french fries.
    People can press the disagree button all they want but everyone knows that if you compare fried, air fried and convection oven food, air fried and convection oven are the same damn thing. Neither one is like deep frying. Simple physics. Nothing else.

    Someone needs a snickers......

    @snickerscharlie ?

    Sorry just got an air fryer for Christmas and am returning to the boards after a self imposed hiatus so I couldn’t help bumping an old thread....
  • debtay123
    debtay123 Posts: 1,327 Member
    I LOVE my air fryer but its just the two of us- so it is big enough to fix the things we want- love to make fries, tater tots, sausage is perfection, wings, etc- I finally even do a pizza in it- Now that Iknow how to use parchment paper in it(make sure the size is small) clean up is even a breeze
  • mikebxb
    mikebxb Posts: 138 Member
    We use a NuWave Oven. We use it ALL the time. its Air Fry, Conduction, Convection, Infrared and indoor grilling. The grease drains off (I also pat the extra grease) I HIGHLY recommend it. You can safely cook fish from a frozen state if needed. unlike a microwave it doesn't dry out your food. Aside from outdoor grilling it has to be the healthiest way to cook. https://nuwavenow.com/NuWaveOven?TM=1577816841484
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    yes
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    Gisel2015 wrote: »
    I had to ask Mr. Google what an air fryer was... ;)

    Nope, don't have one and I probably never will. A convection toaster oven does the work for me.

    Whoever disagreed with you must not have a decent convection oven OR must find ways to justify the extra kitchen gadget. There is a reason why you will never find one of these in a commercial kitchen.

    Because they are for small servings????????

    Nope. Because you are not kidding any one that the food served is actually fried and just as good.
    No restaurant is frying anything in big batches unless its fast food places doing french fries.
    People can press the disagree button all they want but everyone knows that if you compare fried, air fried and convection oven food, air fried and convection oven are the same damn thing. Neither one is like deep frying. Simple physics. Nothing else.

    Someone needs a snickers......

    @snickerscharlie ?

    Sorry just got an air fryer for Christmas and am returning to the boards after a self imposed hiatus so I couldn’t help bumping an old thread....

    You rang? :D

    PS: I love my air fryer. We have a deep, unbreakable bond. <3