air fryer tips

acpgee
acpgee Posts: 7,590 Member
in Recipes
I love the air fryer I got for my biirthday. Discovered a tip today.

Food such as deep freeze spring rolls and french fries would stick to the basket if not well oiled. I had a bit of leftover silicon mesh from lining my dehydrator trays. I cut out a square to line my air fryer basket and absolutely nothing sticks anymore.

Anyone else have tips or favourite recipes for the air fryer?

Replies

  • DoubleUbea
    DoubleUbea Posts: 1,115 Member
    Is an air fryer just a miniature convection oven? That is what it looks like to me but I didn't really look at the air fryers.
    Hot air circulated by a fan to cook food.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,590 Member
    DoubleUbea wrote: »
    Is an air fryer just a miniature convection oven? That is what it looks like to me but I didn't really look at the air fryers.
    Hot air circulated by a fan to cook food.

    It's essentially a well insulated convection oven with a more aggressive fan. The aggressive fan makes food cook quickly. For example a 1 kg leg of lamb takes 40 minutes to roast to medium rare at 200C. It's better than my convection oven for rendering off subcutaneous fat from chicken or duck parts. Because of it's size, it is much more energy efficient. Being so well insulated it doesn't heat up the kitchen in summer.

    But yeah, there is a trade off in terms of counter space and cost.

    I hardly use my oven anymore. I still use it for very large roasts, and spatchcock chicken. The success of the latter depends on the uneven heat of a conventional oven, which is cooler in the centre (where the breasts are) and hotter around the perimeter (where the legs are). The temperature of the air fryer is too even because of the fan, so breasts are overcooked by the time the legs are done.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,590 Member
    crazyravr wrote: »
    DoubleUbea wrote: »
    Is an air fryer just a miniature convection oven? That is what it looks like to me but I didn't really look at the air fryers.
    Hot air circulated by a fan to cook food.

    Yes.

    But the air circulation in the air fryer is much higher. I can make a grilled cheese sandwich in a convection oven even with the fan set at high. Not possible in the air fryer unless you weight down down everything with a piece of metal cutlery. Otherwise the sandwich blows apart and flies around in the air fryer.

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