Air fryers
I see that someone asked a question on their power last year but the discussion didn’t go far. This question is for those that use one. With fuel prices going up OH is looking at fuel saving and having the cooker on less. Whilst away we met a chap who uses his air fryer for almost all his cooking and firmly recommended them. However, it seems everyone has the same idea and the larger ones can’t be bought anywhere. Lakeland can’t get them in stock until at least November, with many others the same. Now people are selling them on various websites, eBay, for twice their original price, this always seems to happen when supply of an item is short. My question is, are they really as good as they sound? And if you have one what make would you recommend. Despite all his enthusiasm OH never cooks so guess who will be left to use it, that is if we can ever get one.
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Ours was £50 from Amazon and is labelled Tower - I have cooked frozen chips in it for the last five years and if I used it for other things all the other foods would smell of chips. Perhaps I should wash it.
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We bought one last week (whilst we were away in our caravan!).
It's a Salter one and was half price (apparently!) in Robert Dyas in Dorchester (£49.99).
The lady in shop said it's been her most popular sale for weeks!
Since we've been home, I've used it 3 times! Onion bhajis were fantastic. Frozen roast potatoes took next to no time and bog-standard chips were quick too. Looking for recipes to use it more often.
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I looked and investigated what sort of food we might cook in it. Same with a Remoska. Both look good ideas, but for us probably not worth investing in. We are going to utilise our existing slow cooker and steamer more. I hate having underused kitchen gadgets around as well. But air fryers could work well for others.
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Because of the name I discounted them, I cook very little fried food. However, after seeing a cooking demonstration of someone cooking cakes in one, they tasted good, and the person recommending them saying he cooks all meals but casseroles in his, including a roast, I thought again. I think the name is a bit misleading, seems like they are more like small fan ovens. We can get a small one but large ones are harder to source. Thanks for the replies.
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Did you buy one Debsc? I was interested in the idea although listening to Jamie Oliver on the radio last night he suggested that people might save by not buying appliances just now and using what they've got eg cooking on the hob rather than using an oven (and using an oven when it can be fully used etc.)
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Well you could cook on the hob, but I find that an air fryer (they are actually a mini fan oven), cooks food far better than on the hob as it cooks all over instead of just on one side and if you are cooking steak, chops, chicken or duck legs or breasts, you don't usually need to spray it with any oil at all and sausages are cooked all over, instead of on just 2 sides. It also cooks them far quicker than in a full size oven and uses less electricity as it is far smaller. My friend has a NInja 3 in one cooker which is even better as it gives you more ways to cook in it. I bought a smaller one than I use at home to take in the M/H with me, from Aldi for £30.00.
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Well yes I will be cooking on the hob or using a slow cooker. It's interesting to hear about. I don't eat much meat although I cook meat for OH and I tend to batch cook. The slow cooker will do a meal for two days or a freezer meal etc.I've been listening and learning and after the initial expense know that air fryers are the cheapest to run.
Thanks.
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Yes Brue, OH finally sourced one from Currys. He was quick off the mark as they were sold out within the hour. I was waiting to get one from Lakeland, due to their after sales service, they finally got some but straight away sold out, strange that a few days later lots of Lakeland air fryers were being sold on eBay for twice the original price - and people were buying them! So obvious what was happening.
Yes, despite my reservations (OHs idea) it is very good. We got a larger one with the double compartments. We have only had it a few days. So far have only tried fish, sausages, fishcakes and chips, all cooked fine. Haven’t put any oil on anything yet. Last night we had cold chicken left from a roast so ideal not to put all the oven on just for a few oven chips. I’m going to try homemade scotch eggs next, don’t like deep frying them so think this way will be ideal.
I do also use the slow cooker a lot. Made a really nice steak and ale stew, tripled up the recipe so enough in the freezer for another day, then some to go into a steak and ale pie. I wouldn’t be without the slow cooker.
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I have a Corsori-(18months old now) & it cooks a big chicken superbly for a Sunday roast-we sit it on foil to catch the fat. It cooks the Yorkshires to perfection but I’m not allowed to touch the roasties apparently they are oven specialities🤷🏻♂️🙄. Pizzas from frozen are quick & tasty too.
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We have a large one at home and it's used almost exclusively for main family meals. We also bought a smaller one that lives in the caravan and will easily cook meals for two/three.
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I gave toast a go too-not as good as the grill🤷🏻♂️, that could be me mind. . .Too much time in the AF I created a bread biscuit unfortunately🙄. I can’t praise it enough particularly Yorkshires geez they are so quick. In fact one of my relatives views them as pudding & slathers jam on em. When they visit it’s tea & Yorky pud for them😊
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We have been considering getting one for a while, but OH was not sure that it would save money compared to using our small half oven. Both our ovens are fan ovens, and we only ever use the full size one if we have visitors. And when she uses the half oven she uses it for as much as possible in that meal.
Having hesitated a couple of months back, she finally decided to go for the Lakeland double air fryer next time she had a 20% off voucher, which is now, only to find that they were unavailable and her voucher would expire before they got them in again.
However, a Range store opened near us on Friday, and they were advertising air fryers, so we went along for a look. Place was packed out, plenty of trollies piled high, but we found a couple of different models, and settled on a Salter dual drawer model. Slightly less expensive initially than the Lakeland one, but then there was no 20% off.
It is quite big, so we will need to organise worktop space for it. The instruction booklet leaves a lot to be desired, particularly when it comes to pre heating.....or not. And the table of times and temperatures is equally lacking.
Yesterday we did fish and chips, the chips were excellent, but the fish was a bit overcooked IMO. A thicker fillet would have been OK.
Today we did a half chicken, ready roasted so only needed to be heated through, with roasted potato chunks, which turned out very well, and cauliflower, which refused to cook!
Because there are so many different models/sizes/power levels available, cooking times and temperatures seem to be a bit "trial and error". OH reckons she needs to start a notebook with details of which food had which temperature and cooking time when the results are satisfactory, as the suggestions in the instructions are so poor.
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We find that our Air fryer and Slow Cooker/rice cooker make excellent kitchen companions. These being the Ninja Pro Grill air fryer and the Morphy Richards multicooker and these are used both home and away. Don’t think we've used the oven more than a couple of times in last year at home or in the motorhome. Great thing is we can use these outside when the weather allows and they are so versatile.
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We got a Ninja foodi whatever in 1 when we were getting a new kitchen last February and really it's our, OK Mrs C's, go to cooker. She does everything in it and the two new ovens hardly get used. I would get a few cookbooks for various recipes
We also have a smaller other make version that lives in the caravan which again is our main cooker there too.
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Kjell ours is also a Salter duel drawer model. The cook book instructions are not brilliant but others tell me their brands instruction aren’t too good either. Yes it is rather trial and error but, as we get used to it, most things are turning out ok. I’ve also thought about the notebook method. One tip I will say is that we have found that cooking at 180, instead of the 200 suggested in the instructions, gives much better results.
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The air fryer has been well used so far, and since we acquired it 10 days back the oven has not been switched on.
So far we have had fish and chips twice, roast chicken, and chicken kyiv, both with roast potatoes. We also used it to cook single portion M&S ready made Lasagnes, and toast burger buns and hot cross buns. Much easier and surely much cheaper than using the grill in the oven.
Not sure what is on the menu today.
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Ours surprises us every day, fabulous recipes on the many and varied websites dedicated to air friers. Yes, but as you’re finding K, a bit trial and error at first but constant checking and experience helps a great deal and with it confidence. Between a third & half energy saving we are told on conventionals but the main advantage for us is speed of cooking and the flexibility of cooking methods ours provides. Our main oven hasn’t been on for months either at home or on sites. Just used it on a 10amp site, no issues!
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We have just bought one today an unknown make from our Action shop and made in Holland not China so will give it a go just got to rejig where it will go in the kitchen which is not huge so may go behind our small coffee maker which has room behind it.
Ours friends have one and we have had good chips and potato wedges from fresh potatoes and they tasted good.
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We have fried bread (a personal favourite of mine) from ours too, easy to do and it tastes great.
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Mayday, mayday. I'm drowning in my own saliva here.
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sorry hadn't spotted this, well actually it's along the line of asking Mrs C for it. She's out atm but I will ask. I never used to get it with my bacon and eggs on a Saturday morning as she claimed it was too difficult and/or didn't have enough frying pans but I get the impression it's very easily and quickly done in the airfryer
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Deleted User by me. . .Again😤😤
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There is not much in an air “fryer” to pre-heat, so only takes less than half a minute if you want to.
Cooking is improved with a good shake every now and again, so set time short of what you expect, and if not done give a last shake and stick back in for another minute.
Cake tins and foil containers can be found to fit most baskets to use for stew, lasagne, and other sloppy foods such as fried egg.
I stick the part of the meal that will take longest into the fryer first, and add further foods at shake times.
As on all ovens etc temperatures and times are just a rough indicator, but on the AF, as it cooks fast, go for slightly lower and shorter as if food needs more it will only take a couple of minutes or less.
Mine is 1400 watts ( 5.8 of our precious amperes ) but if something else has to be switched off at least it is not for long. Not tried it on the inverter yet.
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I have now consulted with my chef-du-airfryer and: soak the bread in a flat bowl of olive oil then put in the crisper basket (not really sure what that is tbh) and air fry for 10 minutes.
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