Anybody own an Air Fryer?

[DaveNV]

I was at Costco today, not shopping for anything in particular, and came across this item: https://www.gourmia.com/item.asp?item=10353

It's selling for just under $50. Seems good quality, but I'm wondering about practical use. We don't fry a lot of foods, but we do enjoy oven baked items from time to time. This machine has other functions, too, including dehydrating.

I'm wondering what Tuggers opinions are about this and similar items. Do you own an air fryer? Do you like it? What are the Pros and Cons? Would you buy it again? Would you buy something else instead? How would an air fryer compare to an InstantPot?

Thanks for your comments!

Dave

 

[JudyH]

I have a Ninja Air Frier. I use it for bone in skin on chicken thighs. Does a good job. I buy Ore ida Fast Food crispy French fries and Alexa Onion rings and it does that great. I have done hamburgers, lamb chops, and steaks when I don’t want to use the BBQ grill. Almost as good. I see lots of other recipes on FB. Many are too high in calories for me.

The only thing I make in my Insta Pot is risotto.

 

[noreenkate]

Our airfyer gets used daily -

Most times it’s just the 2 of us now so it has pretty much replaced the oven for tons of things… tonight it was roasted veggies & rotisserie chicken…heck I even do skillet cookies in it…

Personally I prefer the door type than the drawer-
This is the one we have…

Shop | Pampered Chef US Site

Shop Pampered Chef online for unique, easy-to-use kitchen products that make cooking fun. Find all the kitchen accessories you need, including cook's tools, bakeware, stoneware, and more. Start exploring now!

www.pamperedchef.com

I like the fact the door comes off for easy cleaning

 

[sponger76]

I was at Costco today, not shopping for anything in particular, and came across this item: https://www.gourmia.com/item.asp?item=10353

It's selling for just under $50. Seems good quality, but I'm wondering about practical use. We don't fry a lot of foods, but we do enjoy oven baked items from time to time. This machine has other functions, too, including dehydrating.

I'm wondering what Tuggers opinions are about this and similar items. Do you own an air fryer? Do you like it? What are the Pros and Cons? Would you buy it again? Would you buy something else instead? How would an air fryer compare to an InstantPot?

Thanks for your comments!

Dave

We own an InstaPot and then bought the air fryer attachment. We use it all the time, and my wife especially loves it.

 

[marmite]

The air fryer I have not tried to do recipes with, it usually just replaces our oven if we're heating a smaller portion. Warming up baked items, fries/hashbrowns, chicken strips etc. and any leftovers that are supposed to be crispy. The Instant Pot I really did a lot with, especially a lot of very saucy Indian and Mexican dishes. It helped contain the splatter & smells a bit more, but it was a huge time saver. I could trust it, walk away and do something else without fear of it burning. Both are great to have but used very differently, it's hard to pick a favourite.

 

[Passepartout]

I bought one on a lark a few months ago. I like it, though I don't use it daily by any means. It does my potato wedges beautifully. I find frozen goodies at the store- like Tater Tots, breaded shrimp (we had butterflied panko coated shrimp tonight) On the whole, it does a pretty good job, avoids a lot of fat, keeps you from using the big oven.

Ours is a 'drawer' type and I don't leave it out on the counter. I use the parchment paper liners that make clean-up a snap. ( just don't preheat it with one in it or you'll have a (small) fire!

The one at Costco doesn't get great reviews due to smells the first few times you use it. I suppose that may pass after a few uses (do it outside a few times)

On the whole, it's FAR more useful than an Instant Pot! Oh, and the Instant Pot (brand) drawer-type air fryer is about the highest rated one of the genre. I just don't want to devote the counter space to a 'door' type.

 

[ScoopKona]

I've never tasted anything out of an air fryer where I said, "Wow! This is just as good as pomme frite in Brussels."

I've never tasted anything out of an air fryer where I said, "This is a close approximation to actual frying."

Hell, I've never tasted anything out of an air fryer and said, "This is at least as good as McDonald's fries/nuggets/pies."

Since convection ovens are rather common in the developed world, lots of people already have this -- as a button on the oven they have already. An air-fryer is just a countertop version of a convection oven. A good convection oven is a useful tool -- I hardly ever bake anything that isn't fan-driven. But I can't load a baguette into an air fryer and get anything other than a mess.

I would rather have an induction cooker and an enameled cast-iron pot for frying. Or if I was just trying to up my culinary game, I'd buy an immersion circulator and a vacuum sealer. I wouldn't take an air fryer if it was free. I value my counter space more than a gadget that almost does the job.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

We just replaced our range with a new one that includes an air fryer. I'm a sucker for Tater Tots. But I've not been happy with the quality baking them in the oven, and while a good tot properly deep fried is delicious, I'm still aware of the oil so I limit my intake.

I feel that the air fryer setting on our new range works works nicely. Much better than baked, not quite as good as deep fried, but that is just due to the fact that they are "fried" in hot air instead of oil. ("hot air fryer" is a misnomer, since by definition, frying means cooking in oil.) So, now I have my tots with less guilt.

BTW - not all tots are the same. Producers can cut corners in production, and quality is quite noticeable in the product. A bad tot will always be a bad tot no matter how you fix it. You can make a good tot taste bad, but you cant make a bad tot good.

 

[bjones9942]

My stove is a very cheap Méxican brand that doesn't even have standard gas marks. My burners are either full on or off. So I bought both an instant pot pressure cooker and an instant air fryer. Yes, it's a mini convection oven and you will never get deep fried goodness from it. But crispy potato patties that taste as good or better than McDonalds? Yes. While I wish fish sticks came out tasting as incredible as they do when deep fried, my cardiologist is happy they don't. I use mine for veggies (brussels sprouts are great), potato patties, and chicken with very crispy skin. The instant pot is primarily for beans of all types, pork shank, and simmered chicken when I also need stock. My instant air fryer is the basket kind - MUCH easier cleanup than the door varieties. So easy to clean I don't bother with a liner that would stop the air circulating anyway.

Was looking at FB after I posted this and there was a link to this article! Air Fryer tips

 

[Snazzylass]

Mine is similar to the one pictured, but maybe not as fancy. I've got it sitting on top of my small microwave. Not the best esthetics, but both are a bit out of sight. It's easy to clean and cooks fast and mindless. It's a convenience for me. I first had a smaller one, but upgraded so I could put a steak in it. People swear by the results of a frozen steak cooked in them, and travel with them. Chicken thighs, which I don't make often, are outstanding. I sous vide mine first because I want to make sure they are cooked through. The Air Flyer crisps the skin and does a great job!
I have an Instant Pot, too, and there are certain things I cook in it, like hard-boiled eggs. I do like my gadgets and I like them to do the work. I have a beloved cast iron skillet and it might be the star of my kitchen. I'm just cooking for one, working from home some. So, my set-up works for me.

 

[jjking42]

If you have teenagers or young adults get it. They use it way more than I do it. Wife uses it too. I am more of a grill or smoker guy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TheHolleys87]

We started with a smaller tub-type, graduated to a larger tub-type, and then got an air fryer-toaster oven which we love because it’s so versatile. It makes great toast, breaded pork chops or chicken tenders, broccoli-cheese tots, etc., and we recently found refrigerated crescent dinner rolls with air fryer instructions on the package that came out quite tasty. It has a door, which makes it easier to use as well as to clean. If I had to live with minimal kitchen equipment, I’d want my air fryer-toaster oven, a microwave, and a hot plate. Although now that DS and DGD live with us and I’m cooking for 4 instead of 2, a the oven is too small to fit the baking dishes I need to use.

 

[yodaDaenerys]

We own an InstaPot and then bought the air fryer attachment. We use it all the time, and my wife especially loves it.

air fryer attachment for instapot? never heard of such a thing...

google, here i come.

 

[yodaDaenerys]

i own one, would not buy again, not really a fryer, but moreso a small convection oven. if i had it to over again i would buy the instantpot accessory. sadly, i didn't know that option existed.

instantpot, on the other hand, i use it all the time.

 

[dsmrp]

I was at Costco today, not shopping for anything in particular, and came across this item: https://www.gourmia.com/item.asp?item=10353

It's selling for just under $50. Seems good quality, but I'm wondering about practical use. We don't fry a lot of foods, but we do enjoy oven baked items from time to time. This machine has other functions, too, including dehydrating.

I'm wondering what Tuggers opinions are about this and similar items. Do you own an air fryer? Do you like it? What are the Pros and Cons? Would you buy it again? Would you buy something else instead? How would an air fryer compare to an InstantPot?

Thanks for your comments!

Dave

I have that very brand of air fryer. We like it well enough. But if you have a convection/toaster oven combo, it's a duplication of function IMO. We mainly use it for frozen foods. I have cooked some breaded non frozen meals in it. It's easy to get burned reaching into the deep basket to get food out. Be sure to use longer tongs or spatulas.
I have not tried to bake anything in it.

An air fryer has a different function than an instant pot. Instant pot needs sufficient water content to function. I find it much more versatile and faster to high pressure cook to braise, stew or soften chewier meat than on the stove. I like my instant pot a lot and would definitely choose it over air fryer. I guess it just depends on what you cook.
Btw, an instant pot makes a great, albeit small cheesecake. It provides the same water-bath like conditions for baking cheesecake as you would in a regular oven.

 

[MOXJO7282]

I've never tasted anything out of an air fryer where I said, "Wow! This is just as good as pomme frite in Brussels."

I've never tasted anything out of an air fryer where I said, "This is a close approximation to actual frying."

Hell, I've never tasted anything out of an air fryer and said, "This is at least as good as McDonald's fries/nuggets/pies."

Since convection ovens are rather common in the developed world, lots of people already have this -- as a button on the oven they have already. An air-fryer is just a countertop version of a convection oven. A good convection oven is a useful tool -- I hardly ever bake anything that isn't fan-driven. But I can't load a baguette into an air fryer and get anything other than a mess.

I would rather have an induction cooker and an enameled cast-iron pot for frying. Or if I was just trying to up my culinary game, I'd buy an immersion circulator and a vacuum sealer. I wouldn't take an air fryer if it was free. I value my counter space more than a gadget that almost does the job.

Then you haven't tried it or didn't try the right food because its not for everything. First there is a lot of convenience to it, especially if its smaller portions. But secondly I do think it does mimic frying and in some cases is better. Case in point, chicken wings. Air fryers make excellent wings. Makes them perfectly crispy. I was an air fryer skeptic but bought one on sale at Costco and made some wings. I was shocked how good they came out and of course so much healthier. Now I make my Salmon with pesto butter in there and it comes out as well as any other cooking method but much easier to use and clean up and even cooks quicker. Makes perfect tater tots in half the time. Heats up very quickly.

 

[ScoopKona]

Then you haven't tried it or didn't try the right food because its not for everything.

I'll toss it right back -- have you made pommes frite the traditional way? (oil-blanch, drain, cool and then fry)

To paraphrase Pulp Fiction, "It ain't the same ballpark, it ain't the same league, it ain't even the same sport!"

Let's get real. Tater tots aren't health food. (I won't eat them. I don't eat processed food. My fries start life as a potato.)
The "health benefits" to cooking tater tots with a convection oven compared to just frying them are trivial. If you're frying correctly, there really isn't all that much oil taken in by the food -- steam pressure outwards thwarts most oil creeping inwards. If I'm going to have fries with my meal (and I often do when I make currywurst), I'm breaking out some potatoes and a mandoline.

If someone doesn't have a convection oven, I suppose I could see buying an air-fryer. But I'd much rather have a countertop convection oven that is double-walled and insulated. Preferably one which takes a half-sheet pan. That has uses besides being the Walmart equivalent of the ol' EZ-Bake Oven.

I'll keep saying it until it sticks: A convection oven can do everything an air-fryer can (and much more). An air-fryer cannot do nearly as much as a good convection oven. It's like comparing a scooter to a Harley Davidson.

The fact that these are so popular is more of an indictment against the state of US home cooking than anything else. I think most people have either forgotten how to cook. Or never learned in the first place.

 

[sponger76]

air fryer attachment for instapot? never heard of such a thing...

google, here i come.

Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid Review

I have to be honest with you guys - my family loves fries! The kids love them, the wife loves them (although she tries to stay as far away from them as possible), and I would be lying if I didn’t say I love them as well. But we all know how fast-food fries are not the ideal treat, especially for...

www.corriecooks.com

 

[magmue]

then fry)have you made pommes frite the traditional way? (oil-blanch, drain, cool and

Ooh, I have. When I was in my twenties, I kept a small deep fat fryer sitting out on my kitchen counter, and used it several times a week. And yes. I didn't call them pommes frites, but they were the best (twice fried) french fries! I deep fried a lot at that time in my life. And again, you are right when you say that deep frying gets a bad reputation in part because of overloading the fryer - too much food at once in the hot oil brings the temperature down and makes for heavier greasier results.

I don't really deep fry these days - I'm not as casual about oil sitting out, I now think the oild should be strained after using, and it feels so wasteful to toss all that oil.

We bought a Ninja Foodi air fryer/convection oven/toaster last year after staying at a drive-to timeshare with a kitchenette, meaning no oven. I use it a couple of times a week. It's goof for small baking projects, air frying, reheating leftovers like pizza that will get too soft in a microwave. Agree that wings do very well - the fatty skin crisps up in a way that is adjacent to frying. Ironically, DH thinks it is a bad at its most basic function - making toast.

 

[mentalbreak]

If you have teenagers or young adults get it. They use it way more than I do it. Wife uses it too. I am more of a grill or smoker guy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We picked this exact one up 2 weeks ago when our college freshman requested Buffalo wings for a potluck. They are allowed in his dorm and worked great for that purpose. He brought it home a week ago and has used it probably 4-5 times since then. He has made bare chicken chunks, mini egg rolls, and cheese curds (all from Costco). I have yet to try anything from it, but it seems to clean up pretty well because so far it has been cleaned after each use.

 

[uop1497]

Air fryer Gourmia brand ,selling at Costco does not last long. I do not use it much and it is broken after a year and half.

 

[ScoopKona]

. I didn't call them pommes frites, but they were the best (twice fried) french fries! I deep fried a lot at that time in my life. And again, you are right when you say that deep frying gets a bad reputation in part because of overloading the fryer - too much food at once in the hot oil brings the temperature down and makes for heavier greasier results.

Pommes frites, potato fries -- the name they were called when they were invented. Works in German, French and Flemish. Once someone has had the real deal, anything else pales in comparison. Especially in Belgium. Don't get me wrong, the old McDonald's fries (back when they used lard) were quite good. They were even better when the McDonald brothers stumbled upon how to make pommes frites while trying to improve on the greasy fries their competitors served. They hit upon "blanch, drain, dry in the desert, fry at temp" by experimenting. (Close enough.)

And just to reiterate for the others, I'm a big fan of convection ovens. Love 'em. I won't bake in anything else. I load my oven up with refractory bricks to keep the temperatures even and then "let 'er rip" with the fan. That way, I can make a baguette what would get a "Pas mal" in Paris. Good enough for me.

My problem with air fryers is they're too small to bake bread, too under-powered to cook anything more than a few ounces at a time, and too much plastic. There are countertop, large-toaster-oven-sized convection ovens which do a great job. They cost more than the WalMart spesh. But the only compromise made is size. Not quality.

And yes, I'm building a stone oven for pizza. I stir fry (and saute) on a wok burner. I sear on infrared. If I made more naan, I'd invest in a tandoori. I sourced my waffle maker from Belgium, and run it through a voltage converter. And I use sous vide for nearly everything else. Nothing makes me happier than learning about a new superior kitchen tool -- Robot Coupes, immersion circulators, induction cookers, centrifuges, microplane graters, etc. I will cheerfully drop the old tool like a bad habit and switch. I'm not emotionally invested in anything other than, "what's the best tool for the job?"

And it's the same thing in my shop. Any tool which does a better job or is safer (SawStop saws, for instance) is installed tout de suite.

 

[DaveNV]

Thanks, everyone, for your opinions of this air fryer topic. I have decided not to buy one. I don't think I'd use it enough to warrant dealing with having it sitting here.

Dave

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

When I was in high school, worked in a McDonald's. This was just before they switched to frozen french fries. The stores made french fries from scratch; during the afternoon slow time, between lunch and dinner, a crew would peel and slice potatoes and load the fry baskets. The would then be blanched in the fryer, and then the baskets would be stored for later cooking. When it was time to produce fries, we would take baskets of the blanched fries, and do the final cooking as orders were being filled.

As high school kids, we loved McD's fries. We thought they were by far the best at any restaurant. When McDonald's switched to frozen fries, the decline in quality was significant. We stopped going to McDonalds.

 

[ScoopKona]

As high school kids, we loved McD's fries. We thought they were by far the best at any restaurant. When McDonald's switched to frozen fries, the decline in quality was significant. We stopped going to McDonalds.

When the McDonald brothers opened their restaurant in the middle of orange groves in dry California, they worked like mad to create the perfect fry. They could have flown to Belgium and asked literally anyone to teach them. But they hit upon the blanch/cool/dry/fry technique on their own.

And that's why there are so many McDonald's. Doing things right is important. Well, used to be, at least.