Air Fryers

[rotuts]

@FauxPas 

 

if taking it to your new place , still packed

 

is not a burden , Id do that.

 

Certain things wait for No-one 

 

An air fryer is not one of them.

[FauxPas]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

So, after I read about the dual-basket model that @FauxPashad received as a gift, I began to think that I might now make better use of an air fryer. 

 

We returned ours to the store for a refund. We just weren't sure we would make good use of it and didn't feel we had the counter space or the storage space for it. My friend wouldn't accept her money back, so I'll take her for lunch/dinner/drinks sometime and will also make a donation to the food bank. 

 

But @Anna N, I am still very interested in what can be done with an air fryer and will be very interested to see how your model works out and what kinds of things you cook in it! 

[mgaretz]

Has anyone here bought the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill?  I succumbed to $40 off at Coscto for the model with the probe.  But now that I've opened it and examined it and read the booklet, I'm not so sure it'll do anything better or different than my Pillips Indoor Grill and Breville Smart Oven Air.  I am seriously considering boxing it back up to go back.  So what's your experience with it?

 

[Anna N]

32 minutes ago, mgaretz said:

Has anyone here bought the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill?  I succumbed to $40 off at Coscto for the model with the probe.  But now that I've opened it and examined it and read the booklet, I'm not so sure it'll do anything better or different than my Pillips Indoor Grill and Breville Smart Oven Air.  I am seriously considering boxing it back up to go back.  So what's your experience with it?

 

Looks like @lindagmight have one. 
Click.  

[mgaretz]

4 hours ago, Anna N said:

Looks like @lindagmight have one. 
Click.  

Thanks.  Hopefully she will chime in!

[saluki]

I have the 5 in 1 without the probe and love it.  I've had four different air fryers and this one gives me the most consistent results.  It has also been the easiest to clean with the ceramic surface.  The square large surface area is also useful and allows me to use some of my own baking dishes.  I do use the air fryer functions more than the grilling and use my own probe with it.  

Edited August 7, 2021 by saluki
Clarification (log)

[lindag]

9 hours ago, mgaretz said:

Yes, I bought one based on my neighbor's recommendation (and Amazon reviews).

It is really worth the money and it does everything it claims to do.  I use mine all the time for burgers (with bacon jam, of course), chicken, bacon, french fries.

I have not used my PAG since I purchased the Ninja.  It works so much better, it's faster, easier to clean up and truly versatile.  Keep it andYou will positively love it. 

 

[Anna N]

I have a Cosori and I would definitely buy it again. As far as appliances go it was not terribly expensive. As I recall it was quite a bit less than $200 although I don’t know what they are now. 
I use it a lot but that is partly dictated by some handicaps that make other methods of cooking challenging. 

[palo]

3 hours ago, Chimayo Joe said:

I decided the lift-out tray style might be easier to clean than the lift-out basket style.

 

My first air fryer was that type - after having it fall apart on to the floor I migrated to the type where the basket does not separate from the tray The tray is the basket - it has a removable grill in the bottom to catch grease and allow air circulation

 

p

[kayb]

I also have a Cosori. I don’t use it a great deal, and I do begrudge the counter space it takes up.

[Anna N]

3 hours ago, ElsieD said:

Do any of you use the pre-sets? 

I was about to answer and say that there were no presets on mine! That gives you an idea of how often I use them. I have had lovely roasted potatoes from my air fryer. It is theb larger one so perhaps that is the difference. I have also done them in a small non-stick pan which fits into the air fryer and that seems to work really well. I consider crispy sweet potato fries a figment of somebody’s imagination. 
I buy PC brand Chicken Kiev and find that 380°F for 18 minutes to work perfectly every time. One of those and a side salad makes a fine meal for me. 
I also happen to think that the air fryer is the easiest way ever to guarantee perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs. 

Edited June 6, 2022 by Anna N
Multiple typos or whatever the name is for badly transcribed dictation. (log)

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, kayb said:

I also have a Cosori. I don’t use it a great deal, and I do begrudge the counter space it takes up.

They do not fit into everyone’s lifestyle. I know that for certain because when I was much more capable of taking advantage of many meal preparation options I gave mine away. Now that I am much more challenged physically I think it’s the bee’s knees and the cat’s meow. 

[Joe Blowe]

39 minutes ago, Smithy said:

I know a convection oven isn't the same as an air fryer, but I haven't become convinced that an air fryer is useful for my cookery. YMMV.

I agree with this sentiment. My Cadco 1/4 sheet oven provides an "approximate experience" to an air fryer, based on my limited experience with one (borrowed my sister's). And, of course, there is no comparison in capacity. Or in counter space consumed 😄

[palo]

The problem with the CSO/BSOA and a "24 inch wall oven" is that their interior capacity lessens the "air fryer" effect - granted their interior capacity allows much more flexibility, but at the expense of speed and heat concentration - if I'm cooking for one (as I am) or looking to prepare a side dish the air fryer is the "go to" - I have a CSO, a BSOA and an APO and the Air Fryer gets the most use, followed by the APO - the CSO is in the basement and the BSOA is mainly used for plate warming

 

p

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, palo said:

The problem with the CSO/BSOA and a "24 inch wall oven" is that their interior capacity lessens the "air fryer" effect -

Yes, this is an important point. Although the air fryer has been described as a tiny convection oven its airflow is from above rather than from the sides or the back. I don’t think it can do anything better than any other appliance but as pointed out it can do things faster.  
Testing recipes in other appliances does not mean that they will work equally well in an air fryer. 

[Annie_H]

On 6/6/2022 at 1:32 PM, ElsieD said:

Looking forward to reading about the result

I cooked the russets first via Kenji method. Fresh rosemary garlic oil. Sweet potatoes I over cooked in the same russet water.--after cooking the russets. So that was a fail. I did find it a bit fussy for a potato side dish. Always game for a good outcome and the russets potatoes were good or better than most. Not sure worth the fuss. 

Just a personal preference to roast a full sheet pan with a mixed veg and many varieties at once. 

[ElsieD]

19 hours ago, mgaretz said:

 

Look up thread for my comparison of BSOA fries and air fryer fries.  While I love my BSOA, I also love the air fryer for certain things (also because it's a grill).  

 

I started reading the thread and taking notes and one of my notes says you have a Phillips XL.  Phillips is one brand I am looking at.  I'll check out your comparison posts, I remember reading them but I'll go back and look at them again.

 

[palo]

16 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

It might be nice if some company manufactured one with a window.

Instant Vortex Plus with ClearCook:

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Instant-ClearCookTM-OdorEraseTM-Dehydrate-Stainless/dp/B096N28SZP/ref=sr_1_14?crid=1FOPYVE5UKVXJ&keywords=instant+vortex+air+fryer&qid=1654648197&s=kitchen&sprefix=Instant+Vortex%2Ckitchen%2C108&sr=1-14

 

Not sure how functional it is, but I have the one without the window and is great as an Air Fryer

 

ATK rated the Instant Vortex Plus 6 Quart as its best with the ClearCook model as its upgrade pick

 

Here's their take on Air Fryer Ovens:

 

Quote:

 

What To Avoid

• Air-Fryer Ovens: All the oven-style models we tested were difficult to use and produced lackluster results. They had bigger footprints but couldn't actually fit much more food inside. Having multiple levels of racks didn't work well in any of the air fryers we tested. The upper rack blocked heat from reaching the lower rack, resulting in unevenly cooked food. Despite our efforts to manage this uneven heating by switching and rotating the racks, the food never finished cooking at the same time. And because the cooking racks and baskets didn't have handles, we had to use oven mitts. Crumbs and drips fell through the perforations in the racks and onto the floor of the ovens or, more frustratingly, onto our kitchen floor. They were also a pain to clean; crumbs stuck to their bases and hinges and were impossible to remove.

 

p

[JoNorvelleWalker]

48 minutes ago, palo said:

Instant Vortex Plus with ClearCook:

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Instant-ClearCookTM-OdorEraseTM-Dehydrate-Stainless/dp/B096N28SZP/ref=sr_1_14?crid=1FOPYVE5UKVXJ&keywords=instant+vortex+air+fryer&qid=1654648197&s=kitchen&sprefix=Instant+Vortex%2Ckitchen%2C108&sr=1-14

 

Not sure how functional it is, but I have the one without the window and is great as an Air Fryer

 

ATK rated the Instant Vortex Plus 6 Quart as its best with the ClearCook model as its upgrade pick

 

Here's their take on Air Fryer Ovens:

 

Quote:

 

What To Avoid

• Air-Fryer Ovens: All the oven-style models we tested were difficult to use and produced lackluster results. They had bigger footprints but couldn't actually fit much more food inside. Having multiple levels of racks didn't work well in any of the air fryers we tested. The upper rack blocked heat from reaching the lower rack, resulting in unevenly cooked food. Despite our efforts to manage this uneven heating by switching and rotating the racks, the food never finished cooking at the same time. And because the cooking racks and baskets didn't have handles, we had to use oven mitts. Crumbs and drips fell through the perforations in the racks and onto the floor of the ovens or, more frustratingly, onto our kitchen floor. They were also a pain to clean; crumbs stuck to their bases and hinges and were impossible to remove.

 

p

 

Would this include the APO?

 

[mgaretz]

2 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 

I started reading the thread and taking notes and one of my notes says you have a Phillips XL.  Phillips is one brand I am looking at.  I'll check out your comparison posts, I remember reading them but I'll go back and look at them again.

 

That was a long time ago. Since then there’s been a BSOA and now the Ninja Foodi Grill which is an excellent air fryer in addition to being a grill and a dehydrator. I really like it plus it has a probe to measure the meat temperature when grilling. 
 

The comparison I was talking about was between the Ninja and the BSOA making fries from scratch. 
 

The Philips was retired long ago as I could never get it to stop smoking once I made the mistake of air frying some pork belly. 

Edited June 8, 2022 by mgaretz (log)

[palo]

3 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Would this include the APO?

 

The APO is not considered an "Air Fryer" - it may struggle to do the job, but is under-rated for that specific task.

Interestingly ATK put the APO in its "Not Recommended" category for smart ovens Their general comment was:

Quote:

 The bad news? We just didn’t love this oven

p

[weinoo]

5 hours ago, palo said:

Interestingly ATK put the APO in its "Not Recommended" category for smart ovens Their general comment was:

Quote:

 The bad news? We just didn’t love this oven

 

Reading between the lines?

 

They didn't pay us enough to rate their oven highly.

[gfweb]

41 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

Reading between the lines?

 

They didn't pay us enough to rate their oven highly.

Yup.

Either that or they just don't get it.

ATK is quirky

[Kerry Beal]

So if you truly want to up your game - you need a Turbo Chef! The ultimate air fryer. 

[palo]

Without quoting the whole review, they tended to use the "steam and then broil" cooking method for most items - 8 hours for ribs/3 hours plus extra broiling time for 4 lb. chicken.

 

Quote:

It was confusing to cook in. Even programmed recipes were overcomplicated.

 

The oven itself is very large and heavy and spews steam. Controls, both on the oven and app, are oversimplified, esoteric, and hard to read. 

 

The top smart oven was the June Smart Oven followed by the Tovala Smart Oven.

Yes the Apo is quirky, but there was little mention of its strengths.

 

p