The Air Fryer topic

[blue_dolphin]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

I'm chiming in to say that I have the BSOA and the Vortex Plus.  They are each good at what they do but the one can't be compared to the other.  I have never been happy with the "Air" part of t he BSOA and now never use it for that purpose.  When it comes time to replace the BSOA, if I replace it with another Breville I would not get the "A" version.  Just my 2 cents worth.

 

Could you say a bit more about things at which the Vortex excels and the Breville fails?  I don't have an air fryer.  My little CSO surely lacks the wind power of those machines but when I put frozen stuff like onion rings or fish filets on a pizza screen, I get a nice crispy result. What air fryer delights am I missing out on? To get an air fryer, I'd need to get rid of something else so I'd love to know its very best points.

Is it worth getting rid of the CSO?  Unlikely!  My most used appliance

Instant pot?  Not going nowhere. 

KitchenAid mixer?  Same

Paragon induction burner?  No way

KitchenAid food processor?  I don't use it a ton but it can be handy.  Would it be worth replacing with an air fryer?

Philips indoor grill?  Can the air fryer make pretty brown stripes on things?  That's the least used of my countertop appliances but I do rather like it.

 

If I could replace the microwave with an air fryer, I'd go for it but they'd have to make one that mounts over the stove where my MW lives.

 

[mgaretz]

2 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Philips indoor grill?  Can the air fryer make pretty brown stripes on things?  That's the least used of my countertop appliances but I do rather like it.

 

This one from Ninja might be able to replace the Philips grill and do what it does plus air fry and more: https://www.ninjakitchen.com/exclusive-offer/IG651WBKT/ninja-foodi-smart-al-pro-7-in-1-grill-griddle-combo-air-fryer-with-uilt-in-thermometer/

 

I have the original non-XL version that only heats from the top (this new one heats from both sides so you can use it open or closed) and it's a great grill and great air fryer.  I use it a lot.  Hardly use the Philips any more.  If Costco ever gets this new one in and has a good sale I will likely get one.

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

I don't have an air fryer.

I know you did not ask me and I know that Elsie can speak for herself, but I hope you don’t mind if I say a bit about your question. 
I do not think the air fryer is the appliance for you. Let me try to say who I think would most benefit from an air fryer.

1. People who just cannot resist the latest kitchen toy. That would’ve been me a few years ago when I got my first air fryer. I played with it for a few months and found it a new home in my bachelor son’s kitchen. 
2. People who like to eat much more than they like to cook. It does a perfectly adequate job on things like frozen burgers, hotdogs, tater tots but is surprisingly poor at doing a good job on frozen french fries. That at least has been my experience.
3. People with very, very limited kitchen acreage. If you are stuck with this situation, you will still be able to feed yourself provided you’re not too fussy. Even then I would think, squeezing in a convection oven would be a better choice.
4. People with serious physical handicaps. This is why I have my second air fryer. But in this situation you had better be prepared to eat things you would never have eaten were you capable of preparing better things. 
5. If you look on the Internet and believe what you see, there is very little that cannot be prepared in the air fryer provided you are willing to lower your standards enough.
 

I have seen people prepare amazing things and post them on e.G. I cannot say that I have seen much that can be prepared better in the air fryer than with another appliance.

I find it great for bratwurst because it doesn’t make a mess and it’s very fast. I enjoy doing hard cooked eggs in it because there is no clean up but I can’t think of much else. I am prepared to be proven wrong. 

 

[blue_dolphin]

12 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I know you did not ask me and I know that Elsie can speak for herself, but I hope you don’t mind if I say a bit about your question. 

I appreciate your insights as someone who’s used these gadgets and who has a pretty good sense of my cooking style. I think I’ll continue to observe this thread and others while managing my air fryer FOMO 😉

Thank you for the very thoughtful reply!

[gfweb]

I have the BSOA. Its a great oven but the airfry is the least of its virtues.

 

I'm less and less impressed with airfrying. Its not really frying. If I want to fry, I'll pan fry and get the results I expect.

 

I think real frying seems more daunting than it actually is. Airfrying is a limited approximation of real frying. It isn't bad but its more like baking than frying.

 

The one use I've found for air fry is doing chicken wings more quickly.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

52 minutes ago, gfweb said:

I have the BSOA. Its a great oven but the airfry is the least of its virtues.

 

I'm less and less impressed with airfrying. Its not really frying. If I want to fry, I'll pan fry and get the results I expect.

 

I think real frying seems more daunting than it actually is. Airfrying is a limited approximation of real frying. It isn't bad but its more like baking than frying.

 

The one use I've found for air fry is doing chicken wings more quickly.

 

I completely agree air frying is not frying.  Yet I confess when I come home tired from work at oh, say 9:30,  frozen fish and frozen French fries 16 minutes in the APO are mighty tempting.

 

[CookBot]

9 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

I noticed that in the most recent Wirecutter review of air fryers (annoying paywall, I’m sure) they chose a Cuisinart countertop convection oven as their top pick:

 

When I decided to get a convection oven/air fryer this year, I bought one based exactly on that Wirecutter review, that same Cuisinart but a slightly newer model.  And I've been extremely happy with it.

 

I must say, all of @Anna N's reasoning about air fryer purchase are spot on as regards pod style AFs, especially:  2. People who like to eat much more than they like to cook.  Even though I'm cooking mostly for myself when I'm home, I wanted the option of some actual cooking rather than just heating up, including occasional baking projects like bread and pastries which require a non-convection option, and the Cuisinart has handled every task I've thrown at it.

 

All the fondness of eGulleters for their steam ovens has got me rather envious, though.  But I really don't have the countertop real estate to spare for another baking appliance.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

56 minutes ago, CookBot said:

 

When I decided to get a convection oven/air fryer this year, I bought one based exactly on that Wirecutter review, that same Cuisinart but a slightly newer model.  And I've been extremely happy with it.

 

I must say, all of @Anna N's reasoning about air fryer purchase are spot on as regards pod style AFs, especially:  2. People who like to eat much more than they like to cook.  Even though I'm cooking mostly for myself when I'm home, I wanted the option of some actual cooking rather than just heating up, including occasional baking projects like bread and pastries which require a non-convection option, and the Cuisinart has handled every task I've thrown at it.

 

All the fondness of eGulleters for their steam ovens has got me rather envious, though.  But I really don't have the countertop real estate to spare for another baking appliance.

 

 

You only need but one.

 

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

In the process of buying a new oven (LG) I find it comes with an air frying feature. I've lived most of my life without deep frying anything, but I suppose I'll try the air fryer feature once or twice to see if it works at all. My hopes are not high for this. Has anyone had any experience with the air fryer feature in a conventional oven? I'm just glad to have convection, digital display, a cleaning feature, and even heating. The old oven required me to turn the pans around at least once to avoid burning one side while leaving the other side semi-raw. I may have to sand blast the oven before I donate it to someone. My husband insisted on self-cleaning because, let's face it, I only cleaned my oven once a year, just before Thanksgiving, and it shows.

[blue_dolphin]

14 minutes ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

Has anyone had any experience with the air fryer feature in a conventional oven?

Not exactly what you asked, since it does not refer to a specific “air fryer feature” but in the Wirecutter air fryer review, they said this:

Quote

For the record, you can get similar “air-fried” results when cooking food in a full-size oven with convection. But because a full-size oven is so much larger than a toaster oven or an air fryer, it takes much longer to preheat and can take longer to cook food. 

 

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

Ah, that makes sense. I'll just have to experiment and see what works (or doesn't). The stove won't be delivered by the store (Liverpool) until the 28th--we'll be out of town until just before the 17th, and the next Monday, the 21st, is Independence Day and a federal holiday, so the soonest was the following Monday the 28th. A long time to wait after finally taking the plunge. Wish we'd done it sooner, but this stove is brand new in this market and it probably wouldn't have been available.

[Maison Rustique]

20 hours ago, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

In the process of buying a new oven (LG) I find it comes with an air frying feature. I've lived most of my life without deep frying anything, but I suppose I'll try the air fryer feature once or twice to see if it works at all. My hopes are not high for this. Has anyone had any experience with the air fryer feature in a conventional oven? I'm just glad to have convection, digital display, a cleaning feature, and even heating. The old oven required me to turn the pans around at least once to avoid burning one side while leaving the other side semi-raw. I may have to sand blast the oven before I donate it to someone. My husband insisted on self-cleaning because, let's face it, I only cleaned my oven once a year, just before Thanksgiving, and it shows.

 

My Samsung oven has this option, but I haven't used it. I keep thinking it is going to make a big mess in my new-ish oven. It does need to be cleaned, so maybe I'll try it before I clean it.

[haresfur]

On 10/30/2022 at 3:30 AM, Nancy in Pátzcuaro said:

In the process of buying a new oven (LG) I find it comes with an air frying feature. I've lived most of my life without deep frying anything, but I suppose I'll try the air fryer feature once or twice to see if it works at all. My hopes are not high for this. Has anyone had any experience with the air fryer feature in a conventional oven? I'm just glad to have convection, digital display, a cleaning feature, and even heating. The old oven required me to turn the pans around at least once to avoid burning one side while leaving the other side semi-raw. I may have to sand blast the oven before I donate it to someone. My husband insisted on self-cleaning because, let's face it, I only cleaned my oven once a year, just before Thanksgiving, and it shows.

 

Is the "air frying feature" just convection or something different, like a faster fan? Seems to me the rate of air circulation doesn't make that much difference but what do I know? I use my oven on convection almost all the time but it does have top and bottom elements. There is a fast pre-heat that, as near as I can tell, turns them all on and presumably brings the walls up to temperature faster.

[palo]

Air frying is basically fast moving hot air in usually a small space - convection oven isn't necessarily as fast and the space is relatively larger

 

p

[Anna N]

11 hours ago, haresfur said:

Is the "air frying feature" just convection or something different, like a faster fan?

One of the major differences as far as I can see, is that in the pod type air fryer the fan blows down on the food and is very close to the food. In most convection ovens that I have seen the fan is in the rear wall. The air current from the fan is much more diffused.

[mgaretz]

On 10/25/2022 at 6:29 PM, mgaretz said:

 

This one from Ninja might be able to replace the Philips grill and do what it does plus air fry and more: https://www.ninjakitchen.com/exclusive-offer/IG651WBKT/ninja-foodi-smart-al-pro-7-in-1-grill-griddle-combo-air-fryer-with-uilt-in-thermometer/

 

I have the original non-XL version that only heats from the top (this new one heats from both sides so you can use it open or closed) and it's a great grill and great air fryer.  I use it a lot.  Hardly use the Philips any more.  If Costco ever gets this new one in and has a good sale I will likely get one.

 

The Ninja grill I mentioned above is currently on sale at Amazon for $219.99 (usually they are $349). I pulled the trigger!  It arrives tomorrow. 

 

Ninja IG651 Foodi Smart XL Pro 7-in-1 Indoor Grill/Griddle Combo (eG-friendly Amazon.com link)

 

[Tom1]

I'm going to try making burritos in my air fryer, and I don't know if I can put tinfoil in it.

[Anna N]

5 minutes ago, Tom1 said:

I'm going to try making burritos in my air fryer, and I don't know if I can put tinfoil in it.

My understanding was that you had a convection oven, but it doesn’t matter. Either way you can put foil in both.

[Anna N]

1 minute ago, mgaretz said:

Last night it took about 30 tries to get it to work, so it's getting exchanged.

Always a PITA. Hope you end up with one that works before too long.

[saluki]

On 10/25/2022 at 7:29 PM, mgaretz said:

 

This one from Ninja might be able to replace the Philips grill and do what it does plus air fry and more: https://www.ninjakitchen.com/exclusive-offer/IG651WBKT/ninja-foodi-smart-al-pro-7-in-1-grill-griddle-combo-air-fryer-with-uilt-in-thermometer/

 

I have the original non-XL version that only heats from the top (this new one heats from both sides so you can use it open or closed) and it's a great grill and great air fryer.  I use it a lot.  Hardly use the Philips any more.  If Costco ever gets this new one in and has a good sale I will likely get one.

I loved my original version Ninja grill but within 2 years the sensors failed.  Machine kept saying shut lid when the lid was closed so it wouldn't operate.  This time I got a Cosori duo blaze that heats from the top and bottom.  It doesn't grill but I didn't use that feature much.

[Anna N]

2 hours ago, saluki said:

This time I got a Cosori duo blaze that heats from the top and bottom. 

I have been spending/wasting time looking at YouTube videos of this machine. It looks interesting. I wish one could trust the reviewers to show you the things you want to see. For instance, the one who claimed they were going to cook a steak and instead chopped up a ribeye steak into stewing meat size pieces. Or the one who made French toast fingers and made sure that you could never see the bottom of any one of them to check if they had browned.  
Do come back and let us know how you like this model when you get a chance, please. 

[saluki]

I love this model.  If the duo blaze failed tomorrow l would get the same model.  I love not having an inner basket.  It uses a crisper plate instead.  I don't have an issue with that because I use tongs to retrieve items. Frankly I rarely use the crisper plate and cook on the bottom of the basket.  It does brown on both sides and most of the time I don't need to flip food.  On the negatives I have old eyes and my main peeve is only lit is one mode and nothing else is lit till you select it.  I really only use 2 of the modes anyway .. air fry and reheat (which is very good).  So after a short time I now know  where they are. On the beginning I needed my magnifying glasses.  I do line the bottom to cut down on cleaning.  The crisper plate is dishwasher safe but I've never put the basket in.  So far it's been a breeze to clean.  I do mostly chicken, vegetables and reheating.  I've never done steak in there and that's where you'd probably use the crisper plate to get it closer to the upper element and broil feature.  Here is some Asian flavored eggplant.  Even though I used parchment the heat came through.

On 11/8/2022 at 8:13 PM, Anna N said:

I have been spending/wasting time looking at YouTube videos of this machine. It looks interesting. I wish one could trust the reviewers to show you the things you want to see. For instance, the one who claimed they were going to cook a steak and instead chopped up a ribeye steak into stewing meat size pieces. Or the one who made French toast fingers and made sure that you could never see the bottom of any one of them to check if they had browned.  
Do come back and let us know how you like this model when you get a chance, please. 

 

[Anna N]

11 minutes ago, saluki said:

On the negatives I have old eyes

Thanks. I have very old eyes too! (There are magnifying glasses and flashlights in various places in my kitchen). Thanks for explaining the photograph. I struggled to determine if it was hotdogs in buns or dressed baked potatoes! Neither of my guesses seemed very logical!

Edited November 13, 2022 by Anna N
New software sprinkles, commas like pepper all over everything. (log)

[mgaretz]

Well I am sad to report that the replacement unit started having the same problem (temp probe not detected) at a few minutes into the pre-heat cycle, so I immediately unplugged it and got out the trusty older version to cook my dinner.  This one will be going back and I won't be trying another.

[Anna N]

9 hours ago, mgaretz said:

Well I am sad to report that the replacement unit started having the same problem (temp probe not detected) at a few minutes into the pre-heat cycle, so I immediately unplugged it and got out the trusty older version to cook my dinner.  This one will be going back and I won't be trying another.

That is really too bad, but I understand the aggravation of returning things and the loss of faith in quality control.