Mom wants an air fryer?
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Mom wants an air fryer?
My mother's birthday is coming up and I asked her what I could get for her and she mentioned an air fryer, no brands or specs.
Anybody use one of these? any brand recs? looks like you can slice up chicken and vegetables and with minimal added oil, get the texture of fried food. One site mentioned they use induction cooking.
Thanks
Anybody use one of these? any brand recs? looks like you can slice up chicken and vegetables and with minimal added oil, get the texture of fried food. One site mentioned they use induction cooking.
Thanks
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
Interested in hearing peoples input on this. Never heard of these until seeing one in latest Williams Sonoma catalog
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
Like this one?LuigiLikesPizza wrote:My mother's birthday is coming up and I asked her what I could get for her and she mentioned an air fryer, no brands or specs.
Anybody use one of these? any brand recs? looks like you can slice up chicken and vegetables and with minimal added oil, get the texture of fried food. One site mentioned they use induction cooking.
Thanks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGj0sGAsjUU
I've been wondering if they're tried and true too. This is the one I see on TV all the time.
Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
In Europe they have been around for (many) years. Here is a Dutch consumer web site: https://www.consumentenbond.nl/friteuse ... r-olie-vet. Here is a french one: http://www.mafriteusesanshuile.fr/. Google lets you translate a page. The french site might give you more insight in the product. Enjoy your fries!!!
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
I read a review of one of these the other day where they prepared several different recipes compared to normal frying in a cast iron skillet. The reviewer said the traditionally fried food was much moister, with the air fried leaving the food dried out and less tasty. Good for doing something quick like frozen chicken nuggets.
Sorry can't recall where I read the review. I believe the reviewer cooked turkey sliders, French fries, chicken nuggets.
Ahh, found it.
http://ovens.reviewed.com/features/what ... -i-buy-one
Summary:
In all cases conventional cooking, either on a stovetop or in an oven, offered better flavor and texture
Sorry can't recall where I read the review. I believe the reviewer cooked turkey sliders, French fries, chicken nuggets.
Ahh, found it.
http://ovens.reviewed.com/features/what ... -i-buy-one
Summary:
In all cases conventional cooking, either on a stovetop or in an oven, offered better flavor and texture
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
Have also been pondering a purchase of one of these. Was confused about the wide range of prices for what looked like about the same sizes. Turns out that the high end (Phillips brand) was in the $300 range because it works 30% faster than the $69 or $100 models.
Here's a recent (Dec 2016) list of the Top 11 recommended fryers tested. Interesting, most of the ones recommended as best are from brands & company names I never heard of. And the ones pushed on QVC, HSN, so aggressively didn't make the cut.
http://www.bestproducts.com/appliances/ ... s/?slide=1
So it seems speed of the cooking process, and the accessories that come with the various models, are among the top criteria, so if the OP knows his Mom's preferences that might make choosing easier.
Of course, in the fine print, nearly all carry the official proclamation "Imported" -meaning Made in China.
Here's a recent (Dec 2016) list of the Top 11 recommended fryers tested. Interesting, most of the ones recommended as best are from brands & company names I never heard of. And the ones pushed on QVC, HSN, so aggressively didn't make the cut.
http://www.bestproducts.com/appliances/ ... s/?slide=1
So it seems speed of the cooking process, and the accessories that come with the various models, are among the top criteria, so if the OP knows his Mom's preferences that might make choosing easier.
Of course, in the fine print, nearly all carry the official proclamation "Imported" -meaning Made in China.
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
I got a ~$100 model for christmas. I really like it! I like not having to heat up my oven and clean a bunch of stuff when I want to roast some potatoes. It cooks chicken thighs very well.
But the "frying" part of the name seems silly to me. It's more like a quick, efficient, mini convection oven.
But I like mine.
But the "frying" part of the name seems silly to me. It's more like a quick, efficient, mini convection oven.
But I like mine.
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
I don't see the purpose of pretty much any counter top cooking devices aside from a toaster, toaster oven, or crock pot. Air fryers seem like small convection ovens to me.
My in laws got a counter top pizza maker and were amazed by how good of pizza it made...they had just finished a kitchen remodel with a top of the line oven. The difference? The pizza cooker came with a pizza stone. They litterally could have just put the stone in their convection oven and gotten the same if not better pizza. They are also amazed at their slow cooker that does all kind of other redundant tasks such as "roasting", steaming, or sauteing.
My in laws got a counter top pizza maker and were amazed by how good of pizza it made...they had just finished a kitchen remodel with a top of the line oven. The difference? The pizza cooker came with a pizza stone. They litterally could have just put the stone in their convection oven and gotten the same if not better pizza. They are also amazed at their slow cooker that does all kind of other redundant tasks such as "roasting", steaming, or sauteing.
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
You forgot the most important... coffee maker.barnaclebob wrote:I don't see the purpose of pretty much any counter top cooking devices aside from a toaster, toaster oven, or crock pot.....
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
Oh yeah, I guess I don't drink coffee so it didn't cross my mind.cheese_breath wrote:You forgot the most important... coffee maker.barnaclebob wrote:I don't see the purpose of pretty much any counter top cooking devices aside from a toaster, toaster oven, or crock pot.....
I guess really any frequently used cooking device can be justified such as a panini press or what not but it seems that people turn to these things as the answer instead of learning how to use what they already own. I do also own a waffle maker that gets used maybe 10 times a year.
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
I was given a Mickey Mouse waffle maker a few weeks ago. (Seems appropriate for someone named cheese_breath). The waffles are shaped like Mickey's head and ears. Used it a couple times already. My guess is we'll probably end up at about 10 times per year too.barnaclebob wrote:... I do also own a waffle maker that gets used maybe 10 times a year.
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
they sell em regularly on the QVC and Evine cooking shows but that doesn't mean anything.
here's emeril pitching his.
not recommending this at all. just passing along a link.
http://www.qvc.com/qvc.product.K44483.html?sc=PSCH
here's emeril pitching his.
not recommending this at all. just passing along a link.
http://www.qvc.com/qvc.product.K44483.html?sc=PSCH
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
I got one for Christmas. Just whatever they had on sale at one of the wholesale clubs.
It really is just a small convection oven.
As a fryer, it works best on things that are pre-fried or pre-made. They're just fine on hash browns, raw french fries, frozen chicken nuggets, frozen cheese sticks, frozen battered fish, and egg rolls.
They're also good for chicken wings and chicken thighs.
They're not so good for wet battered items that you want to fry from scratch. They're fine for something you dip into crumbs.
Overall, they're perfect for small batches when you don't want to heat up the whole oven. They use much less oil than a deep fryer, and you don't have much oil to dispose. I'm using the heck out of mine (all the things listed above I've actually tried, and I've only had it for a month.)
Be sure to have a place to store it -- it takes up a lot of counter space. Unlike a coffee machine or a microwave, you won't want to leave this on your counter when not in use.
It really is just a small convection oven.
As a fryer, it works best on things that are pre-fried or pre-made. They're just fine on hash browns, raw french fries, frozen chicken nuggets, frozen cheese sticks, frozen battered fish, and egg rolls.
They're also good for chicken wings and chicken thighs.
They're not so good for wet battered items that you want to fry from scratch. They're fine for something you dip into crumbs.
Overall, they're perfect for small batches when you don't want to heat up the whole oven. They use much less oil than a deep fryer, and you don't have much oil to dispose. I'm using the heck out of mine (all the things listed above I've actually tried, and I've only had it for a month.)
Be sure to have a place to store it -- it takes up a lot of counter space. Unlike a coffee machine or a microwave, you won't want to leave this on your counter when not in use.
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
I've used Emeril's for quite a while. As stated above, I mainly use it for chicken wings. Haven't found too many other practical uses.
A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
Returned one after two uses.
I believe it was a Phillips model. It was basically an electric coil (like from a stove) that had air passed over it to form a convection oven.
On homemade fries, it burned the points. As others have said, they weren't moist, just dried out. Unless you want to want to make sure all your fries are perfect rectangles, don't bother.
It was really purchased to make chicken wings in. It was terrible at that. The default cooking time (something like 18-20 minutes) left you with wings with rubbery skins (not golden at all). I typically cook wings in a 425 degree oven for 1-1.25 hours. My wings come out looking like those pictures of a well roasted Thanksgiving turkey.
In order to get crisp skins on the wings the time was upped significantly. This caused more fat to render out of the wings, which then splattered up onto the coil and made a horrendous amount of smoke in the house. Enough to set of the smoke detectors down the bedroom hallway.
I believe it was a Phillips model. It was basically an electric coil (like from a stove) that had air passed over it to form a convection oven.
On homemade fries, it burned the points. As others have said, they weren't moist, just dried out. Unless you want to want to make sure all your fries are perfect rectangles, don't bother.
It was really purchased to make chicken wings in. It was terrible at that. The default cooking time (something like 18-20 minutes) left you with wings with rubbery skins (not golden at all). I typically cook wings in a 425 degree oven for 1-1.25 hours. My wings come out looking like those pictures of a well roasted Thanksgiving turkey.
In order to get crisp skins on the wings the time was upped significantly. This caused more fat to render out of the wings, which then splattered up onto the coil and made a horrendous amount of smoke in the house. Enough to set of the smoke detectors down the bedroom hallway.
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
To get the crisp skins on the wings or thighs, you lightly spray it with oil from a Misto (or Pam cooking spray, but that's expensive). Same thing for the homemade fries to brown them without drying them out. The oil will fry, and crisp it up.2retire wrote:Returned one after two uses.
I believe it was a Phillips model. It was basically an electric coil (like from a stove) that had air passed over it to form a convection oven.
On homemade fries, it burned the points. As others have said, they weren't moist, just dried out. Unless you want to want to make sure all your fries are perfect rectangles, don't bother.
It was really purchased to make chicken wings in. It was terrible at that. The default cooking time (something like 18-20 minutes) left you with wings with rubbery skins (not golden at all). I typically cook wings in a 425 degree oven for 1-1.25 hours. My wings come out looking like those pictures of a well roasted Thanksgiving turkey.
In order to get crisp skins on the wings the time was upped significantly. This caused more fat to render out of the wings, which then splattered up onto the coil and made a horrendous amount of smoke in the house. Enough to set of the smoke detectors down the bedroom hallway.
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
That was done, per the instructions that came with the machine.wolf359 wrote: To get the crisp skins on the wings or thighs, you lightly spray it with oil from a Misto (or Pam cooking spray, but that's expensive). Same thing for the homemade fries to brown them without drying them out. The oil will fry, and crisp it up.
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
I also returned mine after two uses. Fries not particularly good, and one other thing we tried also not good. We immediately realized it is just a self-contained convection oven. We already have a convection oven. I think it was just the flavor of this Christmas season and will disappear in a year or two. Not a real thing, in my opinion. Just marketing fiction. Different from, say, a breadmaker, which were super popular for a few christmases. Breadmakers are real things that do something new, interesting, and well. Air fryers are just BS (in my opinion).2retire wrote:Returned one after two uses.
I believe it was a Phillips model. It was basically an electric coil (like from a stove) that had air passed over it to form a convection oven.
On homemade fries, it burned the points. As others have said, they weren't moist, just dried out. Unless you want to want to make sure all your fries are perfect rectangles, don't bother.
It was really purchased to make chicken wings in. It was terrible at that. The default cooking time (something like 18-20 minutes) left you with wings with rubbery skins (not golden at all). I typically cook wings in a 425 degree oven for 1-1.25 hours. My wings come out looking like those pictures of a well roasted Thanksgiving turkey.
In order to get crisp skins on the wings the time was upped significantly. This caused more fat to render out of the wings, which then splattered up onto the coil and made a horrendous amount of smoke in the house. Enough to set of the smoke detectors down the bedroom hallway.
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
Mmm, fried air.
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
I have a waffle maker that I haven't used in 10 years.barnaclebob wrote:Oh yeah, I guess I don't drink coffee so it didn't cross my mind.cheese_breath wrote:You forgot the most important... coffee maker.barnaclebob wrote:I don't see the purpose of pretty much any counter top cooking devices aside from a toaster, toaster oven, or crock pot.....
I guess really any frequently used cooking device can be justified such as a panini press or what not but it seems that people turn to these things as the answer instead of learning how to use what they already own. I do also own a waffle maker that gets used maybe 10 times a year.
Time is your friend; impulse is your enemy - John Bogle |
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others, it's cheaper! - John Bogle
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
I thought waffle makers were wedding presents that went immediately into the closet never to be seen again.
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
Our waffle maker gets fairly regular use. Air fryers look like infomercial gimmicks to me.
I did bite on the "Sous Vide" bandwagon for this last Christmas, and we have been pretty happy with that for cooking several styles of meats (pork chops, steaks, tri-tip). Less than $100 on Amazon, and doesn't take a lot of space to store either. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017HX1FTC?psc=1
I did bite on the "Sous Vide" bandwagon for this last Christmas, and we have been pretty happy with that for cooking several styles of meats (pork chops, steaks, tri-tip). Less than $100 on Amazon, and doesn't take a lot of space to store either. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017HX1FTC?psc=1
Last edited by curmudgeon on Tue Jan 31, 2017 12:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Phineas J. Whoopee
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
Yeah, I agree. These thingy-makers don't make the thingies. They only apply heat to the already-made thingies, and I already have a perfectly good heat-applying appliance to use on the thingies I've already made.minesweep wrote:...
I have a waffle maker that I haven't used in 10 years.
PJW
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
That's if you have a crappy waffle maker and don't know how to make waffles.mouses wrote:I thought waffle makers were wedding presents that went immediately into the closet never to be seen again.
You know you are supposed to use batter in a waffle maker and not premade waffles right???Phineas J. Whoopee wrote:Yeah, I agree. These thingy-makers don't make the thingies. They only apply heat to the already-made thingies, and I already have a perfectly good heat-applying appliance to use on the thingies I've already made.minesweep wrote:...
I have a waffle maker that I haven't used in 10 years.
PJW
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
The current generation of sous vide machines are totally worth it. It used to cost $1,000+ for a setup that actually regulated temperature properly; I've gotten way more in value than the $150 I paid for mine.curmudgeon wrote:Our waffle maker gets fairly regular use. Air fryers look like infomercial gimmicks to me.
I did bite on the "Sous Vide" bandwagon for this last Christmas, and we have been pretty happy with that for cooking several styles of meats (pork chops, steaks, tri-tip). Less than $100 on Amazon, and doesn't take a lot of space to store either. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017HX1FTC?psc=1
What gets expensive are specialty vacuum bags/sealers. They can be worth it on their own since it lets you freeze meat better than without them, but if you don't care about freezing, the simple alternative is to use this water displacement method. I own a (now discontinued) Waring vacuum pistol which works with regular zip-top bags simply by attaching a disposable coffee stirrer to the nozzle.
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
Ziplock bags and vacuum sealer bags cost about the same (14 cents per gallon ziplock vs about 16 cents for the equivalent amount of vacuum bag). Now if you cut your bags to size you might be able to get vacuum bags to less than the cost of a ziplock. However compared to cheap store brand ziplocks, vacuum bags may not be able to compete well. But, using the water displacement method or anything involving a straw still has your meat packaged at atmospheric pressure and not really vacuum sealed.Independent George wrote: What gets expensive are specialty vacuum bags/sealers. They can be worth it on their own since it lets you freeze meat better than without them, but if you don't care about freezing, the simple alternative is to use this water displacement method. I own a (now discontinued) Waring vacuum pistol which works with regular zip-top bags simply by attaching a disposable coffee stirrer to the nozzle.
Food saver bags are a ripoff so don't use those, "foodvacbags" brand vac bags off amazon work very well.
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
Deleting my messages on this forum
Last edited by tampaite on Mon Jun 03, 2019 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
I purchased a chamber sealer and bags are sold in cases of 1000 for 0.02-0.04 per bag depending on size. I regularly use vacuum bags in place of ziploc.barnaclebob wrote:Ziplock bags and vacuum sealer bags cost about the same (14 cents per gallon ziplock vs about 16 cents for the equivalent amount of vacuum bag).
Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
If the Mom is asking for an air fryer, get an air fryer. Don't get a sous vide device.
I've been using sous vide for 10 years at this point. I've found that as wonderful as I know sous vide is, I can't gift the capability to anybody who doesn't already understand the method and wants it already. When I've tried it as a gift, I find I'm needing to explain it too much.
"So it's a boil-in bag? I put the steak underwater? What if I don't want a poached steak. Oh, so you cook it, then cook it again on the grill. Why not just cook it once? And it takes an hour to cook instead of 15 minutes? That sounds... complicated. Well, thanks, I guess." <Regift.>
I've been using sous vide for 10 years at this point. I've found that as wonderful as I know sous vide is, I can't gift the capability to anybody who doesn't already understand the method and wants it already. When I've tried it as a gift, I find I'm needing to explain it too much.
"So it's a boil-in bag? I put the steak underwater? What if I don't want a poached steak. Oh, so you cook it, then cook it again on the grill. Why not just cook it once? And it takes an hour to cook instead of 15 minutes? That sounds... complicated. Well, thanks, I guess." <Regift.>
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Re: Mom wants an air fryer?
Yeah i wasn't counting chamber sealers since people like you are a small minority of the minority of people who even own vacuum sealers.691175002 wrote:I purchased a chamber sealer and bags are sold in cases of 1000 for 0.02-0.04 per bag depending on size. I regularly use vacuum bags in place of ziploc.barnaclebob wrote:Ziplock bags and vacuum sealer bags cost about the same (14 cents per gallon ziplock vs about 16 cents for the equivalent amount of vacuum bag).