The Actifry & AirFryer Thread - Merged

OmegaGene

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

Got this yesterday and did some oven chips, quite tasty and very quick. Only about 15 minutes while my oven would usually take that to heat up. so even for speed it would be worth it.

Oven chips are the devils work
Oven and fry chips are both partially deep fried and I find the fry chips much nicer but they are an emergency break glass item
Fresh potato chips are more effort but so much more rewarding and better for you

jam_mac_jam

OmegaGene wrote: »

Oven chips are the devils work
Oven and fry chips are both partially deep fried and I find the fry chips much nicer but they are an emergency break glass item
Fresh potato chips are more effort but so much more rewarding and better for you

Oh I will be experimenting, just something to start with. I am more a fan of fried potatoes so that will be next.

Dizzyblonde

Tesco frozen potato cubes are delicious cooked in the Airfryer: https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=282059833

OmegaGene

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

Oh I will be experimenting, just something to start with. I am more a fan of fried potatoes so that will be next.

Par boil, add a drizzle of oil and off you go

Muahahaha

Getting a new kitchen counter top installed next week and its solid oak. Should I put something between it and the airfryer, bit worried the heat might warp the wood over time.

greasepalm

Bottom of my air fryer has a metal plate to stop heat traveling down so counter top does not get hot.When the basket and tray/door get pulled out its below it.

Muahahaha

Cheers, just had a look now and my one has that metal plate too. Must test the underside of it after 20 mins at 200c but would imagine the metal plate absorbs most of the heat.

rubadub

Muahahaha wrote: »

Getting a new kitchen counter top installed next week and its solid oak. Should I put something between it and the airfryer, bit worried the heat might warp the wood over time.

I have mine on one of those wooden trivet things you can put hot saucepans on. Not sure if it is necessary but I did find the countering getting hot if it was on a long time.

Grandeeod

Mine is always used over my Ceramic hob and no problems so far. But then Ceramic hobs are built for heat.:D

Muahahaha

rubadub wrote: »

I have mine on one of those wooden trivet things you can put hot saucepans on. Not sure if it is necessary but I did find the countering getting hot if it was on a long time.

Yeah Im probably over thinking it. But Ive seen solid wood worktops warped from people placing hot pans and skillets on them before and apart from the burn marks the wood can shrivel up and start pulling away from the wall.

I'll likely get something to put under it as while most of my cooking in it is only 15-20 minutes when that is spread over 4-5 uses a week it adds up and could cause damage to solid wood in the long term. I've spent the best part of 6 hours now sanding and oiling this countertop before it gets installed so I want to make sure it is protected from any heat. Will be getting an Instant Pot soon too so need to do the same there.

In any case Ive never seen a wooden trivet, where did you get it?

OmegaGene

Muahahaha wrote: »

Yeah Im probably over thinking it. But Ive seen solid wood worktops warped from people placing hot pans and skillets on them before and apart from the burn marks the wood can shrivel up and start pulling away from the wall.

I'll likely get something to put under it as while most of my cooking in it is only 15-20 minutes when that is spread over 4-5 uses a week it adds up and could cause damage to solid wood in the long term. I've spent the best part of 6 hours now sanding and oiling this countertop before it gets installed so I want to make sure it is protected from any heat. Will be getting an Instant Pot soon too so need to do the same there.

In any case Ive never seen a wooden trivet, where did you get it?

You are 100% over thinking it, the heat doesn’t go to the counter top from the unit otherwise the plastic would melt, it’s all contained inside the main part of the unit.
I have mine on for hours cooking chickens and ham joints to use as cold meat and the counter top is fine, now if you take a saucepan from a cooler and place it on any counter top your going to make sh1t of it and you can buy tempered glass with various designs for this very purpose

greasepalm

Did chicken wings last night and while cooking ran my hand under it and cool.

OmegaGene

The demo of how the heat works in the airfryer is shown here

https://www.philips.ie/c-m-ho/cooking/airfryer-top


The outside is cool to touch much like a hairdryer etc

Mach Two

Any idea as to how you cook roast beef in the air frier. I imagine it would dry out a lot.

OmegaGene

Mach Two wrote: »

Any idea as to how you cook roast beef in the air frier. I imagine it would dry out a lot.

far from it, i normally do mine on 160 for 30 mins and then increase the heat for another 30 minutes depending on the size of course

Mach Two

OmegaGene wrote: »

far from it, i normally do mine on 160 for 30 mins and then increase the heat for another 30 minutes depending on the size of course

Do you do anything special to spice it up. Or just cook it.

odyssey06

Also does any particular cut of roast beef work better than others e.g. round, sirloin, housekeepers, rib roast?

54and56

Mach Two wrote: »

Any idea as to how you cook roast beef in the air frier. I imagine it would dry out a lot.

Anyone tried flash frying steak to brown the outsides then finishing off in the AirFryer to get it to medium rare / medium? For some reason I think this might produce a juicier steak.

Might have to just try it and see how it works out.

rubadub

54and56 wrote: »

Anyone tried flash frying steak to brown the outsides then finishing off in the AirFryer to get it to medium rare / medium? For some reason I think this might produce a juicier steak.

I do it the other way around. This is an old post, I sometimes wipe the steak with oil before frying. The surface being dry means there is no stewing going on as moisture comes out.

rubadub wrote: »

I do steaks at 80C for 30mins or even up to 90mins. Then I let cool and sear in a roaring hot pan. They are still red in the middle. It dries off the surface so it sears really well, and the fat is rendered down very nicely.

If anybody likes, or has to cook well done steaks for other people I would highly recommend it, up the temp to 90C and it comes out with no pink. Again let cool and sear. The cooling prevents it being overcooked during the sear.

54and56

rubadub wrote: »

I do it the other way around. This is an old post, I sometimes wipe the steak with oil before frying. The surface being dry means there is no stewing going on as moisture comes out.

Very interesting Rubadub, thanks for re-posting.

Steaks on the menu tomorrow evening so will give it a lash. Might have to do 4 steaks in total so could do 2 "fry first then bake" and 2 "bake first, cool down then fry"

OmegaGene

I do steaks at 180 for 6 mins then 200 for 3 and they are fine and dandy

rubadub

54and56 wrote: »

Might have to do 4 steaks in total so could do 2 "fry first then bake" and 2 "bake first, cool down then fry"

good test, the method I was talking about is called reverse sear.


Reverse-seared steaks start in a low oven and end in a hot pan on the stovetop. By searing at the end, you’ll get tender, perfectly cooked meat with a crisp, burnished crust every time.

A very thin steak might well be well done at 80C, I had a temp probe in mine and I think it was about 65C max. If going for a long time you might have to leave it cool a while before starting cooking again, as it will get nearer and nearer the surrounding temp. I much prefer this to sous vide as the juices are not all falling out of the steak and it is not anemic/boiled looking and having to be patted dry (stealing more juice).

I expected mine to look all grey and boiled but it is actually very brown and smells like roast beef. The surface will be dry and you might expect it to be all dried out but its not, staying below boiling point means too much does not come off, its more like surface drying. The fat is the best bit though, melt in the mouth.

Some doing reverse sear even put it in the freezer to ensure it does not overcook when searing.

edit: I see that guide says "Preheat the oven to anywhere between 200 and 275°F (93 and 135°C)" do NOT do this in the airfryer! and airfryer is more like a heat gun, replenishing the hot air very quickly. When I got my airfryer I was disappointed to see it only went to 200C, yet the likes of pizza come out totally browned like they were in a regular oven at max heat.

Muahahaha

rubadub would you say you get much better results by doing the steak in the airfryer then the hot pan? I used the reverse sear method before with sous vide and between the hour in a water bath and using two different cooking devices I didnt really find it worth it over just cooking it in a hot pan for 2 mins each side for rare.

Dizzyblonde

Mach Two wrote: »

Do you do anything special to spice it up. Or just cook it.

When I'm roasting beef I put on a rub of coarse salt, crushed black pepper and garlic granules. It works on steak too.

greasepalm

I would have tried my steak in it but need to do chips or hash browns in my air fryer and use my halogen oven to cook my steak usually 1 1/2 inches thick big and juicy 200-220 for about 20 mins as chips take about the same time.

OmegaGene

greasepalm wrote: »

I would have tried my steak in it but need to do chips or hash browns in my air fryer and use my halogen oven to cook my steak usually 1 1/2 inches thick big and juicy 200-220 for about 20 mins as chips take about the same time.

You need the xxl airfryer and Christmas is coming

I’m able to do chips mushrooms onion tomato and steak in the one basket

rubadub

Muahahaha wrote: »

rubadub would you say you get much better results by doing the steak in the airfryer then the hot pan?

Yes, mine were done medium to medium-well. I would usually do ribeyes with fat running through them. I am very particular about the fat and hate if it is not rendered nicely.

I also like the fact it takes all the guess work & timing out of it.

I would not be bothered with sous vide at all now, the airfryer is less hassle than it, and concentrates the juices and dries the surface -rather than the opposite. A guy I know did it and did not even bother searing after it and loved it.

Not sure how you could go for well rendered rare in an airfryer, maybe 5mins on 80C and then you would have to leave it a while and go again. It would be great if you could set it less than 80C. I wonder if the thermostat actually can go lower and just has a forced max & min set on the dial stopping you turning it more.

greasepalm

OmegaGene wrote: »

You need the xxl airfryer and Christmas is coming

I’m able to do chips mushrooms onion tomato and steak in the one basket

Thank you very much for awaiting for my new xmas present from you and maybe it will be a black one:D:D:D

McMurphy

OmegaGene wrote: »

You need the xxl airfryer and Christmas is coming

I’m able to do chips mushrooms onion tomato and steak in the one basket

Any recommendations Onega Gene? Especially if there's any on Amazon, and I'll set a camel X 3 alert.

Waiting on camelx3 for an instant pot too.

Cheers.

OmegaGene

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

Any recommendations Onega Gene? Especially if there's any on Amazon, and I'll set a camel X 3 alert.

Waiting on camelx3 for an instant pot too.

Cheers.

This is the one I bought for £300

https://www.philips.ie/c-m-ho/cooking/airfryer-top/airfryer-xxl

Pick up the party pack then for the kebab rack