Are air fryers worth it?

JackieChang · 19-09-2021 10:26am #1

There's one in my local Lidl's now for €50. Tower brand. I might buy it.

I had a look at a few in curry's. I looked inside and there's a heating element at the top. So it's basically a grill? Is the food burnt black at the top and frozen on the bottom?

What are chips like out of them? Not home made chips but the ones you get from the freezer. I've seen a few photos of air fryer chips and it looks like the edges get burnt and the middle stays raw. They just look like bits of wood chippings. Very dry looking. Looks like they came out of a dessicator for drying herbs.

Also what are sausages like out of them? And black pudding?

Please tell us all about air fryers.

19-09-2021 10:35am

Best kitchen appliance since teh rice-cooker.

If the basket is full you have to flip everything around midway but otherwise just think of it as a compact convention oven.

Texture of the food comes out better than any other cooking method (deep fryers not with-standing).

Super quick, super easy to clean, super healthy, tastes magic.

kirk. · 19-09-2021 10:35am

Google was invented for people like you

Montage of Feck · 19-09-2021 3:36pm

Its basically a small fan oven.

ablelocks · 19-09-2021 4:14pm

air fryers, even the so called xxl versions, are only for 2-4 people.

a big fan oven, with the setting for grill and fan on at the same time, is a bigger version of an air fryer.

accensi0n · 19-09-2021 4:20pm

Best toasted sandwich I've ever had was from that tower air fryer recently. Chips from it are great as well.

paska · 19-09-2021 4:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058209484/are-air-fryers-worth-it

If you can stretch to a pressure cooker & air fryer combined you will be sorted. Best thing I ever bought

19-09-2021 4:58pm

Air fryers are just fan ovens, so if you have a fan oven, no need for air fryer

Xcellor · 19-09-2021 5:01pm

They are smaller, heat up quicker though food gets piping much faster so saves on electricity. I have fan oven but would nearly always prefer air fryer.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117912093#Comment_117912093

19-09-2021 5:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117912099#Comment_117912099

I get where you are coming from, but for me, I can't be doing with extra equipment clogging up the kitchen if I don't need it!

19-09-2021 5:21pm

Air fryers are great for most types of frozen food, I use mine regularly, for breaded fish or chicken.

I also use mine for burgers and chops, (either pork or lamb) but I stopped using mine for sausages because I found it made the sausage skin tough and leathery.

I don't use mine for chips. I just don't think they come out right from an airfryer. If we're having chips I prefer to just go buy a bag of chips from the local chipper, as none of the frozen kind are as good.

I'm thinking of buying a single portion deep fat fryer just for homemade chips.

bogwalrus · 19-09-2021 7:30pm

Makes the best chips.

My chip recipe should really have iconic status on boards.

1. Any cleaned large spuds chopped with skin on to create really skinny maccy D's lenthgs but can be twice as wide tbh.

2. Soak in container of cold water for a few mins with some sugar. This activates the starches and makes fries fluffy in middle and crispy on outside.

3. Dry off with kitchen tissue or whatever. Needs to he nice and dry now.

4. Coat with a tiny bit of oil. Salt and pepper and some rosemary if you have it.

5. In a pre heated air fryer. (I use cosori which is best one on Amazon around 50 euro). Put chips in basket but don't overfill. Need to have the right quantity to get the crispiness.

6. 200c for 18 mins turning half way. You can experiment a bit with temp and times but this should to the trick.

You will never make chips any other way again.

Cienciano · 19-09-2021 7:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117912093#Comment_117912093

Air fryer doesn't have to heat up and cooks quicker. If you do a lot of smaller stuff in the oven (as in one shelf of stuff, not pizzas obviously) then an air fryer is well worth it

19-09-2021 8:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058209484/are-air-fryers-worth-it

We got one about a year ago, and would definitely recommend. Got the Lidl Tower one first, but we quickly outgrew it (it's very small), so we spent a bit more money and bought a ProBreeze model with more capacity.

Thargor · 19-09-2021 8:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117911922#Comment_117911922

Do not listen to this person as they are completely wrong.

Just get an airfryer OP, read the 5000 post thread over in the Food forum if you want but TLDR version its the best kitchen gadget you'll ever buy and your oven will probably end up gathering dust apart from the Sunday roast.

19-09-2021 8:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117912949#Comment_117912949

No they are not wrong.

Thargor · 19-09-2021 8:51pm

Yes they are, an airfryer and a fan oven are not the same. No more than a toaster and a toaster oven are the same. He is describing grilling, an Airfryer is not a grill.

rob316 · 19-09-2021 8:51pm

It's like best kitchen invention honestly OP. I buy so much shite gadgets for the kitchen and the air fryer is used more than anything in the kitchen. I even have a back up air fryer if my current one fails, couldn't be without it.

Suckit · 19-09-2021 9:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117910525#Comment_117910525

Nope, Google was invented to plague my life with adverts.

19-09-2021 10:37pm

So, OP, if you want to get rid of your fan oven(if you have one) and have plenty of room in your kitchen, then an air fryer is your man!

Nermal · 20-09-2021 8:41am

An airfyer and a fan oven are as alike as a Yaris and a Lamborghini.

leex · 20-09-2021 9:03am

Have a Philips XXL model. Probably the best appliance we have ever purchased and we have a lot. Frozen oven chips are almost similar in quality/taste to deep fried version and a lot better than what is cooked on a tray in a fan oven. Cooking time is a lot lower (maybe 33%) than a fan oven. There is no pre-heat required either. Cleaning is a non event also as all of the key components can be placed in dishwasher.

Gregor Samsa · 20-09-2021 9:06am

If you need to fry air, accept no substitute.

But seriously, we got one for our mobile home during the summer. Gas oved isn't working, and the site doesn't supply enough power to run an electric cooker, so we needed something to do the things we don't cook on the hob or BBQ. Got a cheap one in SuperValue.

It cooks stuff really well. Sausages and black pudding are amazing out of it - they're two of the things we use it for the most. Heats up in less than two minutes, and then takes about half the time to cook stuff as it would in a fan oven. Apart from a turn or quick shake half way though, it's set and forget. No oil needed, and it gathers any fat that drips from the food. It's not ideal for everything (you wouldn't cook a pizza in it, but we use a pizza oven on the BBQ for that), so it wouldn't replace an oven in a domestic situation, but it completely replaced the grill for us. Great for reheating stuff.

Only problem is the capacity. There's 5 of us in the family and for some dishes we'd have to use two runs. But the capacity is the reason that it's so efficient: it's only heating up a small space instead of the 50+ litres an oven has.

Now that the season is over, we'll be taking ours home, and I can see us using it a lot.

theteal · 20-09-2021 9:12am

Our Philips one must be 7-8 years old, it's showing it's age but it has been well used. Where we had a deep fat fryer in the house growing up, my kids now have the much more neat/tidy/healthy air "fryer" so that can't be a bad thing. Yeah it takes a fair bit longer but the results are good.

Sgt Hartman · 20-09-2021 10:01am

I have a Tower one and I think it's great, especially for doing sausages and black pudding. I usually get Tesco Finest chunky oven chips which turn out pretty good if cooked at 200 degrees for 20 minutes, turning half way.

GLaDOS · 20-09-2021 10:02am

Is there much of an issue with smell?

My mam and sister both have one, but use them out in the utility room/garage as they say it stinks the place up a bit.

I don't have anywhere similar and am hesitant to stink the house up with chip smell.

Badly Drunk Boy · 20-09-2021 10:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117914290#Comment_117914290

The only smell I get is the food cooking, which isn't a bad thing and it's definitely not strong. Unless maybe they don't clean theirs properly, and that's what's causing the smell. 🤷‍♂️

ablelocks · 20-09-2021 10:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117912969#Comment_117912969

to clarify, i'm describing fan assisted grilling in an oven, an air fryer also does fan assisted grilling, in a smaller unit.

My post was mainly for people who want to achieve similar results for more people

Mollydog123 · 20-09-2021 6:10pm

Chicken wings and Chicken drumsticks are lovely out of it. Use the BBQ during the summer and the tower air fryer during the winter

archfi · 20-09-2021 6:33pm

Invested in one a short (that can rotisserie cook a chicken) while back and it is now indispensible.

JackieChang · 20-09-2021 7:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117916900#Comment_117916900

Which model is that?

archfi · 20-09-2021 7:30pm

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07WZVCRLM/ref%3Dppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

This one, I have to say chicken out of it is gorgeous :)

Medium 1500g would be biggest though.

Larbre34 · 20-09-2021 7:48pm

No, its just a desktop oven.

Air fryers belong at the back of the cupboard with sandwich makers and coffee percolators and ice cream makers.

Bunny Colvin · 20-09-2021 7:54pm

They're brilliant. I use it everyday.

Great for bagels as well. Toast them first and put on cheese, ham or whatever. Then pop it into the airfryer for a couple of minutes and you've the perfect bagel.

Sausages also come out great.

JackieChang · 20-09-2021 8:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117917124#Comment_117917124

I was actally looking at that on amazon a few hours before. That thing is pretty massive. Almost like an oven as Larbre34 says.

WHere is the heating element?

Also does it cook faster than a regular oven?

What else do you cook in it that's delicious?

Apparently it takes like 2 minutes to heat up a regular air fryer. How long does it take your one to heat up? 11 litres is massive compared to the 3 or 4 litre air fryers I've seen.

Potential-Monke · 20-09-2021 10:53pm

Most used gadget in our kitchen. Mother says it's perfect for the unbaked rolls you can get these days. I use it regularly for chips, burgers, chicken balls/strips. Fresh or frozen, all come out lovely. You'll need to shop around to find your favourite brand of oven chips, but I currently find the Dunnes own brand pretty good. Even the father likes them, and he doesn't like frozen chips. Great for reheating a slice or two of pizza.

For people saying some things come out dry, I understand that. Some brands of oven chips were nicer if I included a tablespoon of oil into the tray and mixed them about first. But in general most things are lovely and moist. And anything frozen takes 20 mins. Ours doesn't have a temp selector, just a timer and on/off. It's quite old though, one of the first Breville Halo Healthfryer, the black and green one. I do like the sound of that one that can do rotisserie.....

PTH2009 · 21-09-2021 2:01am

Iceland are selling frozen food items that are branded by TGI Fridays, EDs (there an British Eddie Rocketts I think) and Harry Ramsdens among others cooking them on the air fyer is just not the same.

Overall I like air fyers as its less messy than the deep fat fyers. The smell of oil from a deep fat fyer is unpleasant

Gregor Samsa · 21-09-2021 9:27am

I'm beginning to see a trend.

The people who think they're great are (mostly) the people who have them.

The people who don't think they're great are (mostly) the people who don't have them.

H3llR4iser · 21-09-2021 11:17am

I'm curious about this as well - living on my own turning the oven on, waiting for it to heat and then cook a single chicken breast or breaded cod fillet in it...well, not ideal.

My one doubt however is...nobody ever really seems to talk about how the texture/feel of the food outta them is...they call them "fryer", but I would imagine there's no actual frying happening 'cause, well, you're missing the fundamental part - oil? Unless you're cooking stuff that fries in its own fat, like bacon?

So let's say I dropped some chopped up chicken breast into an air fryer, what would the final result resemble the most? Oil fried, roasted or over baked?

The One Doctor · 21-09-2021 1:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117918944#Comment_117918944

I've heard that you can bore someone to death with an AirFryer.

21-09-2021 4:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117918944#Comment_117918944

You can lightly coat the merchandise in oil, like with diced chicken this is good mmmkay?

It comes out roasted, but moist, you can keep an eye on the time.

Texture is the best part, I thought nothing is gonna top that deep fry texture but the air fryer gets a nice crisp roast on the surface whilst keeping the moisture locked in.

Oven baking is a heart break simply cause it's a chore.

Sometimes I have air fried donegal catch fillets first thing in the morning now, with some fresh salsa, simply cause I can put them in the air-fry, go brush my teeth, shave, spend the necessary amount of time looking in the mirror like a biznatch, then come back and a protein rich steaming heated breakfast is waiting for me.

No sane person would do that with a conventional oven when they're trying to beat the traffick.

JackieChang · 21-09-2021 8:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117920742#Comment_117920742

What model air fryer do you have?

21-09-2021 8:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117921638#Comment_117921638

Dawoo or something?

Cheapest one I could find on amazon.

Potential-Monke · 21-09-2021 8:37pm

Yeah, I don't think you'll ever get really close to the awesomeness that is deep fat frying (I said awesome, not healthy), but it's pretty close. As above, throw in a spoon of oil if you're worried about it being dry, but most foods will end up cooking in their own juices. Cook a burger (fresh or frozen) on the rack in the bowl and you'll see the amount of grease that comes out. Put it directly onto the bowl without the rack to keep those juices under them if you wish. I don't think there's a need though.

HeidiHeidi · 21-09-2021 8:40pm

What size are these things, generally?

I have a tiny kitchen, don't really have room for any more stuff on the countertops..... but I'm finding myself more and more persuaded by the sound of these yokes!

Potential-Monke · 21-09-2021 10:05pm

Pretty big in fairness. To use American ways of telling size, about the size of 4 2-slot toasters. Or a large turkey.

Homelander · 22-09-2021 6:50am

I love the air fryer as it's super efficient - heats up incredibly quickly, cooks fast, just far, far less hassle than an oven and easier if you have to shake stuff up as well.

But it is basically a mini countertop oven, I'm not sure where people get the idea that it's some revolutionary technology that cooks food differently.

archfi · 22-09-2021 7:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117917446#Comment_117917446

It definitely cooks faster than regular oven - approx 1 hour for 1500g chicken, it says 15-20 minutes for frozen chips but it's more like 10 mins for the ones I get.

I've only done chicken, sausage, chips (frozen and homemeade), frozen fish so far and all tasty/cooked properly especially the clucker.

AFAIK, it heats up instantly. Heating element, don't know - there are vents at back and all 4 corners at bottom.

It's big but fits well on countertop with plenty of space for the vents etc and I don't have a large kitchen.

JackieChang · 29-10-2021 6:54pm

Lidl now have air fryers in. Silvercrest (Lidl own brand) and Tower ones. Just picked up the silver crest one. Pretty decent build quality. Have a couple of chicken drumsticks in there now. Let's see how it goes. My first air fryer ever.

One negative already is that you have to shake the stuff around. The manual recommends interrupting the "frying" process twice to shake the food.

So you can't just pop some food in and go watch a film. You have to babysit it

Potential-Monke · 29-10-2021 8:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118091649#Comment_118091649

Depends on the food. Burgers, I pop them in, 10 min. When it beeps I turn and 10 min again. Chips, same but give the bowl a shake after 10 min. Actually, that's basically how I cook everything in it. It came with a handle that can connect to the centre which spins around allegedly turning food, all it really did was mash the chips together.

HeidiHeidi · 30-10-2021 9:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118091649#Comment_118091649

When I'm cooking food in the oven I would generally turn it (or shake, in the case of chips) twice or three times.

Are air fryers worth it?

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