Great. They're faster than an oven and you can get a better result with less oil. For best results you'll still need oil. Best part is they preheat faster and are heating a smaller space so you dont need to turn on a giant oven to cook a potato or whatever.
Someone recommended getting a multi use one. I used my roommates toaster oven/air fryer combo and loved it.
They're tiny convection ovens and really do do a great job at fried/crispy stuff. However I've already got a toaster oven with a convection fan, so I have a hard time justifying a whole ass appliance that does fewer things.
If you already have an :sicko-instapot: they also make special lids that fit on top and blast hot air around so you can use it as an air fryer. If you're not cooking huge batches of things then that combo is probably the best bang for your buck/counter space, as far as variety of cooking methods.
I've got one; I was expecting something a little more elaborate than what is for all intents and purposes a very compact, slightly faster fan oven. Anything you can cook in an oven can be heated in an air fryer as long as it fits. As for its miracle properties, I don't really buy into that a whole lot. If the fatty aspect of deep fat frying is an issue, you can make your fries and nuggies in the oven and achieve much the same result.
I think an air frier cooks faster than an oven though so you may want to adjust the time.
really happy I got one, it takes a lot of frozen foods to the next level
like, the edge of a frozen burrito comes out flaky and toasted and crispy
instead of slick and slightly soggy like out of hte microwave
It just comes out really crisp. Frozen fries come out like restaurant fries.
Yup. Highly recommend for frozen snacks like pizza rolls or frozen french fries.
Yes, in about 15 minutes, but in mine you have to stir them a few times if you throw in a whole bag. More active time, less time overall.
but you don't have to put on the dumb oven mitts to stir and risk burning yourself lol. I greatly prefer the air fryer.
I was skeptical but I bought one and use it often, great for making french fries and frying up firm tofu. Had to replace our really old kitchen range recently and when buying a new range, made sure it included air fry.
I still don't understand how an air fryer is any better than a good oven, and I refuse to purchase one.
Mine heats up wildly faster than my oven so I end up defaulting to the air fryer if it's a small amount.
But what if you have a... wait for it... a convection oven.
Oh in that case even better. Lucky you. I thought they were kind of rare. Most people I know just have the old kind.
Yeah I moved to a modern building and got one, it's actually pretty great. But yeah if you don't have a convection oven then an air fryer is basically a mini convection oven, and makes sense.
Yeah exactly. That's awesome though! Does the building need special hookups or can any building get one?
Nah it shouldn't, it's just a regular oven with a fan inside. Doesn't need any special venting or anything like that.
From what I gather it's basically just a small oven, so its valid use case is basically if someone doesn't have room for an oven or if their oven is broken and they can't replace it for cost or logistics reasons.
Or if you don't want the extra heat or expense or time of heating up a whole oven.
i cooked fish once and now everything comes out smelling fishy
If you have a convection oven it's pointless. Otherwise it's a really neat and cool thing.
Had a convection oven. Took me 2 years to learn how to use it, only to find out that it's actually slower than just cooking normally. Then I went the other way bought a toaster oven, that shit preheats instantly.
i use mine a lot, from home made chips to tofu, it's good for pretty much anything
one i make a lot is just basic crispy tofu nuggets
drain and cube tofu
put flour, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, whatever dry spices you like together
coat the tofu in it
put in a single layer in your air fryer, can't give timing really, my air fryer is old as fuck and it takes ~10-15 mins
while it's cooking, mix up a sauce. i like to use soy sauce with some maple syrup, garlic, ginger and pepper
once it's done, toss the tofu in the sauce, serve over rice/salad/whatever, drizzle the rest of the sauce over it
That's how I do it in the oven yeah, dill, lemon and butter usually. In the air fryer I can't actually remember, but I think I make a foil tray rather than wrap it up fully.
It's kinda supposed to fall apart when it's done so yeah it might be tricky to get it out on a plate or cutting board
If you have a toaster oven you can just get a convection toaster oven instead of one of these. It's the same thing, but way more useful.
Seriously - there's nothing an air fryer can do that a convection toaster oven can't? Damn NYT didn't even mention convection toaster ovens.
Seriously.
An air fryer is literally just a small convection oven.
Toaster ovens are small ovens. Add a fan, now it's a small convection oven. Bada bing bada boom :AyyyyyOC-big:
Toaster ovens are small ovens.
except air fryers are even smaller toaster ovens. The space in an air fryer is way smaller than in a typical toaster oven.
This NYT article made me very curious about them: archive.today • How the Air Fryer Crisped Its Way Into America's Heart - The New York Times.
This made me laugh...
Americans buy more kitchen gadgets than people in the rest of the world, and that's probably because advertisers promise it will change their lives.
—————————————————————
Recipes for air fryers. It's a much easier and healthier way to make fried food without or with little oil.
—————————————————————
Do Air Fryers Have Health Benefits?
Are Air-Fried Foods Better for You?
By most measures, air frying is healthier than frying in oil. It cuts calories by 70% to 80% and has a lot less fat.
This cooking method might also cut down on some of the other harmful effects of oil frying. The reaction that happens when you fry potatoes or other starchy foods makes the chemical acrylamide, which research links to greater chances of getting cancer. One study shows that air frying lowers the amount of acrylamide in fried potatoes by 90%.
Some things about air frying may not be better for you, though. In one study, air frying of fish raised the amount of a substance called "cholesterol oxidation products" (COPs). COPs form when the cholesterol in meat or fish breaks down during cooking. Studies connect these substances to coronary heart disease, hardening of the arteries, cancer, and other diseases.
One way to lower the amount of COPs when you air fry fish, the study shows, is to add fresh parsley, chives, or a mixture of the two. Research shows these herbs act as antioxidants to reduce the COPs in air-fried foods.
Air frying also appears to curb the omega-3 fatty acids in fish. These "good fats" help lower blood pressure and raise "good" HDL cholesterol levels, and they may help protect the heart.
Once I learned that they are just convection ovens I wondered why you wouldn't just get a countertop convection oven that can also work as a toaster / traditional oven. Then I lost interest because I don't need either of those things.
My toaster oven has a convection fan setting, keep an eye out for that option.
