Me, my Air Fryer and I… and You

Me, my Air Fryer and I… and You

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Gandahar

Original Poster:

9,600 posts

136 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
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I bought my wife an Air Fryer for Christmas. The sort of gift an FDR person buys for someone else even though they did not realise they needed it in their life, ever.

And just by coincidence I had often looked at those badboyz and thought " I'd really like to try one out". Roll the tape forward and I, sorry we, am/are a proud owner(s) of a 40 quid Wilko airfryer. Me, my wife and I will obviously have to come to some sort of time sharing arrangement, a la a dodgy apartment on the Costa Del Sol in the late 1990s .....

here is the monolith



Even if it does not work my kitchen is starting to look like that part in the first Star Wars where Luke Skywalker and his uncle try to decide which droid to buy. beer

Of course R2D2 was crap at air cooking, could only do some hologram of Princess Leia, but I digress.

So started to cook with it. It's got a 6 litre deep fat fryer and a conventional fan oven and the old grill oven to compare against.

POINTS TO NOTE

1. I am a noob so have no idea on using an airfryer.
2. See above. Twice.

First I did all those pre coated stuff, like fish fingers, croquettes, onion rings etc etc and all were far better than the conventional oven/grill

Here are a selection of other things thrown in after my crispy coated initial Burstathon.....a photo-montage








Initial impressions

The chips are not as good as ones did in a deep fat fryer. Compare above to below




Ironically the "fryer" does not fry. what is does is cook oven/grill in small batches efficiently whilst getting them more crispy than just an oven in far less time. It's the new frontier and I am proud to be getting late to the party!

I love it already. clapparty

What are your experiences of AFROGs ( air fryer oven grillers)

And can you give me some tips?

I'm already doubting that spraying things with oil makes them more crispy after an unfortunate episode with some "roast" potatoes and my extended family, that got rapidly un-extended after I served them soft on the inside and. Well lets not dwell on the outsides....

frown


I've got some frozen aunt Bessies yorkshire puddings lined as snacks for this afternoon. Filled with home grown chillies, onion, parsley and Camembert cheese ... finger food goes wild this afternoon hopefully....

Also beef jerky I found on the intermet. Beef jerky in an air fryer? that's like trying to soft poach an egg on top of your Land Rover Defender bonnet in the Kalahari at noon. We shall see.


Anyhow, got some ingredients




Wish me the best of british luck.

How are you getting on with your AFROGs ?

borcy

5,623 posts

64 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
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I've not got one, but I know some people swear by them, use it practically every day.

hotchy

4,598 posts

134 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
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I cooked jalapeno poppers in one. Brilliant. Also spicy chicken chunks from costco. Mmmmm. Better than an oven? Dont know but hell of a lot quicker, and less to clean if at all. Over cooked mozzarella sticks... cheese just slipped out. Clean. Better than baked on oven tray anyway.

Iv got a cheap lidl one. Qaulity

anonymous-user

62 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
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Fantastic bit of kit, best kitchen gadget I've ever bought.

Gandahar

Original Poster:

9,600 posts

136 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
quotequote all
Vegetarian chillie "vol-au-vents" using pre made yorkshire puddings








less than 10 minutes and the machine did well here crisping up those little Aunt Bessie babies. 10 out of 10.


Chicken wings later for the other side of the spectum.




Stella Tortoise

2,865 posts

151 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
quotequote all
Gandahar said:
Vegetarian chillie "vol-au-vents" using pre made yorkshire puddings








less than 10 minutes and the machine did well here crisping up those little Aunt Bessie babies. 10 out of 10.


Chicken wings later for the other side of the spectum.
Wings are excellent in the AF.

Try with Frank's Buffalo sauce, blue cheese sauce and celery.

Gandahar

Original Poster:

9,600 posts

136 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
quotequote all
Stella Tortoise said:
Gandahar said:
Vegetarian chillie "vol-au-vents" using pre made yorkshire puddings


less than 10 minutes and the machine did well here crisping up those little Aunt Bessie babies. 10 out of 10.


Chicken wings later for the other side of the spectum.
Wings are excellent in the AF.

Try with Frank's Buffalo sauce, blue cheese sauce and celery.
No pressure then ! smile That sounds excellent, but as my first time I will be just doing a basic coating and then "guessing cooking time"

I love a responder who mentions blue cheese sauce. I need to be married to you and not my wife! She doesn't like eggs or cheese... what da feck?



loggo

449 posts

120 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
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Ours makes ace croutons. Being veggie don't use it for much else.

Quick thought - if anyone makes a cooking suggestion could they give an estimate of quantity / time please ?

The croutons get 8 minutes !

Stella Tortoise

2,865 posts

151 months

Sunday 19th January 2020
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loggo said:
Ours makes ace croutons. Being veggie don't use it for much else.

Quick thought - if anyone makes a cooking suggestion could they give an estimate of quantity / time please ?

The croutons get 8 minutes !
8 minutes at 120 or 200?

Gandahar

Original Poster:

9,600 posts

136 months

Sunday 19th January 2020
quotequote all
Well here's toast and goose fat fried bread done at the same time





You can see the difference, both were fine, though toast is better done in a toaster due to being more efficient. The fried bread was better than done in a ftying pan though, a lot less greasy.

It was part of a fry up for the breakfast thread.

If you are doing croutons I suggest putting garlic powder into olive oil and then brushing them with a pastry brush. Then put them in the air fryer at 180C for 4 minutes and then tossing them, sprinkling them in parmasan and herbs and then doing them for another 4 mins.


Leylandeye

550 posts

63 months

Sunday 19th January 2020
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I'm new to this air fry gadget thing but love the speed and lack of mess.

One one real success so far has been a baked potato. May not sound too impressive but it's a start.

anonymous-user

62 months

Sunday 19th January 2020
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I got a breville air fryer like this one - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332669230035

The chips are out of this world, everyone loves them. This air fryer has the ability to constantly turn chips over so they brown all over. I like mine well done/crispy so wait til they are that colour and then add some salt, leave another 10 mins and they are awesome. Your chips do look unappetising, I guess it's because they are not being turned.

As I'm on a diet I can have the best chips without the health issues of them being cooked in fat.

If thinking of getting an air fryer I would recommend getting one that turns the food over whilst it's been cooked.

madcowman

222 posts

126 months

Monday 20th January 2020
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Recently picked up a Cosori 5.6l "fryer" - so far pretty happy with it. As a rapid nugget cooker ( costco Chicken Nuggets for the win! ) its very efficient. I've also done some more homemade coated chicken meals which have come out well. I'm still practising with chips, you do need to make sure you give them a good shake every few minutes - the advantage to doin tthis manually vs an auto stirring paddle is that anything with a coating might get knocked off by a paddle.

I've also used it to quick roast butternut squash for a pasta / soup and it does a cracking job, much better than in the oven.

sgrimshaw

7,423 posts

258 months

Monday 20th January 2020
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madcowman said:
Recently picked up a Cosori 5.6l "fryer" - so far pretty happy with it. As a rapid nugget cooker ( costco Chicken Nuggets for the win! ) its very efficient. I've also done some more homemade coated chicken meals which have come out well. I'm still practising with chips, you do need to make sure you give them a good shake every few minutes - the advantage to doin tthis manually vs an auto stirring paddle is that anything with a coating might get knocked off by a paddle.

I've also used it to quick roast butternut squash for a pasta / soup and it does a cracking job, much better than in the oven.
I've got the 3.5L Cosori, absolutely love it.

Also got this ...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Air-Fryer-Cooker-Ro...

Power Air Fryer Cooker

Absolutely brilliant!

57Ford

4,561 posts

142 months

Monday 20th January 2020
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We looked into getting an air-fryer last year but it was a big piece of kit to find a home for as well as the pressure cooker so we held off. The pressure cooker was pretty rubbish though and finally failed so we considered a new PC and an AF at £70 each but decided on an all in one solution which is the Ninja Foodi Max for £200
It's incredible what it can do! I struggle to get my head round what meals to cook in it because there are so many possibilities. I might just sell the ovens, the microwave and hob smile

Stella Tortoise

2,865 posts

151 months

Monday 20th January 2020
quotequote all
Gandahar said:
No pressure then ! smile That sounds excellent, but as my first time I will be just doing a basic coating and then "guessing cooking time"

I love a responder who mentions blue cheese sauce. I need to be married to you and not my wife! She doesn't like eggs or cheese... what da feck?
So, how were the wings and where are the photos?

pubrunner

449 posts

91 months

Tuesday 21st January 2020
quotequote all
Gandahar said:
Vegetarian chillie "vol-au-vents" using pre made yorkshire puddings








less than 10 minutes and the machine did well here crisping up those little Aunt Bessie babies. 10 out of 10.


Chicken wings later for the other side of the spectum.
Please let me know, what's the secret for doing such great poached eggs ?

mintybiscuit

2,826 posts

153 months

Tuesday 21st January 2020
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pubrunner said:
Please let me know, what's the secret for doing such great poached eggs ?
They looked more coddled than poached.

pubrunner

449 posts

91 months

Tuesday 21st January 2020
quotequote all
mintybiscuit said:
They looked more coddled than poached.
Either way, I'd love to know how to cook eggs like that - what container might have been used ?

mintybiscuit

2,826 posts

153 months

Tuesday 21st January 2020
quotequote all
pubrunner said:
Either way, I'd love to know how to cook eggs like that - what container might have been used ?
Something like this is the modern version.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silicone-Egg-Poacher-Co...

Break eggs into receptacle and place into a bain marie.

Old school versions were aluminium and had a reciprocating pan

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-6-DIA-Aluminium...



Edited by mintybiscuit on Tuesday 21st January 23:56


Edited by mintybiscuit on Tuesday 21st January 23:56