Air Fryers- can someone explain

[speakout]

This is a whole new type of widardy- can someone explain the pros and cons.
Is an air fryer a healthier option? How much food and what does it actually do? Will it save me power?
I am a complete novice- so any comments or views appreciated.

They're just fancy halogen ovens aren't they? I got a halogen oven for about £40 I think. Used it loads for about a year and now all I cook in it is a chicken every now and then.

Things I’ve recently found my air fryer good at are cauliflower cheese, warming croissants, cooking sausages and spinach hash browns, warming premade Yorkshire puddings, cooking fish gratin.
I’m going to try using it for those bake at home bread rolls soon.

I’ve got one of the large Phillips models, though even that doesn’t have a very large cooking area, but it’s ideal for me as I live alone.
One thing to bear in mind is that they need a good bit of worktop space around them, not only for safety so they don’t overheat, but also space in front so you can pull the basket out safely.

I have a Tower one as I've no oven and it's great! Got it for about £60 off Amazon and Tesco sometimes have them on offer for about £80

It can't do some things - I've tried many times but you can't bake a cake in one - but most things are hot and crispy and done quite quickly. You're probably not meant to put the racks in the dishwasher but I do and they come out fine Mine does two generous portions quite easily

We have an air fryer and as it’s cooking capacity is so small I only use it for making scotch eggs. However, I was at my brothers last week and he has this a amazing ninja thing. It air fry’s, bakes, dehydrates, toasts. He was making scones when I was there. It’s super neat and am seriously considering getting one for DS1 if he decides to go to Uni.

When cooking chips, what's the best cooking oils to use flavour wise ?

I use a halogen oven, I cook bacon, steaks, fish, make toasted sandwiches, I have a chip basket but usually put frozen chips in the bottom & then put meat or fish on the rack above when the chips are nearly cooked.

Hawkins001 I use the spray olive oil, give them a spray before they go in & then another when I flip them over.

I have a ninja duel air fryer it's amazing. We only use the oven for pizza now. The air fryer can do everything quicker.

It can do hunters chicken and sides, veggies cooked on the hob,

Reheat leftovers in 15 mins

Naan bread heated up in 2 mins

Croissants in 3 mins

It can cook 'wet' food like pasta sauces in 10 mins, whilst the chicken or meat is cooking in the other drawer. You can match the drawers so they both cook the same temp and time or you can sync it so they finish at the same time whilst cooking different things at different temps.

We had a naughty fish and chips the other week and there was a lot of food leftover so I tried to reheat them the next day and it was honestly like we'd just picked it up! Amazing!!

@Anomalocaris

Mine is an Instant Pot Vortex Mini, 2L, just about big enough for 2 people.

I just got one of these . It's quite small but I am impressed with it so far. It makes fabulous crispy bacon.

@Patchbatch which one do you have?

I use mine for bacon and hash browns. Time it nicely to poach eggs. It's super.

[quote AmIbeingTreasonable]@Patchbatch which one do you have?[/quote]
I've got the tower 10 in 1, it uses shelves instead of the drawer a lot have as I wanted the rotisserie function. Its 11 litres I think.

This thread inspired me - I have one but have only ever used for homemade chips. I bought a couple of marinated boneless chicken thighs yesterday so thought I would try them in the air fryer instead of putting oven on just for them. I also had some cold cooked new potatoes I wanted to sauté.

The chicken tasted fantastic and took
No time. The potatoes also worked well and needed no oil.

I need to use it more.

This thread has also made me look at getting a new one as the old one is a smallish one bought by my ex.

In case it's any help to anyone these are the which best buys.

The tefal seems to be a really good price on Amazon at the moment - significantly cheaper than elsewhere.

I have a Ninja Foodie 7 in 1 and I love it! It was expensive but it definitely saves on electricity. My favourite is a whole chicken pressure cooked for 20 minutes and then air fried for 15, with roast potatoes brought up to pressure and then released, drained and air fried (with a small amount of goose fat) for 15 minutes. I then make gravy from the chicken stock from the water used for pressure cooking the chicken. I do the chicken first, then let it rest while I do the potatoes. It uses roughly the same amount of power as an oven because the fan is so powerful but takes at least a third less time and doesn’t need preheated. The food is also nicer in my opinion

Warm up crap co op sausage rolls in it and suddenly they are a feast!

I bought a cheap (£28) compact one from ASDA the other day, it came with my groceries, sort of an experiment really as DD" and her DH love their air fryer and kept telling me I'd love one. I wasn't really convinced but I am now!

I've hardly used the oven since I've had it, it does fantastic jacket potatoes which we eat a lot of (microwaved for a short time first) - chicken breasts with a shake of seasoning come out so tender and juicy and browned - fishfingers etc.

I'll be putting the oven on today for the first time as we're having yorkshire puddings, but I am a complete convert to my AF..

One exception - I've always hated oven chips done in the oven (I fry them) and I don't like them done in the air fryer either. Too dry somehow, but most people seem to like oven chips ok so probably would be ok with AF chips. The air fryer does however do absolutely perfect 'crispy potato slices', the ones with a bit of a coating on.

I'm going to buy a bigger one this week as this compact one is really tiny (tho it will just about fit two large jacket spuds in.)

We're a family of four and I've had mine for a couple of months and the only thing I've really used the oven for is large pizzas.

I've cooked everything from chips and onion rings to a whole chicken (supermarket medium sized). The chicken cooked in less than an hour so considerably cheaper than running the oven. Air fryer roast potatoes are perfection.

Sausages and frozen chips for the kids takes 15 minutes.

If you're going to get one, get the biggest one you can afford. Would 10/10 recommend.

I had a tefal actifry years ago and I loved it but then it broke so haven't replaced it. Family has grown so the actifry wouldn't be big enough. Have my eye on this but very expensive and wouldn't be sure if it would be big enough www.amazon.co.uk/Ninja-Foodi-Fryer-Dual-Zone/dp/B09BZR9JFG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?psc=1&crid=1C54HGDEOPP1K&keywords=ninja%2Bdual%2Bzone%2Bair%2Bfryer&sprefix=ninja%2Bdual%2Caps%2C127&th=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1649016286&sr=8-3

The Ninja does look great but it is so expensive. I have the Tower 5 in 1, which is bigger than the Ninja and considerably cheaper. Can’t do two different temps at the same time though. I combine mine with an Instant Pot instead

It all depends what sort of things you usually cook.

I’m curious to try yorkshires in it now!

Love ours. We hate hate oven chips and was loath to but a deep fat fryer in the new kitchen so bit then bullet and love it. Still don’t use it as much as some people but ours is a basket one. Looking to get a second one with trays to use both.

Saw someone on You Tube yesterday make some of the best looking Yorkshires I've ever seen. Poured batter into hot oil then about 10 minutes cooking at 200 degrees. Will be trying it.