Cooking with an Air Fryer

[PanBiker]

As mentioned elsewhere we have recently taken delivery of a dual bin, (4 ltr each) Daewoo Air Fryer. This is our joint Christmas present and the dual bin ones are a bit like hens teeth. We went for a dual bin as Sally is primarily vegetarian and I am not so we can cook separate meals in each bin and use the sync option on the machine so that each meal is ready at the same time.

My first experiment was a couple of butchers pork sausages for lunch. If I cook them on the hob they splash oil all over so I end up having an extra cleaning job, under the grill they tend to do the same and tend to produce quite a bit of smoke and the odd flame!

You can use foil in the bins so I lined one of the bins and shoved the sausages in, set the recommended temperature and time and set the turn timer to tell me when to flip the sausages. End result, pleased to say, perfectly cooked and browned sausages using no oil, winner.

One of our friends has recommended using silicone bin liners to save on the washing up of the bins and integral removable trivets which are not dishwasher safe so have to be washed by hand and handled with care. The silicone liners are reusable of course and dishwasher, fridge, oven and microwave safe so it makes sense.

I went online and it would seem that the Ninja brand of fryers have cornered the market, just about every result is for the Ninja 3000 machine. This particular model has smaller bins than ours so the hunt was on to find some a bit bigger. Took a while but I eventually found a pair specifically for a Ninja model which is a bit nearer to the dimensions of the bins on our machine so I have ordered them, they should be delivered some time next week. Ordered from Amazon so I popped an Air Fryer recipe book on the order as well, New to this style of cooking so a bit more information will be welcome.

I thought this new topic may be useful for anyone else who already has or is contemplating a similar purchase.

[Gloria]

We keep toying with one of those.

[Tripps]

Good new topic - and very much 'of the moment'.
I'm a sucker for these type of gadgets - toasted sandwich makers etc, but they tend to be used a couple of times then put away.
I'm tempted again, but as you say they are scarce now and a lot more expensive than when I first looked.
This guy got one a while ago and he uses it quite often. Bald Foody Guy Interesting to see how he gets on with it.
I use my slow cooker a lot and the Halogen oven quite a bit too. Guess I'll have to get one.

PS Ian Can you use the bins independently of each other, and what is the power of each?

[Wendyf]

My chef uses ours most of the time. Think I've said before that it's a Tower with a drop down door and shelves, even a spit for roasting or making kebabs.
Tonight however we are having baked potatoes done in the fire.....yummy.

Like this...

[Stanley]

I'm interested Wendy..... Are baked potatoes allowed on a strictly low carb diet?

[Wendyf]

No Stanley they aren't! I'm afraid Col has had to go back on the carbs since his operation in order to survive and to try and put some weight back on. Luckily he is now on a combination of drugs which keep his blood sugars under control.

[Stanley]

Ah.... thanks Wendy, I knew there would be an explanation....
I'm glad Col has found a way round it! Please give him my best.

[plaques]

Baked potatoes. Wendy you surprise me, I've always thought that baked potatoes gave the fastest sugar spike after glucose itself. Obviously you know more about this type of dietary control than I do but I'm still surprised.

[Wendyf]

Explanation above Ken! Getting nourishment of any kind into Col is the main priority now, low carb is out of the window!

[PanBiker]

While we are on spuds, did Col try our "camping potatoes" Wendy?

[Big Kev]

Following with interest, I have one on the Christmas list.

[PanBiker]

I watched a video yesterday of a normal couple in their kitchen promoting the use of their air fryer, they went on to demonstrate quite a few different ideas.
One thing that struck me is that the bloke said that strictly speaking they are called the wrong thing because there is no frying involved in the cooking process. You don't put oil into them for the majority of their use so they should just be called an Air Oven. No different to a fan assisted oven apart from the fact that you are not heating a massive cavity and with a dual bin job you can cook two completely different dishes at different temperatures for different periods of time and still have them both ready at the same time. Horses for courses and I can see ours getting a good bit of use.

I will be shoving a gammon joint in it later in the week, we are having a few friends round for a Jacobs Join get together kind of a do. I will bake bread to go with it but that will go in the conventional oven, it will need space and a higher temperature.

[plaques]

You don't put oil into them for the majority of their use so they should just be called an Air Oven. No different to a fan assisted oven apart from the fact that you are not heating a massive cavity...

Exactly so. Certainly quicker BUT it must be big enough for the intended meal. Usually for two. Ours is slightly too small and a lot of the advantage is lost.

[PanBiker]

Ours is 8 ltr, two 4 ltr bins. You can fit a lot in 4 ltr.

[Tripps]

You can fit a lot in 4 ltr.

I just found a cheapish clockwork 4 litre version from Argos which tempts me a bit.

It's probably enough to spend to scratch the itch, then go in the cupboard. It can be clicked and collected quite conveniently which is a plus. It occurs to me though, that it probably won't take a 10" pizza (will it?) which fits comfortably in my halogen oven. The power ratings are similar at about 1400 Watts. I sometimes wonder why there is not a halogen oven version, with deep insulation of the glass bowl - or for that matter a slow cooker. I pile tea towels on the latter which speeds up casseroles quite a bit.

[PanBiker]

My Daewoo comes with a statutory 12 month guarantee but that is extendible, (free) to 3 years with online registration. I have just retrieved my invoice from the suppliers email and completed the registration. I should get a confirmation in due course.

I have just received a confirmation of receipt of my warranty extension application.

Extension email should come within 24 hours.

[Stanley]

I always add insulation to my slow cooker by putting towels on top David. It definitely does make a difference. I've never forgotten hay-box cooking. (LINK)

[PanBiker]

Ignoring all the safety advice as well by the sounds of it! I know its only a low wattage heating source but nevertheless is should have its designed ventilation. My slow cooker lid has a small vent hole in for that purpose. If you wanted to shorten the cooking time above what a SLOW cooker provides you are using the wrong appliance, you should be using a pressure cooker which would do the same job in a fraction of the time and correctly used not risk burning your house down.

Personal safety alert rant over.

Back on topic and on the up side I have my confirmation of 12 months replacement from the supplier and extended three years parts from the maker.

[Stanley]

It's not about shortening the cooking time, it's about cutting down the heat loss and therefore making the appliance more efficient. No vent holes, just a glass lid. Perfectly sensible and I shall continue to do it. (I dry my wiper cloth on the electric kettle after I have brewed up as well....)

[Tripps]

Mine too has no vent hole, and I read in the safety instructions Tesco Slow Cooker and can find no mention of insulating the cooking vessel during use. The heat from the element connects indirectly to the base of the cooking vessel. Stopping heat escapng from the top seems sensible to me. I don't think there is any great merit in SLOW cooking per se, and if I can safely speed it up a bit then I will. I keep an eye on it in use, and having insulated it with pot towels very successfully for a long time now, will continue to do so. I don't think there is any danger of fire. I've looked at the power rating and find to my pleasant surprise it goes from 174 to 207 Watts, which is not a lot. I guessed it might be more.

Actually I used it yesterday, having been 'fed' a recipe from Youtube for 'Chicken Pastel'. Never heard of it but just threw the ingredients into the pot and left it to argue with itself for three of four hours. Remarkably successful after I'd modified it with a splash of Linghams Chilli sauce. I've decided that a splash of single cream enhances anything it's added to.

[PanBiker]

OK, I tend to use equipment as designed. Just because it doesn't mention piling tea towels on top doesn't make it right though.

Different appliance but I once had to tip up, along with the fire brigade to a burnt out TV because the lady of the house used to dry her tea towels on the back. She stopped doing it after the fire brigade attended and she had to redecorate the front room.

Not as exciting as the guy that rewired his house in figure 8 bell wire. He was pretty pissed of when cut the seals and put his mains feed fuses in my pocket and reported him to the YEB emergency line. They came along and sealed the house from the supply until they had a competent electrician on site for a total rewire and after a mandatory test and reconnect.

I could go on with my experience of abuse of electrical equipment but I wont.

[Big Kev]

I overheard a conversation about air fryers, it was along the lines of 'they're a waste of time as you have to put your main oven on to keep things warm while you're cooking other stuff'. I chose not to comment.
I certainly saw the advantage of having a smaller appliance when I put the big oven on to crisp up a jacket spud.
I make good use of my pressure cooker too, 3 meals worth of chilli or bolognese in 25 minutes hob time. Eat one, freeze two and they heat up nicely in a few minutes in the microwave

[Stanley]

That's how I manage my veggie cooking and old fashioned roasting Kev. Get it all done at once and then put it in the fridge (not freezer) and dole out individual meals each day and 4 minutes in the Microwave.

[Big Kev]

That's how I manage my veggie cooking and old fashioned roasting Kev. Get it all done at once and then put it in the fridge (not freezer) and dole out individual meals each day and 4 minutes in the Microwave.

I do have to be a bit more organised with the frozen portions, remembering to take them out the night before to defrost is easily forgotten

[Stanley]

Question is Kev, do the portions need freezing? If hygienically cooked just chilling should keep them sweet and safe for 5 days with no problems. Costs less than freezing and defrosting.... Worth thinking about. Freezing is great for longer term storage but I often think it's overused for day to day stuff.