Hot Air Fryer

[murraymints]

just back from dinner at a friend's home..I made it as she is laid up with a bad back..used her tefal actifry ..impressed..anyone got one ..any recommendations regarding makes etc ?

[sunny-dave]

Sorry I'm late - I've been out on the ebike for a (rather nippy) constitutional to settle my dinner.

I think the key with these machines is to think of them not so much as 'fryers', but rather as small (but very powerful) fan ovens.

They do wonderful baked potatoes - the best I've ever cooked - and if you buy good quality sausages then you can lob them in with the baked spuds for the last 20 minutes or so & they're perfect too.

They heat up almost instantaneously, and the blast of red-hot air really does cook things very quickly and very well.

[gness]

Don't get ideas, av! My tongue was firmly in my cheek!!! ;-)

[Cloverjo]

£200 to cook some chips? I buy oven chips and put them in the..erm..oven.

I'm glad the big, fatty monstrosities that were deep fry cookers are on their way out.

[Tuvok]

Chips are rock hard to start with eg. frozen, but just right afterwards!

[sunny-dave]

I paid under £65 for a Philips, Clover, and there is a Lidl version for under £50.

I have cooked chips in it (a couple of times) and it does them *much* better than even a very good fan oven - but it can do so much more.

It's become a 'replace instantly if it dies' member of the household appliance brigade.

[gness]

Clover.....they cost nowhere near £200 and cook almost as much as my oven does....

Treat it like a small but very efficient oven, especially for one person.....I wouldn't be without one now.....well two....I do sometimes have guests.... ;-)

[tonyav]

Don't get ideas, av! My tongue was firmly in my cheek!!! ;-)

Doh.

[Cloverjo]

Thank you, gness and sunny-dave. I must look out for one.

I hope it doesn't end up as my other kitchen equipment did, like the breadmaker, juicer, sandwich toaster, George Forman's grill, the thing to mash potatoes... :)

[gness]

If you use it as you would your oven, Clover...it won't....forgot to mention sausages.......I do buy good sausages when I do, but cooking them in an airfryer is just great.......
I keep meaning to buy a rack for one of mine but to be honest I just layer things up and I've yet to have anything that's not at least as good as.... but usually better than oven cooked...x

[jennyjoan]

friend loves hers murray - so much she bought one for holiday home as well

[Barsel]

Anyone know if they use more electric that a conventional oven?

[gness]

I don't know, Barsel...but I would guess so.....they heat up very quickly......smaller area to heat and less cold metal to get up to temperature...
I'll bet Dave has worked it out...will prod him if he doesn't see your question....x

[Barsel]

Lol gness, I might take a look at these myself.x

[murraymints]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SX6VPZW?ref=emc_b_5_t&;th=1

looking at this..big discount at the moment ..any thoughts ?

[Cloverjo]

I am really tempted to buy one now. Might go for your Amazon one, minty.
Sorry, no recommendations from me. Never used one before.

[murraymints]

me neither till yesterday Clover..but was well impressed..much cleaner cooking.. oil free food can only be better for you..looks like a whole range of food plus baking is also possible... spent 2 hours cleaning deep fat fryer last week.. terrible job...

[Cloverjo]

Ooh, yuk. I hate deep fat fryers. Evil things.

[Old_Geezer]

One cleans deep fat fryers ? Doesn't that ruin the flavour ?

Hmmm... I already have an oven that cooks things. If the air fryer can't do chip shop style crispy chips with just a spoonful of oil, I'll take gness' advice and save my pennies.

(Don't think the diet allows for deep fat fryers.)

[murraymints]

developments..oh has ordered the actifry as a wee surprise..£249 ..EEK... don't think I would have.... what's he done/been up to ? hmmmm.. will let you know how I get on with it

[Old_Geezer]

That seems quite a big surprise to me.