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NFT: Air Frying Of Food

CRinCA : 7/6/2022 9:56 pm
Despite my years of resistance, my wife came home with an air fryer (by way of background, the first air fryer she brought home, a Black & Decker of all things) remains unopened in my garage.

Now that she’s recently babysat for her brother’s kid, I’m now saddled with a new Air Frying appliance from Gourmia. Now everybody is chirping at me about this and how I need to adapt or “get with the times”. I’m admittedly old school cooking wise.

So I’m done blathering- any and all feedback about this gadget/cooking technique/good or bad recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks gang.
I’ve had the Gourmia for almost 4 months now  
bwitz : 7/6/2022 10:15 pm : link
Love it. The only pain is cleaning it after using the grill plate. Other than that, it’s great at pretty much everything it does. Especially if you want to cook something you would’ve in the oven but, is small enough to cook in it; doesn’t heat up a room or two.
..  
Named Later : 7/6/2022 10:16 pm : link
I was a late convert to the Air Fryer school, but DW brought one home and started using it regularly. The dam thing does a great job on French Fries and Baked Potatoes (use Sea Salt on the skins). Just recalling how difficult Fries and Baked Potatoes used to be to get just right make that Air Fryer worth whatever it cost.

It does a wonderful job on veggies like Asparagus and String Beans too.
Way back in the day  
CRinCA : 7/6/2022 10:24 pm : link
I was a big fan of deep fried cauliflower and mushrooms as well, so I’m interested in those type of dishes- info appears conflicted on batter vs no batter so I’m at a loss.
RE: Way back in the day  
Jim in Fairfax : 7/6/2022 10:33 pm : link
In comment 15748408 CRinCA said:
Quote:
I was a big fan of deep fried cauliflower and mushrooms as well, so I’m interested in those type of dishes- info appears conflicted on batter vs no batter so I’m at a loss.

An airfryer is nothing more than a compact convection oven. It can’t magically make vegetables crispy without fat. You’ll need a tablespoon or two of oil.
..  
Named Later : 7/6/2022 10:35 pm : link
This Air Fryer seems to dry things out when cooking -- the 'shrooms would lose a lot of their moisture content. Cauliflower or Broccoli might work, but the batter could get messy in the AF. Maybe a ranch dressing dip after cooking ?
I like to use mine to make  
brandozilla : 7/6/2022 11:12 pm : link
..Homemade copy cat chick-fil-a style sandwich’s.

They come out great, but it can dry out a chicken breast. Gotta brine it first before breading and frying and they come out perfect.


Or just air fried “grilled “ chicken without the breading, but again have to brine it or it can dry out.
As has been said, it's just a small convection oven  
Bill in UT : 7/7/2022 1:05 am : link
I've got 2- one from Emeril that looks like a toaster oven and a cylindrical one you can see into. Emeril's supposedly goes to 400, but really doesn't. The other one does seem to get to 400, but you can't cook much in a single layer, and you don't get the effect if you stack stuff. I use Emeril's as a small oven when I'm not cooking much. The other I don't use very often. If I want to bake over 400 degrees, I still use my regular convection oven. And you can't really do battered things in them without a big mess. I still do fries, chicken, onion rings in the deep fryer. Maybe other makes are more useful than mine.
Fries and wings are the best  
widmerseyebrow : 7/7/2022 2:37 am : link
Slice up some potatoes into thick fries. Toss in a little olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Air fry and enjoy.

Wings are super easy too. A little seasoned meat tenderizer like Adolph's is simple and delicious. Add your favorite hot sauce after frying if you like but we just like em plain too.
I used it  
pjcas18 : 7/7/2022 8:02 am : link
maybe three times to make wings. no bueno if deep fried is your standard.

My youngest made buffalo cauliflower in it in a couple times. not bad, not crispy though. but it was quicker than roasting it in an oven and not as messy as deep frying.

I use my instant pot often, air fryer almost never.

the kids like them though - good for heating or reheating things.

Our girls at college swear by their Air Fryers  
Jimmy Googs : 7/7/2022 8:21 am : link
not for me though...
put me in the  
fkap : 7/7/2022 8:22 am : link
'it has limited uses' category.

It's great for reheating pizza slices.

makes passable wings.

decent fresh cut fries. lousy at frozen fries.

in the non-air mode, it's just an oven.

good for single servings. barely big enough for 2 servings, if both people aren't too hungry.


Worth the money if you're not living paycheck to paycheck. Better off padding the bank account if you're a little skinny there. Not sure it is worth the counter space.

I don't get the woody some folk seem to get when talking about them.
one thing it is not  
fkap : 7/7/2022 8:28 am : link
is an air fryer.

any frying done in it is with added oils.
Agree with what most have said here  
AJ23 : 7/7/2022 9:22 am : link
I appreciate it from a kitchen operations standpoint. I often use it to take care of a side like broccoli while the oven is occupied with the main dish.

Not a fan of it for wings or frozen french fries. Great for reheating leftover fries, though.
I use it all the time  
AG5686 : 7/7/2022 12:02 pm : link
Brussel Sprouts with a little olive oil and. Spices.. crispy awesomeness
I use it to reheat things all the time
Requires little to zero oil
air fryers are awesome  
djm : 7/7/2022 12:03 pm : link
..
Who has room  
giantBCP : 7/7/2022 12:05 pm : link
for all of this random shit on their countertop?
When we got ours, I had high hopes for it?  
bigblue1124 : 7/7/2022 12:23 pm : link
They are limited I use mine mainly for quick roasted vegetables and or fish. I do not eat seafood so anytime I make a dish for my wife I use it rather than preheating our large oven. The plus is it heats up quick and depending on the temp set can produce some great roasted food without heating up the entire kitchen. As far as frying unless you are using processed foods like battered vegetables, onion rings, fries, or tots it sucks IMO.

I have a Ninja foodi which has a dehydrate option which I use often to make chili powders and herbs etc. And I also sous vide my wings and finish them in it which turn out to be very good.
A fryer it is not a quick high temp convection oven it works great without heating up the whole house.
We completely  
Bubba : 7/7/2022 1:24 pm : link
renovated our kitchen last summer. Our ovens have an air fryer mode. We haven't used it yet but plan to. Any go to recipes?
Mrs. Dane loves air fryers.  
81_Great_Dane : 7/7/2022 4:28 pm : link
Potatoes are a staple food for her, since she is gluten intolerant and can't eat most kinds of bread and cereals, and she likes to heat up frozen French fries with dinner — or freshen fries that come with a delivery. Used to use the toaster oven, now prefers the air fryer.

We have gone through a couple of dedicated air fryers (damaged; long story). However, when we moved, we retired the old air fryer to the basement, threw away the old toaster oven and bought a Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 convection oven/air fryer. (Model DT201, if you are interested) I really like the thing for everything we've used it for. Really good toaster, "air roast" setting is terrific for reheating crusty bread, bagel and pizza settings work great. Mrs. Dane uses the air fryer setting and seems to like it. Downside of this unit: Very very large, not suitable for a small kitchen or narrow counter. But Shark Ninja (really, that's what the company calls itself) makes smaller ones.
I use mine a lot  
Eli Wilson : 7/7/2022 4:33 pm : link
It's a combo - Basically a toaster over/air fryer, so it replaced my toaster oven.

So far, I've air fried the following and the results are better than a straight up oven/toaster oven or microwave:
Frozen fries
wings
pizza reheat
frozen nuggets
reheating certain leftovers
mini potatoes
frozen chicken patty
frozen fish


To me the biggest appeal of an air fryer  
NINEster : 7/7/2022 7:34 pm : link
is "frying" with less caloric output.

For those on diets that are looking for compromises to what they eat, the idea here is better taste maybe than outright grilling/broiling/baking/roasting.

So if the taste of fries, wings, etc. in an air fryer is acceptable enough, then it's a solid choice.

I haven't done it myself to truly know, but that's what I'm hearing.

For those that are hardcore about the taste and only the taste, likely not worthwhile.

RE: To me the biggest appeal of an air fryer  
Bill in UT : 7/7/2022 8:56 pm : link
In comment 15749006 NINEster said:
Quote:
is "frying" with less caloric output.

For those on diets that are looking for compromises to what they eat, the idea here is better taste maybe than outright grilling/broiling/baking/roasting.

So if the taste of fries, wings, etc. in an air fryer is acceptable enough, then it's a solid choice.

I haven't done it myself to truly know, but that's what I'm hearing.

For those that are hardcore about the taste and only the taste, likely not worthwhile.


If you think you're making the healthy choice by doing french fries in the air fryer rather than the deep fryer, I think you're deluding yourself. You shouldn't be eating the french fries, period. And if you're going to eat them, might as well enjoy them. At least that's how I see it- I'll be double frying mine next week in the deep fryer. And a couple of days later, onion rings.
My wife does a Garlic-Parm encrusted chicken thighs  
montanagiant : 7/7/2022 8:57 pm : link
That absolute rocks in the AF. They come out moist with excellent flavor
I've used it minimally  
Will Shine : 7/7/2022 9:20 pm : link
Cut up potatoes were ok. Followed Internet recipe for roasting/toasting walnuts and they were on the soggy side. What did I do wrong?
Love it for my little kids  
gersh : 7/7/2022 11:12 pm : link
Chicken nuggets
Air fryers are repackaged marketing  
Spiciest Memelord : 7/8/2022 12:32 pm : link
like George Foreman grills and slow cookers.
RE: Who has room  
djm : 7/8/2022 2:23 pm : link
In comment 15748698 giantBCP said:
Quote:
for all of this random shit on their countertop?


I store mine underneath in the cabinet and bust it out as needed. It’s pretty lightweight easy to move.
RE: Air fryers are repackaged marketing  
djm : 7/8/2022 2:26 pm : link
In comment 15749454 Spiciest Memelord said:
Quote:
like George Foreman grills and slow cookers.


They are great for the mere mortals of the world who don’t or can’t deep fry shit and they are insanely good to use simply for chicken wings of any variety.

Simply put it’s worth having one for wings. They come out awesome every time. Any flavor or style.
RE: Air fryers are repackaged marketing  
pjcas18 : 7/8/2022 2:32 pm : link
In comment 15749454 Spiciest Memelord said:
Quote:
like George Foreman grills and slow cookers.


Slow cooker?
a slow cooker aka a crock pot has been around since the 50's performing a unique and valuable function. Have you ever been to a Church potluck? Chili cook off? Christmas Eve at my grandparents? or one of any of thousands of other events.

what do you mean by "repackaged marketing"?
I find them useful and even good in certain settings  
ColHowPepper : 7/9/2022 1:39 pm : link
like a pork loin with dry rub, quick 'fry' fish with various toppings on during or after cooking, veggies, as noted. We use an America's Test Kitchen book and its approaches to recipes are good. But, the cook times are waaayyy too long, and for uneven cuts, e.g., salmon filets (steaks tend to be more even), I find I have to rotate the uneven cuts endlessly in the attempt to achieve equal, med rare doneness. Pretty easy clean upl.

pj, your grandparents are still living? yowzaa, you're the proverbial BBI teen living in his folks' basement. LOL
Everyone I know  
RicFlair : 7/9/2022 1:50 pm : link
Has and used their slow cooker.
On a somewhat different note  
montanagiant : 7/9/2022 4:31 pm : link
Has anyone tried a Smart Oven yet? I hear good and bad about them
RE: I find them useful and even good in certain settings  
pjcas18 : 7/9/2022 4:41 pm : link
In comment 15750019 ColHowPepper said:
Quote:
like a pork loin with dry rub, quick 'fry' fish with various toppings on during or after cooking, veggies, as noted. We use an America's Test Kitchen book and its approaches to recipes are good. But, the cook times are waaayyy too long, and for uneven cuts, e.g., salmon filets (steaks tend to be more even), I find I have to rotate the uneven cuts endlessly in the attempt to achieve equal, med rare doneness. Pretty easy clean upl.

pj, your grandparents are still living? yowzaa, you're the proverbial BBI teen living in his folks' basement. LOL


lol, no. my last grandparent died in 1987. I wish they were alive and I was living in their basement. Any of them. I was just saying Christmas Eve at the grandparents always involved a few crock pots.

Air fryers are great for people  
aimrocky : 7/9/2022 6:31 pm : link
Who want fast meals that don’t care about taste or don’t know how to cook.
RE: On a somewhat different note  
Bill in UT : 7/9/2022 10:29 pm : link
In comment 15750082 montanagiant said:
Quote:
Has anyone tried a Smart Oven yet? I hear good and bad about them

I didn't know anything about them, but from a quick search they just look like expensive air fryers
RE: RE: I find them useful and even good in certain settings  
ColHowPepper : 7/10/2022 9:26 am : link
In comment 15750086 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
lol, no. my last grandparent died in 1987. I wish they were alive and I was living in their basement. Any of them. I was just saying Christmas Eve at the grandparents always involved a few crock pots.

Nice memories...what ethnicities in those crock pot dishes, just curious, cuz we grew up w/o a mom, or father was an awol parent, so no treasured family recipes.
RE: Air fryers are great for people  
ColHowPepper : 7/10/2022 9:31 am : link
In comment 15750121 aimrocky said:
Quote:
Who want fast meals that don’t care about taste or don’t know how to cook.
rocky, that's just plain balderdash and bias on your part. Airfryers serve as a useful complement to a batterie when the need and taste serve the occasion. I consider myself a good cook with an expansive repertory, but I don't fret and wring my hands when doing an airfryer thing (though it's my wife's purchase and penchant) and say, oh my god, I'm slumming, what will the cooking critics think?
RE: Air fryers are great for people  
Ten Ton Hammer : 7/10/2022 9:35 am : link
In comment 15750121 aimrocky said:
Quote:
Who want fast meals that don’t care about taste or don’t know how to cook.


Ridiculous take to be honest.

That's about as crazy as saying people who use non stick pans care less about taste than people who use cast iron.
RE: RE: Air fryers are great for people  
Bill in UT : 7/10/2022 10:58 am : link
In comment 15750382 Ten Ton Hammer said:
Quote:
In comment 15750121 aimrocky said:


Quote:


Who want fast meals that don’t care about taste or don’t know how to cook.



Ridiculous take to be honest.

That's about as crazy as saying people who use non stick pans care less about taste than people who use cast iron.

I would say, though, for the small group of people who get non-stick so that they can fry an egg dry, they are more interested in "health" than taste
RE: RE: RE: Air fryers are great for people  
ColHowPepper : 7/10/2022 1:10 pm : link
In comment 15750408 Bill in UT said:
Quote:
I would say, though, for the small group of people who get non-stick so that they can fry an egg dry, they are more interested in "health" than taste

Hadn't really thought of that, I guess true enough. I use non-stick when cooking eggs fried or scrambled because the clean up using stainless, iron, or ceramic pans is such a royal pain--have to use my fingernails to dislodge the stickum, e.g., when my wife cooks an omlette on an omlette sized pan that is not non-stick.
RE: RE: RE: RE: Air fryers are great for people  
Bill in UT : 7/10/2022 1:56 pm : link
In comment 15750480 ColHowPepper said:
Quote:
In comment 15750408 Bill in UT said:


Quote:


I would say, though, for the small group of people who get non-stick so that they can fry an egg dry, they are more interested in "health" than taste


Hadn't really thought of that, I guess true enough. I use non-stick when cooking eggs fried or scrambled because the clean up using stainless, iron, or ceramic pans is such a royal pain--have to use my fingernails to dislodge the stickum, e.g., when my wife cooks an omlette on an omlette sized pan that is not non-stick.


Most pro chefs recommend non-stick for eggs, but they use butter or oil. I do a lot of stuff in non-stick if I'm not going high heat
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