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Food

Air fryers

(18 Posts)
Twopence Tue 19-Nov-19 07:45:52

I am thinking of buying an air fryer. I've not has any experience of these and I am wondering if it will save on electricity. There are only two of us in the household, so it sometimes seems a waste heating up the conventional oven. I use a slow cooker and microwave oven a lot but would be grateful for advice as to whether an air fryer would be a useful addition and the sort of items which can be cooked in it.

Yehbutnobut Tue 19-Nov-19 07:57:54

Me too!

Newquay Tue 19-Nov-19 08:08:25

We’ve just had one, so far only cooked chips, roast potatoes and some frozen fish. It’s very good. Don’t know about saving power but food we’ve cooked so far tastes very good using little oil.

Pantglas2 Tue 19-Nov-19 08:51:55

My DD recently got an absolute steal from Curry’s! Display model Morphy Richards (no box) down from £60odd to £30!

She says spring rolls and chips come out crispy but you mustn’t overfill it - better do two batches if you’re feeding more than 2-3.

May treat myself if there’s one going cheap on Black Friday

Liz46 Tue 19-Nov-19 08:57:36

We have an Actifry but I think that is slightly different to an air fryer. It makes lovely chips using very little oil but if you are thinking about money, it's probably cheaper to go to the chippy! We have had a few Actifrys and they only last just over a year and then the paddle stops going round. If we put it on before we need it, the paddle will eventually start to go round as the Actifry warms up and presumably expands.

Auntieflo Tue 19-Nov-19 19:14:08

I see that LIDL. are offering these at the moment.
Ambiano make.
Priced at £39.99, I just wondered whether anyone has tried this brand?
I didn't notice any reviews.

Auntieflo Tue 19-Nov-19 19:15:42

Big apologies
Should have read ALDI

MotherHubbard Tue 19-Nov-19 19:26:08

We bought Lakeland’s own make air fryer and it’s been excellent- cooks fish in no time at all with no oil. Really good for lots of other things too - most foods that you would grill or fry. Find it’s ideal size for two and so quick it must save on fuel.

Twopence Tue 19-Nov-19 19:30:36

Thanks for the replies. It was seeing the one Aldi are selling that made me wonder about getting one but no reviews for it yet.

Redtop1 Wed 20-Nov-19 08:47:02

I have one, I think I got it from Aldi when I lived in Australia and have had it for over 4 years now. It is great, I use it for chips, onion rings, making scotch eggs etc., Everything comes out nice and golden and crisp, with hardly any fat or greasiness. I use a low fat spray when cooking the scotch eggs and turn them frequently to get them evenly browned. Chips you need to shake the basket 3-4 times when cooking again to evenly brown. I would definitely buy a replacement if mine failed. Much better and easier to clean than a conventional chip fryer.

Hetty58 Wed 20-Nov-19 09:53:44

Now I want one too - but where to keep it? I regularly use the breadmaker, mini-cooker/grill, microwave, mixer, slow cooker and sandwich toaster - just need a bigger kitchen!

Dee1012 Wed 20-Nov-19 10:13:25

I've just bought one of these from AO.....some good deals there.
Mine is a Tower one, not the most expensive but I've used it 3 times now and am delighted with it.
For once I'm impressed with a gadget!

FlexibleFriend Wed 20-Nov-19 13:28:54

We have an actifry gathering dust , it was quite expensive and takes about 45 minutes to produce edible chips so being impatient I can't be bothered to wait that long.

Willow500 Wed 20-Nov-19 13:33:46

I had one and gave it to my GD when she went to uni as I have a halogen oven but really miss it. It was great for chips and small items such as fish fingers, snacks etc. If I had room I'd have another.

MamaCaz Wed 20-Nov-19 13:42:13

FlexibleFriend
We have an actifry [...]¤takes about 45 minutes to produce edible chips

That sounds a long time.
I have been thinking of getting something like this myself for quite a while, but that puts me off slightly.

Those of you with other brands, it would be useful to know if yours take as long as that to do chips. smile

FlexibleFriend Wed 20-Nov-19 13:49:32

It's a ridiculous amount of time and had I known it would have put me off too. That's a small portion for two made from peeled and chipped potatoes not frozen chips as I've never tried them so can't comment. Also it isn't smell free because it's not an air fryer it uses a spoonful of oil so smells of cooking oil but nowhere near as bad as a deep fat fryer.

HurdyGurdy Sat 23-Nov-19 15:01:22

I just came to ask about these. My daughter has dropped hints about getting one for Christmas. She says she can't cook chips properly, either on the hob or in the oven.

I have an Actifry which is brilliant, but it's very bulky and she's not got a lot of kitchen worktop or kitchen storage, so I'm looking to get her something smaller. And yes, it does take quite a long time to make chips from raw potatoes, but only about 10 minutes to do frozen ones.

There's only my daughter and her 8 year old, so she doesn't need one that has a large capacity.

I have read reviews for a couple that say you need to shake the basket during cooking - I don't think I'd want extra faff, so I don't think the Aldi one would be any good.

Ohmother Sat 23-Nov-19 17:46:39

I have a halogen oven in which I cook chips, fish fingers etc. I can spray with Spraylight. Would I be gaining anything by buying an air fryer?