Why do you use an airfryer?

Norah
We don't use one as we don't usually fry.

My Sister-in-law used the same reason as you for not getting an airfryer, until she visited and ate the things I hadn’t fried using the airfryer.
Now she just says she doesn’t like all these new technical things. She’s a good enough cook without them. That’s true.

Mollygo

Norah
We don't use one as we don't usually fry.

My Sister-in-law used the same reason as you for not getting an airfryer, until she visited and ate the things I hadn’t fried using the airfryer.
Now she just says she doesn’t like all these new technical things. She’s a good enough cook without them. That’s true.

I've many excuses - lack of worktop space and no interest in new things top the list. Your SIL words 'good enough cook without' resonate with me.

it annoys me that you are still getting cooking instructions for conventional ovens when they should be giving AF times and temps.also.
Has anyone mentioned the awfulness of having to wrestle hot food from an enormous gaping hot hole of an oven, when removing food from an AF is easy because of the drawers?
Plus food is nicer and not so dry.

Boz

it annoys me that you are still getting cooking instructions for conventional ovens when they should be giving AF times and temps.also.
Has anyone mentioned the awfulness of having to wrestle hot food from an enormous gaping hot hole of an oven, when removing food from an AF is easy because of the drawers?
Plus food is nicer and not so dry.

My airfryer is more like a saucepan than oven. It is actually uite difficult to get some things out of it and I have burnt myself on the airfryer more often than I have on the cooker oven.

Norah

kittylester

Following on from the aurfryer recipes thread, I started to wonder why people choose to use one.

Some people seem to only us their airfryer - never, or rarely, the main oven. I wonder why?

Is it to save money, time, a dislike of cooking?

We have an aurfryer but it would not be my main source of cooking. My range cooker has a tall fan oven wuth a small capacity. That is the one I use the most - which suppose it not too different from using the airfryer all the time.

How, and why, do you use yours?

We don't use one as we don't usually fry.

They don't actually 'fry' - they are really just a small oven which uses hot air to heat the food.

M0nica

Boz

it annoys me that you are still getting cooking instructions for conventional ovens when they should be giving AF times and temps.also.
Has anyone mentioned the awfulness of having to wrestle hot food from an enormous gaping hot hole of an oven, when removing food from an AF is easy because of the drawers?
Plus food is nicer and not so dry.

My airfryer is more like a saucepan than oven. It is actually uite difficult to get some things out of it and I have burnt myself on the airfryer more often than I have on the cooker oven.

Mine is like that type too - and I've yet to burn myself on it at all, unlike my conventional oven.

Just thinking. People in Sardinia, Sicily or even Marbella drink olive oil like it’s going out of fashion. They tend to die later than British people.

For smaller households it's really practical. I don't want to heat a whole oven just to cook a couple of sausages or some chips. The air fryer feels much more proportionate.

To avoid burning myself I’ve cut a long strip of non stick oven tray liner which goes under any container (tin foil, Pyrex etc), with the ends to hold out they come easily. Tongs deal with small items like sausages. I often burn myself on the main oven, haven’t managed it yet with the air fryer.

The why of an air fryer for us is two fold, cost and speed. Some things are cooked before the main oven would have reached the correct temperature.

ElinJons

We use it for things like fish fingers, heating bread rolls, and my husband likes chips with everything. The airfryer is good for that. I hate cleaning the baskets.

I would hate to clean the AF too, so I never put food directly into the drawers. I use a silicone liner the same size and shape as the drawer, plus a baking parchment one. Just throw away the paper one and the rest is usually still clean. Made meals are cooked within a baking dish, so again the AF stays clean.

It’s versatile, less time consuming, cheaper, easy to clean and cooks the food really well. We rarely have fried food.

I have a pair of silicone mitts to avoid burning. I had big ones for the main oven but now these are just right for pulling the shelves out of the air fryer.
The only problem? Both DGS and the dog like to take them.

Mollygo I have a pair of those that were supplied with my air fryer oven. My daft son christened them Bert and Ernie and that’s how they’ve been known ever since😁!

I always use a liner or small oven proof dish - never put food directly on base of drawer.
They go in the dishwasher when needing a wash.
I really do not know what there is to dislike, especially for small households.

Mollygo

I have a pair of silicone mitts to avoid burning. I had big ones for the main oven but now these are just right for pulling the shelves out of the air fryer.
The only problem? Both DGS and the dog like to take them.

I couldn't even begin to get my hands wearing those mitts into my airfryer when there was food cooking in it. I have a saucepan type AF. I either pick individual items of food up (baked potatoes, individual pitta pizzas, sausages) , 'pour' them out (pommes parmentier) or use a teacloth, so I can whip them out uickly and put the container with the food directly on a work top.

Not got one yet but sometimes I do have a fancy for homemade chips (but without the danger and greasy mess)

I did make pork crackling in my sons Ninja as part of a Sunday dinner after a quickly googling the method, that was a success, beautifully crunchy and not chewy!
I would also love to make some jam doughnuts, or banana fritters as not had those in ages😋

I take cooked items out of my saucepan style AF by tipping them into a dish, or lifting them out with a non-metallic slotted spoon.

As for cleaning, I fill it with water up to a point where it covers the tray, add a squirt of washing up liquid, switch it on for 5 minutes, swish and wash and rinse it. Voila.

I’m about to cook rice in it in a small covered dish, as a trial, with chicken stock as liquid. Will put carrots alongside wrapped in foil with a know of butter. Then rice and carrots kept warm, I’ll AF lamb chops and do frozen peas in the microwave.

*knob of butter!

Mollygo those silicone mitts look just like two sharks heads to me😅 cue Jaws theme 🎶

Just for reference, M0nica I don’t ever put my hands into the airfryer. I use the mitts to slide the shelves forward from the oven, then to lift the dishes off the shelves, or to carry the shelves onto my heatproof board so I can serve the food.
With the rectangular tubs, there is a handle which attaches to the tub to lift it out of the oven. Then I use a long handled spoon or even an egg slice to lift the food out.

Granmarderby10
Yes, the shark resemblance appealed to Lee too.

Mollygo I have a saucepan type AF. You have to put your hands into it to lift whatever food is in the Af up and out of the pan.

I have neither the space nor need for anything bigger.

I use tongs or an egg-lifter/spatula to lift food out of my saucepan air fryer, if the food is directly on the tray.

I also bought a silicone insert with lifting handles which was recommended by the manufacturer, but so far I've hardly used it.

My main over has benn used as another cupboard for at least 5 years.

I have never used a drop of oil. When I want chips, I buy the cheapest, thinly cut and they are gorgeous. I live on my own so my Christmas dinner of a duck leg with sauce and trimmings was gorgeous, not exactly fried food. My air fryer takes 5 minutes to heat up and if food supposed to be oven cooked, I half the time and watch it. It saves me time and money and in 5 years I have only had one over cooked meal, no longer.

I was put off buying an air fryer for ages, because we don't often eat fried food. Now that I've got one (gave into peer pressure!!), I love it. They should be called air ovens, because they are just like a mini oven. They don't need pre-heating and cook things in half the time. I wouldn't be without it now.

For us it’s being able to things like fried chicken with very little oil and no batter and roast potatoes