We decided to try an air fryer. Apparently they cook half as fast and twice as well. Not so far.
We started by observing each other warily from across the kitchen. Once I actually took it out of the box. Then I admired it for another few days.
Our first attempt was jacket potatoes, they were okay. Then we made a cocktail sausage confection that did go well. That’s it so far.
I’ve found that things may be hot but they cool down faster than you can eat them. The cooking is questionable. We had meatballs last night, cooked through yes, hot, barely.
The salmon we cooked was okay but not nearly as nice as done in the oven. plus it’s fiddly, and it wasn’t that hot.
Then you have to get cooking dishes that fit, and work out how to get everything you want to cook inside it. I’ve given up and I’m boiling the vegetables. We used to put them in the oven too in a Pyrex dish with garlic butter.
Oven chips went well though.
Hints from a non-cook
I will pursue this. But if you’re thinking of buying one it’s a different world. It’s not as simple as slam it in the oven on the right temperature and let it cook. Forget everything you knew.
We bought a round one. I would buy one with two drawers now.
How you cook for an entire family in them I’m not sure.
My feeling is that they’re great to crisp up fried food. Some people do make cakes and desserts, but a lot of what I see on line seems to be centred on chicken in batter.
I am exaggerating, but the words of caution are real. I saw a programme where they showed you the disasters and commented on how long it takes to get used to them – for non experts in the kitchen.
However, a lot of what they cooked were fakeaways. I can see that you could make a chicken tikka, Chinese dishes, that sort of thing.
I will update you but just be cautious, they are expensive and at the moment we’re not saving much cooking time. They say it’s a smaller area to heat, that makes sense, but nearly the same cooking time and the food is just north of warm?
Perhaps ours is faulty? I don’t know.
TBC…
Deb xx
Deb Hawken - Amorah 