Air Fryers

[Earthmaiden]

This has been split off from the Instant Pot Thread by a Moderator, as a search revealed Air Fryers are mentioned a lot but not on a dedicated thread. Enjoy!

I don't think I'd use an instant pot enough to merit having one and I've got a slow cooker. I am interested in the versatility of air fryers though. On another thread, Pat has just mentioned making cheese on toast with her mini vortex which sounded good. I'm quite drawn to ones with separate drawers. You can even make small cakes but meat & veg interest me the most.
Has anyone any useful criticism of this (to be used mainly for one, sometimes two people)?

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/26920/lakela ... -accordion
I've got a 20% off Lakeland voucher at the moment.
It says that the space the drawers go in only need a wipe clean. This surprises me if one cooks meat and there is only a grille-like lid on the drawer. I do not want anything hard to clean.

[Kacey]

Well my Ninja is relatively new so I've not done much with it yet. But it doesn't need much cleaning. You literally could just wipe it over, but its all dishwasher friendly so I shove it in.

[PatsyMFagan]

the 'Instant Pot' Mini Vortex of which I speak is, as far as I know, the smallest you can get. It is single drawer and currently £40 at Robert Dyas. That's the cheapest I have seen.

I can air fry 6 sausages, also enough roast potatoes for 2.

I think I have mentioned having a small, loose bottom flan tin that fits and is enough for shortbread - this is 6 inches in diameter. Some small tins are too tall though. I also have a couple of small non-stick oblong trays that are no more than 6 inches long that I use for fish . I recall that I have bought all these from Sainsburys.

Edited to add that cleaning is a doddle .... the drawer comes right out and I just rinse this under the tap. If I think it needs more cleaning, I use hot water and a squirt of washing up liquid and let it soak for a while. I have even popped this back into the unit and set it to heat up. It has a removable tray that I just use a brush on .. the inside of the drawer is usually finished off with a damp cloth.

[Earthmaiden]

Thanks Pat. I really meant the 'roof' of the cavity the drawer fits into. Seems to me it would get caked in grease (natural fats from meats etc). I think I must be wrong though. It sounds just right for my needs. My newish cooker doesn't have a very good grill (very slow).

I'll be off to Cirencester tomorrow to see if Lakeland has one I can look at ...

[PatsyMFagan]

I add oil very sparingly ... preferably a spray one, although not those 1 cal ones.

I froze the par boiled potatoes after adding oil, so no more needed.

[Stokey Sue]

Having cooked sossidges last night I too wonder about the spitting from naturally fatty foods rather than added oil

I may have to investigate them cautiously as some of them have teeny-tiny displays which I won’t be able to read unless they are unusually bright and sharp, and preferably on the top rather than the side or tilted

I am quite tempted to try one of the very basic ones with knobs such as the Salter or the Tower, has anyone tried one?

Like this
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Salter-EK2817- ... 34113?th=1

[Norfolkman]

I had a Tower air fryer. Well two actually.

First one taken back when the plastic click button on the handle broke after a couple of months.

Same thing happened to the replacement. Didn't bother to change as the button still worked even if it kept falling off. But the teflon coating on the tray started flaking off after a few months.

One Tower air fryer in the rubbish bin.

Replaced with a larger one but can't remember the make and it's in the UK and I'm in France until September. It's a short name and I think it started with U. It's been brill. The tray is square not round.

[Earthmaiden]

Worth knowing, Norfolkman, thanks.

Sue, there is a special sausage setting on the air fryer I posted, yet the instructions (deep within the blurb) say you should not cook sausages. I assume they mean on any other setting! I hope I can get to see one tomorrow.

[PatsyMFagan]

I always cooked sausages slowly, in a small le creuset frying pan along with onions until they were brown all over. I have to admit, the few times I have cooked them in the Vortex, they have seemed tough. I'm sure just some heat tweaking needed, but may go back to my favoured way.

[slimpersoninside]

Hubby does most of the air fryer cooking and he always uses it for sausages, they come out great. I think it took a bit of adjusting time and temperature but not lots of attempts.

[Stokey Sue]

Thanks Norfolkman for info on Tower

I wasn't think just of sausages but of things that spit in general, like chops etc

[Rainbow]

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/26920/lakela ... -accordion
I've got a 20% off Lakeland voucher at the moment.
It says that the space the drawers go in only need a wipe clean. This surprises me if one cooks meat and there is only a grille-like lid on the drawer. I do not want anything hard to clean.

I looked at your link - no Lakeland over here!! - and it has a 5.5 litre and 3.5 litre basket. So it is Large!!

Mine only has one basket and at 5.2 litres it's a good size for us - I wouldn't want anything bigger. Patsy's has one basket and I see it's only 2 litres, and she finds it a good size, I think, although quite shallow.
So the Lakeland one might be rather oversized?? I see they also have this one, which looks more like mine - worth having a look at
https://www.lakeland.co.uk/62802/lakela ... -accordion

But if you want 2 drawers and it's a good unit at a good price, then go for it!!

[Rainbow]

Just looked inside my AF and the exposed element and fan all look very clean. I think the hot air burns off anything going up there? I've certainly never cleaned inside and the basket is very easy to clean.

Teflon coatings can be a problem - mine has a non-stick coating that is much more durable. Something to look out for!

[Earthmaiden]

Very useful observations, Rainbow. Thank you.

I've planned my day round a trip to Lakeland so will go and look anyway. Lakeland made their name by selling very innovative and sensible things for the kitchen. IMO they're a bit more twee and expensive and a bit less innovative these days but always good to visit!

[Rainbow]

EM. Have fun at Lakeland!!

[Earthmaiden]

Finally got the air fryer today - the Lakeland one I mentioned. It is quite big but I don't think too big. They do a much bigger one, also with two drawers which is over £200.

I haven't used it yet (been clearing a space for it and washing the drawers). There is a setting for cake but no mention of how to cook it - from what's been said above I assume any small baking tin which fits the drawer is acceptable. Each drawer has a small rack which fits in the base so that excess fat or liquid drains below. There are rings in the 'roof' of the cavity with no protection. The instructions say to go over them with a dry brush sometimes. They don't advise cooking things that spit badly.

[Sloe-Gin]

I have been following all the chat about the air fryers. A few years ago, we had a rotary air fryer, but it look up a lot of room and wasn't very good. It was never replaced when it broke.
However, hub misses his occasional chips at the caravan and we won't have a fryer with a lot of hot oil, so I've been looking round for a mini version. I bought a bargain compact digital Lakeland one today on ebay. Used once and not right for their needs. I'm hoping it can fill the gap between the halogen oven/slow cooker. It fits the bill, size wise, both for space and portion size.

https://www.lakeland.co.uk/61772/lakela ... -accordion

I shall report back.

[Earthmaiden]

Saw those in Lakeland, they looked really nice. I'd have thought ideal for your van if you have constant electric hook up ( which I presume you do!).

[PatsyMFagan]

Finally got the air fryer today - the Lakeland one I mentioned. It is quite big but I don't think too big. They do a much bigger one, also with two drawers which is over £200.

I haven't used it yet (been clearing a space for it and washing the drawers). There is a setting for cake but no mention of how to cook it - from what's been said above I assume any small baking tin which fits the drawer is acceptable. Each drawer has a small rack which fits in the base so that excess fat or liquid drains below. There are rings in the 'roof' of the cavity with no protection. The instructions say to go over them with a dry brush sometimes. They don't advise cooking things that spit badly.

The 'ambassadors' on the Instant Pot FB group say in general treat the Vortex (Air Fryer) as a small oven, but reduce the time given any recipe by 10 % and the temperature by 20% ... (or the other way round ) In any event you can just pull the drawer open and check how the cooking is going.

[Busybee]

I’d second that re reducing both temp and time.

BB