Air Fryer

In my unhealthy world, I have to ask: how much oil does an air fryer hold? If zero, it ain't frying.
 
This thread is motivating me to purchase an air fryer despite Alton Brown, in the 90s, instilling in me an aversion to kitchen "uni-taskers". I read the Cooks Illustrated article which says, "these counter top appliances are essentially small convection ovens". The article basically says it's a convenience play -- faster preheat and cleanup. They did not make the case the end product is any/much better than a conventional convection oven. Those of you very happy with your fryers, are you using your fryers instead of your convection ovens b/c the food comes out better?
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
Those of you very happy with your fryers, are you using your fryers instead of your convection ovens b/c the food comes out better?
Click to expand...


It’s first, a novelty. Second, it’s convenient. The resultant is a perception of quality as a result of the experience, not the end product. It’s the journey, not the destination where the satisfaction is derived from.
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
…Those of you very happy with your fryers, are you using your fryers instead of your convection ovens b/c the food comes out better?
Click to expand...
Don’t have a traditional convection oven, have a deep fryer, turkey fryer, and air fryer.

Of all those things, the air fryer gets the most use and it’s generally to roast vegetable. Wings get smoked and then crisped in the air fryer. Too much mess with either of the deep fryers, so they rarely get used…maybe once a decade or so.

When we go to replace our wall oven, we will most likely go with a convection oven and I expect all the other fryers will be donated at that time.
 
Unit74 said:
...It’s the journey, not the destination...
Click to expand...
TCABM said:
...When we go to replace our wall oven, we will most likely go with a convection oven and I expect all the other fryers will be donated at that time.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I have scratched the idea of an air fryer. Sous Vide will be my next culinary frontier.
 
272203447_4729591147167099_4222231193013893475_n.jpg
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
Thanks. I have scratched the idea of an air fryer. Sous Vide will be my next culinary frontier.
Click to expand...
I’ve had food cooked sous vide. No thanks. That’s one fad we’ll pass on. As much as I’d like to try an air fryer, we just don’t have a place to keep one more bloody countertop appliance… and we have double wall mounted convection ovens with a “convection crisp” setting, so maybe we’ll just keep using those.
 
DaleB said:
I’ve had food cooked sous vide. No thanks. That’s one fad we’ll pass on...
Click to expand...
What Sous Vide dishes did you have which were so mediocre and what about them did you dislike? A friend who has owned several restaurants in Charlotte swears by the technique. My brother, who sells restaurant equipment, also swears by it. Given these bonafides, I was inclined to explore it.
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
What Sous Vide dishes did you have which were so mediocre and what about them did you dislike? A friend who has owned several restaurants in Charlotte swears by the technique. My brother, who sells restaurant equipment, also swears by it. Given these bonafides, I was inclined to explore it.
Click to expand...

Hey. Which Charlotte restaurants does your friend own? Which do you recommend? My wife and I are always looking for good places.
 
SkyDog58 said:
Hey. Which Charlotte restaurants does your friend own? Which do you recommend? My wife and I are always looking for good places.
Click to expand...
I didn't know you live in Charlotte! I'm not the best person to ask about restaurant recommendations. My wife and I mostly gave up dining out b/c we were so stressed our three (age appropriately misbehaving) children might be detracting from the experience of other diners. We never got back into the habit as they grew older but our youngest goes to college next year so I expect that might change.

My friend's latest venture is Blackfinn Ameripub but he has ties to several other (current and out of business) restaurants. I'll find out and report back.

So long as I'm name dropping :), another friend started the PF Chang's franchise at South Park. He sold that and started a restaurant at Stonecrest in the location where Cantina 51 now resides. I cannot remember the name. Owning/managing/operating a restaurant is tough going. He now works at one of the big banks.
 
Last edited:
MICHAEL MAHN said:
What Sous Vide dishes did you have which were so mediocre and what about them did you dislike? A friend who has owned several restaurants in Charlotte swears by the technique. My brother, who sells restaurant equipment, also swears by it. Given these bonafides, I was inclined to explore it.
Click to expand...
Steak, as I recall, and the quick sear on the grill didn't save it. Maybe your friend and your brother can do it well. Having watched the process, I can tell you I'd have gotten a much better result in far less time just cooking the bloody things like a man.
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
I didn't know you live in Charlotte! I'm not the best person to ask about restaurant recommendations. My wife and I mostly gave up dining out b/c we were so stressed our three (age appropriately misbehaving) children might be detracting from the experience of other diners. We never got back into the habit as they grew older but our youngest goes to college next year so I expect that might change.

My friend's latest venture is Blackfinn Ameripub but he has ties to several other (current and out of business) restaurants. I'll find out and report back.

So long as I'm name dropping :), another friend started the PF Chang's franchise at South Park. He sold that and started a restaurant at Stonecrest in the location where Cantina 51 now resides. I cannot remember the name. Owning/managing/operating a restaurant is tough going. He now works at one of the big banks.
Click to expand...
Yep. I live over across the river near Mount Holly. If I recall, you are in the Monroe area, correct? I think we might have discussed it when you first came on her a few years ago but I might have you mixed up with another person.

I have heard of Blackfinn but have never been there. Might need to check it out. We are not big fans of PF Changs.

I hear you about keeping the kids away from other diners. I don’t want to sound mean but I wish other people would do the same. Having a crying baby or screaming toddler disrupt one’s dining experience is really annoying. People used to hire babysitters but that doesn’t seem to be in fashion anymore. I wish more parents had your viewpoint. I know my parents did.
 
DaleB said:
...just cooking the bloody things like a man...
Click to expand...
That's funny. I agree there's no substitute for good steak, grilled -- my typical Saturday dinner. I'm thinking Sous Vide might let you get away with poorer cuts of meat. Kind of like how smoking a brisket or pork shoulder at a low temperature for long periods produces tender meat despite all the connective tissue.

I have no idea if/how much Sous Vide is used in restaurants. It seems chefs could keep, for example, many steaks at perfect temperature for prolonged periods of time and then sear them in the salamander as orders come in. In the 80s, I was a waiter at a restaurant chain in the Washington DC area called the American Cafe. Apparently they were early adopters of the centralized kitchen concept where they staff one location with high talent chefs and the restaurants themselves only have cheaper prep cooks. The central kitchen makes the dishes, packages them in bags, ships them early in the day, then the restaurants use Sous Vide to reheat to the desired temperature.

I'll report back if I find the technique useful.
 
SkyDog58 said:
...you are in the Monroe area, correct? I think we might have discussed it when you first came on her a few years ago ...
Click to expand...
I don't remember that exchange, but, that is unfortunately becoming more common these days ;) I'm just over the Union/Mecklenburg County line in Waxhaw. I'm not too far from Monroe. My home is slightly closer to KEQY than my home airport.
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
I don't remember that exchange, but, that is unfortunately becoming more common these days ;) I'm just over the Union/Mecklenburg County line in Waxhaw. I'm not too far from Monroe. My home is slightly closer to KEQY than my home airport.
Click to expand...
Are you at JAARS?
 
Zeldman said:
My wifes birthday is next month and she has indicated she wants an air fryer. To me they look like the old toaster ovens. Anyone have experience with the air fryers? What should I look/look out for in one.??
Click to expand...

we love ours enough that we are doing a kitchen remodel and buying a range that includes air fry to eliminate a counter appliance but yea at the end of the day it’s convection but works really nice.
 
Ok, just a follow up. This is what I ended up getting for my wife's birthday:

https://www.amazon.com/PowerXL-Vort...cphy=9030694&hvtargid=pla-1051939424286&psc=1

So far we have been more than happy with it. First thing we did was chicken tenders and french fries. No mess, no fuss and both came out great. My wife tried some of her fried veggie and pork rolls which usually heat up and stink up the house. She will need a little more practice on those, but the best part was she did not heat up or stink up the house.

Last night I did some quick nachos which my wife really liked, and today I did a 6 ounce top sirloin. Perfect.!! (sorry, no pictures due to the short time between cooking and eating....

And if I forgot to mention it, it did not stink up the house like using the oven does. And hopefully we can reduce the amount of that highly priced propane that we have been using to heat up that large kitchen oven.

And cleanup only took a few minutes. She does not get the joke when I call it the ''Easy Bake Oven''...
 
Shawn said:
Pro tip for that unit...wrap the drip pan in tin foil for messier foods and makes cleanup even easier! Works wonders for bacon grease cleanup.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I was thinking about that last night.
 
Sous vide makes for great steaks with little effort if you're cooking several at a time. Restaurants like them because they can leave them "done" for an indefinite time and spend a minute or two finishing them when they are ready to serve.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top