Oooo, another kitchen gadget (Actifrier)

[shaithis]

So it suddenly dawned on me that apart from a handful of eating-out incidents, I hadn't actually had chips for a silly number of years......just because of the smell, the mess and the deep-frying!

So, I decided to buy one of these new air fryers (read the Salter ones are good, so went with one from Robert Dyas)

Played with it a bit over the weekend and I have to say I am quite impressed by it.

Tried chips (twice!), american style hash browns and bacon!

The first chips tasted more like potato wedges and you could see the browned outside of the chips coming away from the main body, just like you do with wedges....so next time I placed the chips in water and microwaved them for 5 mins, dried them off and then put them in the air fryer....they were very nice

The american style hash browns were stellar! Every time I have tried them in a pan, they have always been far too greasy for my liking, in the air fryer they were awesome.

And then the big surprise....BACON! While watching the hash brown cooking, I though "Hmm, I wonder how bacon will cook in there"......so I threw some in.....Nice fast, crispy bacon without any additional oil. So, as healthy as grilling.

The bowl afterwards in considerably easier to clean than the alternatives.....bonus!


Any other air fryers out there? Any surprise foods you've cooked in them?

[Dooms]

I didn't know these existed until the other week when my flatmate mentioned them and then a couple days later one of my favorite local eateries started advertising 'Air Fries'

I will have to look into it

What did you get? this? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Salter-EK147.../dp/B00CLSDREU

[shaithis]

Slightly different model I think (although look the same!)

http://www.robertdyas.co.uk/salter-17l-halogen-oven

[Dooms]

How do you figure out cooking times? I guess you can't go with standard oven times?

[shaithis]

It came with a booklet with quite a few cooking times (and prep guides) in.

Bacon was not on the list, although I did that by eye. One of the great things about it is that you have extremely clear visibility of the food cooking.

[burble]

It's chips we do most often in ours. They come out really well, nice and crispy but they do need a good whack of salt or they're a bit bland.

Risotto comes our surprisingly well. We really like risotto but standing stirring the thing for 25 minutes is a pain but we now do it in the actifrier and it comes out really, really well.

[peterb]

I'm afraid I stick to oven chips these days, although I suppose a fan assisted oven has the same effect as the actifriers, albeit at a lower temperature?

[MaddAussie]

My dads had one (possibly 2, iirc first one failed and was replaced) and uses it for almost anything roast chicken, baked spuds and alsorts of other stuff.

[burble]

I'm afraid I stick to oven chips these days, although I suppose a fan assisted oven has the same effect as the actifriers, albeit at a lower temperature?

I find oven chips, even in our fan assisted oven don't come out as crispy as I like. The actifrier chips come out just about perfect.

[Top_gun]

I've tried chips from a Philips air fried chips demo about five years ago. No bad but I very much prefer the triple cooked chips for taste and texture though.

[fredsmith999]

It depends on what chips you buy. If you make them yourself you need a real frier. If you track down the best frozen chips they are fine in the oven. An actifrier DOES sound exactly like an oven but my brother in law has one and forced me to admit they came out a bit better - still not worth the crazy price!

[Smudger]

We've got something very similar, and we have cooked a whole chicken in it with the veg around it and it came out very nice. Tried chips and they were OK. My wife got bored with it though, so it's now in the cupboard/magic place where she hides things.,

[snedger]

I had one - the early ones had a tendency to catch on fire, as mine did.
But, before that, my favourite was to cook sausages in it - they came out evenly cooked and browned, no need to turn - then if I wanted to have tasty, rather than healthy, I would cook some chips in the pork fat, with some sliced onions.
Recently I have been contemplating getting another one - thinking about sausages and chips just now means that is no room in my head for any reasons not to get one and I know that a couple of high street stores have got it on offer - if JL are price matching then I will get one - must make sure not to speak to any sales people or chuggers for the rest of the week.