Do you use an Air Fryer?

Food & Drink Food & Drink: Chat / Discussions
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Info:

Air fryers are pretty new gadgets so it’s no wonder we have questions.If you’re intrigued by all the buzz, but want to know more before you part with your cash, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ve collected and answered some of the most commonly asked questions around what air fryers are, how they work and the best way to use them.

Keep reading to find out all about this on-trend kitchen appliance.

Looking for the perfect air fryer for your home? See Best air fryers 2022 for our top picks.

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For those of you who have air fryers, how long does it take to roast veg? (Butternut squash, shallots, courgette etc).

I’m curious because in my new oven it took: warm up time (about 5 minutes I think I had it warming up for) then 30 minute cook time, and then a further 10 minutes with it left in the oven while it was off. It took longer in my old oven (it was on its way out).

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Don’t forget you can cook veggies in the microwave then use the air fryer just to bake the outside, I have done this with baked potatoes and pumpkin.

Likewise with frozen meat pies (though to be honest I am not that fussy about the later so don’t do it often) but three minutes in the microwave followed by a few minutes in the air fryer gives you flaky pastry a lot quicker than 30 minutes in the oven.

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I’m not a fan of microwaved food tbh Bruce :lol:

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It will take about a third of the time & a third of the power less than a conventional oven

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Oh I am, I think they are up there, as an essential appliance, with the kettle and toaster and far above an air fryer. I even have a small microwave in my camper though I rarely use it.

My eldest daughter, even considering we bought one over 40 years ago when she was a teen, doesn’t like them she thinks they make the food radioactive or something, god knows how many times I have explained to her that it is non ionising radiation but she won’t have one in her house.

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I’ve cooked veggies in the microwave, i prefer the instant pot, with a stock cube or my own homemade stock, press the steam button and away you go, depending on how well you like them cooked, …I steamed my sprouts and cauliflower for five mins, today I will steam for 4 mins…I like some of my veg ,more or less blanched, …

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Yep…I often cook quick fix pasta in the microwave before setting off to work. Simply put some dried pasta in a Pyrex bowl, a little salt cover with water and off you go! It works best on the high setting, cooking time varies according to the shape of pasta.
I still use the traditional method when cooking a proper more leisurely meal. , can’t beat pasta on the hob, it just seems the right thing to do . :wink:

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I use my air fryer often. It’s a healthier option. Saves me cleaning the entire oven. And, since it’s just my son and I, it’s very cost effective with minimal washing up.

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It depends on the veg being roasted but not more than 10 minutes for a normal roast veg combo of - chunky cut red onions, butternut, peppers (red and green), marrows, a sprig of Rosemary, dollop of extra Virgin olive oil some veggie seasoning. 180 degrees Celsius for 8-10 minutes.

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Not for me anymore, I cooked the pasta in with the spaghetti bolognese I made in the PKP, …it was Delicious!..so no more pasta on the hob for me.:grinning:

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I get the distinct impression that you are well and truly a PKP convert Pauline :wink:

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Thanks Minx!

I did a quick google and the first recipe that came up was this:

It looks awfully dry, maybe it’s because they didn’t use much fat? Can you add more fat?

This might not be the best picture, but compare to what mine is like out of the oven:

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I think we need a thread where everyone can post pics of their Air Fried food - just for us nosey lot :lol:

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Yes, they definitely didn’t use too much fat in that recipe Azz. I give it a good toss in the oil olive and veggie seasoning. You can even get an olive oil spray gadget thingie for even distribution of the oil.

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I’ll have to keep looking for pics, though I was only curious to see whether it was true that AF food is drier.

I would avoid Olive oil for cooking Minx :upside_down_face: (I prefer duck fat, beef dripping, butter or coconut oil).

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Oh for heaven’s sake!
Let’s just have a decent fry up, eggs, smoked bacon, hash browns, mushrooms fried tomatoes, sausage, brown sauce and at least two slices of lardy fried bread.
It was known as tucking in as I vaguely remember :wink:

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Air fryers excel really at things you want crisp, roast potatoes are good, chips, that sort of thing

Mushrooms come out well, it seems to sort of seal in their mushroomyness, and cauliflower
If you roast cauliflower in it, then put it in cauliflower cheese, it seals the moisture in your cauliflower so it doesn’t mae your cheese sauce thin

But yes, it is dry heat so it dries food out a bit, you can cover with foil

Here are my hassle back potatoes, I’ll give them a bit longer next time

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There you go, we like a good fry up too Fried bread is under the eggs……

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I still prefer my BBQ it is even easier to clean - a quick scrape to sluice the residual oil away - takes less time than it does to write this.

Exactly, that is what the barbie is for, it is not as quick as the air fryer but produces a much more diverse meal. AND I can cook onions beautifully on it.

Edit: my BBQ is a solid metal plate rather than a grill, this offends the purists but I have always preferred a plate to a grill and hot rocks.

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Oh yes!
Fried bread under the eggs too!
I’m regaining the will to live :wink: :bacon: :fried_egg: :bacon:

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