Air Fryers: Give me your expert advice.

[Adumbration]

The oil that I buy regularly to do my fry ups has gone up 30% in the last few weeks.

 

I am also getting fat.

 

I catch my own squid and like to cook it in tempura batter.  I also like tempura vegies such as onion rings and eggplant slices.

 

My GF also makes me big chunky french fries which she coats with the tempura batter flour...really tasty.

 

My question is this.  Is it possible to do tempura batter in an air fryer?  Would it be possible for example to do tempura batter squid rings?

 

@BritManToo, I know you have one so I am looking forward to your input.  If anyone can weigh in with their 10 cents worth that would be great.

 

Can you do battered fried chicken pieces?

Edited March 24, 2022 by Adumbration

[Tropicalevo]

7 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

If anyone can weigh in with their 10 cents worth that would be great.

 

try this thread.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1254197-air-fryers/

 

[chickenslegs]

I can cook breadcrumbed fishcakes/potato cakes in the air fryer, but only from frozen.

I guess that any tempura batter would just end up in a pool, baked onto the bottom of the basket.

But it could work if the battered squid/veg is cooked from frozen.

[digbeth]

not really, if you batter it fresh, when you place it on the 'grill' the batter would just drips down from your squid

if maybe you can fry it in oil initially to sort of 'sear' the batter together, then use the air fryer to finish the rest, it could remove so much oil and be more healthy, but then you're already using oil to fry

 

frozen packaged stuff works, so if you batter and bread your squid/chicken and freeze them individually in a tray so that they don't stick together that could work

[dj230]

an airfryer is more like an oven than a deep fryer, 

 

technically it will still cook if you use tin foil and have battered food in the air fryer, but it will be as if you cooked it in an oven, 

[ukrules]

36 minutes ago, dj230 said:

an airfryer is more like an oven than a deep fryer, 

 

technically it will still cook if you use tin foil and have battered food in the air fryer, but it will be as if you cooked it in an oven, 

Yes, an air fryer is a tiny little 'fan oven' with a basket and a lid instead of a shelf and a door.

[Meat Pie 47]

11 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Yes, an air fryer is a tiny little 'fan oven' with a basket and a lid instead of a shelf and a door.

No door? I guess you don't have a decent one

[Meat Pie 47]

here is some examples what you can cook

 

[dj230]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

Yes, an air fryer is a tiny little 'fan oven' with a basket and a lid instead of a shelf and a door.

I'd say the benefit is it cooks faster than an oven, it's like if an oven and a microwave had a baby 

[mrwebb8825]

(non-air fryer) Change the oil you use to a light, vegetable oil.

 

(air fryer) Another option is to add corn starch, arrowroot or wheat flour to your batter to thicken it so it doesn't just drip off.

[ukrules]

2 hours ago, dj230 said:

I'd say the benefit is it cooks faster than an oven, it's like if an oven and a microwave had a baby 

Well yes, this is due to the tiny size of these things compared to proper ovens which you can probably buy at half the price.

[ukrules]

3 hours ago, Meat Pie 47 said:

No door? I guess you don't have a decent one

That IS an oven.

[Adumbration]

Hello all.  Thanks for your kind input.

 

I already have an oven but it is one of those glass fish bowl types with the lid that contains the fan, element and thermostat.

 

I have had it for over 12 year now (Otto brand).  Most of that brands stuff is junk but this oven is still going.  We use it about every other day too.  Cost me less than 1000 baht I recall. My favourite is chicken pieces, seasoned with a little oil, garlic, cracked black pepper, salt, and a touch of chilli, and then baked with spuds, whole onions, pumpkin and sweet potato. Comes up a treat and the juices from the bottom of the bowl I add to a saucepan along with a little stock and some cornflour to make a lovely gravy.

 

We actually bake a lot of the fish that I catch.  The big ones are best as they do not dry out too much.  Can stuff them with lemon grass and other herbs or wrap them in foil with lemon slices and other herbs.  Just yesterday for lunch my GF baked a nice sized coral trout that I caught.  It was delicious.  When I get a very big fish (9KG black barracuda for example) she cuts them into large pieces (big enough for the two of us) to bake in the oven.

 

I also use to oven to toast raw peanuts that I then eat as a healthy snack and add to my hand made yogurt.

 

I love eating crab, prawns and squid.  Been an avid fisherman my whole life but fish as a food is not my fanvourite.  My GF absolutely loves it however.  She will pick over the bones of every fish meal like a seagull.

 

So it sound like an air fryer would not offer me any cooking benefits over and above my glass bowl oven, is that a correct assessment.

 

 

[BritManToo]

22 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

So it sound like an air fryer would not offer me any cooking benefits over and above my glass bowl oven, is that a correct assessment.

Fried food without the fat is the benefit.

[KannikaP]

10 hours ago, dj230 said:

I'd say the benefit is it cooks faster than an oven, it's like if an oven and a microwave had a baby 

Isn't that called a combo/microwave. I have a Sharp one which is very useful.

[bbko]

Can not cook Japanese style tempura batter in an air fryer but you can cook breaded/panko breadcrumbs style food in a air fryer and towards the 2nd half of cooking spray with oil to crisp up.

[david555]

Wen i bought a new big Samsung fridge/freezer i received  this one as extra gift .... but i never used it as i have a oil friar , this air friar model works digital with tip buttons 

ALECTRIC OilLess Fryer 4.5L OA5 Green | Central.co.th

 

, some like it others not  so ....

Edited March 25, 2022 by david555

[tomazbodner]

1 hour ago, Adumbration said:

I already have an oven but it is one of those glass fish bowl types with the lid that contains the fan, element and thermostat.

That thing works exactly the same as air fryer. Air fryer just has another layer of plastic around it and the door to open at the bottom rather than the lid to open at the top. Blowing hot air at close proximity at food however is exact same technology the air fryers use.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, Adumbration said:

So it sound like an air fryer would not offer me any cooking benefits over and above my glass bowl oven, is that a correct assessment.

Almost. The air fryer runs at bit higher temperature and a much higher air velocity than your glass bowl oven so cooks a lot quicker but lacks the capacity.

You can't do toasted sandwiches in an air fryer, it blows them apart.

I have had them both for a long time and use them both regularly, roast potatoes and steaks are much better in the air fryer but the glass bowl better for fish.

Just replaced the heating element on my glass bowl.

[Adumbration]

55 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

That thing works exactly the same as air fryer. Air fryer just has another layer of plastic around it and the door to open at the bottom rather than the lid to open at the top. Blowing hot air at close proximity at food however is exact same technology the air fryers use.

Right.  So in theory I already have an air fryer of sorts.  I will have to try doing some squid rings in tempura batter then putting them in the freezer.  I will then try to bake them in my oven and see what the results are.

[Adumbration]

39 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Almost. The air fryer runs at bit higher temperature and a much higher air velocity than your glass bowl oven so cooks a lot quicker but lacks the capacity.

You can't do toasted sandwiches in an air fryer, it blows them apart.

I have had them both for a long time and use them both regularly, roast potatoes and steaks are much better in the air fryer but the glass bowl better for fish.

Just replaced the heating element on my glass bowl.

Hey,  thanks for your post.  Yes I was wondering about my element....can't last forever.  Where did you get a replacement, can you post the link.  And what brand do you have.  Mine is a very old Otto.  But it has the stainless steel racks and cradle for the bowl.  I noticed all of the new models for most brands now just have a dodgy plastic cradle.

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, Adumbration said:

Hey,  thanks for your post.  Yes I was wondering about my element....can't last forever.  Where did you get a replacement, can you post the link.  And what brand do you have.  Mine is a very old Otto.  But it has the stainless steel racks and cradle for the bowl.  I noticed all of the new models for most brands now just have a dodgy plastic cradle.

They are fairly readily available on Lazada. You would need to check the wattage, appears to be 2 ratings available, think all the same size for a particular wattage. This is the one I bought.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/potey-12lturbo1200w-1400w-i2004038581-s6446072659.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.65.7fd2513fKg3Vpa&search=1

 

[Adumbration]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

They are fairly readily available on Lazada. You would need to check the wattage, appears to be 2 ratings available, think all the same size for a particular wattage. This is the one I bought.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/potey-12lturbo1200w-1400w-i2004038581-s6446072659.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.65.7fd2513fKg3Vpa&search=1

 

Thanks for that.

[Meat Pie 47]

16 hours ago, ukrules said:

That IS an oven.

NOOOO this ia an airfryer