I have been informing myself about air fryers and need some input from people who have personal experience using one.  I am trying to get away from using so much oil to fry food.  I have looked around at different models and do not need a large one since we are just 2 people.   I know you can not cook everything in one.  Any opinion would be appreciated.

Buy the cheapest you can find that is the appropriate size for you.  They all consist of a heating element and a fan - no rocket science involved.  The expensive models have timers and digital displays which are unnecessary.

 

I use mine all the time.  My electricity bill has reduced significantly.

There's heaps of posts about them.

 

 

French fries in oil,  are the best.  just not the same taste done in an air fryer

Other things cooked in a gas oven or on gas hob.

Don't bother using an air fryer anymore.

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

French fries in oil,  are the best.  just not the same taste done in an air fryer

Other things cooked in a gas oven or on gas hob.

Don't bother using an air fryer anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds like you are too lazy to coat your chips before putting your chips in the air fryer  -  mine come out perfectly.

 

 

If you don't use the air fryer properly it will become redundant.

21 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Sounds like you are too lazy to coat your chips before putting your chips in the air fryer  -  mine come out perfectly.

 

 

If you don't use the air fryer properly it will become redundant.

That's BS, they don't taste 100% the same as deep fried in oil.

stop your BS.  

 

 

 

 

 

I bought Tefal 5L, 1,990bt. Cook whole chickens, also make my own bread. Useful piece of kit.

1.  Size does matter - larger is better - you need room for air to circulate easily. 

2.  Cheap is cheap - ours lasted a week - as this is likely to get a lot of usage better to protect investment and home with a unit that will last and not risk it becoming a fire pit.  Lesson learned.

3.  FF are not the same - but OK.  Find much better for quick cook of meats/shrimp and such.

4.  You do want, and need, a timer.  But manual turn dial is fine.

5.  If you buy non basket like Tefal (which has been working fine) a spatula works fine for removing contents.

 

 

58 minutes ago, spider1197 said:

I have looked around at different models and do not need a large one since we are just 2 people.

I have a big Sharp I bought at Robinson's and I have a smaller TEFAL I bought at hardware house. The oven one also works as a rotisserie and as a normal oven. Brilliant technology and the food is great. Warms up food better than a microwave. Best of luck

WE have a cheap SmartHome Air Fryer.  It's the ducks guts!

Wife cooks meat/ribs in it - they come out great - and is much easier to clean than a conventional oven or messy frypans.

I heat (frozen) pies in it - they come out crispy & perfect - not soggy and cold in the middle like from the microwave.

We are setting up a new kitchen - and will probably equip with Air fryer convection microwave combo.

41 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

That's BS, they don't taste 100% the same as deep fried in oil.

stop your BS.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Correct, they taste better when they are not dripping in oil.

 

(the only exception is a local eatery where they thrice cook their chips)

Purchase one with a strong wire basket, rotary, temp and time dial. I have a Philips, and it is now on its 5th year. I also bought a silicone liner, saves a lot of cleaning of the base and wire mess. Very quick heat up time, and cooking times. I do agree with a previous poster about fries, better done in traditional away. 

6 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

Correct, they taste better when they are not dripping in oil.

 

(the only exception is a local eatery where they thrice cook their chips)

You were wrong, you made a stupid statement.

just stop now. get over it and move on.

 

I cook those stringy US style oven fries in our Tefal air fryer for our daughter. She loves them. They come out crispy and I don't use any oil. 

 

I don't go by the presets on the fryer as I find them too much. I cook most foods at 180C.

 

e.g. 180 C for 12-14  mins for fries, rather than the recommended 200 for 20 mins.

 

 

12 minutes ago, Kildonan said:

Purchase one with a strong wire basket, rotary, temp and time dial. I have a Philips, and it is now on its 5th year. I also bought a silicone liner, saves a lot of cleaning of the base and wire mess. Very quick heat up time, and cooking times. I do agree with a previous poster about fries, better done in traditional away. 

I had that very unit.

Was ok.

But the basket did detach from the try one time and went crashing to the floor.

Used an oven glove to support under it,  after that.

Wire basket broke after about 3 years.

 

 

14 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

You were wrong, you made a stupid statement.

just stop now. get over it and move on.

 

 

I was right - you just have an unnatural distain for the airfryer  - probably the best invention since sliced bread.

Just now, hotandsticky said:

 

I was right - you just have an unnatural distain for the airfryer  - probably the best invention since sliced bread.

Now your just being silly.

 

 

I bought a cheap one ( 900 baht ) a couple of months ago.  Gaabor brand. Fixed temperature of 200 C. I also bought a meat thermometer ( 40 baht ), aim is internal meat temperature of 65 C.

 

So far, I have cooked marinated pork tenderloin and chicken breast in it, both delicious. Also roasted garlic.

 

I really like it, compact, and no cooking smells. Uses 50% less electricity than a conventional oven, very easy to clean.

 

 

The 'oil-free' air frying marketing is total BS ... unless you like your food dry and unevenly cooked.   You still have to use oil, and just as any other method, you control the amount.

 

It's simply a smaller, more powerful (maybe) convection oven, nothing more, nothing less.  Good for 2 people, or 1, as they are small, or expensive for larger ones.  Probably use less energy, if that's a concern, along with possibly easier clean up.  We can't cook a meal in our smaller (mid size) 'air fryer', and that's 12L, larger than most.  Does cook a large whole chicken nicely though.

 

We have 3 different size convection overs, two actually labeled 'air fryer; 12L & 56L.   Those 2 have powerful fans and same cooking temp range.   So basically no difference.  

 

I still prefer pan frying most things, using; cast iron, SS, ceramic coated carbon steel.  French fries ... sorry, have to be deep fried, as yet to taste any other method that is better.   Cooked properly, uses very little oil.

 

Use the ovens for roasting veggies and land critter meat & pizza/pizza bread & baked good; bread & pastries.  Needing the larger space.  Most air fryers do 1 serving of veggies, maybe 2 of meat, if a lite eater.

 

This is our medium size 'air fryer' @ 12L ????

Sonar brand, though not sure I would recommend, but knowing we were going to rarely use, worth the all of ฿850 gamble, and actually works as advertised.  As stated, will do a whole chicken nicely, along with sm pizza (after cast iron for bottom), or pizza bread.  Good for only a couple pastries, turnovers. 

 

If going to use an air fryer on a consistent basis, we would have bought an Electrolux, largest model, but very expensive.  As much as our 56L over/air fryer, actually labeled as such and have 3 powerful fans.

 

Will NEVER replace the good old Rice Cooker in South-East Asia! ????

This YT'er is a big fan of air fryers, and good channel for home cooking.   Though I disagree with some of his air frying thoughts. He has more vids on air frying, so search his channel:

 

1 minute ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

Will NEVER replace the good old Rice Cooker in South-East Asia! ????

mango & papaya comparison ... as one is a slow cooker.

These topic comments are just so much hot air!

 

This is why we didn't buy an Electrolux, though most other electric appliances are.  They don't even make a large and a 3L or 5L size would be useless for us.  We have a toaster over (#3 convection oven) for small uses.  

 

Should be able to get an 'Otto' type brand, 5L for under 2000 baht.

 

Just peeked on HomePro, and the Otto only goes up to 200°C.   Not enough IMO, and you want at least 230° & a powerful fan. 

 

Good Luck finding a quality one.

 

Quite the price difference also:

my wife grabbed a reasonably cheap one(Mondial) and we have been using it for over 2 years a lot, no need to get a top brand, they do a good job and do cut out a lot of oil plus there is lots you can cook in them.

 

19 minutes ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

Will NEVER replace the good old Rice Cooker in South-East Asia! ????

I'd like to see you roast a chicken in a rice cooker.

1 hour ago, roo860 said:

I bought Tefal 5L, 1,990bt. Cook whole chickens, also make my own bread. Useful piece of kit.

Special bread cook with air fryers ? tell me how you did it ?  ????

12 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

I'd like to see you roast a chicken in a rice cooker.

Here you go.  

 

 

2 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Sounds like you are too lazy to coat your chips before putting your chips in the air fryer  -  mine come out perfectly.

 

 

If you don't use the air fryer properly it will become redundant.

maybe because you are using oven chips, because that's the only way chips in an air Fryer will be as good as oil fried chips

Just now, steve187 said:

maybe because you are using oven chips, because that's the only way chips in an air Fryer will be as good as oil fried chips

 

I am not using oven chips  -  wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.

 

I use Makro crinkle cut or Siamsburis 500g thick cut.