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Post by lesleysm2 on Jan 10, 2023 22:48:56 GMT
As you probably all know I've used a halogen oven since 2015 and never had a problem with it and cooked everything up to and including roast beef and all the trimmings in it
At Xmas a friend of mine managed to break his halogen oven and went out and got an air fryer....after using in twice, he went out and got a new halogen oven
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Post by squeamishossifrage on Jan 11, 2023 6:47:14 GMT
With an air fryer, can you run the fan, but with he heating element off? I find it an excellent way to defrost things where the the brutality of the microwave would destroy the texture, like white fish. It takes a little longer, but is much gentler to the food. To be honest, I am not sure what an air-fryer brings to the party. My countertop convection oven does oven fries very satisfactorily, and cooks just about anything I put in it - fry? add oil! roast? don't add oil! It can cook multiple things at the same time on racks, and bake everything from primitive village bread, through pizza and chapatis to scones and sponge cakes. The Manufacturer claims:_ " Cooking variations: Roast, Steam, BBQ, Grill, Broil, Bake, Reheat, Fry". The last time I used the main oven was for Christmas lunch 2020! Attachment Deleted |
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Post by geoffr on Jan 11, 2023 7:32:51 GMT
With an air fryer, can you run the fan, but with he heating element off? I find it an excellent way to defrost things where the the brutality of the microwave would destroy the texture, like white fish. It takes a little longer, but is much gentler to the food. To be honest, I am not sure what an air-fryer brings to the party. My countertop convection oven does oven fries very satisfactorily, and cooks just about anything I put in it - fry? add oil! roast? don't add oil! It can cook multiple things at the same time on racks, and bake everything from primitive village bread, through pizza and chapatis to scones and sponge cakes. The Manufacturer claims:_ " Cooking variations: Roast, Steam, BBQ, Grill, Broil, Bake, Reheat, Fry". The last time I used the main oven was for Christmas lunch 2020! View AttachmentIn your case I doubt an air fryer would offer any benefit, you already have a small oven so you aren't using more energy than necessary. When one only has a large fan oven or a slightly smaller convection oven/grill the situation is different. This morning's breakfast was a chocolate croissant which needed to be warmed up. I gave it 90 seconds in the air fryer which was sufficient, the same 90 seconds in either of the other ovens would have made not the slightest difference, they take 10 minutes to get hot. Normally it isn't worth bothering to heat the oven for small items requiring a short heating time. Where the air fryer wins is the very short warm up time.
My sister-in-law in New York has used a toaster/oven for many years, it is great for small items and warms up quickly, it wasn't very expensive and, I have always thought, better than a pop-up toaster. The air fryer is a solution to the problem that, most of the time, a conventional oven is too big and inefficient for the amount of food being prepared. A deep fat fryer takes almost as long to heat up as does a big oven and isn't very flexible, you wouldn't heat croissant in one for example. A microwave isn't any good for pastry.
I still think we probably have too many kitchen gadgets, 3 heating appliances as well as a cooker, but I suppose that is better than just pumping out excess heat.
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Post by dreampolice on Jan 11, 2023 7:50:53 GMT
. A deep fat fryer takes almost as long to heat up as does a big oven and isn't very flexible, you wouldn't heat croissant in one for example. Our friends up in Scotland might though. |
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Post by squeamishossifrage on Jan 11, 2023 8:21:05 GMT
This morning's breakfast was a chocolate croissant which needed to be warmed up. I gave it 90 seconds in the air fryer which was sufficient, the same 90 seconds in either of the other ovens would have made not the slightest difference, they take 10 minutes to get hot. Normally it isn't worth bothering to heat the oven for small items requiring a short heating time. Where the air fryer wins is the very short warm up time.
That's the benefit of the halogen heating element in an air fryer. I should imagine Lesley's halogen oven would heat just as quickly. I plumped for an ordinary element device, as apparently they maintain a more even temperature once up to the thermostat setting, and are actually more economical as a result. |
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Post by MJB on Jan 11, 2023 8:57:15 GMT
Firstly you need to remember 'air fryer' is a misnomer. I find it incredibly versatile and can cook anything (roast,bake, grill,fry )bar soup or stew and fried eggs in it (although if I found a suitable container I could do that as well). I find it quite bizarre that people dismiss them after two uses. Like anything, even your halogen 'ovens', have nuances, and you need to learn how to use them to get the best out of them. As for defrosting fish, I wouldn't do anything to speed the process up and just place it in the fridge to defrost slowly.
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Post by MJB on Jan 11, 2023 8:59:19 GMT
With an air fryer, can you run the fan, but with he heating element off? I find it an excellent way to defrost things where the the brutality of the microwave would destroy the texture, like white fish. It takes a little longer, but is much gentler to the food. To be honest, I am not sure what an air-fryer brings to the party. My countertop convection oven does oven fries very satisfactorily, and cooks just about anything I put in it - fry? add oil! roast? don't add oil! It can cook multiple things at the same time on racks, and bake everything from primitive village bread, through pizza and chapatis to scones and sponge cakes. The Manufacturer claims:_ " Cooking variations: Roast, Steam, BBQ, Grill, Broil, Bake, Reheat, Fry". The last time I used the main oven was for Christmas lunch 2020! View AttachmentYou are aware a counter top convection oven and an air fryer are the same thing. |
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Post by geoffr on Jan 11, 2023 9:22:01 GMT
With an air fryer, can you run the fan, but with he heating element off? I find it an excellent way to defrost things where the the brutality of the microwave would destroy the texture, like white fish. It takes a little longer, but is much gentler to the food. To be honest, I am not sure what an air-fryer brings to the party. My countertop convection oven does oven fries very satisfactorily, and cooks just about anything I put in it - fry? add oil! roast? don't add oil! It can cook multiple things at the same time on racks, and bake everything from primitive village bread, through pizza and chapatis to scones and sponge cakes. The Manufacturer claims:_ " Cooking variations: Roast, Steam, BBQ, Grill, Broil, Bake, Reheat, Fry". The last time I used the main oven was for Christmas lunch 2020! View AttachmentYou are aware a counter top convection oven and an air fryer are the same thing. An air fryer is a fan oven not a convection oven. The benefits come from circulating hot air around the food rather than just applying heat. |
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Post by MJB on Jan 11, 2023 9:33:23 GMT
You are aware a counter top convection oven and an air fryer are the same thing. An air fryer is a fan oven not a convection oven. The benefits come from circulating hot air around the food rather than just applying heat. A convection oven and fan assisted ovens are the same thing. A quick Google confirms this. |
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Post by zx9 on Jan 11, 2023 9:39:22 GMT
I have wanted to get one for ages but Steph has always protested that we don't have room in the small kitchen of our 1930's semi, a bread maker, Kenwood Chef mixer and a coffee maker are also on the list of banned objects.  |
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Post by squeamishossifrage on Jan 11, 2023 11:27:33 GMT
You are aware a counter top convection oven and an air fryer are the same thing. I guess so - the only difference being that I can see I've just burnt my supper, whereas with the air-fryer you can only smell it!  |
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Post by Kath on Jan 11, 2023 13:47:21 GMT
. A deep fat fryer takes almost as long to heat up as does a big oven and isn't very flexible, you wouldn't heat croissant in one for example. Our friends up in Scotland might though. oy! |
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Post by Kath on Jan 11, 2023 13:51:53 GMT
We were given a very basic Morrisons own air fryer for Christmas about three years ago. We use it regularly and I've done chips, roast parsnips, spicy chicken wings, 'fried bread', roast potatoes, lamb chops all sorts in it. My main gripe is that the basket is really too small for a family. It's fine for two people, three at a pinch but I prefer to cook a shedload in one go so that we have plenty of leftovers for lunches and this isn't really that useful in this respect.
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Post by andy on Jan 11, 2023 14:06:40 GMT
. A deep fat fryer takes almost as long to heat up as does a big oven and isn't very flexible, you wouldn't heat croissant in one for example. Our friends up in Scotland might though. Would need to batter it first to stop the chocolate leaking out. |
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Post by willien on Jan 11, 2023 14:10:18 GMT
Sudden thought - do chip shops in Engerland do deep fried Pizzas or is it just a Caledonian aberration?
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