It's fascinating to see the range of opinions and experiences shared in the comments section of this New York Times article on air fryers. It's encouraging to hear from commenters who have found success and enjoyment in using air fryers for a variety of dishes, such as french fries and tandoori chicken.
The comment by Bill McGrath recommending the America's Test Kitchen book highlights the importance of finding reliable and well-tested recipes to make the most of the air fryer's potential. On the other hand, the commenter pete mac raises a valuable point about certain recipes being better suited for traditional methods.
I also appreciate how Ricka Gerstmann emphasizes the energy efficiency and heat reduction benefits of using an air fryer, especially in warmer weather. Circa Airfryer
Overall, these comments provide a mix of experiences and opinions that highlight the versatility and convenience of air fryers, while also acknowledging the importance of finding the right techniques and recipes for optimal results. Thank you to all the commenters for sharing their insights!
My GE wall oven has an air-fryer setting along with 3 fans for convection baking. I've been trying to translate stand-alone air fryer recipes for my oven. I guess it has the fans of a stand-alone air fryer, but not a basket. So far, I have found that potatoes cook VERY fast. Any suggestions would be welcome.
I live in Houston and don't have to use my oven so much in the summer. Yay! My home stays cool.
And the real french fries are sooooo good.
1
I know this is an old article, but if I've found my way to it after all this time so will others. For that reason, here's my recommendation: Get one and try it yourself. I suppose it depends on your lifestyle, how you normally cook, and what size family you cook for, but for *me* — a self-employed single woman who likes to do more than just heat up food — a relatively small amount of prep on the weekend allows me to create weeknight dinners from fresh ingredients and interesting flavorings in under 20 minutes, every time. The speed and ease of the air fryer is key in this. And I can just pop the basket in the dishwasher!
4
In case anyone else is still reading the comments on this 3-year-old article, I want to add my two cents: Just because a few judges pan it doesn't mean an air fryer is useless. My regular oven is a large, old commercial Garland that takes a long time to preheat. So for me, having an air fryer can mean the difference between dinner in an hour and dinner in 15 minutes. I have the instant vortex plus with odor filters and a window, which I love, since my oven doesn't have a window. I'm still experimenting with it, and yeah, it's not good for everything (it runs really hot and I keep burning the Brussels sprouts) but I'm glad I bought it.
2
@CJ I'm here two days after you, and I ADORE my air fryer.
I bought an Instant Air Fryer and a couple of cook books devoted to the appliance. The book that made the air fryer really shine is the one by America's Test Kitchen. (No affiliation.) Almost everything I tried from that collection of recipes has been outstanding. Some of the other books I read through looked like they were thrown together to catch a hot market. It's all in the techniques.
6
Melissa, I realize that this article is from almost 3 years ago, so your opinion may have changed. The thing that they are really good for is not heating your house up in warm weather, not to mention that it's a lot more energy efficient to heat a small space rather than an entire full size oven. BTW, the IP model without the rotisserie thing is great.
8
Some of these suggestions are over-hyped. I've done tandoori chicken air fried and in a Weber kettle. There is no comparison, and for something that requires 3+ kinds of dry chili and overnight marination, you might as well do it right.
Melissa. I cook most of your recipes and love them. I've been on the fence for years about buying an air fryer. My daughter recently made soft shell crabs in her air fryer without any coating and raved about them. Which made me want to go run out and buy one. But after having read your review, I'd rather have my counter space in my kitchen apartment, than another huge appliance. The Nespresso sits unused until I re-order more pods.
Thank you for sharing, much appreciated. You saved me $$$ and counter space.
6
You can get nespresso sized pods at almost any major grocery chain. Even Target.
1
Thanks for share best info. Today people also face different air fryer related problems. Air fryer rusting problem one of theme. Follow the steps to solve or avoide air fryer rusting problem : https://www.yourkitchenist.com/air-fryer-rusting/
3
Love my new Cuisinart Air Fryer toaster. It takes up the space of a very large toaster oven. It is like a mini oven rather than a mini fry basket. It does so much more than wings and fries. Vegetables are crisp but tender, chicken stays moist and tender but the skin is crisp because it is taking less time to cook. It doesn't heat up the kitchen. Perfect size for cooking meals for 2- 4 peole. Great for appetizers.
Most recent experiment was air fried arthichoke hearts. A jar of marinated artichokes drained well then spritzed with oil. Air fry for 10 -12 min at 400 deg. Delicious and addictive.
3
Two thoughts on this product:
'Lost Kitchen' fried chicken, from the recipe and Cookbook of Erin French, turns out beautifully in part because the meat is pre-cooked in the brine before frying.
We are experimenting successfully with using the Air Fryer as a COFFEE ROASTER. The beans roast uniformly, and chaff is blown into the bottom pan.
7
Sorry to disagree. The airfryer makes a variety of items well enough to warrant a place on my counter.
5
I bake gluten free muffins and cake in my air fryer and they come out better than the oven. The best though are tater tots! Also, Indian frozen foods like ready to eat dosa, batata etc come out better than the oven and takes far less time (like 30 mins in an oven to heat two small dosas vs 7 mins in the air fryer).
3
I wonder if this is just part of a whole lot of new cooking technologies. This reminds of the Brava which is a mere $1000. What other cooking thing is on the horizon ?
@Anon
It looks like smart ovens are the new frontier, but they're going to have the same problem as VR, smart TVs, and smart phones for awhile, with rapid development making consumers hesitant to buy something that will be New and Improved as soon as they unbox their model.
Right now the most advanced smart oven is the June, which keeps improving the AI on existing ovens and recognizes food visually with more cooking presets being added constantly. Mine has made storage space for the air fryer and other replaced devices more of a premium than counter space, and I expect something better still will come along to put June in storage. But if you keep waiting for something better to come along, you'll never get to use anything better.
1
My local newspaper, published your review on the Air Fryer and I must say that I was disappointed. As a single person, living in a condo with a gallley kitchen, I really do not want to heat up my kitchen by using my oven and found that the air fryer fit in perfectly. I have used it extensively with excellent results. Unlike you, even though I am typically cooking for 1 person, I waited over a year for Philips to finally sell their XL in the United States. Buying a smaller unit just didn’t seem practical, in case you wanted to prepare something for more than 1 person. My first venture was a whole chicken. It produced a full cooked chicken in about 30 minutes with crispy skin and very moist meat. I went on to cook fish i.e. Thai Red Curry Fish Filets is my favorite; grilled steak using their grill pan; whole air fried Cornish hen; and, of course vegetables. Although you abandoned the idea of baking, I wanted to give that a try so I’ve made cornbread, and even though I am not a big sweet eater, I made a chocolate cake, as well as donut bread pudding.
I would say, give it another try and experiment a bit more.
13
Our paper carried your air fryer article. As a new plant based WFPB the air fryer is perfect especially as a person who no longer uses oil ever. I make fries all the time but my trick is to par-cook russets in the microwave then refrigerate until I’m ready to use up to a week then they get crispy at 400 degrees 18 minutes. Living in Las Vegas in the summertime means I can bake potatoes in there without heating up my kitchen and like u said roasting veggies is perfect - so for us vegans this appliance is essential behind the beloved instant pot
11
It's not indispensible but it's VERY useful in the summer when I don't want to fire up my oven or stove. I love using it outside since it's so light - I just bring it back inside after it's cooled off.
9
I goofed around with a couple different air fryers (provided to me by local merchants leveraging my chef'ing bona fides) before deciding that the convection option in my oven worked just as well and allowed me to make larger portions of the sort of things I wanted to "fry" healthily (e.g., french fries and chicken wings/fingers for my kids). As with all basic cooking, the real secret lies in the ingredients and prep, not the tool.
3
We have limited enough space in my kitchen to consider yet another appliance. The only new cooking items we've gotten in the past year were the sous vide cookers because they are quite easy to store. I currently have a petite sirloin, a London broil cut and a few beef short ribs merrily cooking away.
It might be time to redesign the modern American kitchen. Finding space for toaster ovens, Instant Pots, air fryers, stand mixers, cutlery, dishes, pots, pans, burners, ovens... where can we fit it all?
4
Then where does my espresso machine go?
@skanda The air fryer is a convenience... the espresso machine a necessity.
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"The only way I’d find out if an air fryer was worth my precious counter space would be to try it for myself."
Or read the results of the three MAJOR testing companies that extensively tested the air fryer and found it to be an inferior product. Are there really no topics left to write about that haven't already received sufficient attention (by a product review site owned by The New York Times Company, no less?) This article covers already covered ground.
3
Most originally deep fried Indian snacks bought frozen come out great when 'refried' in the air fryer. So some Indian dry curries made with South Indian recipes, such as spiced potato curry. First microwaving the peeled and cubed fresh potatoes and then coating with some oil and spices before putting in the air fryer is a great way to get crisp on the outside and tender on the inside cubes.
4
Thanks After a trial the judge in my kitchen ordered it to be put in the free box.
Open counter space is first priority for us
2
I love my air fryer and use it often. If you insult my air fryer, we're taking it outside.
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I love french fries! But I love steak fries even more -- big thick slices of a russet that are golden and crispy. The quick way to do this is to use the microwave oven and an non-stick skillet. Cut the potato into wedges and toss with oil, hit the potato button on the microwave and add 1 minute. Then, in a preheated non-stick skillet add the potatoes and any seasoning you like, like cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne. You'll end up with beautiful wedges with melt in you mouth centers. The air fryer is never coming into my house.
4
My wife and I are suckers for kitchen gadgets. She gave me a ninja air fryer two weeks ago...it’s not revolutionary but a solid product. Wings, steaks, crab cakes, chicken thighs, it’s a nice performer. I’m all in on the air fryer for certain things.
1
Thank you Melissa! Thrilled you got this thing so I didn't have to. Also a huge fan of the Instant Pot (thanks for the recipe books!) and resentful of the counter space lost to my rice cooker, which I haven't used since, but haven't given away yet. Ready to dump the crock pot in my cupboard too. No air fryer for me!
1
I love my TinyChef air fryer! It looks like a space ship and glows when its on, there is a glass window all around so you can peek in. I make the roasted brussels, vegetables, frozen organic sweet potatoes or regular potato fries work the best rather than make my own ( I think) . I have even made vegan brownies in mine!
I recommend JL Fields' vegan air fryer recipe book for ideas.
2
I wonder if people have tried using a little bit more oil? the disparity between one tablespoon of oil and an entire oil fryer basket is so great I wonder if the missing 'fried food taste' people talk about with air fryers couldn't be fixed with just using a little bit more oil? Even if it were five or six tablespoons it would be so much less then a traditional fryer
5
I am interested in the cooking purists here. Sticking with the oven and the deep fryer etc. Maybe we should stick with the open fire? That’s really where cooking started. New cooking possibilities are fascinating like scientific discoveries. Cooking with hot, fast moving air. Why not consider it as a fundamental cooking option we never knew existed?
3
They are good, not great. I have a counter top version that was gifted to me because I had a limited set of cooking tools at the time.
The air fryer can make a wide variety of foods, however it also has limitations. I use it mostly to heat up items that I don't want to turn the oven on for. I tried to make raw foods with it, however the cleanup required was more work than I wanted to put in for a single meal.
If I had to choose between an air fryer and a microwave in a small kitchen, I would suggest the microwave as the microwave is more versatile.
2
I have had mild successes cooking with my air fryer, but it is my "go to"| gadget for cooking leftovers, which I sometimes mist with a water bottle before heating.
1
What a goldmine this article & comments is! I've never been one to buy kitchen gadgets. I got by for years with a whisk, 2 good knives and a collection of favorite pans. I started looking at air fryers to save on heating a whole oven for just single servings for myself. After researching I settled on the Bella and it has not let me down. Favorite recipes so far have been the Chocolate Lava Cake for Two (recipe from NY Times cooking), sweet potato fries, (any roasted veggie, really) and the best kale chips ever. Per the comments here I can't wait to try chicken wings and maybe even meatballs!
3
When you talked about the air fryer resulting in healthier food and then recommend dipping the results in a butter sauce, you pegged my irony meter.
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Just remember the old adage: if it is too good to be true, it will ultimately prove that it is.
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Thanks Melissa. You confirmed my reluctance to give up counter space to this gadget. But while I'm here, I just want to say that the NYT has become my best source for recipes, and you are my best source at the Times. I just miss those videos of you demonstrating your recipes. Your warmth and enthusiasm are infectious and make me rush to try to recipe myself. Please talk your bosses into bringing back those videos. :)
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I have the same unit as the writer.
Tips : For fries or egg plant - soak fries or egg plant / zukes with copious olive oil . Add sea salt and pepper w oil. Good Mediterranean slave.
I think a full basket fries is 30-45 minutes with a toss and an after-burn at 330 for 5-10 mins.
Big advantage with air fryer : SAFETY and ENVIRONMENT. There is no oil disposal. You can run this machine and not worry that u will burn down the building . It is very user friendly. I sweat with deep fryers so I don’t make a huge bonfire or spill hot oil.
Storage: I put the air fryer w the washer and dryer. It does not sit on the counter.
Taste difference w deep fryer: marginal. For home cooker. Safety and robot-cooker is king. If u practice about 10 times w air fryer you can seriously improve output. Fresh potatoes make a difference.
12
I LOVE my air fryer, & use it at least once if not more per week. After research was interested in them, & lucked out when "Woot" (a division of "Amazon") had the old now-discontinued Wolfgang Puck model on sale for a mere $49.00. At 7.2 quarts, which is larger than all the pricier models, it has performed very nicely. Egg shape doesn't have a large footprint, which is a moot point since it's so light to move around. Brussels sprouts are to die for, & now hubby doesn't really want his chicken wings any other way. Seasoned russet potato wedges are delightful, as is seasoned & roasted asparagus. My favorite so far? Roasting a whole chicken in it. This model can handle a bird up to 5 pounds or so, but so far I've stuck to 3-4 pounders, which is a perfect size for the two of us, with leftovers. Bird comes out juicy & crisp-skinned, & the air-fryer cleans up quicker than any roasting pan.
I absolutely love it, & when/if my little discontinued cheapy dies, I'll definitely be replacing it.
7
Best veg is whole sweet potatoes. Come out perfectly caramelized and soft inside.
5
This is why, despite any of its downsides, an airfryer is perfect for my living situation: I live in a 1920s building in a large studio with steam radiators that are on 365 days a year on a schedule over which I have no control. Once the weather warms up I definitely want to avoid turning on the oven at all costs. The airfryer is my go-to cooking appliance. I've had great results with chicken (all cuts/all parts), fish, sweet potatoes, meatballs. Would I need an airfryer if my house weren't so hot? Probably not.
3
Air fried salmon is the best. Crispy on the outside but perfect inside.
5
I had to buy an Instant Pot and an air fryer for work; the AF is the one that still has a place on my counter. I use it for reheating stuff all the time, for making roast chicken / fish / vegetables sometimes, and occasionally for things like roast potatoes, grilled cheese, and totchos. Treat foods, yes, but fast and easy and tasty. I don’t think of it as a fryer but as a very fast and efficient oven.
5
I love my air fryer. It is great for two people. Easy to clean and the things you can make are unlimited. So many cook books have been published already. It cooks frozen foods incredibly fast, no more thawing. It is true that whatever you want to make must fit in the basket. I use it 2 or 3 times a week. It did take me a long time to decide to buy one. I store it in the bottom of my pantry. I only use my oven these days for large things and baking. The fryers do comes in sizes as to quantity of food they will hold. Mine is Phillips 2.75, which is fine for 2 people.
4
I survived catastrophic heart failure and the subsequent open heart surgery. After the operation, the nutritionist told me: "if it tastes good, spit it out." I laughed, but she wasn't kidding.
So here's the thing; I can have air fried foods, I can't have foods that have been soaked in oil. In our house, we are comparing air fried chicken to baked chicken, air fried potatoes to steamed potatoes - you get the idea. The fryer is a boon. Makes me feel like a normal person who can eat normal food. I know it's not perfect, it's not as good as the real deal but if you are faced with the choice between eating the way you always ate and dying in five years, or resigning yourself to air-frying as your method for fried foods, believe me, the stuff that comes out of the air fryer is delicious.
And if you don't eat fried foods, it doesn't take long to forget how yummy they are - if people will let you.
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@Stephanie . Your last sentence is a valuable truth. Having experienced different diets that reduced salt and oil, and later eating foods high in those things, I found them overwhelmingly greasy and salty.
You recalibrate your taste buds in this way. Now 2% milk tastes like cream, butter is too greasy, fried fries just too much.
6
I found my Philips air fryer at thrift store for 10dollars brand new in box two years ago. I don’t think the peeps there knew it was worthy a lot . I was over the moon! I wanted to buy one from WS and couldn’t justify the price. Glad I didn’t. My home made fries tasted just as good in the over. The only advantage is
That my kids liked to use it. They liked the small basket and the fact they could walk away on a simple timer. Chicken wings tasted great but only could hold a few at a time. Great for one person or college kid, not for family. Others have mentioned great for their elderly parents, I agree on that too. More recipes have come out now which is good but I still prefer my Breville toaster over every time.
2
I'll politely agree as well as disagree with Ms. Clark. After viewing different air fryer choices, I wanted one that was designed more like a front open toaster oven, and got the reasonably priced (<$100) Cuisinart Compact Airfryer Oven. Variable temperature, easy to clean, wide surface area to separate food in a single layer. My go to method for having a crispy "fried" coating on many foods is dry, season, coat with flour, dip in egg, coat in panko. This is amazing for shrimp to vegetables. Device is also great for meat like pork tenderloin: recently coated one with harissa/oil/cumin and cooked in 20 min. Superb. It IS a glorified high velocity small convection oven, which also allows crispy coated, healthier alternatives to traditionally fried foods. My favorite way to prepare potatoes (either russet or yam) is spiralize, pat dry with paper towel, coat with spray oil, and toss frequently in the air fryer until crispy/cooked. Serve with curry-mayo. Bon appetite.
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@Paul the Panko coating trick is amazing on tuna steaks, I love the crispness and yet moist results. I'll have to try it on shrimp,
Roasted bite-size veggies & potatoes at 410 are so good that I will not be sacrificing counter space either. Thank you, Melissa!! Best to roast are garlic cloves, onions, shallots, asparagus, broc, cauli, brussell sprouts, white & sweet potatoes. Brush with a blend of avocado oil and any assortment of spices (Mrs. Dash, any no-salt hodgepodge, Everything Bagel with added garlic & onion powder). So good and they're great the next day cold. I make 3 large sheets at a time.
3
I bought my Phillips Air Fryer a couple of years ago when Williams Sonoma published a recipe for air fried arancini. It works beautifully for them, also for shrimp, and, particularly, for a couple of chicken legs or thighs with a light bound breading. I have a big kitchen, and I’m able to keep it in a drawer. It isn’t heavy. I’m happy with this article because it reminds me of other things I can do with it. And cleanup? Easy!
3
I air-dried coated chicken breasts in my June oven. We missed the oil.
@Froon
Did you spray oil on them before air-frying them? That's recommended by June users.
I use it for wings, fries, and veg, as well, but the other day I tossed in some frozen pecans I needed to toast quickly - eureka! It worked! Also, my son likes to heat leftover pizza - crust comes out crunchy.
4
As you can see, I live in the deep south and I am pretty sure that deep frying is a religion around here! However, my husband and I wanted to get away from that. But, air fryers are one-trick ponies that don't even do that one trick very well. After trying some air fryers, and reading all of the reviews. My husband and I purchased the Breville Smart Oven Pro. It has an air fry setting that far exceeded all of our expectations. The difference is the basket. The Breville basket is the size of a quarter sheet pan (about 9" x 13") so whatever you are air frying can go in one layer and have great circulation on all sides. That is the key to getting "air fried" foods that are as crispy as oil fried foods, without all of the oil. Unless you are doing one serving of onion rings at a time, there just isn't any way to get that kind of air flow in the smaller basket that air fryers have. Then, when I am done air frying, I can toast a bagel, roast a whole chicken, bake a casserole, and broil a burger all in the same machine. With this one appliance, we added a second oven, a toaster oven, and an air fryer to our kitchen in one machine. We also got rid of our deep fryer. It is expensive (about $400) but it replaces four appliances and it does not heat up my kitchen the way the big over does.
6
I have never fried foods, but we've had an air fryer for 3 years and use it nearly every day. In the morning, for hash browns, cheese on brown bread, even sausages. Chicken goujons, reheating pizza or any frozen snacks like onion bhajis. We've done cupcakes, apple crumbles, banana bread muffins. It's especially good in the summer when my main cooker is off (it's always on and hot, runs off oil) and I don't want to heat the whole kitchen by cranking up the electric oven to 400°. We're on our 2nd as we wore out the 1st.
TIP: Look for a non-stick coating and large holes in the basket for easy cleaing.
10
I think you will have to get used to eating air-fried foods. There is no doubt that air-frying is much more healthy and quicker than turning on a big, hot oven to bake and using cups of oil to deep fry foods. This seems to be a better alternative. Why skip using frozen prepared foods? That's what makes it fun!!
2
Thanks, Ms. Clark, glad I didn't waste $250 on this and give up extremely limited counter space.
Perhaps these things will evolve to something more useful at lower price.
I'll though I like fried food rarely fry because its just too messy (and too fattening?). My go-to cooking device is the outdoor grill. No substitute for real flame cooking and just brush off the carbon before each use.
Food that is deep fried, as opposed to pan fried, doesn't really absorb much oil. In fact fatty foods, like chicken wings, can render out more fat than they absorb. When I deep fry them I end up with more frying oil than I started with.
4
Nuts! We love using the air fryer for toasting nuts. Usually it's a mixture of cashews, almonds and walnuts. Try a light coating of maple syrup, some salt, and a little cayenne if you like spice. But there are many more great combinations of spices and herbs. I keep playing with the temperature. Low and longer is safest - I've burned a few batches at higher heat. Around 300 for 10-12 minutes seems about right, but keep checking as they cook.
6
Here's the best use of the air fryer: baked potatos. Puncture the skin a few times with a fork, then bake at highest heat for one hour. You'd have to run a full oven for an hour and a half to get the same result -- not really economical. And of course, it's ten times better than what you can get in a microwave.
As for Brussel sprouts -- Really? I tried that myself and found that the outer leaves burned and stank up my apartment.
3
She skipped one major consideration: Is it hard to clean?
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@ M CT
Applause to you! The cleaning of any modern hornswoggled kitchen appliance and its storage space are the first two considerations of its worthiness.
4
We use our air fryer everyday! Nothing heats up a slice of pizza better!
6
I'm with the group that minimizes extra appliances. Within the last 5 years, I have bought 2 appliances after much thought, a food processor and an Instapot. Although they have been useful at times, cooking is not usually the most time-consuming, tedious step: the preparation is. What I really need is a prep cook who cleans, cuts, measures, and lays out the items for me before I cook!
60
@ms
Like mail-order prep services like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron?
@ms Do your food prep hours, or even a day or two, before you cook it. Put it in the fridge or freezer. Cook when you want.
2
@ms
The ability to afford servants and personal chefs has a lot going for it. A gardener named Raoul would be nice too.
5
My countertop oven/air fryer has been amazing for tofu. We toss it with a little soy sauce, sesame oil, and corn starch. Perfect for use in Kung Pao tofu, Thai-style fried rice. Yum!
15
I have to admit, after getting a countertop convection oven/toaster/do anything device at CostCo, i find the oven to be a huge waste of energy and time unless I'm cooking a huge meal for like eight people. The countertop one heats to the right temperature in minutes and it does everything equal to an oven. If want fried foods, I'll just go out, lol.
9
I would love to see your results using the Breville.
8
First of all , a lot of the food that people “ fry “ in their air fryer already has fat on it or in it.
Frozen French fries are just one example.
Chicken wings??
Mostly fat.
Fish sticks and other coated fish.
Breaded frozen veggies.
This “ miracle “ machine does what your oven does......,,with hot air.
4
I had an air fryer (Actifry) until last year when I donated it. I wanted so badly for it to be great, but it wasn't. It took a very long time for homemade fries to begin browning and once they did, they only stayed crisp for about a minute after landing on the plate. You could get a similar result baking the potatoes with less hassle cleaning up afterward. There are other things that can be prepared in the air fryer, but why, when you probably already have all the equipment you need in your kitchen to achieve an equal, or better result.
5
It works great with burgers, especially veggie burgers. Make the patties a bit thinner than for a grilled burger. The drawback is that it's a one-at-a-time process.
2
I think the results of this article would be quite different with a larger toaster oven/hot air fryer like my Cuisinart. I have made many foods that used to be off the island due to the fat content, like awesome donuts and homemade pop tarts. So far, I’ve found that every item I tried to replicate that is deep fried was much healthier, faster to make and tasty (except for the sesame tempeh and vegetable tempura, which I bet will work with the baking powder trick). It’s also not taking up counter space cause I gave our kid the toaster over that used to sit in that spot. I still use my oven but for many things, this gadget works better, is faster and healthier.
5
You'll never find an air fryer in my kitchen. As my beloved late Grandma would say, don't go with a mimicking imitation, get the real thing.
I'll be my $1 that the Air Fryer will replace the blender as the least used common small kitchen appliance.
2
@Mary
The usefulness of the blender depends on how many soups you make and how many Asian marinades and sauces you create. I tend to use mine more than a food processor. I'd use it much more than an air fryer. YMMV.
1
I picked up a Philips air fryer a few months ago. I haven't used it as often as I anticipated but I have found uses for it.
I have not eaten meat for 40 years, so not chicken wings. I haven't eaten white potatoes (diabetes) so no french fries. My favorite so far is sliced carrots, which I buy frozen and can instantly start the cooking process. I like that I can walk away and not worry about burning them or worse burning a pan.
Also requiring a bit more prep but a great snack: diced sweet potatoes. I tried brussel sprouts and evidently did n't cook them properly. Basically I like to use frozen vegetables t minimize prep time - sorry t those o fyou who preach the virtues of of cooking. I am a one person family.
I like that I can pull the pan, rince it thoroughly and put it in the dishwasher.There are no electronics in the pan
Years ago I totally abandoned using a standard oven, motivated by the last time had to clean an oven.
I use my oven to store large pans.Before the air fryer all my cooking was stove-top with virgin olive oil. I use the same oil in the air fryer.
7
@ShowMe You've brought up an important feature – the timer that turns it off when it's done! It's great for the kids to use because of that (or me, who is so easily distracted!) Also saves electricity.
2
@ShowMe
The last time I used my full-sized oven was to cook a whole pumpkin in Oct.
For this kind of thing, I recommend a regular pretty close to "bottom of the line" convection oven. I have a Toastmaster, and it's probably more than $19.99 now (still working after 5 years). It runs a little hotter than its thermostat says, but works like a charm for anything that doesn't spatter and will fit, baking potatoes in particular. Just needs a small sheet of foil to catch drips.
During Sandy I discovered Microwaves are power hogs, and had to use the convection oven (a larger one that time) to boil water. But if you care about waste power, don't use the microwave if you don't need it.
6
I tried Air Fryers, even though I knew better.
They were such a disappointment, I went back to a proper 6 Quart Heavy Frying Pot (Home Electric Fryers just can't belt out the power necessary from a wall socket) using the fats I choose (Rice Bran Oil is particularly good, but if you want Duck Fat, use Duck Fat) and voila, perfect twice-fried French Fries.
I'll never clutter my counter with one of these again.
A friend did set her's on fire cooking steaks, so be forewarned.
4
Read the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines. The evidence on fat and health continues to improve. Rather than air fry, it's fine for your health to cook with healthy oils such as canola, walnut, or extra virgin olive oil depending on temperature. Just don't do it every day.
1
Best way I've found for warming up pizza. We buy whole pies at a local family place and eat them at home. In a minute or two the air fryer produces a slice with a bubbling top and a crust as crisp or maybe even a little crisper than when it comes out of the oven in the shop. With an extra minute it works from frozen too.
2
Before you buy an air fryer, I suggest trying a roll of parchment paper first. I've found that putting wedges of potato tossed in olive oil and placed separately on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet works better than any air fryer I've tried so far.
Also, this might sound crazy, but chicken wings tossed in baking powder and seasonings, then cooked in the oven on a cooling rack (like you'd use for cooling cookies) turns out amazingly crispy skin.
6
@itsmecraig
I agree but it isn't practical to run the oven on 100 degree days throughout the summer. Isn't this an option? As opposed to roasting?
3
@wellgirl01
I agree. Here in Sacramento, Calif, we also get lots of 100 plus days between May and October. So, most of the summer, I roast things in a decent quality toaster oven and it doesn't heat up the kitchen at all.
(My toaster oven cost less than a hundred bucks yet has convection cooking and a pre-heat feature that beeps when the oven comes up to the temperature I set.)
1
Starting in April we have summer (100-120 degrees) that lasts until November. It gets too hot to grill outdoors and I do not turn my oven on either. So my Air fryer while not perfect does pretty darn good without heating up my house.
In 50 years of daily cooking other than the toaster oven the only countertop cooking gadget we use regularly is our fuzzy logic rice cooker. It’s a winner because it makes perfect rice and keeps it that way for hours if necessary and it’s clean in three minutes. It greatly simplifies meal planning for dinners with family and friends. When, on rare occasion, we crave fried food, we eat out. There is no mess and no clean up. Problem solved.
11
I am so glad my son gave us a completely unexpected air fryer as a seasonal present before I read this article. We love it and use it two to three times a week for truly delicious chicken and salmon and potatoes.
Convenient, tasty and foolproof, the mavens of the Times notwithstanding.
14
Surprisingly, air fryers are excellent for roasting cashew nuts.
6
Has anyone tried deep fried Indian desserts?
This stuff is all bad for you. People are looking for shortcuts. They want to keep eating fries. They want their fast food burgers. Then they wonder why they're bloated obese and have colon cancer.
7
@Martin X Then start eating grass-fed grass!
11
@Martin X it is not all or nothing. I like french fries, have a burger once in a while, am 60, slender, athletic and healthy, and don't have colon cancer.
1
@Martin X
You have one life. Why not enjoy it? it will inevitably end and you can have spent it happy or miserable.
1
but can it do fried pickles (with breading)?
3
@MBS I just prepared some this weekend. They were pre-breaded frozen ones from the store, but they turned out great. Some ranch dressing with a few dashes of tabasco sauce really does the trick as well!
Not particularly healthy, but what we find the air fryer very useful for is warming up those already fried foods that we could/should not finish after ordering them at a restaurant. For us the air fryer is the only way to reheat e.g. fried clams, french fries, etc. These foods weren't healthy to begin with, but eating less of them at one time/spreading the same nasty calories over a longer period of time should have some benefits.
11
These gadget features are so discouraging. So many people don't even have access to affordable fresh produce or basic ingredients, and lack the education to produce basic, nutritious meals, and yet the NYT is shilling air fryers, instant pots, and other devices instead of spending column inches on more social goods, like: how to meal plan for a week, or how to cook in bulk and freeze, or how to assess your supermarket's produce discounts, etc.
17
@WWD You can also google these questions, and find answers almost as good as if they were written in the New York Times… People who never bothered enough about these questions to google them are probably not reading the cooking section of any newspaper, are they?
And for those who care about good, healthy and cheap food, but don’t know whether these (rather expensive) appliances can help, it is quite useful to have such articles. You can spend years cooking your dried beans for hours on the stove (good, healthy and cheap) just because a pressure cooker is not on your radar.
3
@WWD
The chances are that the people who don't know how to cook from scratch and plan healthy meals don't read the NYT or can afford to read it.
1
We cook nearly every night and never felt the need for this gadget, instant pot, or a rice cooker for that matter. We don't eat French fries, maybe that's why...
7
I have friends who have used an air fryer they say that if you don't have a well ventilated kitchen you entire house will smell like what you've cooked in the air fryer.
1
@JC Guy So in that way, it's exactly like deep-frying!
4
@JC Guy
If anyone is worried about cooking odor you can place the air fryer on top of your stove or cooktop under the vent hood tuned on low. No odors.
Mom is 92 with vision issues. Could she use this without much of a problem?
1
@Chuckw
If she's 92 and like many older people she's not going to be thrilled about learning how to work an new appliance. At the very least, that might be a possibility.
"If you’re in the market for a tiny, speedy countertop oven, you’ll probably be happy. But I already have a big oven that I don’t mind using on a daily basis. And while the air fryer was brilliant with brussels sprouts and eggplant, the results from my broiler were very close behind.
But what was even worse was that all that air-fried food only made me crave real fried food, aggravating the itch rather than scratching it."
Thank you Ms. Clark for this thorough review but more importantly, for this honest assessment at the end. I was on the fence, wondering if this is yet another appliance I want/need in my already crowded pantry. I love my oven and I love baking and cooking because it "provides therapy" as my husband calls it because it provides me with great pleasure and solace. No short cut via the latest appliance can replace that feeling.
Besides, going out to our favorite restaurant for their fantastic fries or chicken wings is a special treat we save for the weekends. The last thing I want to create is a ho hum feeling for having fries or wings at home too often.
16
Here's the thing: most people drive by several restaurants selling real french fries for next to nothing that require zero preparation or cleanup on your part.
For the things that actually are better cooked in air, many higher-end ovens have a convection mode. Which, doesn't require any counter space and can prepare any reasonable quantity in one batch.
2
We're on our second air fryer in 4 or 5 years and I will never be able to live without it. I've given 4 as Christmas gifts the last couple years, in addition to passing down our old small one. You can't be the convience of tossing something in, turning it on and walking away. I know a lot of "chefs" turn their nose up at it, but for people who don't have the care or resources to spend a lot of money on a fancy oven or put the time and effort into heating and watching frying oil, the air fryer is a great option.
The air flow from the mesh basket is the biggest different from cooking on a pan a convection oven and the small size is obviously much easier to clean than an oven, while it's much less of a process than oil frying.
One of my favorite thing to cook in my air fryer is bacon!! It's one of the few things I have to monitor and flip often while cooking, but it's well worth it.
You have to play with it, to see what comes out well, but it's as permanent as pots and pans in my kitchen.
10
I don't like "gadgets" and had doubts when my daughter gave me one of these. Now: a convert! The compact size is perfect for my very small kitchen. No, it doesn't make true fried chicken, and I don't need it to. I love it because 1) Saves time and energy by not using oven for small servings. 2) Reheats cold toast, single pizza slice, grilled cheese sandwich etc. without burning, to perfect crispness. 3)Quickly prepares healthy snacks like sweet potato fries or zuccini. I have this, a toaster, a microwave and a bullet, and done need anything else except my regular pots and pans. It's great!
12
Can anyone comment on: (a) batter-fried fish fillets; (b) samosas? Thanks in advance.
1
A compact air fryer is perfect for that! Cooking fish fillets and fish sticks is a regular thing for us. Super fast, crispy outside and moist inside. Better than oven and healthier than oil fried. Added bonus:it will reheat anything meant to be crispy, keeping it crisp! Fast! Reduces food waste by making leftovers desirable!
3
Wow. Our experience has been eye opening!
A great method to cook fish, burgers, veggies, fries, etc ... WELL worth the counter space.
Also, far less expensive to operate and very easy to clean up after use.
9
Although, like many, I might toss this aside after a few weeks or months, here's what I'd like to know: how much energy was used to make the dishes described in the article?
That might be a key area where products like these prove useful. As we try to cut down on energy use -- or transition to renewable sources -- will products like these replace larger gas or electric ovens that might use far more energy? Or is this little thing another energy hog that will drive up electric bills?
14
"With just a little sadness, I gave my air fryer to a friend, who uses it to make meatballs and sweet potatoes for her 5-year-old. And I’m glad to have my countertop back, which leaves me plenty of room to wield my sheet pans without knocking into my Instant Pot."
I did exactly the same thing. Brought it home, tried it out for a month or so an found that - other than chicken wings - it wasn't so very useful or faster. But I do know a vegan who uses it extensively.
1
When working in the market research department of The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, our biggest fountain customer was MaConald's and their hamburger chain. While meeting with their people in Chicago at McDonald's University, I asked one of their managers what they used to make their french fries. After additional questioning he said we use "oil" he said which includes those from plants and animals. He would never say hog lard but it was in there.
While wanting french fries with my grilled hamburgers, I wanted to avoid using oil so I went to Amazon and discovered something from Rosewill that did it with air only. Rosewill was familiar to me when I built my own PC and it was the same company building these air cookers.
I was not going to make my own french fries and the only place to buy frozen french fries was Kroger stores. IMHO the french fries made by the Rosewill air cooker are great with Heinz ketchup and a bit of iodized salt.
3
@Butch Burton I recall that the reason the McFish sandwich does not designate the type of fish used is because they could then avoid having that fish specie (e.g. white fish) suffer from an incident resulting in bad press. So it's a generic McFish Sandwich, not trout, catfish, etc., thanks to those in marketing.
2
@Coco Pazzo
Alaskan Pollock.
I guess I am very old fashioned, though only in my thirties. I am perfectly happy with my oven and stovetop, my nice sheet pans, my large stock pot, my steamer baskets, my quality sauté pan, and my two beautiful dutch ovens. I don't mind that something takes time on the stove or in the oven - I can do the dishes or read during that time, or talk to my third grader (always interesting). As a working mom, it's kind of a nice time of day. Actually, waiting, and smelling the smells, are probably the only parts of cooking I really like (except eating it, of course).
29
@reader talk to me when you are 75-80 years old, have cooked a million meals, have a hard time standing for more than five minutes and want fried wings, which have to be fresh fried because left-over reheated poultry does not do it for you (so no cooking larger batches and having leftovers, thank you). To top it all you only need to make three pieces (not three whole wings!) and even that is more than your stomach can handle if you want a few fries and a small salad too. Turning on an oven or filling a pan with oil for frying do not sound appealing then, no matter how nice the pan.
30
@Cachola Amazingly enough, people's mileage may vary.
2
@Cachola I am 82 and couldn't have said it better. Loved cooking when I was young but I just don't have the energy or stamina now. Bought an air fryer for exactly these reasons. I've been widowed for 20 years so I am cooking for one. Leftovers are OK for one time only.
8
I've struggled with many methods for making fried chickpeas and the air fryer came to the rescue. I use it several times a week to prepare components for more involved dishes.
8
I love my air fryer. Since I only cook for two, the size is perfect for my needs. I use for baking individual loaves of bread, panko chicken, and of course home fries! After reading her article, I went and grabbed a russet potato, cut fries, tossed with olive oil and garlic powder, and cooked at 400F for 15 minutes. Forget the salad, ha ha. Great snack with my cup of tea.
17
Regardless of any marketing spin, this is BAKING, not frying. Baked chicken tastes great, but that doesn't mean it is fried chicken.
16
Just to get this straight: the foods that taste really good are the ones that retain the most frying oil or fat? So, how much less fatty are those foods then compared to actually deep-fried? And, how much of a pain is it to clean the air fryer after each use? Some foods are really sticky when heated, and cleaning these things might take longer than making and eating the food. Any information on this is appreciated! Labor- and time-consuming cleaning makes it much more likely that this gadget stays stored away rather than used.
8
@Pete in Downtown I can't speak about the fat content, but my MIL uses one for frozen pizzas and since you put it on a pan, it's easy enough to clean. I don't recall her spending a lot of time scraping up melted cheese.
@Pete in Downtown I have the Cuisinart air fryer that looks like a big toaster oven. Cleaning just involves cleaning the pan (rectangular, rounded corners, easy) and the frying basket (rectangular, not too time consuming either). We use it fairly regularly--keep it on a countertop sort of out of the way. In addition to fries and chicken wings it's also excellent for bacon and for small baking/roasting jobs--I've done roasted potatoes, cornbread, meatballs. A little quicker than the conventional oven and occasionally handy when there's already something in the oven.
6
@Pete in Downtown Well you do have to clean cooking equipment, that comes with the territory. I just remove the basket and its container and put in some soapy hot water and let it soak, sometimes overnight or a few hours. It cleans up nicely. The basket separates from the container and it is dishwasher safe. Rinse them all and let air dry.
1
I have one and used it quite a bit the first two months and now it gathers dust. I've never found the magic for fries, but I'll try the recipe here.
What I have found is that it makes an amazing grilled cheese - toasty on the outside with some toothiness left to the bread on the inside and gooey cheese without burning.
1
@knitter215
I make perfect grilled cheese on the stovetop in a small cast iron skillet I’ve had for 50 years (or more). It doesn’t burn if you stay there and don’t go off to do something else---or start knitting!
13
The main benefit to air frying is the time and ease of cleanup. Granted no toaster oven window to clean, ease of cleanup in large part is drawer coating. My favorite besides the fries (taste like Nathan’s which I love) is chicken cutlets. Coat in oil, pachinko bread crumbs, turn once and cook less than eight Minutes overall. Taste grate, no real mess. When done, soap, water, soak. When your done eating, use paper towel to remove residue, rinse and dry.
10
As an avid cook I can report that the Philips air fryer used for this review makes great sweet potato fries and roasted eggplant, as mentioned, but also gives my favorite results for several frequent roasting preparations, e.g. :
* sweet and hot peppers so the skins peel off easily;
* fennel bulbs caramelized to perfection;
* whole heads of garlic with herbs, drizzled in olive oil;
* a Cornish hen (marinated in buttermilk or with dry rub).
25
@David Griffeath
Thank you! Your food sounds much better to me than what is discussed in the article.
6
Could a kind reader let me know how easy or difficult it is to clean the air fryer? Where does the fan blow the droplets of oil or loose coating to? Is there a trap or filter to catch these loose debris? Thanks!
3
Super easy to clean Teflon Coates, you can just wipe it clean after it cools, it’s mostly crumbs. Even burnt cheese. I swirl some hot water and soap with a bristle brush.
I have a studio kitchen and rarely use the terrible oven- and we eat a lot of frozen & convenience foods and heats so much better than a microwave.
3
@ATL They are easy to clean, I usually put foil in the bottom of the fryer to catch any fat that drips off the food. Nothing flies around . The foil keeps the pan clean,no washing. I use a small round headed brush to clean the basket and soap and water. I have a Phillips original model as in the article.
1
@ATL
The only thing you really need to clean is the removable basket and any accessories you use in it. Air blows all the "dirt" to the bottom of the basket.
1
Another appliance destined for thrift shops and land fills.
8
@J Milovich My favorite small appliances that generally get donated to Goodwill are my electric knife and my electric fry pan. The George Forman grill is nice, but I don't know where I put it.
An air fryer doesn't appeal. French fries are death for serious diabetics. If I have a craving, I go buy some at a fast food shop.
The best way for veggies is either raw or roasted on a charcoal grill. Mushrooms, red or yellow peppers, and broccoli with olive oil and alittle lemon pepper--yum!
The best way for chicken is in the oven slow roasted with pepper and herbs.
1
@J Milovich most of my friends swear by one. I will use mine when I get the countertop space. People should just be prudent about what they have space for - if it's out and visible, you're more likely to use it.
Did some marinated skinless chicken thighs last night; darn good! You just have to experiment and find what works best for you in an airfryer. I was skeptical but am slowing coming around in favor.
2
Did you try cooking chicken?
Doesn't soaking the wings in butter sauce defeat the whole point of air frying?
8
@Ellen
exactly!
@Ellen I make chicken wings all h time and have never used butter or oil on them.. I do coat with a chicken rub, They turn out great and leave fat behind
@Ellen Methinks you might be missing the point of an air fryer. Think about chicken wings. You normally deep fry them and then toss them in a butter sauce of Frank's Red Hot sauce. Now look at what you have to now deal with. Deep frying takes maybe a quart or two of oil. You now have to remove that oil and store it or discard it. Then you need to clean out your deep fryer--try doing that around the heating element. Most air fryers have a simple basket and container, just soak them in soapy water. Cleanup is far easier.
3
This is the best article I have ever read by her. Luckily, I was able to borrow one to test before I wasted my money. Terrible results. I will stick with my Fry Daddy. Almost as bad is my Instant Pot which is only good for pot roast. Everything else can be done better and quicker on or in a stove. On St. Patrick’s Day I did 3 corned beefs, one in the Crock Pot, one in the oven and one in the Instant Pot. One started at six, one at eight and the other at 10:30. They were all done at noon. The good news was that they all tasted the same.
3
Another electric gadget in the American kitchen ! Will probably end up unused in a closet with a styrofoam purchase from fast food on the table.
You can reproduce the same effect in a regular oven with vegetables on a parchment paper just drizzled with olive oil.
Best potato frites in 15 mn in the oven .
No need for a cumbersome chinese ugly piece of plastic .
11
Air fry only to then dunk in mayonnaise? I totally get it. Hold the potato and just chug the mayo.
11
Make room on your shelves, Goodwill outlets. The brand new appliance fad is in and has been out there for over 6 months, and although it may be found useful for some, you are probably getting donations already, so make room....
... next to the George Foreman indoor grills, panini presses, bread machines, and magic blenders, and juice extractors.
7
Agree! Around Christmas last year I went to a local flea market in the town where I live (near Frankfurt, Germany), and was amazed by the number of bread making machines for sale. A couple of days later, while browsing in a public book-sharing mini library, I found that somebody had put the instruction manual for their bread machine there. Probably a big fad appliance a few years ago, and now people are trying to get rid of them...
2
Didn't Alton Brown fry chicken once, meticulously measuring the amount of oil put in the pan and the amount of oil that remained after cooking, and found that the difference was almost negligible?
10
I find it funny that after talking about the potential to limit fat intake with the air fryer, the fries are accompanied my mayonnaise, and the wings are dipped in a butter based sauce... The heart knows what it wants, I guess, and it wants what isn't good for it!
6
I have the T-Fal air fryer. It roasts root vegetables in 35 minutes, without heating up the kitchen. With no pre-heating needed.
The Wirecutter tested the T-Fal. They put fish sticks in it. The rotating paddle destroyed them. Hence a negative rating. What did they expect?
I only use my T-Fal for root vegetables, mostly sweet potatoes (cut into chunks). It is the very best device for roasting root vegetables. Bar none.
9
@Don Wiss
Thanks! I hate using the oven for one or two sweet potatoes, so I steam them in the microwave--which is fine, but roasting sounds even better.
1
@Pundette
My large gas convection oven produces an awful lot of heat. I only use it for semi-boneless legs of lamb.
You can mix whatever spices you want into the one tablespoon of oil (I use avocado oil.) Recently I have been using ginger. But whatever spices that will mix into the oil will work. (Herbs will get blown around by the convection fan.)
Elsewhere it was pointed out the T-Fal is noisy. That it is. But after waiting for a few minutes, to make sure a piece doesn't get wedged in and stops the rotating, I take the timer with me back to my office.
Sweet potatoes go really well with avocados.
1
Perhaps I'm a culinary luddite, but I find these gadgets distracting. We cook full meals several nights a week, and eat/use leftovers. Our arsenal of tools is a basic gas oven, sheet pans, stock pots and cast iron grill. For specialty items, my 30 year old stainless steel 6qt Presto pressure cooker beats any instant pot hands down (fast soups and, mmmMMM the best corned beef ever). Crock Pot does the low and slow work. I can't justify losing space for another appliance in my kitchen that duplicates what I already have, yet does not produce the quantity I want.
24
@lynn I'm with ya. I kind of feel like these new appliances are similar to the diet pill idea. You're sold something that's quick and healthy but really the best thing is to use a little bit more elbow grease (or in this case patience). Consumerism is rampant. We need to learn not to give in to quick fixes.
15
Fortunately, i have lots of countertop space, so I love my air fryer. I wouldn't have had room in my last house. If you had steaks a few times at a restaurant, it would pay for itself. The steaks are perfect in it. I use it 3-4 times a week. Spring for the 5.6 or more.
7
My air fryer has replaced my pot of oil and toaster oven. While not better than either, the air fryer is fast and clean at baking and "frying". I use it three times a day to toast, fry breaded foods, make hamburgers, fries, pizza and reheat many foods including turning Costco roast chicken pieces skin crispy. True, it's not gourmet, but for the speed and convenience it's been my go to small appliance.
4
@Gr8bkset
You eat hamburgers, fries, pizza, and breaded foods three times a day? I have to ask if you have a weight problem?
3
@Pundette maybe this person is cooking for more than one person...maybe they have a big family.
Thank you! I've been trying to decide whether to buy one of these contraptions. Your review is incredibly helpful.
3
I have the TFal air fryer. It takes forever and it is really loud. I never use it
But I love my copper crisper pan with rack and it makes great chicken wings.
2
It's not much healthier.
Even if you air fry, you are still getting a lot of acrylamide, a carcinogen that's in browned foods, especially potatoes.
Even the mainstream American Cancer Society says
-Limit foods that might be high in acrylamide, such as potato products (especially French fries and potato chips), coffee, and foods made from grains (such as breakfast cereals, cookies, and toast).
-Limit certain cooking methods, such as frying and roasting, and limit the time certain foods are cooked. Boiling and steaming do not produce acrylamide.
-Soak raw potato slices in water for 15 to 30 minutes before frying or roasting to reduce acrylamide formation during cooking. (Soaked potatoes should be drained and blotted dry before cooking to prevent splattering or fires.)
-If frying potatoes or toasting bread, cook them to a lighter color (as opposed to dark brown), which produces less acrylamide.
-Avoid storing potatoes in the refrigerator, which can result in increased acrylamide levels during cooking.
6
@RW
The American Cancer Society says this: "So far, reviews of studies done in groups of people (epidemiologic studies) suggest that dietary acrylamide isn’t likely to be related to risk for most common types of cancer."
The National Cancer Institute says: "A large number of epidemiologic studies (both case-control and cohort studies) in humans have found no consistent evidence that dietary acrylamide exposure is associated with the risk of any type of cancer."
24
@Gofry
I eat really low protein and vegan, which is generally protective against disease. (See "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell, the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University.)
But I still limit browned foods and never eat anything grilled.
Because, why take the chance?
@Gofry
Both you and RW appear to be quoting the American Cancer Society--so which is it? I have limited browning of any kind based on the parts that RW quotes, so now I have to look into this again to see about the parts that you quote. I gave up grilled veggies completely, but maybe that wasn’t necessary?
1
I see an open jar of Hellmann's mayonnaise next to the fryer. This image alone has totally ruined it for me.
10
@Tom why?
@Tom May I ask why?
1
We love our air fryer. The French fries are crisp and taste the way French fries should - just less the oil. Anything coated with a breaded coating - comes out crispy and tastes great - as if one had deep fried it - just no to maybe a tablespoon of oil used to gently lightly brush the coating. We don't eat "fried" foods every day good grief; the air fryer gets used for something though at least twice a week and doesn't take up an immense amount of counter space. Once can also do bread rolls in it as well as uncoated items. So glad we purchased it - totally worth it.
21
I did a ribeye steak in my air fryer and it was about the best ever.
13
@david
I wonder if that "about the best ever" feeling had more to do with that particular ribeye steak itself vs. cooking it in an air fryer.
Regardless, having a wonderful, enjoyable and memorable meal is paramount.
1
As a person who lives alone and enjoys cooking; I suggested to my daughters that I wanted to try using an air fryer. FYI, I tried watching a few You Tube videos of people using their air fryers, don't do it! I have found that modifying recipes to one's individual taste works best. I enjoy eating healthy, non processed foods.
I have found the best results by rubbing a drop of olive oil on chicken wings makes them nice and crunchy! Making a frozen burger in the air fryer?! I had to try it! I was pleasantly surprised, it tasted grilled and moist. Pizza? I use a mini sized Naan, pizza sauce and slices of fresh mozzarella. I also, with some anxiety, attempted to air fry a steak! I bought a small, good quality steak, cook 5 min on each side, was medium and tender. I took a giant leap! It was suggested to me to air fry a small bone-in turkey breast. What did I have to lose, I was cooking for myself! Once again, rubbing both sides with olive oil, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Cook 20 minutes on each side, take out, cover with foil for 10 minutes. Moist and tasty.
I would recommend using a air fryer if you are cooking small amounts. It's a great alternative to using your oven, relying on frozen vegetables, and prepared foods.
62
@retired teacher Thank you! You gave more valuable information then the "professional" food writer...
11
Thanks for this review. I would be excited to see one of the Ninja Foodi, which supposedly combines the best of an air fryer and an Instant Pot.
2
@Tom im going to wait for thne one that combines an air fryer, an instant pot, and a minivan!
8
I've had two of these devices and neither came close to "frying" anything. You need to saturate any breaded food with so much oil to get it crispy, you may as well deep fry it.
The egg-shaped Philips model was very hard to clean and had limited capacity.
My second one, the box-shaped Cuisinart, is excellent as a second oven and toaster and is very handy. It stays on our counter and gets used at least 3 times a week.
5
Veggies on the grill ....fantastic. They don't lead to obesity and they taste great and have wonderful, controllable texture.
6
@Louis J Agreed. But you can't do French Fries on the grill. For that I use a simple deep fryer.
@Bob R, I do French fries on the grill. Or rather, steak fries, which are thicker and don't fall through the cracks. The store bought frozen ones are the best. From scratch is too much work.
2
@Bob R I grill tons of veggies on the grill, including potato fries, steak fries - heck, even seasoned jojo fries! You use a grill basket .
2
We love our air fryer. It is fantastic for teens who need a quick snack between activities. Pizza rolls, mozzarella sticks etc. Much safer then a deep fryer. We do not clean it after every use. It’s also great for reheating leftovers. Obviously if your cooking for a crowd or something more gourmet it’s not going to be your go to. Ours gets used every day.
12
True, it’s not a miracle appliance (neither is the Instant Pot despite so many claims to the contrary). But I wouldn’t trade my air fryer for anything! I love that I can roast veggies in the summer when veggies are at their most glorious and not heat up the entire house. Or make garlic cheese bread to go with some leftover soup in 5 minutes flat. I love that I can whip up a batch of croutons in the amount of time it takes me to throw a salad together for lunch. And the French fries that come out of it are far superior to anything that I have ever made in my regular convection oven. Definitely worth the counter space!
48
We love our air-fryer...great for weeknight quick meals...pork chops and chicken are especially great. Frozen and fresh potatoes cook up beautifully. What we really like about it is the speed. I keep it in the pantry and take it out when I need it. I also use an old school pressure cooker and the traditional stove as well. It always depends on what I am cooking and what I am trying to achieve flavor and texture wise....and how much time I have.
9
The air fryer is great for meat, and is just the right size for two people. Take a whole pre-seasoned pork loin (really cheap!), cut it in sections to fit the air fryer, and bake at 360 for 15 to 18 minutes. Comes out perfectly juicy and delicious. And very little to clean afterwards.
7
Fat isn't unhealthy; the premise that it is comes from outdated puritanical ideas about diet. Lower fat dinners aren't healthier, and byall accounts, our obsession with low fat foods produced the obesity epidemic of the 90s and 00s through today by stuffing us all full of sugar.
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@Jeff M
It's about time someone actually gets it.
Fat became the dietary enemy in the 1960s.
Corn oil became the healthy oil in the 1970s.
Low-fat, reduced-fat, and fat-free, prepackaged garbage became ubiquitous in the 1980s.
It's time to make it clear: Your body NEEDS FAT in order to work correctly and "fats" do not make you fat, excess and over consumption of simple carbohydrates, like those potatoes in the picture, do.
30
@Jeff M Oil becomes toxic when it reaches a certain temperature. This is what makes deep fried food so unhealthy. Raw oil is healthy.
9
@Jeff M
Low fat only led to obesity because people substituted sugar and simple carbs--as well as a host of other cultural factors that took place around the same time. Those of us who didn’t take this path are just fine and have maintained a healthy weight and good lipid panels.
10
The same results can be achieved with an ordinary oven.
People who are on no-oil diets for cardiovascular reasons discovered long ago that sauteing or deep-frying things to get them battered and/or browned is just not necessary.
9
Whenever an appliance fad like this comes on the scene, I ask myself a simple question: where do I expect to find this appliance in five years?
The answer to this one is a no brainer: in the back of the storage closet in a spot formerly occupied by the hot air corn popper and the electric can opener before they were finally donated to the Goodwill Store.
71
@CFXK As popcorn lovers, we use out hot air popper practically every day. The REAL useless kitchen item is the salad spinner. A true a space-waster!
12
@CFXK "where do I expect to find this appliance in five years?"
At a yard sale table?
7
@Acey
We have used our half-sized salad spinner almost daily for twenty years. We spin the dressing on to greatly reduce the amount of dressing. Also, wet salad doesn’t hang on to any dressing at all.
13
As someone who recently moved to live on a plant-based diet, I’m intrigued with the idea that I can create crispy veggie snacks using the air fryer. I’m going to try a small counter top model. Wish me luck.
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@Craig I frequently see vegan recipe developers recommending air fryers! I haven’t gotten one myself (no counter space) but plant based folk really seem to love them.
6
@Craig. Good luck.
1
@Craig -- Good luck! Hope we can find out how it worked for you.
1
In using your "big oven" that you have to preheat to a high temp for many minutes before putting your food in, how much energy do you consume vs using one of these small gadgets which "doesn't require much, if any, preheating"? To me the idea of having to preheat my big oven for as long as suggested by most recipes makes me feel too guilty to use it. Sometimes the recipe requires an hour at 500 (for pizza), for example--what is the calculation on energy wasted in that preheat time, I wonder? I would love some recipes adjusted so food goes right in when the oven gets turned on. This small appliance might work out well in terms of energy saved, at least. Has anyone calculated the environmental cost in preheating a big oven vs using a small appliance like this (or an electric pressure cooker, which I love)?
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@Kate
"Has anyone calculated the environmental cost in preheating a big oven vs using a small appliance like this"
Thank you, Kate!
Far, far too little attention is paid to this issue. How I'd love to see food writers begin incorporating this idea into their appliance reviews.
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@retired physicist
Don't forget the environmental cost of manufacturing and transporting that small appliance so you can use it!
34
@Hilary
The environmental cost of manufacturing and transporting the air fryer is certainly a lot less than it was for my 351 pound gas range (that weighed 391 lbs to ship).
Not to mention that my gas convection oven does a wonderful job of heating up my kitchen. My T-Fal air fryer does not.
19
If you like chicken wings there is no better way to cook them, you just have to know how. Also Italian sausages come out great, probably other stuff too but cleaning can be a chore. But they are not expensive and mine sits on a shelf in the basement until we need it, saving precious counter space. Take the plunge, folks, these are not thousand dollar items, spend 50 bucks and play, if you're a foodie you'll find a good use for it.
26
@David Shaw Sorry, but I live in Florida. No such thing as a basement here so you tend to be quite careful about counter space.
4
I’ve cut my processed oil consumption 95% in the last two years. The air fryer has been invaluable to me. Sweet potatoes, white potatoes, veggies, homemade falafel, chickpea snacks, omg so many things with just a few shakes during the cooking period- delicious! I rarely use my oven now. This, along with my Japanese rice cooker and instant pot are used regularly. Highly recommended if you are a whole food plant based eater.
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@Itsnotrocketscience
Sweet potatoes, white potatoes, veggies....and rice.
Good luck with that.
6
@Moehoward
For me, eating mostly whole foods plant based has been a miracle for my cholesterol, lipid, and blood sugar numbers. I’m no longer pre-diabetic and I’ve cut my heart disease risk.
Evidence based medicine and nutrition at nutritionfacts.org, if you’re interested in learning more.
8
i have demonstrated this product many times in my professional capacity
it makes pretty good french fries and does a tolerable job of things that are breaded ( flour egg crumbs)
it is heavy , the large one anyway it would not lend itself to being stored under counter
it is not inexpensive
and how often do you eat fried food ?
18
Thanks for this article. I have been wondering about the air fryer and now I know. The fact that it is great with vegetables makes it a real possibility for purchase for me
11
Yeah, counter space is a big deal. We’re at the point in the year when everything goes back out to the grill (even pizza, yum!). If it takes a little longer, I can have another beer...
36
@Denis Lucky you. I'm in Canada where there's still snow and ice. No grill until at least the end of May.
1
@Heather Inglis
But you can still enjoy a cold brew, yes?
4
Love my Instant Pot. Love my Anova Sous Vide gizmo too. But this is one kitchen toy I too will pass on. As Melissa noted, it's nothing more than a compact convection oven -- and I've got a stacked pair of those that I use regularly.
4
The only reason zucchini, or summer squash become “notoriously soggy” is if they are overcooked. Depending on the size of the slices, I cook them about two minutes in the basket of my pressure cooker, then toss them with a little olive oil, pepper lemon, salt (if you’re allowed,) and occasionally some garlic- they are “al dente” and delicious. Ditto for Brussels sprouts, green beans and broccoli. I’m not against “crispy” vegetables per se, but “crispness” shouldn’t be the only way to make vegetables palatable.
13
My experience with my NuWave Brio air fryer is better than yours but, perhaps, the difference is between the two brands.
The author did fail to mention that these appliances need cleaning after every use, just like any other.
20
Thank you Melissa for going into that dark dark place and coming back to tell us! LOL! I do appreciate it.
46
Most can only cook small portions and unevenly if you don't shift the product around. My good forced convection oven does a much better job and I can do two whole chickens. It doesnt fry like a frier so nix that function. I do have a top heater/fan element cooker with a glass top that does a better job and it is advertised as a forced fan roaster. That it does well but is bulky and controls are limited. I am on a LCHF diet so fats are fine!
4
I suspect the allure of these machines is the delusion that there is, after all, something new under the sun. (Or, in the language of financial markets, "This time is different.") Nope. Air fryers are less than they may appear to be. Instead, spend your money on a good dutch oven. You can actually *fry* food in those if you own a slotted spoon or a mesh spider.
10
@ Brendan Hasenstab Brooklyn, NY
Would not a counter-top electric or gas grill cover all the fowl and meat frying needs? Then needed only would be a stove-top fire for French fries, fried eggs, and similar dishes.
1
Funny coming across this article today! I had friends over on the weekend for my homemade fried chicken (which I fry in duck fat for super crispy crust). The topic of airfrying came up and no one in the group had tried an airfryer yet. Of course, I've circulated this article to everyone from dinner party night.
I personally don't see the attraction in using a machine that will mimic the effects of fattier foods while doing so with less fat, though I can see how some people might find it a great idea. I love fried foods, but I also love a slim waistline and overall good health. In my opinion, the key is, eat a healthy, low fat diet most of the time, then enjoy fattier items like fried chicken only on occasion, say once per week. That way when you do so, you can go for it and just enjoy the real thing sparingly, rather than having a lower fat clone of your favorite fatty foods more often.
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I have a standard Breville toaster oven (not the big one) which heats to 450 degrees and has convection fan. Is there any reason why that would not provide results similar to that of an air fryer?
8
@ Golem18 Washington, DC
In my preceding reply, it should have been "vox" (voice), not "box". The irritating spell-checker changes my words all the time.
1
@ Golem18 Washington, DC
I fear that your voice may be "box clamantis in deserta".
Air fryer, counter-top convection oven -- what else, what "new schemes" (Ecclesiastes 7:29) will people invent presumably to make cooking easier?
As for French fries, the best are with no residual after-taste of oil, crispy outside, soft inside, and to be eaten with neither ketchup, nor any other goop. Use of a fork or the fingers is optional.
3
@Golem18
It is the same thing, just more practical and versatile because it is a box with racks.
1