Does Anyone Have A Small Air Fryer?

[Judge]

Likes? Dislikes? Did the device meet your expectations?

Just wondering. Thinking of using one for simple tasks like frozen shrimp, onion rings and fries.

 

[Mary Terry]

I don't have an air fryer because it seems I can do everything in the oven that I could do with an air fryer so I'm interested in folks' responses here.

 

[Nitro]

I bought a rather inexpensive new one out of the package for $10 out of a discount shop and really liked how it worked.
When it died, I got a fairly decent one to replace it.
I'd say perfect for what you want to use it for.
I'd highly recommend them to whoever asked me.

 

[Nervous Rex]

We have one that my wife bought. It's great for heating up pre-fried stuff that you would normally bake in the oven, like chicken strips or hash browns. Our kids love to use it to make hash browns in the morning.

It's great, but there are a few caveats:
1) You have to read the manual carefully so you don't accidentally touch one of the hot parts.
2) It's a little bulky and you can't pick it up when it's hot, so it often sits on our counter for days at a time.
3) That thing is LOUD. We can hear it running no matter where in the house we are.

 

[Aspychata]

I have a beautiful one , yes, that l don't use. It's so big, l can use it to throw clothes on like a treadmill. I did try making somethings with it. They have excellent cookbooks for them. You need to buy one that holds a good amount. Otherwise you do lots of batches. I say research- find one that has good reviews. Mine is actually from home depot, my divorce gift, but couldn't burn up my divorce file in it except in little tiny batches, pass the ketchup.

 

[Nitro]

This is the exact one I own at the present:
LOVSHARE AIR FRYER | eBay

It stands about a foot tall and resides on my prep table.
In my honest opinion, it isn't all that loud, in fact, standing right in front of it it can't drown out the radio I have on 24/7 in the kitchen area.

It doesn't require any preheating like a conventional oven does.
It draws very little current as it operates on a standard 110 volt outlet.
That saves money.
It also promotes a greener path for those who are conscious of saving the planet.
You hit the on switch, set the temperature then set the timer on it and walk away. When it's cooking cycle is over, it makes a single alarm beep.
That saves having to keep a watchful eye on the cooking process.
The no-stick basket is readily removable for cleaning and all in all, the reduced oil content needed to operate it is a way to a healthier lifestyle.
I do no use any oil on anything I have cooked in this one so far.

I don't feel it is any more unsafe to operate than any kitchen heat sourced method of cooking.

 

[Aspychata]

There are some that got so hot, they melted, so you shouldn't buy crappy ones. These do get extremly hot so you need to heed those warnings re: what is hot in unit. Also don't leave the house and leave it on.
Obviously Nitro has a the Cadillac of fryers. Lol Wait, we have the same fryer, it looks exactly like mine.

 

[Nervous Rex]

My model is a Nuwave, I think the 3 quart model.

 

[George Newman]

If I crawl in one of these hot air cooker things will it put a star on my belly?

As you may or may not know, I am a plain-belly sneetch. There is no star upon thar.

 

[Aspychata]

Mine is Kalorik but it's huge. It has a timer up to 30 mins. It goes up to 400 degrees temp.

 

[Nervous Rex]

"Mmmmmmm... fried air."

 

[Juliettaa]

View attachment 60879
"Mmmmmmm... fried air."

Phew, thank heavens it's not just me!!!

I read the title and wondered 'why would you fry air?'

I had to google air fryer.

It looks like the kind of device that I'd use once and then shove it in the garage, never to be seen again

 

[Nitro]

It looks like the kind of device that I'd use once and then shove it in the garage, never to be seen again

You obviously haven't ever tried one yet.

 

[Juliettaa]

You obviously haven't ever tried one yet.

I'd never heard of 'air fryers' let alone tried one

I don't cook fried food as the smell is horrendous, and I'm so used to not eating fried stuff, that I wouldn't even know what to use the 'air fryer' for.

Is there any trace of fried cooking smells when using the air fryer?

 

[Nitro]

I'd never heard of 'air fryers' let alone tried one

I don't cook fried food as the smell is horrendous, and I'm so used to not eating fried stuff, that I wouldn't even know what to use the 'air fryer' for.

Is there any trace of fried cooking smells when using the air fryer?

Not that I'm aware of, it only smells like what is being cooked in it, but it isn't actually the same as deep frying in fat either.

I got turned on to them after being served food prepared in one by a neighbor.
The first one I bought was just $10 as an unused unit.
It wasn't a lot of cash to lay out for a test drive, and I used it for a couple of years until it quit.

The one I have now was lightly used by my aide who upgraded to a larger one to better serve the needs of her family.
She only wanted $25 for it, but I handed her an extra 20 for it without blinking an eye.

 

[Aspychata]

My food group and need is crunchy, so this does work. You can put frozen fries in it, but the beauty is you can skip oils and things come out crunchy. I moved to the south, and there is a lot of fried food here. In another state- Minnesota, one year they had fried butter on a stick at the state fair. Nope, l had no desire to try it so l can't say how it tasted. They had fried key lime pie on a stick, that was popular there. I will be using it again. Maybe Nitro can start an air fryer hints thread.

 

[Judge]

Is there any trace of fried cooking smells when using the air fryer?

From what I've seen in terms of customer comments, some mention that they produce far less smell than conventional deep fryers. Though personally I've never owned a deep fryer either.

 

[Nervous Rex]

From what I've seen in terms of customer comments, some mention that they produce far less smell than conventional deep fryers.

Yes, I've never really noticed a smell from our air fryer. Definitely no heavy smell of oil hanging in the air.

 

[Mary Terry]

I'd never heard of 'air fryers' let alone tried one

I don't cook fried food as the smell is horrendous, and I'm so used to not eating fried stuff, that I wouldn't even know what to use the 'air fryer' for.

Is there any trace of fried cooking smells when using the air fryer?

I don't fry food, either, except once or twice a year when my husband sets up the deep fat fryer in the garage for a fish fry when we've caught a bunch of fresh fish. I can't stand that fry smell in the house, either. I admit that I am always very slow to embrace any new cooking technology and remain loyal to my enamel Dutch ovens, cast iron skillets, All Clad stainless steel pots and pans, and sturdy sheet pans for the oven. Having limited counter space and storage also deters me from buying new appliances.

My counters already hold slow cookers, a stand mixer, food processor, coffee pot, toaster oven, etc. We bought a new electric stove with two ovens last summer which is energy efficient and heats up quickly. If I make oven fries, I put a sheet pan in the cold oven, turn the heat to 450 degrees, let the sheet pan get screaming hot, then put the potatoes, carrots, or whatever veg I'm "frying" on the hot pan. It takes only a couple of tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil on the veggies to get that crispy texture and browning.

I would like to have an electric food dehydrator so I can make jerky, fruit leather, dried tomatoes, and things like that but would have to store it in the garage or on a closet shelf somewhere.

 

[VAW]

Likes? Dislikes? Did the device meet your expectations?

Just wondering. Thinking of using one for simple tasks like frozen shrimp, onion rings and fries.

I have two air fryers. A smaller one and a double layer one and I love them... Use them all the time!