It must be close to two years I have been pondering whether to buy an air fryer and living in a caravan brings issues....
Downsides: they are large, I'll need the generator to power it, cleaning may be an issue.
Upsides: it looks like they can do chips and fabulous roast potatoes and, I'm sure, a whole heap of other stuff.
What does the wisdom of the forum say? A good cooking tool or a passing fad?
msg said
01:37 PM Jun 1, 2022
Considered this as well. Power drain was my issue. Also, you can buy plenty of fried food at the shops. or chips on the gas stove in a pot of oil.Be careful, be very very careful.
You can cook roasts and potatoes on a weber or in a frypan.
Remember the Sunbeam Frypan? Mum fed the family of 6 in that. There wasn't much she couldn't cook in it. even cakes.
I personally don't think the cooking method saves much fat.
Daughter had one. It was raved about at first and I almost got one but then it ended up unused in her cupboard.
If I could find a Sunbeam Frypan that is stainless steel and has a high domed lid, then I would go with that. I have one in the shed. Unfortunately after the last trip and 45yrs the electrical cord gave up the ghost.
I also have one of those cookers that are a round glass bowl with an element on top it was good, but unfortunately caught fire lol.
Mein said
01:49 PM Jun 1, 2022
I use my air fryer every day. Mine is the 'barrel' type.
I don't use ANY oil or fat.
I use the high pressure setting on the garden house to clean the basket and the bottom section of the barrel.
I believe that using the air fryer has been a significant factor in my recent (and wanted) 8 kg weight loss.
Bicyclecamper said
02:33 PM Jun 1, 2022
Where do you draw the line. I drew the line on this myself due to the fact, that we have nearly every new fangled cooker you can get. I even have a garden shed full of the unused ones today. It is not Donna's fault, I like them as well, but either sell all the others first or use them, before we get another. These new cookers , are after all, are only Glorified George Forman cookers anyhow, and we have one of those.
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 1st of June 2022 02:36:07 PM
Mein said
03:50 PM Jun 1, 2022
These new cookers , are after all, are only Glorified George Forman cookers anyhow, and we have one of those.
Sorry but, you couldn't be more wrong. Whether you're referring to the George Foreman grills or George Foreman barbeques, air fryers cook food using a totally different method.
"An Air fryer is a kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around food." and "Air frying is an alternative method to grilling and deep frying. Instead of submerging food in oil, the air fryer circulates hot air inside a cooking basket."
dabbler said
04:00 PM Jun 1, 2022
There are smaller airfryers on the market. We gifted our original unit to our daughter and purchased the smallest version of the Ninja Foodi which is really a multi cooker. It typically needs less than 1500watts in both air fryer and pressure cooker modes. Prices vary so hunt around online.
DMaxer said
04:02 PM Jun 1, 2022
Give it twelve months Mike and it will end up in your storage shed next to your fondue, hula hoop and Bay City Rollers records.
Mike Harding said
04:19 PM Jun 1, 2022
DMaxer wrote:
and Bay City Rollers records.
Bay City Rollers!?
Dmaxer: one of us is either younger or older than we are admitting :)
Mein said
04:43 PM Jun 1, 2022
Give it twelve months Mike and it will end up in your storage shed next to your fondue, hula hoop and Bay City Rollers records.
Did you borrow that comment? I'm sure that I read the same, or a similar, comment in 1989 referring to microwave ovens.
Phlipper said
05:09 PM Jun 1, 2022
Oven does much the same thing if you dont use fat or oil. Air fryers are, I think a gimmick and end up being another item to take up space in your cupboards
Mike Harding said
06:04 PM Jun 1, 2022
Phlipper wrote:
Oven does much the same thing if you dont use fat or oil.
I live in my caravan and like many caravans it does not have an oven.
rgren2 said
07:17 PM Jun 1, 2022
Mein wrote:
Give it twelve months Mike and it will end up in your storage shed next to your fondue, hula hoop and Bay City Rollers records.
Did you borrow that comment? I'm sure that I read the same, or a similar, comment in 1989 referring to microwave ovens.
1972, saw my first microwave, Annandale Hotel in Sydney, was doing a course and staying at the pub, you picked your meal that was on a plate covered in clingfilm, it was whacked in a large machine, the food rotated, the clingfilm swelled up. Bing! The food was done. Magic happened.
Mind you, I was in the PMG as a technician at the time and knew all the theory about them.
vanTas said
11:08 PM Jun 1, 2022
We find our air-fryer to be about three times as fast as the full sized oven, plus it draws considerably less power. Also, with the rotating basket, it is possible to do things that the regular oven cannot.
We will have to do some searching though to find one suitable for the van. Probably arrive on the market before too long.
bratboy said
07:28 AM Jun 2, 2022
Never had a fondue or a hoola hoop or a bay city rollers album for that matter BUT we do have an air fryer , 2 actually and you know what after about 6 years neither one is in the storage shed . Very versatile bit of gear .
-- Edited by bratboy on Thursday 2nd of June 2022 08:36:15 AM
Buzz Lightbulb said
12:27 PM Jun 2, 2022
Mein wrote:
These new cookers , are after all, are only Glorified George Forman cookers anyhow, and we have one of those.
Sorry but, you couldn't be more wrong. Whether you're referring to the George Foreman grills or George Foreman barbeques, air fryers cook food using a totally different method.
"An Air fryer is a kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around food." and "Air frying is an alternative method to grilling and deep frying. Instead of submerging food in oil, the air fryer circulates hot air inside a cooking basket."
Yes, 'air frying' is just a new fangled name for 'baking'.
Cupie said
12:51 PM Jun 2, 2022
We, like a couple of others who have replied, have long been pondering the purchase of an Air Fryer. To help the argument in favour, we recently stayed over at a friend's place & they did the complete breakfast of bacon, eggs & grits etc in an Air Fryer .. very good it was too. Storage is no problem for them as they have a butler's kitchen with lots of shelves.
It seems that the extra large one would be best for us..... Of course!
A smaller one might sit in the unused gas oven in the Van.
A recent reno of our home kitchen revealed amongst lots of other long forgotten things; a great pile of electrical 'must have' appliances like 2 rice cookers, 2 slow cookers, 2 juicers, 2 Food processors and a blender, not to forget the stick blender with its' range of never used attachments. Oops almost forgot 2 mix master thingies. I negotiated a couple of shelves in an adjacent linen cupboard to place them in easy access positions, as we progress them towards the bin along with a couple of boxes of mixed crockery, cutlery & kitchen implements. Of course we had to have new crockery & cutlery to compliment the new kitchen. But at least this time we will throw out the old stuff! At least that's the plan.
Will an Air Fryer become just another never used indulgence?
But I am very interested in using it to semi dry the abundance of veges that my garden produces every year. (Of course I could do that with a sun powered one or in the brand new kitchen oven).
msg said
01:22 PM Jun 2, 2022
If I get a new kitchen oven (unlikley) I will get one that air frys as well. Your microwave will also dry produce and the oven as well.
I wouldn't be without my Food processor, stick mixer and blender although I do like the look of those on tele that make hot soup in one go. (Tempted but too expensive just to make some soup) and that new Kleva slicer looks good. But not interested in an air fryer
Mike Harding said
02:08 PM Jun 2, 2022
Thanks all for your responses.
I've decided to buy one, just a small 2.5L $70 job which I can store well enough and should, at least, keep me supplied with roast potatoes and chips :)
Aus-Kiwi said
02:52 PM Jun 2, 2022
Where have you codgers been ? Ive had my old air fryer for 20 years . I just bought a smaller one recently that also can steam
!! Cooks pork and especially chicken in 1/4 of the time ! Whats a fondu ? Is that something you sleep on ? His anywhere buoy can buy fried food ? Road kill is way nicer ! Ill go back to my 8 track and VHS recorder now after Ive put away my 72 rpm
Recorder !! Lol I love using technology ! Lol
Craig1 said
02:57 PM Jun 2, 2022
Rgen, we also saw our 1st microwave in Sydney in a long forgotten pub, it produced the second worst meal I had ever had at that stage.
Cupie said
03:42 PM Jun 2, 2022
Craig1 wrote:
Rgen, we also saw our 1st microwave in Sydney in a long forgotten pub, it produced the second worst meal I had ever had at that stage.
Come on ... Tell us what was the worst.
Cupie said
03:46 PM Jun 2, 2022
msg wrote:
If I get a new kitchen oven (unlikley) I will get one that air frys as well. Your microwave will also dry produce and the oven as well.
I wouldn't be without my Food processor, stick mixer and blender although I do like the look of those on tele that make hot soup in one go. (Tempted but too expensive just to make some soup) and that new Kleva slicer looks good. But not interested in an air fryer
No doubt we should have gone for an upgraded oven rather than settle for the well priced one that came with the package .. but have you looked at the price of kitchen renos these days. Just have to stop somewhere.
BTW we will keep one of most of the things that we have two of. Make room for an air fryer perhaps.
deverall11 said
04:24 PM Jun 2, 2022
Over priced, Over rated. Flavour of the month stuff (no pun intended). In a little while you'll be able to buy them
at half price or they may even give them away.
We've got one of these (similar anyway) for the caravan: www.kmart.com.au/product/12l-convection-oven-42671879/
The Belmont Bear said
04:54 PM Jun 2, 2022
We have been using an air fryer for a few years now and I reckon that they do a pretty good job. I think we paid a couple of hundred $ for the first one (Tefal brand) then when it was getting near the time to replace it I happened to see one in Woolies which was around $30 or $40 (Mistral 3.5ltr) so I bought one. Its a bit more basic and probably a little smaller but its large enough for doing chips etc. for one or 2 people. Regardless of whether you use an air frier or not there is still plenty of fat that comes out of processed frozen food like chips, gems, spring rolls, fish etc. you just arent adding to it by deep frying. Probably wouldnt take one in the van though as we have an oven and a Baby Q that can pretty much do the same thing.
BB
littledick said
05:07 PM Jun 2, 2022
Mike Harding wrote:
It must be close to two years I have been pondering whether to buy an air fryer and living in a caravan brings issues....
Downsides: they are large, I'll need the generator to power it, cleaning may be an issue.
Upsides: it looks like they can do chips and fabulous roast potatoes and, I'm sure, a whole heap of other stuff.
What does the wisdom of the forum say? A good cooking tool or a passing fad?
We have the oven style air fryer but only use it at home. Good for chips and other friable items as you mentioned + pizza.
Saves heating the big oven up.
If you have room, get one. We have a van oven as well but yet to use it. BBQ mainly.
Dick.
markf said
12:58 AM Jun 3, 2022
Mike Harding wrote:
It must be close to two years I have been pondering whether to buy an air fryer and living in a caravan brings issues....
Downsides: they are large, I'll need the generator to power it, cleaning may be an issue.
Upsides: it looks like they can do chips and fabulous roast potatoes and, I'm sure, a whole heap of other stuff.
What does the wisdom of the forum say? A good cooking tool or a passing fad?
We have one and wouldn't be without it. Small roasts, roast veges, chips, whatever you can think of are all good. Don't think of it as a fryer but as a benchtop fan forced oven . We used ours while we were bush camping for the first time last week. A couple of roast lamb leg steaks, potatoes, pumpkin and steamed brocolini ....hmmm...
They do suck a fair amount of power though - we chewed through over 200Ah (LiFePo4) in one meal but it didn't matter as we drove 600km the next day and got properly charged up again. We normally save it for home or caravan parks.
Craig1 said
09:11 AM Jun 3, 2022
we stopped at a "nameless pub" near Wangaratta( they may well have good meals now), 5 people on a road trip, all agreed it was awful.
To add insult, we bought 6 stubbies to continue on with and the a fell out of the paper bag above the concrete path, so then there were 4 thirsty people.
Bobdown said
10:28 AM Jun 3, 2022
Craig1 wrote:
we stopped at a "nameless pub" near Wangaratta( they may well have good meals now), 5 people on a road trip, all agreed it was awful. To add insult, we bought 6 stubbies to continue on with and the a fell out of the paper bag above the concrete path, so then there were 4 thirsty people.
6 stubbies, 5 people, 4 thirsty people.........sounds like a cryptic clue to how many stubbies broke? Pub meal from hell hey Craig?
Cheers Bob
Craig1 said
02:12 PM Jun 3, 2022
Yep, we still chuckle when we go past it. And most of them did.
It must be close to two years I have been pondering whether to buy an air fryer and living in a caravan brings issues....
Downsides: they are large, I'll need the generator to power it, cleaning may be an issue.
Upsides: it looks like they can do chips and fabulous roast potatoes and, I'm sure, a whole heap of other stuff.
What does the wisdom of the forum say? A good cooking tool or a passing fad?
You can cook roasts and potatoes on a weber or in a frypan.
Remember the Sunbeam Frypan? Mum fed the family of 6 in that. There wasn't much she couldn't cook in it. even cakes.
I personally don't think the cooking method saves much fat.
Daughter had one. It was raved about at first and I almost got one but then it ended up unused in her cupboard.
If I could find a Sunbeam Frypan that is stainless steel and has a high domed lid, then I would go with that. I have one in the shed. Unfortunately after the last trip and 45yrs the electrical cord gave up the ghost.
I also have one of those cookers that are a round glass bowl with an element on top it was good, but unfortunately caught fire lol.
I use my air fryer every day. Mine is the 'barrel' type.
I don't use ANY oil or fat.
I use the high pressure setting on the garden house to clean the basket and the bottom section of the barrel.
I believe that using the air fryer has been a significant factor in my recent (and wanted) 8 kg weight loss.
Where do you draw the line. I drew the line on this myself due to the fact, that we have nearly every new fangled cooker you can get. I even have a garden shed full of the unused ones today. It is not Donna's fault, I like them as well, but either sell all the others first or use them, before we get another. These new cookers , are after all, are only Glorified George Forman cookers anyhow, and we have one of those.
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 1st of June 2022 02:36:07 PM
These new cookers , are after all, are only Glorified George Forman cookers anyhow, and we have one of those.
Sorry but, you couldn't be more wrong. Whether you're referring to the George Foreman grills or George Foreman barbeques, air fryers cook food using a totally different method.
"An Air fryer is a kitchen appliance that cooks by circulating hot air around food." and "Air frying is an alternative method to grilling and deep frying. Instead of submerging food in oil, the air fryer circulates hot air inside a cooking basket."
Bay City Rollers!?
Dmaxer: one of us is either younger or older than we are admitting :)
Give it twelve months Mike and it will end up in your storage shed next to your fondue, hula hoop and Bay City Rollers records.
Did you borrow that comment? I'm sure that I read the same, or a similar, comment in 1989 referring to microwave ovens.
I live in my caravan and like many caravans it does not have an oven.
1972, saw my first microwave, Annandale Hotel in Sydney, was doing a course and staying at the pub, you picked your meal that was on a plate covered in clingfilm, it was whacked in a large machine, the food rotated, the clingfilm swelled up. Bing! The food was done. Magic happened.
Mind you, I was in the PMG as a technician at the time and knew all the theory about them.
We will have to do some searching though to find one suitable for the van. Probably arrive on the market before too long.
Never had a fondue or a hoola hoop or a bay city rollers album for that matter BUT we do have an air fryer , 2 actually and you know what after about 6 years neither one is in the storage shed . Very versatile bit of gear .
-- Edited by bratboy on Thursday 2nd of June 2022 08:36:15 AM
Yes, 'air frying' is just a new fangled name for 'baking'.
We, like a couple of others who have replied, have long been pondering the purchase of an Air Fryer. To help the argument in favour, we recently stayed over at a friend's place & they did the complete breakfast of bacon, eggs & grits etc in an Air Fryer .. very good it was too. Storage is no problem for them as they have a butler's kitchen with lots of shelves.
It seems that the extra large one would be best for us..... Of course!
A smaller one might sit in the unused gas oven in the Van.
A recent reno of our home kitchen revealed amongst lots of other long forgotten things; a great pile of electrical 'must have' appliances like 2 rice cookers, 2 slow cookers, 2 juicers, 2 Food processors and a blender, not to forget the stick blender with its' range of never used attachments. Oops almost forgot 2 mix master thingies. I negotiated a couple of shelves in an adjacent linen cupboard to place them in easy access positions, as we progress them towards the bin along with a couple of boxes of mixed crockery, cutlery & kitchen implements. Of course we had to have new crockery & cutlery to compliment the new kitchen. But at least this time we will throw out the old stuff! At least that's the plan.
Will an Air Fryer become just another never used indulgence?
But I am very interested in using it to semi dry the abundance of veges that my garden produces every year. (Of course I could do that with a sun powered one or in the brand new kitchen oven).
I wouldn't be without my Food processor, stick mixer and blender although I do like the look of those on tele that make hot soup in one go. (Tempted but too expensive just to make some soup) and that new Kleva slicer looks good. But not interested in an air fryer
Thanks all for your responses.
I've decided to buy one, just a small 2.5L $70 job which I can store well enough and should, at least, keep me supplied with roast potatoes and chips :)
!! Cooks pork and especially chicken in 1/4 of the time ! Whats a fondu ? Is that something you sleep on ? His anywhere buoy can buy fried food ? Road kill is way nicer ! Ill go back to my 8 track and VHS recorder now after Ive put away my 72 rpm
Recorder !! Lol I love using technology ! Lol
Come on ... Tell us what was the worst.
No doubt we should have gone for an upgraded oven rather than settle for the well priced one that came with the package .. but have you looked at the price of kitchen renos these days. Just have to stop somewhere.
BTW we will keep one of most of the things that we have two of. Make room for an air fryer perhaps.
at half price or they may even give them away.
We've got one of these (similar anyway) for the caravan:
www.kmart.com.au/product/12l-convection-oven-42671879/
We have been using an air fryer for a few years now and I reckon that they do a pretty good job. I think we paid a couple of hundred $ for the first one (Tefal brand) then when it was getting near the time to replace it I happened to see one in Woolies which was around $30 or $40 (Mistral 3.5ltr) so I bought one. Its a bit more basic and probably a little smaller but its large enough for doing chips etc. for one or 2 people. Regardless of whether you use an air frier or not there is still plenty of fat that comes out of processed frozen food like chips, gems, spring rolls, fish etc. you just arent adding to it by deep frying. Probably wouldnt take one in the van though as we have an oven and a Baby Q that can pretty much do the same thing.
BB
We have the oven style air fryer but only use it at home. Good for chips and other friable items as you mentioned + pizza.
Saves heating the big oven up.
If you have room, get one. We have a van oven as well but yet to use it. BBQ mainly.
Dick.
We have one and wouldn't be without it. Small roasts, roast veges, chips, whatever you can think of are all good. Don't think of it as a fryer but as a benchtop fan forced oven . We used ours while we were bush camping for the first time last week. A couple of roast lamb leg steaks, potatoes, pumpkin and steamed brocolini ....hmmm...
They do suck a fair amount of power though - we chewed through over 200Ah (LiFePo4) in one meal but it didn't matter as we drove 600km the next day and got properly charged up again. We normally save it for home or caravan parks.
To add insult, we bought 6 stubbies to continue on with and the a fell out of the paper bag above the concrete path, so then there were 4 thirsty people.
6 stubbies, 5 people, 4 thirsty people.........sounds like a cryptic clue to how many stubbies broke? Pub meal from hell hey Craig?
Cheers Bob