The reason I purchased my air fryer was for the health reasons. It was strongly suggested to me by my Doctor that I dramatically change the way I was cooking which was helping me eat food in bad ways which resulted in some health issues. My parents made the best food .. fried in cast iron skillets and dutch ovens with lots of bacon grease, lard, oil and butter. That's how I learned to enjoy foods .. and now I am paying for those delicious ways. So along comes the air fryer .. and it has helped me make a huge improvement in my health. Change is hard at times and it wasn't easy to change the way I cook. I am a great cook, I enjoy cooking and baking and my food has been enjoyed by many over the years. I should have been a chef ! But I was not willing to steam or boil my food. For me the air fryer has been a God send. You get out of something what you put into it. They aren't for everyone - especially in our age groups because we are quite set in our ways - but I am really glad I tried it and there hasn't been anything I've not been able to cook in mine .. and I am much healthier now just from that little change.
As Yvonne wrote, we purchased a small one just to do a little experimenting with the idea that if the air fryer was all that good then maybe we’d step up to a larger and better one. First off, it’s not really a fryer but rather a very compact convection oven. Whatever a person can put in a convection oven, can be cooked in the air fryer. Simple. Thus far, I’ve prepared some skinless chicken breasts, a nice roasted pork tenderloin, made some corn tortilla chips and yes, a whole bunch of chicken wings. The big thing I’ve learned thus far is because I’m working in a small amount of space, airflow is the key. If a person packs a bunch of chicken wings in the fryer with little or no air flow between the wings, then there are problems. In truth, anything that demands that all sides be cooked like wings, fries, chips etc has to be shaken occasionally to reposition the food being “fried”. Just like anything new, there’s a learning process involved and thus far it seems like it’s an easy and quick study. I’m not sure as of yet if I really want a bigger one but time will tell. If I wish to do more than a half dozen or so chicken wings at a time then maybe I can find a way to open up the wallet a little more and get a larger fryer.
No one has ever labelled me "normal." (And I do own a couple of trusty cast-iron skillets handed down from my mom.)
Thank you Maggie Mae. One month updaate: After the first few tries of following theincluded recipe book... I took off on my own, though if it's something new, I'll look for recipes online. That said it's a matter of getting a feel for times and temperatures... Your post is right on... There are some things that I get for regular use, such as the 2 lb pkg of frozen string fries from our "Dollar Tree", and the chicken nuggests from Aldi. Did a whole small chicken the other day, and was pleased with the results. Went to Kohls with jeanie the other day... amazed... at least 12 different brands, but most in the $100+ range. Ours was $59.95 @ Walmart. Size was 3.5 lbs. Big eough for what we do.
I bought my wife an Everus Air Fryer for Christmas, and she's enjoying it. She's used it for at least a part of pretty much every meal since. The first time, with french fries, they came out a bit on the dry side, but that was before the air fryer cookbook arrived, and everything after that has turned out very well, particularly the chicken she cooked in it last night. Some things do need a small amount of oil, to prevent the dryness, but nothing like you'd likely use in frying it. It's also very easy to clean, which is nice because I'm the one who usually does that. So please ignore my disparaging remarks earlier in this thread.
Hah. I'll also do some "word eating." After stating that I'd never buy another one, the pre-Christmas sales sucked me in. I bought this one and donated my smaller model to Goodwill. It even has a dehydrator function so someday I might dry out something.
Glad for this thread. Seriously thinking of buying one ! Do u think the less expensive ones are just as good ? Likes and dislikes about using one.
One of the problems that people have reported in reviews are the limitations in the smaller ones, as far as what can fit.
Gloria--as Ken said, be sure to get one big enough so that food isn't crowded. Also make sure there is sufficient power (wattage). The first one I bought about 4 years ago was too small and too under-powered. I'd say make sure it's at least 1500 watts; the newer, bigger models are 1700-1800 watts now. They are pretty big so make sure you have the cabinet space/counter top area available.
More adventures in air frying! I use mine mostly for reheating stuff or french fries, but tomorrow I'm planning to roast a whole chicken. I have studied Youtube videos judiciously and feel prepared to tackle this. Has anyone cooked a whole chicken in your air fryer?? Any tips will be appreciated. I will report back tomorrow evening.
My wife has; a small one because there's just the two of us. I don't have any tips because I wasn't watching, but it was very good.
It seems straightforward so I'm pretty sure I can handle it. I bought a small chicken, too. I was thinking that this will be a good way to avoid buying the store-cooked rotisserie chickens, but after comparing the price of a fresh raw chicken to rotisserie, it appears the rotisserie is a better deal and no cleanup required. Of course I can always keep a chicken in the freezer to avoid a trip to the store, so a bit of convenience gained.