The Actifry & AirFryer Thread - Merged

Bateman · 03-02-2015 8:07pm

rubadub wrote: »

. After a few mins the surface is dried off and it take the oil well.

I also wondered about dehyrating onions at a low temp.

I'd say that's important, maybe I don't do it enough either. You wouldn't put food dripping in water into a hot oil deep fat fryer, so I think some sort of drying time between parboiling and acti-frying is important.

ynul31f47k6b59 · 09-02-2015 5:19pm

greasepalm wrote: »

i tried the actifry for a week and sent it back,could not wait 30 mins to do chips,replaced with a philips airfryer and buying different brands of chips to see the different taste.making your own chips they state add some oil .i need the healthy option.

I have an Airfryer and I do almost everything in it, I love it. Have you used Frylight? It's an oil spray, about 1 cal per spray. I parboil my chips - or actually if I'm boiling potatoes for dinner I'll keep one or two over for the next day and cut into chips, put in airtight container in fridge - anyway, if you spray the homemade chips with frylight they cook really well and taste lovely.

I did Kale chips in mine today, they do have a habit of flying up to the top and getting stuck to the top of it but they usually fall down again when I turn it off. Lovely and crispy, bit of chilli powder with few sprays of olive oil, a good shake delicious!

Shiraz 4.99 · 11-02-2015 12:46pm

Question on these airfryers.

Where do you add the tablespoon or so of oil ?.
Is there some compartment for it or do you spray the chips first ?.

brick tamland · 11-02-2015 12:54pm

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

Question on these airfryers.

Where do you add the tablespoon or so of oil ?.
Is there some compartment for it or do you spray the chips first ?.

just spray the chips

Tom Dunne · 11-02-2015 2:02pm

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

Question on these airfryers.

Where do you add the tablespoon or so of oil ?.
Is there some compartment for it or do you spray the chips first ?.

I usually put the potatoes into a bowl first, drop in a large tablespoon (or two) of oil, stir it around to ensure the chips are well coated and then put them into the air fryer.

Related snippet: Tesco do a range of flavoured oils (e.g. garlic, basil, etc.). I used the garlic one the other day as described above, with baby potatoes into the airfryer, utterly delicious. The airfryer actually shrinks the skin of the potatoes, giving them this lovely shrivelled texture.

imitation · 06-03-2015 12:03pm

So are the actifry or air frier good solution for a single fella who likes the odd chicken goujon, potoato wedges and potato waffles ? Im seeing 45 min cook times for some stuff, thats a fair wait for some fast food.

beer enigma · 06-03-2015 1:44pm

imitation wrote: »

So are the actifry or air frier good solution for a single fella who likes the odd chicken goujon, potoato wedges and potato waffles ? Im seeing 45 min cook times for some stuff, thats a fair wait for some fast food.

Would be perfect imo.

45 mins seems like an awful long time, I used mine at home last night for a full portion of wings & done in about 20 mins.

greasepalm · 07-03-2015 10:12am

i use the air frier alot chicken goujons and hash browns in around 15 minutes,6 pieces of chicken and 8 hash brows at 200.

Muahahaha · 08-03-2015 3:18pm

imitation wrote: »

So are the actifry or air frier good solution for a single fella who likes the odd chicken goujon, potoato wedges and potato waffles ? Im seeing 45 min cook times for some stuff, thats a fair wait for some fast food.

It would but I'd also advise you research a halogen oven as they're a good bit cheaper and also perfect for wedges, goujons, waffles, etc. Halogens are also great for roasting full chickens, beef cuts, etc. They heat up very quickly and use less electricity as a conventional oven, Ive only used my main oven for large casseroles and pizzas since I got a halogen, its a fab piece of kit.

Airfryers get a lot of plaudits but IMO a halogen is more versatile in what it can do.

greasepalm · 09-03-2015 9:31pm

i use the jml halogen oven to do my steak 15 mins at 200 for extra thick striploin or rib-eye,and my fries and onion rings in the philips airfryer.
yep do a roast chicken in 90 mins in the halogen oven,lovely and moist.

have both best of both worlds.

Muahahaha · 12-03-2015 5:28pm

greasepalm wrote: »

i use the jml halogen oven to do my steak 15 mins at 200 for extra thick striploin or rib-eye,and my fries and onion rings in the philips airfryer.
yep do a roast chicken in 90 mins in the halogen oven,lovely and moist.

have both best of both worlds.

How would you compare the chips from the Airfryer vs the halogen? Worth the extra investment or just slightly better? I usually only do sweet potato fries in my halogen and they're hard to get crispy because of their water content. I'd be interested in hearing how they do in an airfryer

greasepalm · 14-03-2015 12:16am

only ever done chips in the air frier never tried the halogen oven,as the air frier uses the old cooker ring and a fan to get the food cooked,yes would say its a good investment for a single person.bought duck wraps from meat outlet and threw them in the fridge next day took out and opened up must have been 60+ and cook in deep fat frier-oooops air frier and a squirt of oil 7 minutes later cooked and boy were they worth it .
the longer you leave it in to cook the more cooked and crispier they become, D I D had an event one evening showing them at work onion rings,chips,cocktail sausages all cooked ,bought one there and then.
with sausages needs cleaning everytime because of the fat coming out of them or it will be a smokie experience.
foods cooked so far in the frier.
chicken drumsticks
chips
onion rings
fish with breadcrumbs
sausages
cooking with hot air i find is healthier for me now.

ps no did not have 60+ in one go,it was 4 goes .

Thargor · 23-03-2015 3:58pm

How are the chips compared to the deep fat fried chips?

_Whimsical_ · 23-03-2015 4:03pm

Thargor wrote: »

How are the chips compared to the deep fat fried chips?

Every bit as good in my opinion, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside!Yum

To the person who asked if actifry beats halogen over for chips the answer is definitely yes. The tossing motion in the actfry means everything cooks evenly, you dont need to check on them once you put it on, you just come back when it beeps and they're done. I found the hallogen over was not nearly as nice for any sort of potatoes.

greasepalm · 23-03-2015 9:38pm

chip variety and make can vary the taste and texture when cooking in the airfryer.

rubadub · 24-03-2015 5:16pm

Thargor wrote: »

How are the chips compared to the deep fat fried chips?

which unit are you asking about? I have a philips airfryer and it is nowhere near as good as deep fat fired chips. It's the main complaint I see online about them, on the likes of amazon.

The name "airfryer" is a bit of a con, it's really just a fast fan oven.

I am extremely pleased with mine all the same.

_Whimsical_ · 24-03-2015 5:22pm

rubadub wrote: »

which unit are you asking about? I have a philips airfryer and it is nowhere near as good as deep fat fired chips. It's the main complaint I see online about them, on the likes of amazon.

The name "airfryer" is a bit of a con, it's really just a fast fan oven.

I am extremely pleased with mine all the same.

What aspect are you extremely pleased with if you don't mind me asking ?

rubadub · 24-03-2015 6:01pm

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

What aspect are you extremely pleased with if you don't mind me asking ?

Several things.

Its energy efficient, very energy efficient compared to the way many people use ovens. e.g. my housemate would preheat an oven for ages, and just be cooking a snack in it.

80% of the time I do not bother preheating the airfryer, since it heats up so quickly anyway. So its a single step when cooking.

The timer is great, its comparable to a microwave, you can set it and walk away. I would run in during a TV ad break stick something on and its there waiting. When it turns off it cools down quicker than an oven so does not tend to overcook food as much if you forget about it. I have turned it on and headed to the shop for additional stuff and come back, safe in the knowledge that if I get held up it will not burn. I do not like eating overly hot food and it keeps it nicely warm.

There is no need to standover it, like frying or grilling, you just pop it in and forget about it. It is also very repeatable.

It is very fast so I can say throw a burger right away, and then go looking for lettuce & buns etc. By the time I have all my onions, bun, cheese etc gathered it is often just finished -again no need to watch over it.

It cooks things very evenly, and I think it does a better job of some things than an oven would, e.g. sausages & rashers.

It only goes to 200C, which I thought was a downside but it is hot enough for me, this means stuff like silicone bakeware or other nonstick items should hold up longer, I have resued little sheets of baking paper a few times before throwing it out, in a regular oven they are often brown or brittle.

Easy to clean. After cooking I sometimes pour off fat into a jar and then put some water (hot or cold) in it and pop it back in to "cook" a while. This heats up the water and makes cleaning easier. I do find it a bit big for the dishwasher but have put it in a few times.

Thargor · 13-04-2015 11:02am

Anyone seen any cheap Philips Airfryers anywhere lately? I have price alerts on Amazon but its sticking stubbornly to the 130-150 area...

greasepalm · 13-04-2015 8:09pm

seen this

http://www.xxl-sale.co.uk/search/?q=Philips%20Air%20Fryer&campid=5337249842&gclid=CJe7o7n988QCFQJz2wodFEkAJg

Thargor · 13-04-2015 8:29pm

Thanks, those are just links to full price Ebay auctions though, Im not paying full price, I can wait for a dip...

Thargor · 14-04-2015 11:06pm

Ah feck it, bought a new Airfryer for €130 in DID this evening

Testing her out with some fish cakes and chips tomorrow...

Thargor · 15-04-2015 8:28pm

Just made 2 spectacular bacon cheeseburgers as a test, buns and all done perfectly in the Airfryer in 15 minutes, must have been half a pint of grease in the bottom from them aswell, 10/10 first attempt anyway. Will be moving on to healthier stuff from now on though.

It was a bit of a pain in the arse to clean afterwards though, whats the best way to do it if you dont use a diswasher in peoples opinion? Dont want to damage the mesh, its a bit thin.

greasepalm · 15-04-2015 10:27pm

fairy liquid and near boiling water and a nylon bristle brush.

maybe that was the example of healthy eating by whats left in the bottom as your not consuming it.

rubadub · 16-04-2015 9:40am

Thargor wrote: »

whats the best way to do it if you dont use a diswasher in peoples opinion?

While its still hot I pour the oil into a glass jar, there is a risk of cracking of course, but has never happened. I then cap it and pour the next waste on top of that the next time.

I pour water into the airfryer and put it back in for a few mins to reheat it. I sometimes put fairy liquid in and top it up so its just covering the wire mesh, then leave it in the machine so its not taking up any counter space. With this steeping I find it just easily cleans off the next time.

As above I only use plastic bristle brushes. However several spots of paint/coating have come off the bottom section -this was before I even had washing up liquid and was always a gentle wash. They are not rusting or anything and still clean easy.

For burgers after it is finished I then put cheese on and back in, which melts it nicely

Peig Sayers · 16-04-2015 10:41am

I line the bottom and side of my airfryer with tinfoil! Doesn't make any difference to the cooking! I pour a kettle of hot water onto the mesh to get rid of the stubborn bits and pop the basket in the dishwasher once a week for a proper clean.

Thargor · 16-04-2015 10:49am

Thanks all. Would it have killed them to put a removable plate in the shape of that fan indentation in the bottom though? Might have a look into knocking something up myself from the various worn out pans I have. I assume it would have to be a pretty close match to the fan shape though or it will disrupt the air circulation, might be beyond my fabrication skills...

I dont want to use tinfoil every time I cook. Its really not that big a deal anyway, delighted with the amount of grease Im getting off things especially breakfast meats.

Thargor · 21-04-2015 9:29pm

Ugh first attempt at homemade chips absolutely disgusting, just tasteless strips of dried out potato.

greasepalm · 21-04-2015 10:29pm

did you give them a squirt of olive oil in a pump spray to coat them?what temp and for how long as my frozen ones are 200 for 15mins.or slightly less.

Thargor · 21-04-2015 10:54pm

Yeah I gave them a few sprays of this, maybe that was the problem and I should have just tossed them in a bowl with normal vegetable oil first, the Dunnes Store Finest Crinkle-Cut oven chips I did the other night were really nice, no oil added:

The Actifry & AirFryer Thread - Merged

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