# AIR FRYER



## gary s (Mar 7, 2019)

I have some Questions. My Wife say a Commercial on Air Fryers
I know a bunch of you have and use them
Please share your thoughts on the pro's and con's
How well does it work ? , Taste ?, Texture ?, and what all 
cooks really well in the Air Fryer

Thanks

Gary


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## timstalltaletav (Mar 7, 2019)

I bought one about a month ago and I'm pretty sure we haven't turned out oven on since.

Anything you'd normally fry or bake comes out great.

Things like chicken nuggets, fries, mozzarella sticks, friend pickles, etc..  are awesome.  Plus it heats up almost instantly so you're eating quicker.

Last Saturday I finished off some CSR's in it that were taking too long on the WSM.  They came out perfect with about 20 minutes at 325°.

I'd definitely recommend getting one if you have the space on the counter for another toy


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## TomKnollRFV (Mar 7, 2019)

I get mine out weekly and do burgers..fries..sausages..really, it's a convection oven. It's nice. 

Only thing that was sub par has been breaded mushrooms!


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## old sarge (Mar 7, 2019)

I'm still on the fence on these.  One thing some of the users have stated is that they bought a larger one than what they have currently. Some are 10 and 12 qt sizes, like the nuwave brio, phillips xxl and the power air fryer to name a few.  At that size, and this is why I am on the fence, I might as well get a convection toaster oven or one of those convection ovens like a new wave or nutrichef or sunpentown. So far, the credit card is still in the wallet.


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## chopsaw (Mar 7, 2019)

I have the older Nu wave 3 qt model . I only use it for frozen food items . Works fantastic . I have to say we use it at least 3 times a week . Frozen garlic bread comes out great as do any of the potato products . Did frozen onion rings in it tonight . toasted ravioli , cheese sticks  . It also re heats fried foods just like they came out of the fryer . If it ever quits , I will get another right away .


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## old sarge (Mar 7, 2019)

I have noticed that some air fryers as well as their oven relatives use halogen bulbs while others use a more conventional calrod  element like the coils on a stove.  Which does your use?


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## chopsaw (Mar 7, 2019)

old sarge said:


> I have noticed that some air fryers as well as their oven relatives use halogen bulbs while others use a more conventional calrod  element like the coils on a stove.  Which does your use?


If your're asking me . Mine has the coil . No bulb . That being said , I have re-heated my lunch with a 500 watt halogen light in a card board box on a cold construction site . Also , You mention the Nu-wave counter top convection oven ,,, I have the Flav-wave . That was the original , first one before the Nu-wave . It works awesome as well . I do use that to cook chicken and all kinds of other proteins .


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## old sarge (Mar 7, 2019)

Thank you for the response. Much appreciated.


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## TomKnollRFV (Mar 8, 2019)

I have one of the power models, think they just changed it to a newer design this year <Which would explain why the one I got was on sale! Still works fine!>

The only reason mine doesn't have a permanent spot in the kitchen is we lack space. There's only one circuit in our kitchen it can go on, go figure.


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## Bearcarver (Mar 8, 2019)

gary s said:


> I have some Questions. My Wife say a Commercial on Air Fryers
> I know a bunch of you have and use them
> Please share your thoughts on the pro's and con's
> How well does it work ? , Taste ?, Texture ?, and what all
> ...





Gary,
These AirFryers are awesome, but you gotta get the one like SmokinAl has.
His has 3 or 4 racks, a Rotisserie, a rotating Basket, etc, etc.

The smaller ones, like mine don't hold much, because you have to keep things from touching each other, so maybe 2 or 3 small Chicken thighs at a time, and very few fries at a time.

That one doesn't cost much more, but I wish I would have waited until that one came out, like Al did.

Check with Al, if you aren't sure which one to get.

Bear


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## gary s (Mar 8, 2019)

Hey Al     If you are watching ..................


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## old sarge (Mar 8, 2019)

See this link:
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/new-air-fryer.283542/#post-1917720


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## weedeater (Mar 8, 2019)

Ratings on the air fryer in Al’s post are terrible on Amazon!  Only has a 60 day warranty and apparently company is no help after the 60 days.  *35% rate it one star!  *Like most items some people love it and are very happy but “35% one star”.  I’m interested in an Air Fryer but looking for better options. 

Weedeater


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## old sarge (Mar 8, 2019)

There are a lot of other options out there. Besides the comments here you can search for air fryers on youtube and see what they perform like and how the food comes out.


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## johnmeyer (Mar 8, 2019)

weedeater said:


> Ratings on the air fryer in Al’s post are terrible on Amazon!  Only has a 60 day warranty and apparently company is no help after the 60 days.  *35% rate it one star!  *Like most items some people love it and are very happy but “35% one star”.  I’m interested in an Air Fryer but looking for better options.
> 
> Weedeater


I got really interested in this product after Bear raved about his. I did a lot of research, and most sites recommend this one:

Philips HD9240/94 Avance XL Digital Airfryer (2.65lb/3.5qt), Black Fryer

As you'll see, the Amazon reviews are very positive, and the review profile is quite good, with no spike at the low end (some products have a massive number of "1" reviews, despite quite a few "5" reviews, and that is always a red flag for me).

Most people that have purchased any air fryer always say they wished they had bought a larger unit. The one above *is *the larger unit. If you don't think you want one that large (everyone says they are surprised how big the fryer is when they unpack it), here is the smaller mate to the one above:

Philips HD9641/96 Avance Digital Turbostar Airfryer (1.8lb/2.75qt), Black

The one problem is that these are both really pricey compared to other units that have been discussed, as you will see if you click on the links.

Despite my initial interest, I cooled off when I kept reading about how large they are (we've got a pretty full kitchen), and also the fact that some of the recipes can be duplicated in a convection oven, something I already have.


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## SmokinAl (Mar 9, 2019)

weedeater said:


> Ratings on the air fryer in Al’s post are terrible on Amazon!  Only has a 60 day warranty and apparently company is no help after the 60 days.  *35% rate it one star!  *Like most items some people love it and are very happy but “35% one star”.  I’m interested in an Air Fryer but looking for better options.
> 
> Weedeater



I don't know about the ratings, all I can say is we use it a couple of times a week & everything we have used it for came out better than if I had fried it in oil!
Al


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## Bearcarver (Mar 9, 2019)

johnmeyer said:


> I got really interested in this product after Bear raved about his. I did a lot of research, and most sites recommend this one:
> 
> Philips HD9240/94 Avance XL Digital Airfryer (2.65lb/3.5qt), Black Fryer
> 
> ...




The problem isn't just the size:
The problem with the two you linked (above) is the same problem mine has----Whatever you put in just lays in the bottom of the reservoir. The hot air can only get to the top parts of the food. Then you have to stop & flip the food over.

With the "Oven" like Al has you can put food on a couple of racks, and the hot air can get through to everything.
And the rotating basket can hold fries or other small things, so hot air can get all over them.
And it has a rotisserie for all kinds of things too.

Bear


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## solman (Mar 9, 2019)

I did a lot of research before i bought my gourmia 6qt air fryer. A lot of reviews of the larger oven style air fryers seemed less favorable compared to traditional smaller air fryers. They just don't "fry" as well or have uneven cooking.

My favorite thing to do right now is smoke a ton of wings then vacuum seal and freeze about a dozen per bag. From frozen, ten minutes in the air fryer and they're as good as if they just came off the grill.

Here's 6 month review on a larger oven style:
Part 1: 
Part 2: 

And a review comparison of the traditional versus oven style: 

I think bottom line is if you want multi function, go with a convection oven. If you want as close to fried food, then a smaller air fryer will work better.


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## johnmeyer (Mar 9, 2019)

I watched the comparison review (the last of the three posted). The chicken from both the oven and the fryer looked very pale and not particularly appetizing. As near as I could tell, he did everything right, so my conclusion is that the lack of browning is the fault of the device, and not the operator. 

So, as I continue to go back and forth about wanting to get one of these, that video put me back in my chair and I am now less inclined to get one.


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## solman (Mar 9, 2019)

having done fresh wings in my air fryer, i can confirm that they turn out pale and don't look very good to eat. i did it once and would never do it again. i never expected it to be like an oil fryer but some things it does exceptionally well, like reheat already cooked but frozen foods (wings, fries, fish, etc) all in about 10 minutes. it does take a little trial and error to figure out what works and doesn't. it's not a miracle kitchen tool but it definitely has it's place. i'd buy mine again in a heart beat if it ever broke.


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## gary s (Mar 11, 2019)

Thanks Guys for all the info and help

Gary


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## Bearcarver (Oct 22, 2020)

Debrartih said:


> I bought an air fryer to air fry my chicken, but I discovered that to make it taste good I had to put some oil, thus completely defeating the purpose of air frying. They're also a bit annoying to maintain since you have to pull out the rack and container and clean them pretty frequently.




You don't "Have to" put oil on, but it will brown some things better if you do.
And you aren't defeating any purpose----You just give it a very slight spritz, one time, if you decide to put some Olive Oil on.
I have one of the Black original Air Fryers, and the #360 Air Fryer, and neither of them are difficult to keep clean. Takes Mrs Bear a minute or 2.

Bear


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