Air fryers are awesome - way better than convection ovens. Mine makes great rice too

Exterous

Super Moderator
Jun 20, 2006
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I ended up getting a combo Air Fryer and Instant Pot and it is awesome. The crispiness is great - way better than any convection oven

And since it is an Instant Pot too I can make rice in it and the rice is perfect. Seriously. No need to get any other dumb appliance like a rice cooker.
 
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rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
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We have a convection oven so how much greater is it exactly? We get crispy too. Don't want 2 appliances doing similar things.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
45,884
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The rice cooker is pretty handy if you want to make rice while you're making something else in the IP...
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,054
12,240
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We have a convection oven so how much greater is it exactly? We get crispy too. Don't want 2 appliances doing similar things.
Yeah, the fries I make in the convection oven in my current house are leaps and bounds better than my prior gas or plain old electric stoves, hard to imagine the gulf between this and an air fryer being particularly large.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
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Yeah, the fries I make in the convection oven in my current house are leaps and bounds better than my prior gas or plain old electric stoves, hard to imagine the gulf between this and an air fryer being particularly large.

Just get a wire basket for the fries
 

Exterous

Super Moderator
Jun 20, 2006
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We have a convection oven so how much greater is it exactly? We get crispy too. Don't want 2 appliances doing similar things.

It's probably the same. This was a (failed) attempt at making light about the strong kitchen appliance opinions around here
 

Denly

Golden Member
May 14, 2011
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I ended up getting a combo Air Fryer and Instant Pot and it is awesome. The crispiness is great - way better than any convection oven

And since it is an Instant Pot too I can make rice in it and the rice is perfect. Seriously. No need to get any other dumb appliance like a rice cooker.

hey leave my rice cooker alone.
 

Captante

Lifer
Oct 20, 2003
30,244
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I ended up getting a combo Air Fryer and Instant Pot and it is awesome. The crispiness is great - way better than any convection oven

And since it is an Instant Pot too I can make rice in it and the rice is perfect. Seriously. No need to get any other dumb appliance like a rice cooker.


What can it do with alternator-size beef? :cool:
 

HomerJS

Lifer
Feb 6, 2002
35,956
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Just get a wire basket for the fries
I was going to get a wire screen for doing potatoes. Do they stick to the screen??
617qBB6nMiL._AC_SL1004_.jpg
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
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We have a convection oven so how much greater is it exactly? We get crispy too. Don't want 2 appliances doing similar things.

I still prefer my conventional oven for things like:

1. Bacon
2. Casseroles
3. Cookies

I have a love/hate relationship with airfryers. I'm on my 4th unit (not in a bad way). Started out with a Philips XL back in 2016, then went bigger with an Oyama glass unit from Walmart, then went jumbo with a Breville Smart Oven Air, and then went even bigger with the Anova Precision Oven. The last two are multi-function devices, so they can do other things too. Airfryers are a fancy marketing name for an oven with a turbo convection fan. There is no frying involved, but if you adapt specific recipes to it & tweak until you get success, it can delivery pretty good results. I do wings a few times a month in my airfryer straight from the fridge & they come out pretty good! They do tend to create a lot of smoke. I have a floor fan in front of mine & use it by a window I can open to vent.

Things airfryers are really good at: (@RossMAN where you at)

1. Reheating frozen fried foods like chicken nuggets, fish sticks, French fries, tater tots, crispy crowns, etc.
2. Wings
3. Crispy spring rolls (super easy to make from scratch) & also to some extent egg rolls, gyoza potstickers, etc.
4. Hot dogs (cut slits & also toast the bun)
5. Churros
6. Reheating pizza

For me, it's kind of a convenience thing - I can throw stuff in & have it come out crispier than a microwave. So think of it like an upgraded microwave for certain foods. Here are a couple of my favorite airfryer websites:


&


1607399898838.png
 
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Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
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I ended up getting a combo Air Fryer and Instant Pot and it is awesome. The crispiness is great - way better than any convection oven

And since it is an Instant Pot too I can make rice in it and the rice is perfect. Seriously. No need to get any other dumb appliance like a rice cooker.

I have...so many Instant Pot recipes for you. lol. Welcome to the club! What do you want to make next??
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
94,659
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These things are damn impossible to clean though. Like how am I supposed to clean the fan?
 

Exterous

Super Moderator
Jun 20, 2006
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I have...so many Instant Pot recipes for you. lol. Welcome to the club! What do you want to make next??

Jokes on you - I've had an IP for well over a year. How about your top 3 healthy and easy to make recipes?
These things are damn impossible to clean though. Like how am I supposed to clean the fan?

Boil water add lemon and get a small brush apparently. Looks like it takes a couple of min to clean after the water is done boiling
 
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sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
94,659
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Jokes on you - I've had an IP for well over a year. How about your top 3 healthy and easy to make recipes?


Boil water add lemon and get a small brush apparently. Looks like it takes a couple of min to clean after the water is done boiling


Err I cannot reach the fan blades that way. It's not too bad for the fan in the oven since it is perpendicular to the pans so a lot less splattering. And the oven fan is not covered with a mesh. And the oven has a torch everything mode that is just not possible in the air fryer due to plastic construction.

They should have made the fan mesh a slide out just like the trays, secured with a couple of screws in the front edge.
 
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Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,387
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Jokes on you - I've had an IP for well over a year. How about your top 3 healthy and easy to make recipes?

We are talking macros healthy or like clean-eating healthy? The top 3 recipes I like to start people out with are:

1. Kalua pig (this changed my mind about cabbage, lol)

2. Crack chicken

3. Chili: Brown the meat in a skillet. Add whatever you want into the pot, with any tomato sauce being last (because it scalds). So browned meat & canned beans first, then beef stock, tomato stuff (paste, salsa, etc.). Don't stir. 18 minutes on manual, then a quick pressure release.

The real challenge with the Instant Pot is overcoming our brains. Our brains automatically over-complicate things & do what I call the "BrainSnap", which is where your brain says "seems hard, I quit". Most IP recipes are literally just dumping stuff in & pressing a button, but the BrainSnap cuts us off from taking advantage of using really awesome convenience tools like it. Cooking is easy (just 4 things - hand-assembly, cutting, stirring, cooking to perfection), but our brains create that kind of rite-of-passage barrier for even doing simple things. If you're willing to swivel your perspective around (not always easy, especially when you're tired or unfamiliar with a recipe!), then you can bypass that barrier & get to the good stuff! I've come to appreciate just how difficult it can be to wrap my mind around doing stuff sometimes, and how easy most stuff, like cooking, really is - the task isn't the problem, it's our brain shutting us down from action that's the real problem lol.
 

Hans Gruber

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2006
2,092
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I was going to get a wire screen for doing potatoes. Do they stick to the screen??
617qBB6nMiL._AC_SL1004_.jpg
I have one of these. They call this a crisper tray. It would work well in a convection oven or toaster oven. The Air Fryer doesn't need this and makes fries well.
 

Perknose

Forum Director & Omnipotent Overlord
Forum Director
Oct 9, 1999
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I ended up getting a combo Air Fryer and Instant Pot and it is awesome.
I have an IP that I bought about a year ago, still in its packaging, probably from laziness and inherent inertia and what Kaido calls "BrainSnap." :eek:

My question, deeply basted in my buttery ignorance: Is my current IP already also an Air Fryer or is this yet another incipient spending opportunity for me? :cool:
 
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sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
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We are talking macros healthy or like clean-eating healthy? The top 3 recipes I like to start people out with are:

1. Kalua pig (this changed my mind about cabbage, lol)

2. Crack chicken

3. Chili: Brown the meat in a skillet. Add whatever you want into the pot, with any tomato sauce being last (because it scalds). So browned meat & canned beans first, then beef stock, tomato stuff (paste, salsa, etc.). Don't stir. 18 minutes on manual, then a quick pressure release.

The real challenge with the Instant Pot is overcoming our brains. Our brains automatically over-complicate things & do what I call the "BrainSnap", which is where your brain says "seems hard, I quit". Most IP recipes are literally just dumping stuff in & pressing a button, but the BrainSnap cuts us off from taking advantage of using really awesome convenience tools like it. Cooking is easy (just 4 things - hand-assembly, cutting, stirring, cooking to perfection), but our brains create that kind of rite-of-passage barrier for even doing simple things. If you're willing to swivel your perspective around (not always easy, especially when you're tired or unfamiliar with a recipe!), then you can bypass that barrier & get to the good stuff! I've come to appreciate just how difficult it can be to wrap my mind around doing stuff sometimes, and how easy most stuff, like cooking, really is - the task isn't the problem, it's our brain shutting us down from action that's the real problem lol.


damn you I just bought 50 bux of spices.
 
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Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,883
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I picked up this a couple of months ago and it's honestly one of my favorite purchases this year. The oven flips up so it doesn't take up a lot of space, it's easy to clean, and it's VERY good at baking, air frying, and even making toast! Showed my kids how to make quick homemade pizzas in it and I think that's their main source of nutrition now :D :

Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fryer Oven
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,387
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I picked up this a couple of months ago and it's honestly one of my favorite purchases this year. The oven flips up so it doesn't take up a lot of space, it's easy to clean, and it's VERY good at baking, air frying, and even making toast! Showed my kids how to make quick homemade pizzas in it and I think that's their main source of nutrition now :D :

What's your pizza procedure?

Yeah toast & also Toastie Sandwiches...do a THIN coating of mayo, build a sandwich, put it on the basket, voila!


Details here:

 
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Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,883
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What's your pizza procedure?

Yeah toast & also Toastie Sandwiches...do a THIN coating of mayo, build a sandwich, put it on the basket, voila!


Details here:

Costco sells premade crusts that don't need to be frozen, so they're convienient.

- Using a brush, coat the crust with olive oil. Make sure to push it into every nook and cranny.
- Coat the crust with freshly grated Parmesan.
- Smear on your favorite pizza sauce
- cover with low moisture mozzarella
- add desired toppings- pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, diced onion, banana pepper...anything you like
- Sprinkle a touch of dry oregano and basil on top
- Preheat the oven to 425F
- Bake on 425F for 8-12 minutes or until the crust gets deep golden and you get some caramelization on the cheese.

That's it! This also works with flatbread and leftover loaves of French or Italian bread.
 
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Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
48,387
5,255
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Costco sells premade crusts that don't need to be frozen, so they're convienient.

- Using a brush, coat the crust with olive oil. Make sure to push it into every nook and cranny.
- Coat the crust with freshly grated Parmesan.
- Smear on your favorite pizza sauce
- cover with low moisture mozzarella
- add desired toppings- pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, diced onion, banana pepper...anything you like
- Sprinkle a touch of dry oregano and basil on top
- Preheat the oven to 425F
- Bake on 425F for 8-12 minutes or until the crust gets deep golden and you get some caramelization on the cheese.

That's it! This also works with flatbread and leftover loaves of French or Italian bread.

Pics or ban!

My 2021 goal is to perfect flatbread pizza. I've had some really amazing flatbread pizza (most are meh, but some have been really fantastic!). I plan on eating a lot of pizza next year lol.