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School me on air fryers

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I wish I could taste the food cooked from an air fryer. I haven't bought one because I'm not convinced it's better than an oven.
 
Fries cooked in a convection oven are definitely better than in a regular oven.
They get the cheese bubbling and browning on a pizza in a way that you don't with a regular oven.
 
I imagine there's a lot to do with a large portion of our population being poor, and the "up-sell" on a lot of convection equipment. An awful, basic full size stove can be had new for $300-$400, sometimes even less. Convection costs far more full size.

We have a Toaster Oven, but it's just been old reliable (the Panasonic Infrared Toaster Oven). No Air Fryer capabilities. But we have a full size Wolf range that we use for that duty. We use the Toaster oven far more than the Oven though because we tend to cook for dinner, and then leftovers and standard breakfast for the other meals, which the toaster oven takes care of with a lot less fuss.
 
In a nutshell:

1. "Air fryer" is fancy marketing for "tiny plug-in oven that heats up fast & uses a high-speed fan to do convection baking". Not that even convection baking is largely a gimmick for home bakers, as recipes designed to be used in an oven tend to get worse with a fan, unless the recipe in question specifically calls for convection baking.
2. They heat up pretty quick because they're small
3. Most of them are noisy & smoky & a bit of a pain to clean
4. They do not fry. At all. It's simply hi-speed convection baking in a small space. It doesn't even mimic frying.
5. Recipes must be adjusted to compensate for the smaller size (tends to dry stuff out & overheat foods) so you don't overcook them or dry them out.

However:

1. They're pretty good for reheating frozen stuff like chicken nuggets, fish sticks, etc.
2. If you practice, you can get recipes down pretty good. I make pretty good naked wings in mine.
3. Big ones are available. I have a Breville Smart Oven Air, which is countertop oven-sized. The new Anova Precision Oven can do the trick too. Some full-sized ovens now offer airfrying (again, simply high-speed convection baking) as an option.

If you do a lot of frozen foods that you want to crisp up, or are willing to tinker with recipes to get them "just right" to work with them, they're not bad machines to have. Sort of like a microwave but for crispy (not fried).
 
I think that im happier spending more on a full sized oven that does everything rather than buying a bunch of cheap things that do one job.
 
WelshBloke said:
I thought that Americans liked their technology?
Click to expand...
1) we like individual gadgets to do things esp if they are internet connected. Gotta have my Bluetooth toilet paper holder to warn me when the roll is getting low (which also gets hacked in a year spewing all your toilet paper onto the floor while DDoSing Netflix)
2) our mass produced housing focues on fancy looking but cheaply built finishes and appliances
 
Exterous said:
1) we like individual gadgets to do things esp if they are internet connected. Gotta have my Bluetooth toilet paper holder to warn me when the roll is getting low (which also gets hacked in a year spewing all your toilet paper onto the floor while DDoSing Netflix)
2) our mass produced housing focues on fancy looking but cheaply built finishes and appliances
Click to expand...
Yeah, the house I'm renting now is the first I've ever been in with a convection oven. The two houses I bought didn't have them, and neither did any of the other places I rented.
 
nakedfrog said:
Yeah, the house I'm renting now is the first I've ever been in with a convection oven. The two houses I bought didn't have them, and neither did any of the other places I rented.
Click to expand...
I think over here because the housing stock is generally older builds people rip out the old kitchens when they move in and put one of their own in.
 
nakedfrog said:
Yeah, the house I'm renting now is the first I've ever been in with a convection oven. The two houses I bought didn't have them, and neither did any of the other places I rented.
Click to expand...

For doing American-style baking, convection should never be used, unless the recipe specifically calls for it (which is like never lol):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1006238007362547712

More info on convection in general:

www.myrecipes.com

Our Favorite Convection Oven Can Roast a Whole Chicken Right on the Counter

Countertop ovens are versatile and space-saving kitchen gadgets. We tested the best mini oven models by roasting whole chickens, baking whole pizzas, and more.
www.myrecipes.com www.myrecipes.com

So you kind of have:

1. A regular oven
2. A convection oven (meh, unless you're specifically using recipes that call for convection)
3. An air fryer, which is simply a convection oven with a higher-speed fan
4. A toaster oven, which is just a smaller oven that heats up quick for doing things like toast

Which one you use depends on what you want to cook!
 
Kaido said:
So you kind of have:

1. A regular oven
2. A convection oven (meh, unless you're specifically using recipes that call for convection)
3. An air fryer, which is simply a convection oven with a higher-speed fan
4. A toaster oven, which is just a smaller oven that heats up quick for doing things like toast

Which one you use depends on what you want to cook!
Click to expand...
Mine does steam as well. 😎
 
Kaido said:
Is it incremental degrees of steam, like 30%, or is it discrete, like 1% or 17%?
Click to expand...
Not going to lie, I dont use the steam setting often so I'm not that up on it. If I use it I use it with one of the presets.

Its a neff steam oven.

Edit. Maybe one of these...

Steam Oven

Discover the power of steam cooking with NEFF. Upgrade your kitchen with NEFF's innovative steam ovens, designed to bring out the best in your cooking. Our ovens with the steam function offer gentle cooking that locks in moisture and nutrients, making every dish healthier and more flavorful...
www.neff-home.com www.neff-home.com
 
Last edited:
WelshBloke said:
I think over here because the housing stock is generally older builds people rip out the old kitchens when they move in and put one of their own in.
Click to expand...
The kitchen in this place was definitely redone in the recent past, the others the last kitchen re-do was probably some time in the 60s-80s.
Kaido said:
For doing American-style baking, convection should never be used, unless the recipe specifically calls for it (which is like never lol):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1006238007362547712

More info on convection in general:

www.myrecipes.com

Our Favorite Convection Oven Can Roast a Whole Chicken Right on the Counter

Countertop ovens are versatile and space-saving kitchen gadgets. We tested the best mini oven models by roasting whole chickens, baking whole pizzas, and more.
www.myrecipes.com www.myrecipes.com

So you kind of have:

1. A regular oven
2. A convection oven (meh, unless you're specifically using recipes that call for convection)
3. An air fryer, which is simply a convection oven with a higher-speed fan
4. A toaster oven, which is just a smaller oven that heats up quick for doing things like toast

Which one you use depends on what you want to cook!
Click to expand...
I had to click the link to see that you explicitly meant baking as in "baked goods", and not using convection for stuff like cakes and biscuits seems like a "duh" to me.
Like if I'm making breaded chicken in the oven, I'd still call that baking, and it definitely benefits from convection. I'd already done my research on it before I moved here because I was planning to get a convection toaster oven, which I've done. No sense heating up an entire oven if you're cooking up a single serving. Especially in the summer.
 
WelshBloke said:
Not going to lie, I dont use the steam setting often so I'm not that up on it. If I use it I use it with one of the presets.

Its a neff steam oven.

Edit. Maybe one of these...

Steam Oven

Discover the power of steam cooking with NEFF. Upgrade your kitchen with NEFF's innovative steam ovens, designed to bring out the best in your cooking. Our ovens with the steam function offer gentle cooking that locks in moisture and nutrients, making every dish healthier and more flavorful...
www.neff-home.com www.neff-home.com
Click to expand...

Nef!
 
nakedfrog said:
The kitchen in this place was definitely redone in the recent past, the others the last kitchen re-do was probably some time in the 60s-80s.

I had to click the link to see that you explicitly meant baking as in "baked goods", and not using convection for stuff like cakes and biscuits seems like a "duh" to me.
Like if I'm making breaded chicken in the oven, I'd still call that baking, and it definitely benefits from convection. I'd already done my research on it before I moved here because I was planning to get a convection toaster oven, which I've done. No sense heating up an entire oven if you're cooking up a single serving. Especially in the summer.
Click to expand...
Convection is pretty for roasting.
 
WelshBloke said:
Not going to lie, I dont use the steam setting often so I'm not that up on it. If I use it I use it with one of the presets.

Its a neff steam oven.

Edit. Maybe one of these...

Steam Oven

Discover the power of steam cooking with NEFF. Upgrade your kitchen with NEFF's innovative steam ovens, designed to bring out the best in your cooking. Our ovens with the steam function offer gentle cooking that locks in moisture and nutrients, making every dish healthier and more flavorful...
www.neff-home.com www.neff-home.com
Click to expand...

Woah, we can nef and cook?
 
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