Thanks for all the terrfic feedback.

Definitely going to look into cooking more chicken in the air fryer too and vegetables. A friend of my daughters was over a few minths back and she also said that she users hers to warm up leftover pizza which she said works much better than the microwave.

We have been looking to purchase an air fryer for some time. However the reviews have put us off. Seems a large number of owners have complained about the smell of burning plastic when cooking. Has anyone here experienced this, and if you did is there a solution?

quote:

Originally posted by festus haggen:
We have been looking to purchase an air fryer for some time. However the reviews have put us off. Seems a large number of owners have complained about the smell of burning plastic when cooking. Has anyone here experienced this, and if you did is there a solution?

We experienced that the first time, the second time a little bit, and then no more after that. Other brands could be different and important to read instructions and remove all packing material before using. Most models at Amazon probably have free returns if you don't like it if sold and shipped by Amazon.

Which are the most recommended versions? Some look like an ordinary toaster oven. Others look like a fancy deep fryer.

Friends and I have been extremely pleased with Cosari air fryers.

Air Fryers make the best grilled cheese. Butter both side use your favorite breads. Sprinkle some garlic powder on the buttered bread. Add American cheese and some Monterey Jack. Then put them in the fryer. Cook at 390 for 4 minuets per side. prefect crunchy grilled cheese.

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
Which are the most recommended versions? Some look like an ordinary toaster oven. Others look like a fancy deep fryer.

I don't know but I like mine which is the kind where there is no toaster oven type racks, just the pull out "bucket".

Both types seem popular and one is better than the other for certain foods. Since I like to cook burgers and meats I like the grease drips down to the bottom of the pun under the cooking grate for eay clean up.

I suggest that you check out some You Tube videos and that might help you make a decision,

Also beware an air fryer uses a lot of electrical current and if you have a microwave oven on the same circuit as your air fryer, very likely you will not be able to use both at the same time without popping the circuit breaker.

quote:

Originally posted by odin:

quote:

Chicken wings.
Chicken thighs.
Onion rings.
Waffle fries.

And here we have ideas from Sigforum's poet! LOL

I wondered if anyone would catch it.

Just an update.

We are LOVIN our Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer. Mosly use it for meats - hamburgers, steaks, and pork chops.

The burgers that I get out of it are terrific. I hand make 1/3 pound patties from 85/15 fresh ground beef. Cook about 8 1/2 minutes at 400 and they come out very tasty and juicy with a little pink in the middle. I make them about once a week. We have not had a restauant burger since using the air fryer and good thing with the price of retauarants these days.

Again I have found 85/15 ideal for burgers for us. 80/20 has more fat which can cause excess smoking when cooking. 90/10 and the burger come out a bit dry for our tastes but not horribly bad.

Steaks are New York strip boneless or Porterhouse as they are both on sale around here pretty often at $7.99 a pound. With thr Porterhouse I cut out two steaks from the bone and then into the air fryer. Usually these steaks are about an inch thick and at 4 1/2 minutes at 400 they come out rare, tender, and juicy just how we like them.

Both burgers and steaks get canola oil brushed on both sides and then seasoning which I use Montreal Steak seasoning. For the steaks I do that as soon as I take them out of the fridge and let sit 20-30 minutes before into air fryer. Also put meat on plate and cover with foil for about 5 minutes before serving.

I always clean the air fryer once it cools down after each use including using paper towel to wipe surfaces on the inside including the top area around the burner. Makes sense to control build up of grease and minimize chances of excessive smoking especially when cooking burgers. The cooking pan I use a couple paper towels to wipe out what grease I can and then wash pan/grate with Dawn and hot water after letting it sit a while in the bottom pan to break up grease.

Air fryers can use a lot of electricity when cooking so it might not work well on the same circuit as a micro wave. I found that out the first time I used it.

Our air fryer has paid for itself numerous times over by reducing trips out to eat.

https://www.amazon.com/Instant...49956250&sr=8-4&th=1

There was a recent thread about air fryer Chick Filet sandwich clones made with ingredients found at Aldi. They are great, even down to the Chick Filet Sauce hack.

Here's a pic of the Aldi shopping list

quote:

Originally posted by festus haggen:
We have been looking to purchase an air fryer for some time. However the reviews have put us off. Seems a large number of owners have complained about the smell of burning plastic when cooking. Has anyone here experienced this, and if you did is there a solution?

Remove shrink wrap before cooking

We use ours often for sweet potato fries, tater tots, pre-cooked frozen chicken wings and nuggets (grandkid fare), French fries, and the like. Have not yet tried putting raw meat in there as I tend to use the Big Green Egg for that.

quote:

Originally posted by HayesGreener:

Remove shrink wrap before cooking

Which reminds me of something my first wife did around a week after we were married.

She never learned how to cook in spite of the fact that her mother was a world class Italian cook.

So, she decided she was going to "cook" dinner for us. She got a couple of Mexican TV dinners, put them in the oven for whatever time, said it was time to eat.

I sat down and looked at the TV dinner. The rice was shiny, the refried beans were shiny, and the enchiladas were shiny. There's no way those things should be shiny.

So I took the packages out of the trash and read the instructions. The last one said to remove the plastic sheet covering the dinner before putting it in the oven. As I was doing that, her Italian temper flared up and she said "do you think I'm too stupid to cook a TV dinner?"

I said no, I didn't say that, but where did you put the plastic sheets covering the dinners?

Silence...we went out to eat.

I just can't get along with these new kitchen gadgets. I had a Instapot for a few months and made about 8 different recipes with it with varying results from that sucks to that wasn't so bad. I didn't find it easy to use with cooking different ingredients in it removing that ingredient to a bowl and then cooking the next ingredient until you finally put everything back in to finish it. Gave it away to one of my daughter in laws.

Next was a air fryer. Everyone was bragging about how well it does chicken, fish, steaks veggies and so on. So I bought one. I couldn't get it to turn out french fries to my liking from frozen! The small pieces were burnt and the full size fries just had a off flavor. Chicken wings and fish came out in varying degrees of being cooked right and had a off taste or lack of flavor. I couldn't bring myself to throw a steak into it, just couldn't force myself to do it. Gave that gadget to my daughter.

I know my way around a kitchen and know how to cook things so they are evenly done and have flavor. Oil is fat and fat is flavor. I'll stick with my cast iron and oil. Not to mention I have control of what happens in that cast iron.

quote:

Originally posted by lastmanstanding:

Next was a air fryer . . . <snip> . . . I couldn't get it to turn out french fries to my liking from frozen! The small pieces were burnt and the full size fries just had a off flavor.

My method for air fryer french fries: I start with a real potato, not the frozen stuff. Wash it (they grow in dirt), then use a mandoline with julienne blade to cut the potato into fry-size strips. I prefer mine on the thin side, other folks might like them thicker cut. I then let the potatoes soak in cool water for twenty minutes or more. Drain, let dry or pat dry with a paper towel. Some olive oil in a bowl, toss the potato strips in the oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, and into the air fryer at 390°F or thereabouts. I'm trying to remember how long I cooked them, having a senior moment with that, but I think I checked them at eight minutes and then cooked a bit more, checking every couple minutes until they looked right. Really tasty fries, done that way.

Recently picked up an Instant Pot Airfryer lid that fits on the 6 qt pressure cooker. It only goes to 400°f but that seems to be the standard. Lately it is being used for chuck burnt ends and jerky from top round (London broil).