What’s the date that social media influencers began talking about Air Fryers? They’re trendy and I can easily be influenced by them.
I did however see this for sale so I decided to take a chance on it. Is there anything worse that could possibly happen?
It is very basic technology. You will need to point a high-powered hairdryer in an enclosed space. The motor should gently stir the bowl. Done.
While there are many different programs available, they don’t have any “smarts”. This is not the same as YumAsia Mini Panda Rice Cooker which knows exactly when the rice is cooked. You have to wait and watch things cook. Like a 20th Century person! Similarly, there’s no WiFi connection – so you have to use the built in timer-delay rather than use an app like a normal person. Eugh!
And, you know what? It works. I put in frozen oven chips and pressed the button marked “chips”.
The chips cooked.
They tasted nice.
Well, it has cooked frozen oven chips to perfection.
Same amount of time as our main oven, but a lot less power.
Will try it with a stir fry & other things over the week.
It is this model: https://t.co/rDO1hi9OTl
The inelegantly named Tefal ActiFry Genius+ 1/2Kg. pic.twitter.com/M4gSUs7O8S— Terence Eden (@edent) October 13, 2022
It has a few benefits over a full oven. One advantage is the fact that it consumes less power. You can plug it into an ordinary 13 amp socket instead of a dedicated 16 am line. Because it uses less energy, the heating process is more efficient. It ensures even cooking. The large window allows you to see how things are doing.
All parts can be washed in the dishwasher. That’s very convenient.
It was too easy to make a stir-fry with it, so I used a spoon and a wok. Following the directions, I added some oil to it. Just what it says 14ml olive oil A variety of chopped vegetables and tofu pieces. They were all mixed together at once, again because I am lazy. I then started the parochially titled “wok foods” program.
The food was good. Both the vegetables and the tofu were well cooked. It was crunchy without being overly oily. The entire process took about 25 minutes, and coincidentally it was exactly the same time I made a cup of rice with the other gadget.
The frozen sausages, hash browns and eggs were still in the bag. I removed the whisking paddle. After 25 minutes, they were ready. They were slightly more done, but they weren’t burnt.
A couple of potatoes were chopped into Just what it says 1cm chips. They were washed and dried. Mix together a tablespoon of oil with paprika and put them in a pan. Within half an hour, I was able to make decent chips. These chips were just as delicious as the chip shop chips, but fried in unhealthy amounts of oil. No. However, they tasted as good as oven chips.
Once in a while, the Internet connection didn’t work for me (I). Learn more, right?!) It does include a small app which has lots of great recipes.
Once it is done, the device even makes a small beeping sound.
Is it the Best-Thing-Ever™? No. This is great if there’s no hassle. You just have to do a bit of preparation and then just chuck it in. This is a counter-top friendly product that’s easy to use and cheap to purchase. This was on special offer at £120.
However, it can be quite noisy. Similar to an extractor fan.
It’s perfect size for us, but it won’t be possible to fit in a whole chicken. It might be easier to cook a large meal, such as a hamburger, fries, onions rings, or chips with a dessert pie in the main oven.
The UI looks a little strange. You can only control it by pressing buttons or symbols. You’ll likely find one setting you love and use it for all your needs.
The size is similar to a food processor. It can be a little too chunky for those with small kitchens.
You also appear like an annoying hipster, who thinks a kitchen can’t be complete without at least a dozen gadgets.
So, yeah. It’s something I will continue to experiment with. Although it’s not revolutionary, I find it very useful.
