Any thoughts on air fryers and how to pick one?

[Arjon]

I've recently started thinking about getting ones, so am wondering about which models people are using, their respective pros and cons, etc. Also how often do people use them, what do they cook well and not so well, what size is suitable for a two-person family, and is there any other info and/or opinions you'd care to share.

TIA

[Thatdone]

I have a basic T-fal https://www.amazon.ca/EY201850-Dishw...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Works great. It says it will feed up to 6 people but i could never see that happening. Lucky if it could feed 4. I got it from Walmart on a black friday or something deal for 50 dollars so i am pretty happy with the price

If it stopped working i would probably go with something like https://www.amazon.ca/Chefman-Fryer-...kitchen&sr=1-1
It is on sale this week on amazon. This one does alot more than the one i have and got great reviews. I have seen it on marketplace for as little as 100 new and i just looked and see it for 120

We make everything except soup in ours. Cooking sites are offering alot of recipes now tailored for air fryers. Heat up time is fast and cleanup is really quick.

I would recommend to anyone to buy jone.

[KelJo]

I have the same one as thatdone has listed above (T-FAL) I love it!! had it over a year now (since last Christmas) and use it several times a week to cook a variety of different foods. I like it so much, thinking about getting a second so that I can cook fries in one (for example) and meat/chicken in the second. It does say will feed 6 but not likely, its perfect for 2-3 people

[walkonby]

I have a basic T-fal https://www.amazon.ca/EY201850-Dishw...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Works great. It says it will feed up to 6 people but i could never see that happening. Lucky if it could feed 4. I got it from Walmart on a black friday or something deal for 50 dollars so i am pretty happy with the price

If it stopped working i would probably go with something like https://www.amazon.ca/Chefman-Fryer-...kitchen&sr=1-1
It is on sale this week on amazon. This one does alot more than the one i have and got great reviews. I have seen it on marketplace for as little as 100 new and i just looked and see it for 120

We make everything except soup in ours. Cooking sites are offering alot of recipes now tailored for air fryers. Heat up time is fast and cleanup is really quick.

I would recommend to anyone to buy jone.

I have the same one as thatdone has listed above (T-FAL) I love it!! had it over a year now (since last Christmas) and use it several times a week to cook a variety of different foods. I like it so much, thinking about getting a second so that I can cook fries in one (for example) and meat/chicken in the second. It does say will feed 6 but not likely, its perfect for 2-3 people

This is just too coincidental! I too have that exact same model of Air Fryer as @Thatdone and @KelJo . Mine was also a WM purchase marked down, I think mine was closer to $60.00, but we use it all the time.
Faster cooking times than using my oven which heats up the place in summer.
Definitely recommend getting one.
Also agree with the others....feeds 6? Nuh uh. Not unless 3 of them are on a very strict diet....lol.

If you are not much of a from scratch cook, then this machine can satisfy those cravings for the finger foods that are found in the freezer sections. ( spud in wedges, fries, etc, onion rings, egg rolls, breaded shrimp and on and on! ) .
This drum holds a whole chicken and the finished product tastes like it came off of a rotisserie spit! SLBL chx breasts cook up brown outside but amazingly moist inside in no time. I'm sure some do, but I prefer not to do steak in this, I like the BBQ method better.

[SassyAshley]

Looks like I am the odd one out here, we have the Ninja Fryer, we got ours at Costco last summer. https://www.costco.ca/ninja-air-frye...100463968.html

Like the others have said the size would be the biggest consideration, there are only 2 of us in our household so this one works for us but if you had a bigger family you would have to cook in batches.

I found like any new kitchen gadget it has taken me a little bit of time to get used to using it. I have not cooked many meats in mine yet but we love using it for side dishes. Some of the things we use our Air Fryer for are:
"Roasted" Vegetables - Vegetables are amazing in the Air Fryer and I was skeptical about using Frozen vegetables but they come out amazing
Reheating Leftovers - We do not get a lot of Take-Out but if you have leftovers reheating them in the Air Fryer is quick and Easy
Frozen Foods - It is so easy to toss a few fries or perogies or any frozen treats in the Air Fryer and have a side dish

For us the Air Fryer has really helped us to cut down out take out as I will say once you get the hang of it cooking in the air fryer is so simple. It is also so easy to clean which I love. I was the one who made the choice to buy one but I was skeptical, people I had spoken to were split on Air Fryers, some loved them could not live without them others had one and got rid of it. We honestly LOVE ours and I am looking forward to cooking in ours more and expanding what we cook in ours.

[mulock]

I thought about buying an air-fryer and when I asked friends they all told me their intake of chicken nuggets and french fries went up afterwards. Last thing I need is more fried foods

[Arjon]

Thanks again to all of you who shared your thoughts. I decided on a 4.8L Insignia one that was on sale at Best Buy. It came this week, and performed very nicely on chicken drumsticks and frozen fries. I'm looking forward to learning what else it will do well.

[lilo0003]

@Arjon we have the pampered chef and DH does chicken wings in it so no more boxed wings in our house. My 17 yr old uses it more than the rest of us. I love it for asparagus.

[Arjon]

Being an air fryer newbie, I welcome any tips and/or favorite recipes that any of you would care to share. TIA

[Thatdone]

My wife brines the chicken first

https://makeyourmeals.com/chicken-br...-an-air-fryer/

[Leslie Simpson]

I would recommend checking out the fryer in this review. There are some good options here. I even found the model I use myself. I have a Ninja Max XL, my husband gave it a year ago just before the start of the barbecue season.

[scouponer]

I have a basic T-fal https://www.amazon.ca/EY201850-Dishw...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Works great. It says it will feed up to 6 people but i could never see that happening. Lucky if it could feed 4. I got it from Walmart on a black friday or something deal for 50 dollars so i am pretty happy with the price

If it stopped working i would probably go with something like https://www.amazon.ca/Chefman-Fryer-...kitchen&sr=1-1
It is on sale this week on amazon. This one does alot more than the one i have and got great reviews. I have seen it on marketplace for as little as 100 new and i just looked and see it for 120

We make everything except soup in ours. Cooking sites are offering alot of recipes now tailored for air fryers. Heat up time is fast and cleanup is really quick.

I would recommend to anyone to buy jone.

I have a similar chefman. Got it for Christmas. Loved it, but I find the basket difficult to get out and to open when hot and full of food and the basket and racks are difficult to clean. But the food in it was really good. It died at the end of may in the middle of making toast. Just shut off and hasn’t worked since. Hopefully they will replace it as it wasn’t cheap

[Linda Evans]

i bought the phillips one a few yrs ago...it was over $200- so i was a bit leary..its big enough for 2 people. ive made hamburgers, fries,& it makes really nice fluffy muffins. but i dont use it often..maybe its time to bring it out again.

[Arjon]

As an update, my still-new toy does a pretty good job on medium-thick pork chops. I've done them with a rub and with just some seasonings sprinkled on. They take ~12-15 minutes with flipping after ~half the time. A couple of key benefit IMO is that the kitchen doesn't get heated up nearly as much as it would broiling them in the oven, and the grease doesn't spatter like if I fried them in a pan.

Fwiw, I don't find cleanup noticeably easier or harder than it would be with other cooking methods.

[walkonby]

^^^ yes!! See? @Arjon you are now enjoying a few more of the perks to these easy to use appliances. Especially with a heat wave on I certainly do not want a full size oven on. Have fun!