air fryers and multicookers

[Cudzoziemiec]

Because a tumble frier would spill hot food all over the floor.

[Kim]

And because an 'air drier is for drying your 'air.

[T42]

Yebbut I can imagine a new method of cooking whereby small pieces of veg, meat, etc. were tumbled in hot air in a mist of oil droplets.

Drawbacks: it'd probably be a bastard to clean. And under certain conditions of droplet/air concentration and temperature it could explode.

[Kim]

Isn't that basically how they make cronflakes?

[slope]

Yebbut I can imagine a new method of cooking whereby small pieces of veg, meat, etc. were tumbled in hot air in a mist of oil droplets.

Drawbacks: it'd probably be a bastard to clean. And under certain conditions of droplet/air concentration and temperature it could explode.

Isn't that basically how they make cronflakes?

That's basically what happens when one 'cooks' curly kale 'crisps' in the Ninja A301 Foodi Grill - the rather powerful fan just blows the kale pieces all about. Bloody delicious they are too

[T42]

Isn't that basically how they make cronflakes?

Could be. I haven't had corns since I was a nipper.

[rafletcher]

Well I’ve decided to try one - and being a boy I’ve gone for the Ninja 15 in 1. There was some logic though, as I do roast whole chickens, and our top oven/grill isn’t quite big enough. When it arrives I’ll have to fettle a raising of the pan cupboard shelf to house it, our kitchen being way to small and lacking in countertop to accommodate it being out all the time. And it’ll have to stand on the cooker top as that’s the only place with enough headroom to open the lid. A bit of a chore, but I’ll mainly be cooking relative bulk for the freezer so will manage.

Anyone tried pressure cooking pulses in one? Chana daal can get a bit frothy!

[Ham]

Isn't that basically how they make cronflakes?

Only if they can schedule it

[ian]

Well I’ve decided to try one - and being a boy I’ve gone for the Ninja 15 in 1. There was some logic though, as I do roast whole chickens, and our top oven/grill isn’t quite big enough. When it arrives I’ll have to fettle a raising of the pan cupboard shelf to house it, our kitchen being way to small and lacking in countertop to accommodate it being out all the time. And it’ll have to stand on the cooker top as that’s the only place with enough headroom to open the lid. A bit of a chore, but I’ll mainly be cooking relative bulk for the freezer so will manage.

Anyone tried pressure cooking pulses in one? Chana daal can get a bit frothy!

Chickpeas come out fine. I'd imagine the pressure would keep any froth down, but soak and rinse them well first. Enjoy, I really like my Foodie (the 9-on-1 had enough features for me), use it all the time now, and make a lot of use of the pressure cooker function.

[nikki]

Well I’ve decided to try one

Cool; welcome to the gang 
Good luck with all the kitchen jiggerypokery.

Anyone tried pressure cooking pulses in one? Chana daal can get a bit frothy!

Yeah, I do lentils, beans of various sorts and chickpeas. No froth incidents yet. I think I've read somewhere that adding a bit of oil can help reduce the frothing if you find that's an issue.

In case it's useful, there are lots of websites around with tables of beany cooking times for the instant pot and these will translate across to the Ninja. (https://sharonpalmer.com/how-to-use-an-instant-pot-to-cook-pulses/ as an example after a quick google.)

[Cudzoziemiec]

Air fryers get the thumbs down from Jay Rayner.
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/oct/09/chips-in-an-air-fryer-they-are-dull-dry-and-very-sad-as-am-i

[nikki]

Mr Jay Pitter appears to be seriously overcrowding his basket.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I like the "stage door" reflection in the second photo. Where did they take those pictures?

Mr Jay Pitter appears to be seriously overcrowding his basket.

Write in and tell him! Also, Pitter?

[nikki]

Haha! Jay Pitter is a kick-ass urban design / placemaker type and would definitely rtfm on an air fryer or recipe before publicly dissing it! (I hope!)

Correction: Jay Rayner appears to be seriously overcrowding his basket.

Good spot on the stage door sign: Dan Rayner appears to not be checking his photos very carefully. Family trait?

[rafletcher]

Mr Jay Pitter appears to be seriously overcrowding his basket.

He does seem to lack any basic understanding of hot air circulation requirements,

[ian]

Indeed, in any other cookery context, stuff that crowded won't cook properly either.

I think he's right about the chips though, you can make reasonable crispy potato products in an air fryer, but you can't replicate proper fried chips or a perfect straight out of the hot oil – crisp on the outside and soft on the inside – falafel.

[slope]

I think he's right about the chips though, you can make reasonable crispy potato products in an air fryer, but you can't replicate proper fried chips or a perfect straight out of the hot oil – crisp on the outside and soft on the inside

This is truth, but I'd insert very good in place of reasonable

[Wowbagger]

I'm quite capable of producing soggy chips in oil. I've done it many times. I find that the results with the air fryer are much more consistent and, on the whole, probably better than my efforts with a chip pan.

Mined ewe, we long since consigned our chip pan to history after some close-run pyrotechnics.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Haha! Jay Pitter is a kick-ass urban design / placemaker type and would definitely rtfm on an air fryer or recipe before publicly dissing it! (I hope!)

Mr Jay Pitter isn't a mister!
http://www.jaypitter.com

No mention that I could find of how smaller cooking devices can be leveraged to rethink kitchen design, enabling more domestic space for important activities such as (<bike maintenance>.

[Kim]

Mr Jay Pitter appears to be seriously overcrowding his basket.

He does seem to lack any basic understanding of hot air circulation requirements,

But demonstrates some understanding of posing things for photographs...

[Cudzoziemiec]

I heard these referred to today as oil-less fryers. That's the term used by SEB, the firm behind Tefal and a host of other kitchen brands. They're also making "oil-less fryers" which include a grill, and some which have two compartments to operate two programmes at once. Apparently this category is growing even faster than coffee machines!

[Canardly]

Our double oven has become a bit redundant really. Most things are either air fried or MW these days with the oven being relegated to keep warm duties. The Wok is turned out fairly regularly also.

[fruitcake]

Can't comment on air fryers, or 'air dryers, but a halogen oven* makes very nice roasted parsnips: butter some parsnips, put them in the halogen oven for a while, enjoy their crispy salty outsides, soft sweet middles. Parsnips are the next big thing, I tell you. At least until tomatoes become available again.

* It's like a big see-through air fryer.

[Mrs Pingu]

I've got a hundred quid Amazon gift card from work burning a hole in my pocket and am trying resist buying a multi cooker. (Pingu will probably grumble if I buy another gadget...) 

[ian]

Still use our ninja at least once or twice a week.