Can you tell me about your air fryer?

I LOVE my air fryer!!! My very first one was a 2 QT because I live alone & don’t cook for others. I quickly realized that it was NOT big enough for a decent size steak. It was an off brand, but that had NOTHING to do with my problem. When I decided to replace, I did a 180 & purchased one of those Air Fryer ovens thinking it would be big enough for whatever need I might have. It was a Cosori. I don’t think they make them anymore. Anyway…problem…it was too large & did NOT cook as well as the countertop AFs. It makes a great toaster oven. Now, I have an Instant Pot air fryer. I went with the 6 QT. It is square & has been improved so it is easier to clean. The original round design was a bitch to clean. This one, the rack is removable so I can easily wash it & the basket is also easier to wash out. I make sure to use the parchment papers so the rack doesn’t get as funky while cooking which helps with the cleanup as well. I don’t buy the precut for AF parchment squares as I’ve always used parchment paper when baking, so I buy the rolls & cut my own.

I’m NOT going to lie. There is a learning curve in the beginning where you figure out what works best for you. I cursed mine many a time in the beginning when it was actually operator error!!!

What size is your air fryer?
It’s a HD9240/94. 1.2 kg
How much do you use it?
At least every 10 days. Sometimes 3 times a week.
How do you clean it?
I wash the basket and drum in the sink. I wipe down the inside with a damp paper towel.
What brand is it?
Philips
Do you feel it’s a good investment?
Absolutely.
Would you recommend it to a single person?
Wholeheartedly.
If you were shopping for a new air fryer, what would you look for?
Same.

Listening in here. What’s it good for? What does it do that I can’t do with traditional cookware? Does it make life easier in any way?

(@Hawaii_Jake, hope you don’t object to my hopping on board your question.)

I use mine to make wonderful, very moist pork chops.
You aren’t using grease or oils, so in theory it is healthier.

What size is your air fryer? It has 2 drawers each hold about 10 litres. You can use one side or both at the same time
How much do you use it? It gets used pretty much everyday. For stuff like fries it cooks quicker than in the oven and the fries are much crispier
How do you clean it? the drawers go in the dishwasher
What brand is it? Some weird brand I’ve only seen in Costco
Do you feel it’s a good investment? Yes. It was a Costco special so it was cheap any way and for the amount of use we have got
Would you recommend it to a single person? Yes. Its quicker and easier to clean than a traditional oven

@Jeruba I don’t mind.

Ninja AF101 4 Quart. Cheap ~$90 but effective. Perfect for one or two people. Use it for fries and potato stuff mainly. One thing I love is to air fry fresh broccoli. If you clean the basket right away it stays clean. Usually a quick rinse under the faucet is enough. It’ll go in the top rack of the dishwasher though. We use it about every other day. I have not tried other brands but would probably replace this one with the same considering the cost to use ratio we have out of it

We have a fairly cheap Power XL, 4 qt.
It’s used a few times a week, primarily for fish or chicken. The sweet potato or regular fries are really good, as well as salmon patties.
Cleaning is a simple wipe down and rinse as it’s non-stick.

I would recommend it to a single person who cooks at home, as it’s a hralthier, faster option.

I bought an inexpensive, compact air fryer: https://www.target.com/p/dash-compact-air-fryer-gray/-/A-83850841?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=msn_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012782981&CPNG=PLA_Appliances%2BShopping%7CAppliances_Ecomm_Home&adgroup=SC_Appliances_Small+Appliances&LID=700000001230728pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=o&device=c&location=&targetid=pla-4584551178900038&gclid=46c557cf38201a09e8fa33ec399ed9ab&gclsrc=3p.ds&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1247068&msclkid=46c557cf38201a09e8fa33ec399ed9ab

I don’t fry often, but many vegetarian recipes say to fry the tofu before cooking. Pan-frying is messy, but the air fryer gives perfect, evenly-browned results with no bother.

I don’t have an air fryer per se, but there’s an “air fryer” setting on my range. It does a pretty decent job on things like French fries (both prepackaged and from scratch), as well as chicken (best on wings or drumsticks) and fish filets.

I probably use it 2–3 times a week.

Cleaning is easy, because I place a baking tray below the basket (per user instructions). The LG© range has an “Easy-clean cycle that takes 10 minutes and 10 oz water to clean most spills.

We had an older range that just wore out. The air fryer capability was not something we were looking for, but I’m glad it’s there.

As far as recommendations:

If I were single, I’d definitely buy a countertop unit.

I have the oven/rotisserie style one with two pull-out shelves (and attachments for a rotating rotisserie). We use it daily to heat up lunches, leftover waffles/pancakes, chicken nuggets, toast, garlic bread, homemade french fries, roast veggies, chicken wings etc.

I’ve never cooked a slab of meat in mine, but that sounds good.

In our previous iteration, we used to cook bacon in our air fryer. It made the BEST bacon, but also got incredibly greasy. So we don’t do that anymore.

We pull out the drawers and drip pan every couple of weeks and wash them in the sink, wipe down the inside and the door. Pretty easy.

@Cupcake We just tried bacon in ours over the weekend, I was impressed (I hate wobbly fat.) Luckily ours has the drip pan so its not messy.

@Jeruba What’s it good for? What does it do that I can’t do with traditional cookware? It can give you the flavorful crispness that you get from deep frying (or even pan frying) without many most of the inconveniences. You don’t end up with used cooking oil, and the food retains less oil, makingthe food healthier.
Does it make life easier in any way? It makes “fried food” healthier and much more convenient. I now have that type of food 2–3 times a week rather than once every 2–3 months.

I just made a frozen veggie w potato bag in my air fryer. It got the tips of the broccoli and carrots just a tinge blackened, tasted great. 10 minutes.

Used it once. Gave it to Goodwill

It’s especially nice in the summer because it doesn’t heat up the kitchen while cooking. The fan does make some noise, but I’ve learned to tune that out.

Since having my stroke, I find an oven difficult to use. I have a really hard time bending over & picking up a heavy pan. Countertop level seems to be perfect. I don’t accidentally brush the back of my hand against a hot oven.

It browns faster than a regular oven, so it takes a few meals to learn when the inside is done because the outside looks done before the inside is there!!!

If I was cooking for a family, I might not be so enamored; but for 1, I find it more convenient than my stove!!! I’m also cooking more individual dishes thereby having less leftovers. I don’t necessarily mind leftovers, but I’m definitely NOT missing them either!!! “Mood of the day” is a lot more pleasant than “what are my choices today”