this post was submitted on 07 Dec 2023
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[–] [email protected] 35 points 11 months ago (6 children)

Air fryers are only popular because Americans have been using microwaves to cook for decades, which are possibly the worst cooking devices ever created.

If they had decent fan ovens during that time, they wouldn't be anywhere near as popular

Conversely, air fryers are seen to be popular in the UK, because nobody will admit they fell for the advertising, and now only use them for chips

[–] [email protected] 23 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Not just chips my friend. Pies, sausages, chicken, salmon. Half the cooking time or an oven, better results and a fraction of the energy use.

The hype is real.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago

This. It's great for steaks or cuts of chicken, even sandwich melts, but it uses less power and is faster than the oven. I tend to use my air fryer for a lot of dinners instead of opting for a much larger oven. The cooking tends to be much more even too, I don't have to worry about raw spots as much as I did with my oven.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Nobody uses microwaves to do actual cooking, and it's just a handy alternate heating method in your oven or toaster oven. Who cares?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I do cook in the microwave, , potatoes, chickenlegs, egg-based crustless pies in silicone molds, mushrooms. Microwaving at 600 power doesn't entangle the proteins and seals moisture. Finish in the skillet or fryer and all the flavours are there.

It's time-saving as well.

Free recipe:

Ingredients:

A head of chicory, 4 slices of cheap ham (the ones you put on a sandwich) 4 slices of cheese, as long as the ham you use and about a fingerwide

Nuke the head of chicory full blast for about 2 minutes in a glass container. No water or anything, just plop the head in a pyrex bowl with a glass lid.

Let mushy head cool down in a sieve so the excess moisture can escape.

Cut in half and cut the halves in half when you won't burn your fingerprints off anymore. Slice off the hard bottom bit.

Lay down a slice of ham, put a piece of cheese in the middle, cover the cheese with a piece of your chicory and roll the ham like a burrito. Repeat until out of at least one of your ingredients.

Dry your pyrex bowl and put those rolls in it with the seam down so the rolls will stay closed.

Nuke the rolls on 600 watt for about 90 seconds to melt the cheese and make the ham get nice and salty and juicy.

Tadaa! Gourmet!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I do actually heat things a half or .6 power usually, since it's a gentler heat.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

It really improves the structure and taste. No little hard or tough bits.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Air fryers are toaster ovens with better marketing.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago

And a lot of fans.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago

I have been using convection ovens for way longer than I have had an air fryer and it's honestly different. The smaller size and the basket shape makes it cook faster and it's just so muxh easier to toss the stuff in the basket than it is to flip everything over halfway through baking. Deep frying does taste better but I hate cleaning it up after. I thought air fryers were stupid for years but then I tried one and I was wrong.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

Size is the killer feature in air fryers, but a convection toaster ovens are the better thing.