The first air fryer was not around f9r the Battle of Hastings and the Bayeux Tapestry. It was made of wood, and aluminium, with a chicken-wire basket - and it was as big as a dog kennel. The inventor was a Dutchman, Fred van der Weij in 2006. I know this because I watched Hannah Fry [who seems to be all over the BBC TV and radio lately] in this programme
I have a confession...having declared very firmly back in November that I didn't need one, I must tell you that one arrived at Cornerstones at the beginning of March.
Liz and Steph had suggested it might be useful once the Kitchen Project started. Who knew how long I'd be without my oven?
Four weeks in, I have to report I'm getting on better than i expected. Sunday breakfast croissants are delicious. Jacket potatoes are quick and easy. Salmon fillets, and other fish pieces are moist and flavourful. The two baskets with synchronised finish time are a good idea. Fish and chips, meat and potatoes, all work well. I got a small chicken and produced a proper Sunday Roast Dinner. I did pork steaks with Aunt Bessie's bake-at-home Yorkshire puds, combined with veg from the microwave...all good. I've not tried any cakes yet.
"We lived on sandwiches for over a week when they were doing our kitchen" said a friend, most concerned that our DIY plan, with a longer time frame would mean uninspired cold meals. I assured her we were enjoying a varied, flavourful cooked diet, and not splurging on meals out or takeaways.
It will be interesting to see if my cooking styles change when I'm back to a full size kitchen with oven and hob. But I'm managing on a small worktop with the microwave, toaster and A-F [and kettle]
Which is a lot more than a lot of families have. So many people across the globe have one pan on a fire or single gas ring. I am grateful for good food, and so many ways to prepare it.
My air fryer is in use almost daily! The oven isn't. Does wonders for the energy bill.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're enjoying it. To be able to cook sensible meals takes some of the stress out of having a new kitchen!. I can't yet bring myself to try a cake in our tiny one drawer model though! Horses for courses, I can’t imagine baking a proper Victoria sponge in such a small space! I’m still old school when it comes to cakes.
ReplyDeleteYour oven baked cakes always look splendid. I understand your reticence to attempt one in an AF
DeleteLike you, I am grateful to have the choice to cook food as I wish. Norrie loves the air fryer because it lets him do his share of cooking following instructions exactly eg cooking fish from frozen, roasting vegetables.
ReplyDeleteI still like the Remoska which we use in the motorhome as we usually have a hookup. I have made scones in the air fryer which were good-Inlined the bottom with some silicone sheet and used the bottom of the pan without the rack. There are a plethora of recipes on the web to help. To finish as I started-I am truly grateful to have good food and ways to cook it. Catriona
I bought silicon liners and it does help keep the AF clean
DeleteCooked air fryer breakfast this morning... we have the small phillips model and bought the nonstick pan accessory. 2 chipolatas and a handful of cherry tomatoes went into the little pan, and add the eggs at the end. I flip the eggs more or less successfully. 12 minutes and no greasy splatters on the stove! We've had an air fryer since we saw our friends using one in 2014.
ReplyDeleteWow, you were "early adopters" there!
DeleteI haven't bought an Air Fryer yet, my daughter swears by hers and keeps telling me to buy one. I shall see. It is good that you are managing without a proper oven and living off sandwiches and expensive takeaways is not a good idea either.
ReplyDeleteWe are so lucky to have all modern conveniences. The Food Bank asks for items that don't need heating as some people are without any power. It saddens me that we are
Living in a country that cuts off people's electricity. Things must change. Carole R.
Maybe the younger generation take to these things more quickly. I am sad that we need Food banks, grateful that the supermarkets make it easy for us to add a few tins to the FB collection bin when we do our shopping.
DeleteThey do have their uses for sure, and once you get used to them they really can do virtually everything that a full sized oven would do. They really come into their own for occasions like you renovating the kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI liked mine, but not enough to sacrifice the space it took up on my single worktop. I'm much happier with the Remoska now, which is just like an air fryer but without a fan, and much smaller.
Yes, brilliant for this disrupted time - which is taking longer than we hoped!
DeleteI only have a basic one-drawer model from Aldi and find that if you can't stir it or turn it over then you end up with a soggy bottom. Scones are easily turned but I'm not sure a cake would survive. Even a Gregg's chicken bake had to be turned halfway. First world problems.
ReplyDeleteTurning-halfway-through seems to be the key to avoiding soggy bottoms. 1st world problems as you say.
DeleteI bake cakes in my phillips small single drawer model. An all-in-one 2 egg sponge isn't a marvel of airiness, but is good enough for everyday.
Delete"everyday"sponge cakes would totally ruin my attempts to cut down on sugary treats!
DeleteI'm glad you've found a good solution during the kitchen remodel. I don't have an air fryer. I've been resisting adding any appliances or gadgets I'd have to find a place to store. I like my medium-sized kitchen. It forces me to make good decisions regarding money and space. Nevertheless, I know many people who like theirs and am glad yours is doing the job for which it was intended.
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to get every gadget going if you are not careful. Then a while later, the charity shops are full of spiralisers and juicers and whatever
DeleteI don't have an air fryer yet. Your meal looks delicious 😋
ReplyDelete"yet" is the key word there! Now I'm thinking I should have found a friend with a caravan who could lend me a Remoska!
DeleteI would gladly have lent you one of ours-large one in house and smaller one in Moho. C
DeleteI think that probably the cost of petrol to collect it from Scotland is more than the cost of buying the AF!! But thank you, a kind offer. And I could have borrowed your ShedMan too to help with the work!
DeleteI don't have an airfryer but I know our son and daughter - in - law have one which they use a lot and they are very happy with it. The Bayeux tapestry joke made me giggle.
ReplyDelete🤣
DeleteI'm glad that you've acquired such a useful appliance to your kitchen arsenal. I bought an air fryer for my daughter as a Christmas present a couple of years ago and she loves it. I don't have one, but, when she moves back home, she will bring hers down and we will share it. :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good plan
DeleteYour air fryer is a successful way to overcome the privations of a kitchen in progress! You have produced some great meals. Mine is only small, which is enough for us, and with our generator, if we have a power outage, there are now a lot of appliances that will work on kitchen outlets that are connected - air fryer, toaster, microwave, kettle, crock pot (can even keep things warm in there). We also have a plug in hotplate if needed. As long as we have gasoline for the generator, we can cope!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have frequent outages!
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