I recently did something I almost never do. I mean if the
Mrs. is watching the flat screen and it happens to be on, I might briefly do a
fleeting glimpse of what’s being sold then either return to the computer or
more likely, change the station if the Mrs. abandons it. But I won’t continue
to view it if she isn’t present. Until that day. Watching QVC.
Perhaps it was because Emeril was actually presenting his
Pro Plus air fryer, maybe it was that I already was eyeing an air fryer at
Williams-Sonoma. But I did pull the trigger that day.
The Air Fryer
I will admit it. I love my French fries. Dipped in any
type of mayonnaise based sauce. Yes, they’re not the healthiest thing to cook
or consume. Deep fried in oil. Perhaps causing some starch to convert to
acrylamides which is a known carcinogen. Then dipped in fat laden mayonnaise.
And I don’t just consume a small portion. I only stop when every last morsel is
consumed. So to lessen the guilt, I’ve always looked at air fryers as an
alternative to at least lower the fat burden. And for the past several months,
I’ve had my eye on those Phillips air fryers at Williams-Sonoma which range
from $199 to $299 and seem to have very good reviews.
But an air fryer is another kitchen appliance and the
thought of another appliance that potentially could simply end up in the
appliance graveyard just taking up valuable kitchen space had me simply looking
at it than actually planning on purchasing it. Then Emeril appeared on QVC
showing the versatility of his air fryer. Not just frying but roasting and
baking too! And since it was the special of the day, another $15 off the
special price of $99.95 plus free shipping just for the day. Well, even at
$99.95 that’s half the price of the Phillips model and now down to $84.95. Of
course nothing ships to the 50th for free. Even Amazon now either charges
for shipping to the 50th for large items or doesn’t even ship at
all. But in the interest just to see what exorbitant shipping charges I would
have to face, I placed air fryer in my online basket and proceeded with the
order. WHAT?! It is FREE SHIPPING! For just $84.95 plus tax! SOLD!
Frying with Air
An air fryer basically contains a quick heating element
that uses and fan to continually envelope the food within with super-heated
air. Think of it as a small oven attached to a Vornado fan. Because the air
quickly moves air and cooking liquids (oil) continuously, only a small amount
of oil is needed to “fry” the food. And if frying isn’t the desired cooking
method, then fan turns the fryer into a super convection oven so you can also
roast or bake.
Therefore the Brussels sprouts of cauliflower I
previously roasted at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes can now be finished in
the air fryer at just 20 to 25 minutes probably using a lot less electricity to
accomplish the same process.
Frying Results
The first thing that I’ll admit is that the appearance of
your cooked fries won’t look anything like those found at the Golden Arches or
those pommes frites served with your
steak frites at your neighborhood
bistro. To get that uniform golden brown requires an oil hot tub. But both the Mrs.
and I agreed that the potato flavor whether the potatoes were frenched or
wedged had a lot more pronounced potato flavor cooked in the air fryer. It
really brought out the sweetness and potato flavors compared to other oil fried
applications. And using just about 1 tablespoon of oil to accomplish this made
consumption that much more guilt free with every bite.
We then sampled some air fried Brussel sprouts which I
normally would oven roast them after tossing them with olive oil, salt and
pepper. However oven roasting takes about 30 minutes or longer while the air
fryer got them done in about 20 minutes even crisping the outer leaves with a
fried-like consistency. I also air fried frozen breaded calamari rings along
with criss-cut fries which again would take at least 30 minutes in a regular
oven but were nice and crispy after 20 minutes in the air fryer.
Finally, since the air fryer is also advertised as a
“baker”, I made a loaf of banana bread which almost was a failure, not because
of the device but because the “chef” filled the pan a wee bit too much. This
resulted in a little spillage that thankfully didn’t result in a total mess. In
defense of the “chef”, most recipes for sweetbreads are for your standard 9” x
4” loaf pan while the air fryer only accommodates a 7” x 2 & ½” pan. So I
tried pushing the limit of the smaller pan…
Air Fryer
Limitations
Other than the fact that you’ll now have an extra kitchen
appliance that might potentially end up in the kitchen appliance “graveyard”,
my baking fiasco highlighted the one limitation of this or any other air fryer
– size constraints. While a 7” x 2 & ½” sweetbread might be the perfect
size for the Mrs. and myself (to prevent overconsumption of sweets), it’s
hardly enough for a family of four or larger. And again while the serving of
fries or potato wedges provided a more-than-adequate serving for the two of us,
you probably would need a second batch to sate your family. And purchasing an
air fryer doesn’t mean any extra kitchen space because it’s not like you’ll be
dumping your oven or cooktop. But I personally think that it’s found a
permanent place in the Tatsumoto kitchen besides the microwave, single cup
coffee maker and pressure/slow cooker. Okay, maybe the Ninja blender wasn’t a
great idea…
But was it
Actually a Good Buy?
Though this purchase was as close to an impulse purchase
as it gets for me, I’ll still do a quick internet search looking for any
consumer or expert review for that item. There are several sites that list the
best air fryers in 2016 and guess what? Models made by Good Cooking, GoWise or
Smart Health are on several of these lists and these models all suspiciously
look like the model with the Emeril Lagasse name on it in my kitchen. Which
stands to reason since manufacturers often license their products to multiple
companies with sellers simply relabeling or changing minor details like the
color or “bling” parts with chrome. But the internal mechanism and device
itself is basically the same. Like that secret – but not really secret – fact
that most store label batteries are made by Duracell or Eveready.
So while this device may not be the most practical device for a large family or a family who doesn’t inhale pommes frites like the Tatsumoto’s, I believe it’s found a place in our kitchen. Healthier French fries? We’re there! Healthier “fried” Brussel sprouts? We’re double there!
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