I like deep fried foods and make them fairly regularly (mostly battered or breaded shrimp, scallops, cod, chicken fingers, falafel, fritters, French fries onion rings etc.). I currently use an electric Fry Daddy or sometimes just a pot on the stove, I have a Breville larger size toaster oven (800XL)that I use daily, in the morning as a toaster, then use it for most other tasks, I rarely turn on the large oven as we are only two people. I’m considering replacing my toaster oven with an air fryer that also toasts, broils and bakes. I should mention that counter space is limited. I’ve never eaten air fried food but I hear its almost as good as oil fried fare (opinions appreciated). Do you think this is a good idea? Can you recommend a machine that would fulfill my needs?
the Breville IS an air fryer. being that it is a convention oven. to my mind your setup is already optimal.
I have the Breville air fryer oven. We use it a lot especially when it’s warm to avoid the heat output of the Viking. It’s large enough to roast a chicken or use the smaller Le Creuset for braising. I use the air fryer function to crisp things but in no way does air frying compare well to deep frying. Sure it’s better than a regular oven but don’t kid yourself into thinking it will replace frying.
I don’t understand why people are afraid of deep frying. I do it all the time. I keep a deep cast iron Dutch oven on an induction burner I have with a probe thermometer. The induction burner is connected to the probe to maintain a steady temperature. The pot is deep enough to avoid a lot of splatter. No potato or chicken from the air fryer will hold a candle to what comes out of that pot. I keep it to the side and covered and it’s available whenever I need it. That said I do also like my Breville. But I also know it’s limitations.
This is the one we have
I have the same Breville, but I also have a tiny, dorm room sized air fryer (Insta mini vortex) that I usually use because I’m only making 1 or 2 servings. And yes, air frying isn’t exactly like deep frying. You can up the game if you spray the food lightly with oil before air frying or, in the case of commercially frozen food like onion rings or fish sticks or chicken nuggets - they all have some oil incorporated on the outside - so they crisp up just fine IMO.
After all, an air fryer is basically a little convection oven with a more powerful fan.
It really depends on what you’re frying. Results with frozen fried foods (fries, rings, nuggets, etc.) are quite good. They also do a good job on fresh fish and veggies. But if you are making falafel or battering fresh food it is disappointing and there is no comparison to frying in oil.
I don’t deep fry (managing all that oil is a pain)… I have always shallow fried in cast iron. Not too long ago I bought a small Lodge 9 inch wok. It has a very thick bottom that retains heat well, and a high sided shape that lets me use even less oil than my old 8" skillet with much less splatter.
