Instant Pots and Air Fryers

[frayedend]

I've got the Ninja combo unit. It air fries awesome. Wings come out super crispy. Capacity is a bit of an issue, but if I'm making enough for guests I use the Weber anyhow. You just have to toss the wings around 8 minutes or so to make sure all the skin gets crispy.

I've used it also as a pressure cooker and it's awesome. That being said, when I used it as a slow cooker it never seemed to get hot enough, even on hight. As a matter of fact the only reason I used the pressure cooker setting was because my beef stew wasn't done in time under the slow cook setting.

[Ron_L]

Originally Posted by frayedend

I've got the Ninja combo unit. It air fries awesome. Wings come out super crispy. Capacity is a bit of an issue, but if I'm making enough for guests I use the Weber anyhow. You just have to toss the wings around 8 minutes or so to make sure all the skin gets crispy.

I've used it also as a pressure cooker and it's awesome. That being said, when I used it as a slow cooker it never seemed to get hot enough, even on hight. As a matter of fact the only reason I used the pressure cooker setting was because my beef stew wasn't done in time under the slow cook setting.

That's what I use as well. I have an Instant Pot and a standalone ari fryer but I don't use either since getting the Ninja Foodi. i do use my slow cooker, however. I have on of the 6 qt. oval shaped ones that is a good size/shape for pot roast, etc.

[jzadski]

We have all the gadgets. Insta-pot brand won it at a Pheasant's Forever dinner...like it, stainless pot that works great for grains, rice and hard boiled eggs are a dream. Need to try more stuff in it but, did a corned beef that turned out well. Air Fryer...just ok. IMHO it's like taking a really good recipe from Grandma and substituting ingredients to make it a healthy dish, just not the same. Plus we got away from Teflon which it had too. Crockpot still use for the usual suspects. Caveat, we grill in the garage all year long plus a garage addition to smoke with rec tec. So upon the bbq sets a deep fryer, it's the bomb. I am not sure how much healthier or not it is compared to air frying being that a lot of the stuff put in the air fryer is already fried...perhaps it's more marketing. Just my 2 cents and what works for us. Good Luck
ps...don't use canola oil for the fryer

[crboggs]

Originally Posted by LYU370

That's the one I'm thinking about. Trying to decide if the air fryer version is worth the extra buck twenty.

We use ours so much than I convinced my parents to get one as well...and they use theirs frequently.

[16Adams]

Have all. Ranked in most to least used, but we use them all frequently


1. Instant Pot
2. Crock Pot
3. Air Fryer

[Curt.P]

Originally Posted by jzadski

ps...don't use canola oil for the fryer

What's wrong with canola oil? As far as I could find, the complaints about canola are the same complaints about all refined vegetable oils. It's the most stable, doesn't absorb flavors, good source for omega-3, omega-6, oleic acid and is low on saturated fat. The high erucic acid content has been engineered out (<2%), and I have no issues with it being GMO. It isn't the only oil I use, but it is probably what I use the most (although I use peanut oil quite a bit too).

[dward51]

We have a air fryer oven and a 6qt instapot. Love them both. Air fryer gets used nearly daily. Our oven has the 3 racks and we use them instead of the basket insert, even for french fries. Instapot makes a lot of food, but they have several sizes to choose from depending on the size of your family. It's just the 2 of us now, so that is one reason the instapot is not used as often.

[food4thot]

Does anyone use an air fryer and instapot in place of a microwave?

[TravelingJ]

I suppose it depends on what you use your microwave for. I only use mine to heat up our dinnerware before I put the food on it-it bothers me to put hot food on a cold plate. I think I used it to melt butter once or twice. The instafryer wouldn't do those duties very well.

[Jason TQ]

TLDR: It all depends on how many people you are cooking for and if you fall for the con of an "air fryer" .


If you are bored.............
So I have an 8qt instant pot. Also have what I would call a mid sized convention toaster oven that can easily do a 12 in frozen pizza, has multiple rack options, heats crazy even and is the only appliance that has been approved for permanent counter top space.

All that garbage being said I simply don't get "air fryers". I mean I get the gimmick (I watch In the Kitchen with David every Sunday), but it is simply a very small convection oven (you ain't saving calories by air frying vs the oven ). Granted they make some that have front doors are are like a toaster oven, but other than needing one in a camper I don't get the egg shape.......even then get a convection toaster oven.

In the summer when I don't want to crank the oven for small batch of fries or whatever an "air fryer" claims to do better.....I use my toaster oven. My big convection oven (& toaster) still crips the hell out of anything I've read an "air fryer" can do as does my toaster oven.

Now....it really comes down to what quantity you cook for in real life. For 2 people I can see an air fryer working if you don't want to buy a more useful toaster oven, but I researched a ton (as always) and then when Costco had a nice sized toaster oven on sale for $60 I bought it. For my family of 4 there is just no way an air fryer has a place.

So that leads into why I also don't see a place for the combo units (ninja foodie) for quantities more than 2 people. I know Ron crushes his . But I'm not tossing food around or rotating batches when I can just use my oven. I'm lazy , but I'll fire up my pitboss to crisp up 50 wings in no time. The foodie seems perfect if you want both, but also don't have a lot of room or ain't cooking for a lot of folks.

And finally (since I've clearly amped off Judge Judy reruns ) none of these devices still replaces my microwave.

[jzadski]

Oh the canola oil. So we got 2 orders of it from Costco so we had/have a bunch. We used to use peanut but $. Now vegetable oil. So filled the big fryer with it a while back and the smell was off but, thought it was me. Cleaned the one on the bbq and filled it with canola too. Smell off after heated too. Then the wife noticed too so it wasn't just me. So she did some quick research. When heated can or does smell fishy or like used oil. Which is exactly what we experienced. The article also stated it best for baking. So for us we are sticking with vegetable oil.

[gtsum]

Tried buying the breville air fryer pro or whatever it’s called but back ordered everywhere. Ended up with a cuisanart oven air fryer and it’s ok. My kids are 9 and 13 and used to better food than standard chicken nuggets so it has limited uses for us, but I did finish some smoked wings on it and they came out great. Your basic fried apps like onion rings, fries, cheese sticks etc are easier and faster to cook on the air fryer so that’s good. This takes the place of our toaster also so I guess it will work. But I really don’t see what the fuss is all about and the universal love of air fryers


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[Whisky]

I agree, air fryers are overrated. Which is why we bought the Breville Smart Oven Air. Use it more for other things than just air fry.

Also, nothing will replace our microwave.

[Curt.P]

Originally Posted by jzadski

Oh the canola oil. So we got 2 orders of it from Costco so we had/have a bunch. We used to use peanut but $. Now vegetable oil. So filled the big fryer with it a while back and the smell was off but, thought it was me. Cleaned the one on the bbq and filled it with canola too. Smell off after heated too. Then the wife noticed too so it wasn't just me. So she did some quick research. When heated can or does smell fishy or like used oil. Which is exactly what we experienced. The article also stated it best for baking. So for us we are sticking with vegetable oil.

I haven't experienced the fishy smell with canola (yet), but I have with other refined cooking oils. I always associated it with going rancid. It's been a while though and I'll have to pay closer attention next time it happens. I do have an issue with peanut oil having an off smell after only being used a time or two.

Right now I'm using Happy Belly (Amazon's brand) and 365 (Whole Food's brand) canola oil and was thinking about ordering 35lb jugs.

[jzadski]

Originally Posted by Curt.P

I haven't experienced the fishy smell with canola (yet), but I have with other refined cooking oils. I always associated it with going rancid. It's been a while though and I'll have to pay closer attention next time it happens. I do have an issue with peanut oil having an off smell after only being used a time or two.

Right now I'm using Happy Belly (Amazon's brand) and 365 (Whole Food's brand) canola oil and was thinking about ordering 35lb jugs.

Glad you haven't had my issues. I think 99.9% of it is my luck Have been using Walmart vegetable oil $4.44 gallon and have been very happy with.