We’ve considered an air fryer for a while, but haven’t done anything about acquiring one, as we thought they might be a bit gimmicky. Used a couple of times and then put back in the box and pushed to the far recesses of the cupboard. Only to be got out again when we did a big clear out and either binned it or donated it to charity. Yes, we have form here.
But at Christmas we received a voucher and after thinking about what we might use it for, we decided to investigate air fryers a little bit more, and started to like what we were reading. We quickly started to realise that an air fryer could be an investment, both financially and in terms of cooking more healthily. We liked the idea that they can reduce fat intake by up to 80% compared to traditional frying and cooking methods, and the fact that food is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, was another tick. Because there aren’t many components to an air fryer, even the largest capacity ones, they are clearly much easier to clean than a traditional oven or microwave, and less cooking/baking dishes are used because most cooking occurs in the basket. Everything is also contained within the tray, so no splashing or dripping or spillages. This was all sounding good.
However, we did also consider the disadvantages – and to us, these seemed largely to be price, dimensions and potential cooking times of certain foods. We discounted price pretty quickly as we didn’t want to pay silly money for something we ultimately may not have got a lot of use out of, so had a budget in mind, and stuck to it. Again, the issue of size was dealt with pretty quickly, as with only two of us most of the time, we could opt for a smaller capacity fryer. And, although it’s clear that certain cooking times, in an air fryer, may be longer than in a conventional oven, the other benefits were definitely starting to outweigh this. We spent quite a lot of time looking at different models, and to be honest, the final decision came down to the best design. Most in the price range we had set, seemed to offer more or less the same things, so we focused on what we had space for currently, as well as looking for a model that was pretty unobtrusive, with as few flashing lights and controls as possible – and we kept coming back to the Mi Smart Air Fryer with a capacity of 3.5 litres.
This model, with it’s circular OLED screen – and no other buttons or controls – looked sleek and super stylish, in white. The handle for the tray was even an attractive design. But the real pull of this air fryer, was its smart capabilities. Once connected to wi-fi and the app downloaded, it seemed to offer a whole load of new possibilities, including smart scheduling up to 24 hours in advance, meaning the timer can be pre-set. Very handy if you are out and about but want your meal ready, when you return home. Over 100 smart recipes are available, making it easy for beginners straight away – although, to be fair, this wasn’t the clincher as we’d already sourced so many recipes just by googling. However, the Mi Smart Air Fryer also supports custom cooking modes, so that you can adjust the settings as you please, and this feature did appeal. Without much more further ado, we placed an order for it, and three days later it arrived. Thanks to the very efficient Spanish postal service.
It is very much as beautiful as we had hoped. Not knowing how our new kitchen will eventually turn out, the decision to opt for white was a good one. As was selecting one that was as minimal as possible. Because it’s only 3.5 litres – which by the way, is perfect for two people – it sits easily on our counter top, and doesn’t take up too much space. It also doesn’t overpower, as some kitchen accessories do. It was simple to set up – once it found the network, it connected automatically to the wi-fi and when the app was downloaded, it was all pretty straightforward, too. We’ve only had it a few days, but already have discovered the benefits – less washing up, less using of trays and dishes, clean and compact, easy to use. But best of all – the quality of the cooking.
We started off with frozen chips – Harry Ramsden’s, which we think are the best – and wow! They were so different to oven cooked frozen chips. These were the best frozen chips we have ever cooked. Crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. Next up, we tried frozen white fish fillets, which were marinaded with olive oil, paprika, basil and oregano – again, cooked from frozen and what a result. The perfect texture and cooked to perfection, with slightly crisped edges but juicy, thoroughly cooked flesh. Amazing. We’ve also tried bacon and eggs – and this one really, really surprised us. Bacon will NEVER, EVER be cooked under the grill, ever again. Cooked in the air fryer, the smoked slices were succulent and full of flavour, and with very little fat. The eggs – fried eggs! – were almost perfect. I like my fried eggs to have quite hard centres, as I’m not a fan of a runny yolk and he likes them a bit more runny. I think we just need to work on timings as bother were almost perfect in their own way, but just not quite. The main oven and hob is still being used – last night we made a kedgeree, so everything was done on the hob. Apart from the hard boiled eggs, which were done in the air fryer. And this for me, was a bit like magic. Eight minutes – perfect eggs. And not a single crack in any of the shells.
We’re now actually asking ourselves, how did we survive before the arrival of the air fryer? And, over the next few weeks, I’ll start to share some of the recipes we’ve found and the results…
