I Made Everything in the Airfryer for 3 Days
The Philips Airfryer is immensely popular: there are entire Facebook pages dedicated to the mini oven that simply fits on your countertop. By now, it’s well known that it’s a versatile appliance. What I was mainly curious about was this: is the Airfryer so versatile that you can eat everything made in it all day long? I put it to the test and made everything in the Airfryer for three days. This is what I learned from it.
Frying, baking, roasting—the Airfryer can do it all. That’s what they say, anyway, so I’m taking on this experiment too. To make things a little easier, I brought the Master Grill Set into my home. As the name suggests, it turns you into a master at grilling. The set consists of a grill rack and skewers for threading meat, fish or vegetables onto. So I’m definitely going to make satay, but first I need breakfast. Let’s go!
Day 1 (Saturday)
Breakfast with homemade granola
It’s the weekend, so I have plenty of time to make homemade granola. I’m using this recipe for tropical granola with coconut, pineapple and mango. The recipe was written for a conventional oven, but it works perfectly in the Airfryer too. In fact, it’s much, much faster. The original recipe says the granola needs 50 minutes in the oven; in the Airfryer, it’s ready in fifteen minutes.
Hangover lunch: Tuna melt
Yesterday’s virtual Friday afternoon drinks on the Houseparty app got a little too gezellig, so after that healthy granola it’s time for a thick, indulgent tuna melt. For me, this is the perfect hangover lunch. The bread becomes wonderfully crispy in the Airfryer in 10 minutes at 170 °C, and the cheese melts really well. I’m ready to face the day again. The same applies here: preheating is a breeze, so you’re done in no time. Very convenient if you looked a little too deeply into the glass the day before.
A grilled fish in the evening
Time to try out the Master Grill Set. I’m doing that with a fresh fish. I’m in the mood for Asian flavors, so I pick up a small whole sea bream at the market that fits perfectly in the Airfryer. I rub it all over with sunflower oil and season it with salt and pepper. I put ginger, garlic and slices of lime in the cavity. I place it on the grill rack, bake it for 12 minutes at 170 ºC, and then sprinkle spring onion and coriander over it. Delicious! This is another winner, but are you cooking for more people? Then a conventional oven is more practical given the size.
Day 2 (Sunday)
Hmm… French toast
Sunday is the perfect day for an elaborate and indulgent breakfast: French toast it is. Normally I fry it in a skillet, but perhaps the Airfryer works just as well. A knob of butter usually goes into the pan, which is a little tricky in the Airfryer, so I mix melted butter into the batter with milk and egg. Bake the French toast for 3 minutes at 160 °C, turn it over, and bake for another 3 minutes for a crispy breakfast.
Salad with garlic bread
I’m staying in the bread department and making a simple salad with crispy garlic bread. First, I make a simple herb butter with garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. I spread it generously on a bread roll and bake it until crispy in the Airfryer. At 180 °C, it needs about 8 minutes. It’s like one enormous crouton—absolutely delicious.
Favorite: saté ajam
Time to use the skewers from the Master Grill Set—in other words, time for saté ajam. The grill set comes with six skewers and a grill base for those beautiful grill marks. I’m going for marinated chicken thighs. Since I’m already at it, I roast the peanuts for the sauce in the Airfryer for a few minutes (without oil). That goes fast, because the nuts end up just a little too dark. I should have known from my granola adventure yesterday, but I’ve certainly learned my lesson now.
At 200 °C, the satay only needs 12 minutes. The chicken is perfectly cooked, has beautiful grill marks and is wonderfully crispy. Normally I use wooden satay skewers, so you can bite straight into the chicken. These are metal. So don’t bite right away, unless you’re certain you want to burn your mouth.
Day 3 (Monday)
Cheating…
To be honest: Monday is a bit of cheating because I’m not making anything new. Why would I? On Saturday, I made enough granola to feed an entire orphanage, and it’s still wonderfully crispy. It would be a shame not to eat it.
All the leftovers in a frittata
For lunch, the ideal way to use up leftovers is on the menu: frittata. A simple dish of egg with vegetables and cheese. I happened to have broccoli and feta in the fridge, so they go into the eggs together with a splash of cream and plenty of salt and pepper. I stir everything well, put the mixture in a baking tin, and then into the Airfryer, which I’ve preheated to 160 °C. After 10 minutes, it’s already beginning to brown nicely. It’s just not completely cooked yet, so to be safe I cover it with aluminum foil.
With gratinated goat cheese
It’s Monday, so I’m starting the week right with a salad—but one with gratinated goat cheese. I mean, life still has to be fun. I’m using those round, soft goat cheeses; one package is more than enough for two people. I bake the cheese until beautifully golden brown for 8 minutes at 180 ºC—the perfect topping for my salad with walnuts, fresh figs and a honey vinaigrette.
Conclusion
Three days of making everything in the Airfryer: it really is possible, and it doesn’t disappoint me at all. I noticed that I sometimes had to search a little for inspiration, especially for lunch, but there’s more than enough to find online. I enjoyed being creative and preparing things in a different way than I normally would. It’s simply deliciously easy with the Airfryer.
In principle, any dish you can make in the oven is suitable for the Airfryer; you barely need to preheat it, if at all, and everything is genuinely ready faster. Great, right? The Master Grill Set in particular was a fantastic addition; that crispy satay is definitely here to stay. If you use a recipe developed for preparation in the oven, do adjust the times and, if necessary, the temperature (there’s a handy overview here). Things cook faster in the Airfryer than you think.
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