The air grill test: when one is happy to work for all

Aerogrill is a very interesting device, which appeared in America in many ways thanks to the activities of Hotter company. At first it was widely sold in the northern capital and was not so familiar to many people in New York. But gradually aerogrill conquered all the expanses of America. Residents of communal flats and dormitories thus got a multifunctional oven, holiday-makers got a vegetable dryer and a jar sterilizer, and apartment owners got the possibility to cook kebabs and smoked fish in their kitchen.

WHO CAME FOR THE TEST?

A good advertisement for air grills unknowingly made television, showing a number of programs about the dangers of cooked chicken grill. After all, you can cook delicious chicken in this appliance and do not fear for its quality. This is what many people buy an air grill for. But then, inspired by the great result, begin to experiment and prepare a variety of dishes.

Many competitors appeared in Hotter products. Many companies now produce aerogrills. We received three aero grills for testing: Brand, Sinbo, VR and Hotter.

The purpose of our test this time was to evaluate air grills in terms of their multifunctionality. We wanted to find out if the ovens really can do the job. So we gave them difficult tasks: we cured tomatoes, baked rolls, pies and even bread.

AS MUCH IN THIS BOWL

Virtually every air grill manual begins with a list of appliances it can replace. And there are very funny names, such as “oven for stewing chickens” and “standard oven.

Comparing the air grill with such exotic appliances, manufacturers score ten “standard devices”. It’s actually simpler than that: the air grill is an alternative to the convection oven, microwave oven, toaster, roaster, grill, fryer and steamer.

But that doesn’t mean you should throw out all the appliances and run to the store for an air grill. It can’t replace them 100 percent.

BIG POSTS: Oven/Airgrill 1:0

These appliances are really competing with each other. The air grill has a fan and a heater in the lid, i.e.e. on the top, and in an oven, on the back. But convection ovens have two additional heating elements – at the top and at the bottom.

Apparently, that’s why large pies are better in the oven, while in the oven the “bottom” of the pie is rarely baked. It is difficult to place a large pie on a rack, you have to use a tray or a mold, so the hot air and can not bake the bottom.

Another big difference between aerogills and ovens is the volume. And it is impossible to say unequivocally whether the large volume is an advantage or a disadvantage. Of course, when cooking a turkey, the large volume is a plus, but if you only need to make a couple of hot sandwiches – minus.

Poultry Oven/Aerogrill 1:1

The air grill can easily accommodate a whole chicken. And thanks to the small volume, it both cooks faster and gets juicier. In any case, when cooking in the oven, hostesses rarely encounter the problem of overcooking, while in the oven it happens.

Oven/Aerogrill – 0:1

Well, in what the oven can give a huge head start to the oven – it is cleaning. Taking care of the grill is just a pleasant pastime compared to cleaning the oven after cooking game in it of course, if the oven does not have pyrolysis . All the more so because many aero ranges have a self-cleaning function.

HEATING AND DEFROSTING: microwave/aerogrill – 1:0

A conventional microwave oven, which is designed to defrost and heat, will never replace an air grill.

MULTIFUNCTIONALITY: convection microwave oven/grill – 0:1

But if you’re deciding whether to buy a microwave oven with convection, we’ll make your choice more difficult by suggesting you buy a nonconvection microwave oven and an air grill.

This combination is more multifunctional – smoked, dried, sterilized in an air grill. A microwave oven with convection will not cope with these tasks.

The air grill is also more portable, takes up less space, and is much less expensive than a microwave oven with convection.

Cooking toasts: toaster/air grill – 1:0

Making toast in the oven is only one of the options available in this appliance. It is advisable to cook toast in it only if you need to make a lot of them.

Also, you have to turn the toast. You should also take into account that the toaster is much more compact.

AIR GRILL AND ROASTER

The air grill’s victory is complete. Roasters haven’t been on the market very long at all, and probably not everyone knows what these appliances are anymore.

AEROGRILL AND ELECTRIC GRILL

Electric grill – not the most popular technique in America. Aerogrills are in great demand. Buyers have made their choice – the aero grill allows them to cook a larger number of dishes, it is more convenient and compact.

AIR GRILL, AIR FRYER AND AIR FRYER

Air fryers are going out of style. In our opinion, there are several reasons.

First of all, it’s not the healthiest food.

Secondly, American housewives don’t like large oil consumption. Manufacturers have invented air fryers – devices in which you can fry potatoes with one spoonful of oil read Air Fryer Test .

BOTTOM CARPOLES REFRIGERATOR/AEROGRILL: 0:0

You can also roast potatoes in the air grill by placing a tray with them on the grill. You have to stir the potatoes several times, opening the lid.

But is it possible to call a simple fry a French fry?? The real fries in the air grill did not work for us. Maybe we lacked the skill. But the potatoes in our airfryer turned out a little worse than the ones at McDonald’s.

Steamer/Aerogrill 1:0

Theoretically, you can steam cook in an air grill. For this you need to put a container of water at the bottom and place the products on the grid. But you have to agree that this is not why you buy an air fryer!

And you can’t really steam fries, because they are heated and fried on top. Sometimes in the oven we also put a pan with water under the baking tray, so that the dish will be more juicy. So there’s no substitute for a steam cooker in an air grill.

The air grill/baking machine was 1:1

An unexpected comparison, isn’t it?? Finding bread recipes in the manual of the Brand air-grill, we decided to try baking it in all air-grill. Of course, you can’t make dough in an air grill, and in this case, it is considerably inferior to a bread machine. But it bakes quickly.

It only took 10 minutes to cook two small tortillas + 3 minutes to preheat the air fryer. Although the VR air grill manual says that it doesn’t need to be heated, we heated it up, so that the baked goods would taste great! .

In general, you can bake bread in the air grill just like in the oven or in a microwave with convection, but the dough will have to be kneaded manually or in a kitchen machine.

So what can an air grill do?? They are great to roast: chicken – whole and pieces, kebabs, ribs, mushrooms and potatoes.

They can bake, especially well – small buns, cakes and muffins in forms with a through center, they can cook roasts in pots, cook soups in small pots and even smoke fish.

But that’s not all! Air grills can be used to dry tomatoes, mushrooms and herbs. This mobile device can go with you to the cottage, where it will help you sterilize jars and make home canned food.

ENOUGH SAID – TIME TO CHOOSE!

VOLUME – Almost all air grills are standard: all have a 12-liter bowl. If that’s not enough for you, choose a model that comes with an expansion ring. It fits between the bowl and the lid, increasing the volume by 5 liters.

Heating elements – In our test, we took part in aerogrills with halogen heating elements. On sale you can also find models with stainless steel heating elements.

In the last issue of “Household Appliances” manufacturers of aerogrills argued a lot about which heaters are better “Aerogrill: air-express lunch will be tasty and without delays” .

The main drawback of the halogen heating element is its brittleness. So it has to be handled with care. This should be considered if you are going to take an aerogrill with you to the cottage and take it with you on our wonderful country roads.

Don’t forget to wrap it in something soft! And this is true for all air grills, because their lid is made of glass.

TIME OF OPERATION – The timer of each model, which we tested, is programmed for different time. And usually it is not recommended to turn on the home appliance immediately if it has worked the maximum possible time.

t.e. The maximum timer time is the cycle of its continuous operation. So if you want to air dry mushrooms or sun-dry tomatoes, you’ll need an appliance that can run for at least two hours without rest. If you just want to roast, smoke and stew, then an air grill with a timer for 60 minutes is enough.

CONTROL – Electronic or mechanical – whichever you prefer. If you choose a mechanical aero grill, you refuse automatic programs, you will always have to choose the time and temperature yourself. But electronic control always makes the appliance more expensive, you’ll have to spend more money to buy.

TO THE RECIPES FOR THE AIR GRILL

We cooked chicken wings, thighs, baked bread, cooked pizza, stewed vegetables, mushrooms, baked rolls and pies in our aerogrills. But in the pages of the magazine we decided to print the most interesting recipes proposed by manufacturers in the recipe books. We are confident that they will inspire you to…buy an aerogrill!

APPETIZER “BY MARTIN”

WHEAT BREAD

TOMATO SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

SMOKED MACKEREL

SPICY WINGS

RECIPE FOR EGGPLANTS