First deal post, pls be kind.
Mistral 5.5L air fryer. Unsure of the quality, but woolworths 3.5L version seemed to be a hit around here.
Currently $10 cheaper than previous deal from auspost earlier this month. Might even go cheaper?
Don't forget 3.75% cashback from shopback atm (are we still using them ??)
Prob made in the same shitty chinese factory
Stoked thanks
Thought I read stoned, I was thinking good for you!
Imagine being stoned and using one of these for the first time
Edit. I will try this
(˘⌣˘ ) [6] enjoy
Bought Mistral one from Woolworths and returned it back next day - crazy smell of cheap plastic inside :(
Been using my one since July. No problems at all.
Use Woolworths one 4 or 5 times a week for last 6 months or so. It's great.
Just gave a relative a fancy brand one today for Xmas… the instructions say "will smell of new plastic for first 4 or 5 cooks… this is normal"
crazy smell of cheap plastic inside :(
cheap plastic smells so much worse than expensive plastic
You need to remove the rubber stub that holds the grate then it won’t smell
can confirm, got the mistral one from woolies and it sucks. Also makes the smoke alarm go off as a bonus. Fan is way too loud. People who say it's good are the people who haven't used anything better
Does putting people down make you feel better?
People who put others down are people who havnt used anything better.
Also agree, have the woolies mistral 3.5l, but wish I bought the kmart 3.2l it has a better design dual drip tray and cooking compartment seems bigger. Also confirm the cheap plastic smell is really overpowering for longer than it needs to be.
You can’t even use the cheap ones right, why waste the more expensive ones on you?
Everything new needs to initially burn out the residue from the build process. I had cheap toaster with instructions to turn on 2x to burn out before 1st use. Same for expensive plastic.
Can you make tempuras on the air fryer?
No, there's nothing to keep the wet batter together, it would just bleed through the metal cage
cool thank you, will not buy
I haven't researched this myself, but have heard of people using silicone moulds in their air fryer.
It's possible I guess that you could possibly put a mould of some sort on top of the cage.
Can anyone comment on what these are like versus actual deep frying? Can you do things like fresh onion rings with batter? Not the frozen stuff. Also what are cooking times like versus deep frying? Chicken nuggets only take 3-4 minutes in oil from frozen, how long in 21st century air frying?
Would like to know this aswell.
Also deep frying uses ALOT of oil so would using an air fryer save cost on that too right??
A true ozbargainer reuses oil until it’s as black as tar
I would rather reuse the oil straight for cooking.
@antik: Don't cook with olive, it's good for things like dressings but not with heat in most cases (sometimes it's fine, like a light drizzle on bread then a light toast
@BadAtNames: This is a myth! The smoke point of olive oil is well beyond that at which you sauté or fry at. Not to mention the added flavour that cooking with olive oil adds to your dishes. This is why all chefs cook with olive oil as opposed to other oils. Deep frying is different though
@antik: It's not, 42 replied with something on the money but I've found going into the details tends to lose people so a blanket "olive oil is cold and cotton seed hot rule" does the trick for most people.
@BadAtNames: Depends on the type of olive oil. Extra virgin is unfiltered so has a lot of organic compounds that burn at higher heat but is good for salads as those compounds give flavour. Light and extra light olive oil are filtered (hence the lighter colour compared to the green EVOO) and suited to higher heat so can be used for frying.
@Homr: Yes, but because it tastes worse than using butter, be careful because it smokes at a lower temp than olive oil (from memory, it's been years since I had to get into the specifics of oil).
@Homr: if you aren't frying at high heat, should be OK. The only time I cook with EVOO is when I put it cold in a pan, add garlic, chillis and anchovies, bring it to a slight sizzle to infuse the oil then add pasta. Otherwise I use it for salads or add to dishes after cook for added flavouring.
@42: Yes, but also more detail than most people tend to care about or if they do care, remember. Aa blanket olive oil cold, cotton seed hot works well with no downside and is easier for people to remember.
Buy a self-filtering deep fryer.
Oil lasts a long time then.
Chicken nuggets in my Aldi air fryer take ~12 minutes to cook
You can't airfry wet batter. Perhaps if it was frozen first so when it goes on a hot airfryer it seals
Well that’s not good. So it’s basically just a slightly faster oven?
That’s my take on it. It’s a smaller so takes less time to heat up.
An air fryer is essentially a faster mini fan forced oven.
Fast to heat up (radiant heat), with a stronger fan and smaller area to heat, all equals quick.
damn, guess this is not good for me then. Thank you
Nothing compares with deep frying. anything deep fried tastes the best, but it’s also the unhealthiest. So you need to choose if you want healthy or if you want the best tasting.
Deep Frying is the best, healthwise wont be an issue until you are 40 and being wheeled in on that reinforced gurney for that triple bypass thinking geezz I wish I hadn't eaten all those deep fried meals and snacks since I was 5!!
Deep fried Mars bars = perfection.
I've got an anko airfryer and it sucks
There's your problem. It's meant to blow hot air!!
Not very good for chips only heat coming from On top so any chips hidden don't get enough heat unless you move them around every 5 minutes? But normal meat chicken etc works great
What can this do that a regular oven can’t do, other than being a bit faster?
Healthier mostly
An air fryer healthier than an oven? How so?
Nothing. An air fryer is just a small oven.
Doesn’t heat up the whole house in summer
Doesn’t need much preheating
All the compartments go in the dishwasher
Cheaper to run
Less wear and tear on expensive oven
It doesn't require oil and is much faster. Plus it's easier to clean as well compared to an oven
It's the little things that add up. I can open it without being blasted in the face with hot air, drawer design means that I don't need to use a towel or mitt to check temperatures, it's more efficient for heating up 1-2 portions of food, food gets crispier and it turns off automatically when the timer stops.
Not an issue in my philips AF. you do get what you pay for with these appliances.
If you want to achieve True Crispiness, then deep fryer is the best to go. Air fryer can make your food crispy if only they have been deep fried at least once. (Like Frozen spring rolls). And yes, these things are not good for chips.
But a regular fan forced oven can do this? I wanted an air fryer but I’m not seeing what it can do that a fan forced oven can’t?
An airfryer might use less energy than a conventional oven to achieve a similar result.
But a regular fan forced oven can do this? I wanted an air fryer but I’m not seeing what it can do that a fan forced oven can’t?
You can't wash it in the sink
To achieve "true crispness" you must follow the path of holy air frying enlightenment lol
an air fryer is just a tiny 'fan forced oven', nothing more- in saying that I love my kmart one and use almost daily as I only have a regular oven, and as a renter I prefer to use my own appliences
It's great marketing,people think an airfryer is something magic but it's just that. An Fan forced oven/small convection oven
the small bit is the key, much shorter in heating things up, uses less power, and doesn't heat the kitchen up. I use a toaster oven if the item will fit in too for these reasons
I'm led to believe that a air fryer is basically this
https://azcd.harveynorman.com.au/media/catalog/product/cache…
except glass, its in plastic
Has its purpose but yes it’s not a fancy machine. It’s just a oven
I prefer to use a air fryer as it’s quick and less to clean up especially for things like chips, nuggets even a small pork roast.
For family sized meals you’d need to use a oven.
Thanks OP. Bought one for my friend who is travelling atm. I have the same brand bought from WW a smaller one which I'm happy with. So much better than the KMart ones in terms of quality.
Makes great homemade wedge fries, we no longer buy frozen fries. Bought the small WW one for cottage if good I buy a philips for house . It works perfect and quick. Surprised something so cheap would do the job , no $300 Philips for me !!!
Does anyone know if all the removable parts can go in the dishwasher?
i.e drawer, basket, racks, etc.
Was looking at the Ninja as that has dishwasher safe parts and a dehydrator function, but this looks to tick those boxes too.
Lol.. Air Fryers are the new Microwave ovens of 2010's..
Most important to me is how easy to clean these air fryers? Will the insider get very greasy?
I've had the smaller Mistral air fryer for several months, $40 bargain from Woolworths.
So easy to clean, sometimes all that is necessary is a wipe over with paper towel, for example, Aldi Cafe chips, half a bag, 7 minutes on high, stop and shake basket, then another 7 minutes on high equals a basket of crisp chips. Does a great job with crumbed fish that is turned half way. No extra oil used. Also heats my mini Quiches well. Besides being quicker than my oven, the air fryer is significantly cheaper on electricity use. To me, it has been the best $40 spent in 2020.
I don't think Woolworths one has ever gone down to $40. Have I missed anything?
My mistake, it was $44 back in August.
It was the smaller version to this one with a manual dial, still great value.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/558260?utm_source=subscrip…
@Dobe: Yes, that's right. I bought one at $49. Pretty good. I only smelled plastic when first took it out of box. I like its size, perfect for 2 or 4 people depending on what I cook. For big family meal I can always use the oven.
Another + to airfryers is on stinking hot days you can run them outdoors via short extension cord if needed. Seems crazy to run a heater in your house in the middle of summer. A regular oven might be a bit harder to move onto the verandah!
I prefer air fryer/convection oven designs where the fan/element/controller sits ontop of a large glass dish.
They are so much easier to clean and generally have double the oven capacity for the same kitchen space. The only con I can think of is that you can't store anything ontop of it, as the lid opens from above rather than pulling a plastic drawer out.
Here's one that's cheaper and has more than 2x the capacity of this Mistral: https://www.kmart.com.au/product/12l-convection-oven/2755301…
But it's not an "air fryer" ><
Either is an 'air fryer' lol.
@CVonC: That's interesting. It's the first time I've seen a rotisserie on that style of countertop oven.
I think that could work out really well.
OP, the Woolies Mistral is 3.5L not 2.5L :)
Can't comment on this one, but loving my Woolies one! I use it almost every day!
whupps, good pick up. My distracted eyes misread the numbers - too focused on the front door awaiting my air fryer delivery 😅
Let us know how it goes!
Can confirm, this thing is great! It's my first air fryer, so my comparison is lacking data, but I love what I have for now. Chippies are delightfully crisp! Will have to try some more risky things soon - golden sweet potatoes or something …
Ordered one 10pm last night,
knock on the door 1pm today!
I almost fell off my chair!!
does any one know what the warranty on this is?
seems no mention of it on the website
wow, mine hasnt changed status in a week
Looks to be back in stock for those that are keen to grab one (just purchased).
Just clicked on the link and still says "out of stock" :(
Yep went out of stock sometime last night. Would recommend refreshing every so often just in case… that's how I managed to purchase it.
Now OOS again
Cooked a few meals so far, I think it's great, particularly for the price. Works as a better alternative to oven for someone who lives solo and doesn't want to heat up the house with a full sized oven.
It's not silent, it has a strong fan inside. Halfway between a bathroom fan and the microwave in noise.
Haven't had a smell, ran it for 10 minutes empty to burn off any manufacturing smells… Just in case, but didn't notice anything
Has a timer, so it's harder to burn the house down by leaving it on. Doesn't seem the simplest thing to clean, but fine.
I'll second this review, I've used it every day except one for the past week and a half. There was a slight plastic smell during the initial 5min heatup before first cooking, but hasn't come back since.
Have cooked chips, sausages, onions, meatballs, crumbed pork, chicken wings, pork rashers, dehydrated some oregano and even just used it to heat up some garlic bread.
The short heatup time really makes a big difference compared to the oven.
The cleanup isn't too bad, nothing is dishwasher proof, but it doesn't take much to wipe out the basket and drawer.
Very happy with this fryer, especially with the price!
The Hauffmann Davis 5.5L one is the same price too. Wonder which one is better.