🚀 go-pugleaf

On 17/07/2025 18:41, Ottavio Caruso wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Local charity shop has one of these:
> https://bonnypack.com/products/salter-10-litre-mini-toaster-oven
>
> brand new, never used and pat-tested for £15.
>
> It's 500w. I have a 3000w oven at home that I only use to cook burgers in.
>
> Would an oven with 1/6th of that power be able to cook burgers or would
> it just be a toy?
>
> Thanks.
>


For comparison I purchased a air fryer with a 4 litre basket.  It cooks
two 1/4lb frozen burgers in 15/20 minutes @ 185C.  It has a 1350W
heating element.
With the burgers on a metal rack the heating element is approx 3.5
inches away from the top of the burgers AND the air fryer is like a
fanned oven forcing the hot air around the burgers. They still have to
be turned over once.

My guess 500W is somewhat underpowered but it probably will cook your
burgers in time.  Do you cook yours from frozen?

This is the model I have and it was a lot less than £50 direct from the
Tower web site  BUT I think I got it as end of line price as they now
have similar but different models listed.

Since buying it just after last Xmas I've used it a lot, and for fried
food, the fying pan a lot less.  I tend to line the basket with
aluminium  foil and use a metal rack  or place the food in a silicone
reusable liner (the ones with strengthening ribs are a LOT better
smoother floppy ones - the ribbed ones can be turned inside out to give
a smooth bowl.).

Note items listed below fit my air fryer which has a small 4 litre basket.

Rack
https://tinyurl.com/5n8s5fr5

Liner
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/356811590071?varb5761296586

--
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On Thu, 17 Jul 2025 19:23:33 +0100, alan_m wrote:

> On 17/07/2025 18:41, Ottavio Caruso wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Local charity shop has one of these:
>> https://bonnypack.com/products/salter-10-litre-mini-toaster-oven
>>
>> brand new, never used and pat-tested for £15.
>>
>> It's 500w. I have a 3000w oven at home that I only use to cook burgers
>> in.
>>
>> Would an oven with 1/6th of that power be able to cook burgers or would
>> it just be a toy?
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>>
>
> For comparison I purchased a air fryer with a 4 litre basket.  It cooks
> two 1/4lb frozen burgers in 15/20 minutes @ 185C.  It has a 1350W
> heating element.
> With the burgers on a metal rack the heating element is approx 3.5
> inches away from the top of the burgers AND the air fryer is like a
> fanned oven forcing the hot air around the burgers. They still have to
> be turned over once.
>
> My guess 500W is somewhat underpowered but it probably will cook your
> burgers in time.  Do you cook yours from frozen?
>
> This is the model I have and it was a lot less than £50 direct from the
> Tower web site  BUT I think I got it as end of line price as they now
> have similar but different models listed.
>
> Since buying it just after last Xmas I've used it a lot, and for fried
> food, the fying pan a lot less.  I tend to line the basket with
> aluminium  foil and use a metal rack  or place the food in a silicone
> reusable liner (the ones with strengthening ribs are a LOT better
> smoother floppy ones - the ribbed ones can be turned inside out to give
> a smooth bowl.).
>
> Note items listed below fit my air fryer which has a small 4 litre
> basket.
>
> Rack https://tinyurl.com/5n8s5fr5
>
> Liner https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/356811590071?varb5761296586

Isn't the secret of air fryers that they heat up much less air to do the
job. Hence the savings and speed ?

I was amused to hear the "Sliced Bread" breakdown on the BBC noting that
all the savings start to disappear when you have a large family and end
up doing multiple batches ...

With just me and SWMBO it's perfect though -

On Thu, 7/17/2025 1:41 PM, Ottavio Caruso wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Local charity shop has one of these:
> https://bonnypack.com/products/salter-10-litre-mini-toaster-oven
>
> brand new, never used and pat-tested for £15.
>
> It's 500w. I have a 3000w oven at home that I only use to cook burgers in.
>
> Would an oven with 1/6th of that power be able to cook burgers or would it just be a toy?
>
> Thanks.
>

These devices (George Foreman grill or equivalent) are in
the 1200 watt to 1500 watt range. The heat is in closer contact
to the meat, if you close the lid, and especially if the unit
heats from both sides.

   https://www.amazon.ca/Cuisinart-GR-4N-CGR-4NC-5-in-1-Griddler/dp/B002YD99Y4

Similarly, electric fry pans (which can be used to cook burgers or
other meats), those are in the 1000 watt to 1500 watt range. Those are
thermostatically controlled, and cycle when up to temperature. The
electric fry pans, those come with a lid, when cooking items that
need the heat to stay in the pan area. The lid can also reduce splatter.

A burger is bacteria, through and through, versus a cut of meat which
is bacteria on the outside (mostly) and so searing the outside helps.
But a burger, the core of it must be cooked to the "approved" temperature,
for safety.

And cooking safety is not a joke. All it takes is one serious incident,
to destroy your digestive system and you spend the rest of your life
dealing with the consequences. You DO NOT want to take shortcuts on
killing bacteria in ground beef.

The "slow cooker pot" cooking device, a recipe for stew prepared in such
a pot, may call for the meat to be prepared separately. The meat step
ensures the meat is cooked to the bacteria temperature, then the raw veg
and cooked meat, are thrown into the slow cooker. Maybe another six to eight
hours pass, before serving. The broth gets hot enough to cook the veg
(the carrots are not firm, all the other veg are similarly soft), and since
you prepped the meat separately, you know it was cooked to the safe temperature
before being thrown into the pot (stewing beef).

    "This will change depending on its capacity, a small 2 to 4-quart crock pot
     will mostly be in the 100 to 200-watt range, while a 6 to 8-quart will be
     in the 200 to 400-watt range for most family uses, and a 10-quart crock pot
     will use over 450 watts"

Cooking calls for an attention span. You don't want cooking to take so long,
you zone out, or take "shortcuts". The heating device should "cook with authority".
Even for experienced chefs, the slow cooker will try their patience
(taking lid off, poking veg to check for cooking state). Normally, males
don't have the attention span for "budget" cooking devices.

The thermostatic control on the devices, the duty cycle of the heating
when up to temperature, those determine the power consumption of
the device. It does not draw 1500 watt for the entire cook period.
Once the measured temperature reaches the target, the average power
consumption might drop to 500 watt as it cycles on for a minute, off
for two minutes.

A 3000 watt cooking device, it may represent a large device with
large thermal losses, but it is unlikely to be drawing 3000 watts
for the entire cook session. A smaller device, may preheat easier.
But you don't want a cook device to be so small, that it "distorts"
the cooking phases. Bringing the thing up to temp. Searing the outside.
Cooking fast enough so the food item isn't desiccated and as hard as rock.

   Paul

On 18/07/2025 09:12, Jethro_uk wrote:
> On Thu, 17 Jul 2025 19:23:33 +0100, alan_m wrote:
>
>> On 17/07/2025 18:41, Ottavio Caruso wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Local charity shop has one of these:
>>> https://bonnypack.com/products/salter-10-litre-mini-toaster-oven
>>>
>>> brand new, never used and pat-tested for £15.
>>>
>>> It's 500w. I have a 3000w oven at home that I only use to cook burgers
>>> in.
>>>
>>> Would an oven with 1/6th of that power be able to cook burgers or would
>>> it just be a toy?
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> For comparison I purchased a air fryer with a 4 litre basket.  It cooks
>> two 1/4lb frozen burgers in 15/20 minutes @ 185C.  It has a 1350W
>> heating element.
>> With the burgers on a metal rack the heating element is approx 3.5
>> inches away from the top of the burgers AND the air fryer is like a
>> fanned oven forcing the hot air around the burgers. They still have to
>> be turned over once.
>>
>> My guess 500W is somewhat underpowered but it probably will cook your
>> burgers in time.  Do you cook yours from frozen?
>>
>> This is the model I have and it was a lot less than £50 direct from the
>> Tower web site  BUT I think I got it as end of line price as they now
>> have similar but different models listed.
>>
>> Since buying it just after last Xmas I've used it a lot, and for fried
>> food, the fying pan a lot less.  I tend to line the basket with
>> aluminium  foil and use a metal rack  or place the food in a silicone
>> reusable liner (the ones with strengthening ribs are a LOT better
>> smoother floppy ones - the ribbed ones can be turned inside out to give
>> a smooth bowl.).
>>
>> Note items listed below fit my air fryer which has a small 4 litre
>> basket.
>>
>> Rack https://tinyurl.com/5n8s5fr5
>>
>> Liner https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/356811590071?varb5761296586
>
> Isn't the secret of air fryers that they heat up much less air to do the
> job. Hence the savings and speed ?
>
> I was amused to hear the "Sliced Bread" breakdown on the BBC noting that
> all the savings start to disappear when you have a large family and end
> up doing multiple batches ...
>
> With just me and SWMBO it's perfect though -



II also think they are over hyped. They are great for some things but a
whole chicken is usually shown in adverts.  These are a simple heating
element located just above the top of the basket with air blown over it
into a fairly small space. With a whole chicken what's more likely to
happen is the bit a fraction of an inch away from the heating element is
going to get rather burnt.  It works well with chicken pieces or
anything  that can placed in an even layer on a rack and so cooks
uniformly. Oven chips seem to cook a lot better but the chips from the
chip shop a three minute walk from my house taste better :)  One benefit
is they drain a lot of fat away from meat and processed food when using
a shallow rack. I found a third party open rack a lot better that the
drain plate with a few holes that my air fryer came with

I agree that the best use is for meals, or part meals, for one of two
people but in this household not everything goes in it. Fresh or frozen
vegetables are still boiled in a pan. Physically high items still go in
the oven. For some items it doesn't replace the microwave.  However, I
do have one of the smaller models with a single basket
--
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On 17/07/2025 19:23, alan_m wrote:

> This is the model I have and it was a lot less than £50 direct from the
> Tower web site  BUT I think I got it as end of line price as they now
> have similar but different models listed.

oops, it may help if there was a link to the model

https://www.cartersdirect.co.uk/tower-t17116.html

--
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On 18/07/2025 11:00, alan_m wrote:
> On 17/07/2025 19:23, alan_m wrote:
>
>> This is the model I have and it was a lot less than £50 direct from
>> the Tower web site  BUT I think I got it as end of line price as they
>> now have similar but different models listed.
>
> oops, it may help if there was a link to the model
>
> https://www.cartersdirect.co.uk/tower-t17116.html
>
Mmm. I have been considering one, and that is about the limit of what I
would want to pay...

It seems that ultimately, stripped of hype, they are a small fan blown
oven, with a thermostat and a timer

£50 sounds about right


--
Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.
  – Will Durant

On 18/07/2025 11:18, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> On 18/07/2025 11:00, alan_m wrote:
>> On 17/07/2025 19:23, alan_m wrote:
>>
>>> This is the model I have and it was a lot less than £50 direct from
>>> the Tower web site  BUT I think I got it as end of line price as they
>>> now have similar but different models listed.
>>
>> oops, it may help if there was a link to the model
>>
>> https://www.cartersdirect.co.uk/tower-t17116.html
>>
> Mmm. I have been considering one, and that is about the limit of what I
> would want to pay...
>
> It seems that ultimately, stripped of hype, they are a small fan blown
> oven, with a thermostat and a timer
>
> £50 sounds about right
>
>

Bigclive takes a cheap Asda one apart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5XCj99QICo

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On Fri, 18 Jul 2025 08:58:02 -0400, Paul wrote:

> On Thu, 7/17/2025 1:41 PM, Ottavio Caruso wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Local charity shop has one of these:
>> https://bonnypack.com/products/salter-10-litre-mini-toaster-oven
>>
>> brand new, never used and pat-tested for £15.
>>
>> It's 500w. I have a 3000w oven at home that I only use to cook burgers
>> in.
>>
>> Would an oven with 1/6th of that power be able to cook burgers or would
>> it just be a toy?
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>>
> These devices (George Foreman grill or equivalent) are in the 1200 watt
> to 1500 watt range. The heat is in closer contact to the meat, if you
> close the lid, and especially if the unit heats from both sides.
<snip>

Just noting that my little George Foreman grill is labelled 650 W - 740 W.

So you pays yer money.....

Cheers



Dave R

--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 10 x64

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
www.avast.com

On 18/07/2025 11:59, alan_m wrote:
> On 18/07/2025 11:18, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
>> On 18/07/2025 11:00, alan_m wrote:
>>> On 17/07/2025 19:23, alan_m wrote:
>>>
>>>> This is the model I have and it was a lot less than £50 direct from
>>>> the Tower web site  BUT I think I got it as end of line price as
>>>> they now have similar but different models listed.
>>>
>>> oops, it may help if there was a link to the model
>>>
>>> https://www.cartersdirect.co.uk/tower-t17116.html
>>>
>> Mmm. I have been considering one, and that is about the limit of what
>> I would want to pay...
>>
>> It seems that ultimately, stripped of hype, they are a small fan blown
>> oven, with a thermostat and a timer
>>
>> £50 sounds about right
>>
>>
>
> Bigclive takes a cheap Asda one apart
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5XCj99QICo
>
That Air Fryer, at £20, ticks all of the boxes compared with the other
devices being discussed.

Incidentally, having three of those cheap ASDA Air Fryers (Don't Ask!!!)
I was hoping for a tear-down.  Instead it was just about all Big Clive's
ugly mug.

V. Disappointing ;-}}
--
PA
--

In message <mduk5vFhi87U1@mid.individual.net>, at 10:58:23 on Fri, 18
Jul 2025, alan_m <junk@admac.myzen.co.uk> remarked:
>On 18/07/2025 09:12, Jethro_uk wrote:
>> On Thu, 17 Jul 2025 19:23:33 +0100, alan_m wrote:
>>
>>> On 17/07/2025 18:41, Ottavio Caruso wrote:
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> Local charity shop has one of these:
>>>> https://bonnypack.com/products/salter-10-litre-mini-toaster-oven
>>>>
>>>> brand new, never used and pat-tested for £15.
>>>>
>>>> It's 500w. I have a 3000w oven at home that I only use to cook burgers
>>>> in.
>>>>
>>>> Would an oven with 1/6th of that power be able to cook burgers or would
>>>> it just be a toy?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> For comparison I purchased a air fryer with a 4 litre basket.  It cooks
>>> two 1/4lb frozen burgers in 15/20 minutes @ 185C.  It has a 1350W
>>> heating element.
>>> With the burgers on a metal rack the heating element is approx 3.5
>>> inches away from the top of the burgers AND the air fryer is like a
>>> fanned oven forcing the hot air around the burgers. They still have to
>>> be turned over once.
>>>
>>> My guess 500W is somewhat underpowered but it probably will cook your
>>> burgers in time.  Do you cook yours from frozen?
>>>
>>> This is the model I have and it was a lot less than £50 direct from the
>>> Tower web site  BUT I think I got it as end of line price as they now
>>> have similar but different models listed.
>>>
>>> Since buying it just after last Xmas I've used it a lot, and for fried
>>> food, the fying pan a lot less.  I tend to line the basket with
>>> aluminium  foil and use a metal rack  or place the food in a silicone
>>> reusable liner (the ones with strengthening ribs are a LOT better
>>> smoother floppy ones - the ribbed ones can be turned inside out to give
>>> a smooth bowl.).
>>>
>>> Note items listed below fit my air fryer which has a small 4 litre
>>> basket.
>>>
>>> Rack https://tinyurl.com/5n8s5fr5
>>>
>>> Liner https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/356811590071?varb5761296586
>>  Isn't the secret of air fryers that they heat up much less air to do
>>the  job. Hence the savings and speed ?   I was amused to hear the
>>"Sliced Bread" breakdown on the BBC noting that  all the savings start
>>to disappear when you have a large family and end  up doing multiple
>>batches ...   With just me and SWMBO it's perfect though -
>
>II also think they are over hyped. They are great for some things but a
>whole chicken is usually shown in adverts.  These are a simple heating
>element located just above the top of the basket with air blown over it
>into a fairly small space. With a whole chicken what's more likely to
>happen is the bit a fraction of an inch away from the heating element
>is going to get rather burnt.  It works well with chicken pieces or
>anything  that can placed in an even layer on a rack and so cooks
>uniformly. Oven chips seem to cook a lot better but the chips from the
>chip shop a three minute walk from my house taste better :)  One
>benefit is they drain a lot of fat away from meat and processed food
>when using a shallow rack. I found a third party open rack a lot better
>that the drain plate with a few holes that my air fryer came with
>
>I agree that the best use is for meals, or part meals, for one of two
>people but in this household not everything goes in it. Fresh or frozen
>vegetables are still boiled in a pan. Physically high items still go in
>the oven. For some items it doesn't replace the microwave.  However, I
>do have one of the smaller models with a single basket

Air fryers are great for a couple of baked potatoes. Which also look a
bit lonely in a conventional oven.
--
Roland Perry

On 19/07/2025 08:18, Roland Perry wrote:
> In message <mduk5vFhi87U1@mid.individual.net>, at 10:58:23 on Fri, 18
> Jul 2025, alan_m <junk@admac.myzen.co.uk> remarked:

>> II also think they are over hyped. They are great for some things but
>> a whole chicken is usually shown in adverts.  These are a simple
>> heating element located just above the top of the basket with air
>> blown over it into a fairly small space. With a whole chicken what's
>> more likely to happen is the bit a fraction of an inch away from the
>> heating element is going to get rather burnt.  It works well with
>> chicken pieces or anything  that can placed in an even layer on a rack
>> and so cooks uniformly. Oven chips seem to cook a lot better but the
>> chips from the chip shop a three minute walk from my house taste
>> better :)  One benefit is they drain a lot of fat away from meat and
>> processed food when using a shallow rack. I found a third party open
>> rack a lot better that the drain plate with a few holes that my air
>> fryer came with
>>
>> I agree that the best use is for meals, or part meals, for one of two
>> people but in this household not everything goes in it. Fresh or
>> frozen vegetables are still boiled in a pan. Physically high items
>> still go in the oven. For some items it doesn't replace the
>> microwave.  However, I do have one of the smaller models with a single
>> basket
>
> Air fryers are great for a couple of baked potatoes. Which also look a
> bit lonely in a conventional oven.

*Jacket* potatoes may be cooked in a microwave. Much quicker, uses less
energy, and you can eat the skin, which supposedly contains a lot of
"goodness".

--
Max Demian

On 19/07/2025 15:37, Max Demian wrote:
> On 19/07/2025 08:18, Roland Perry wrote:
>> In message <mduk5vFhi87U1@mid.individual.net>, at 10:58:23 on Fri, 18
>> Jul 2025, alan_m <junk@admac.myzen.co.uk> remarked:
>
>>> II also think they are over hyped. They are great for some things but
>>> a whole chicken is usually shown in adverts.  These are a simple
>>> heating element located just above the top of the basket with air
>>> blown over it into a fairly small space. With a whole chicken what's
>>> more likely to happen is the bit a fraction of an inch away from the
>>> heating element is going to get rather burnt.  It works well with
>>> chicken pieces or anything  that can placed in an even layer on a
>>> rack and so cooks uniformly. Oven chips seem to cook a lot better but
>>> the chips from the chip shop a three minute walk from my house taste
>>> better :)  One benefit is they drain a lot of fat away from meat and
>>> processed food when using a shallow rack. I found a third party open
>>> rack a lot better that the drain plate with a few holes that my air
>>> fryer came with
>>>
>>> I agree that the best use is for meals, or part meals, for one of two
>>> people but in this household not everything goes in it. Fresh or
>>> frozen vegetables are still boiled in a pan. Physically high items
>>> still go in the oven. For some items it doesn't replace the
>>> microwave.  However, I do have one of the smaller models with a
>>> single basket
>>
>> Air fryers are great for a couple of baked potatoes. Which also look a
>> bit lonely in a conventional oven.
>
> *Jacket* potatoes may be cooked in a microwave. Much quicker, uses less
> energy, and you can eat the skin, which supposedly contains a lot of
> "goodness".
>
I don't understand that.
The crispy skin you get from oven roasting is tasty and enjoyable.  The
skin on a microwaved potato might be edible, but it's far less enjoyable.

--
Sam Plusnet

On 19/07/2025 19:52, Sam Plusnet wrote:

> I don't understand that.
> The crispy skin you get from oven roasting is tasty and enjoyable.  The
> skin on a microwaved potato might be edible, but it's far less enjoyable.
>

I have a combination microwave/oven/grill. For baked potatoes I use a
combination of low microwave power and high temperature oven. Inside
cooks faster and skins crisps up.

I agree that a baked potatoes should have crisp skin and I eat both the
insides and crispy skin.

This time of year I prefer boiled "baby" potatoes or if I see them the
waxy type of "salad" potatoes.  Early in the season I purchased a bag of
Jersey Royals that actually tasted like I remember. A week later in the
same store an identically packed bag of the same - completely tasteless :(

--
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On 19/07/2025 15:37, Max Demian wrote:

> *Jacket* potatoes may be cooked in a microwave. Much quicker, uses less
> energy, and you can eat the skin, which supposedly contains a lot of
> "goodness".
>
Except the skins are not nice and thick like they are in an oven

--
How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think.

Adolf Hitler

On 19/07/2025 21:16, alan_m wrote:
> Early in the season I purchased a bag of Jersey Royals that actually
> tasted like I remember. A week later in the same store an identically
> packed bag of the same - completely tasteless 🙁
Yup. Same here

--
How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think.

Adolf Hitler

In message <105gak0$2p9pt$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:37:51 on Sat, 19 Jul
2025, Max Demian <max_demian@bigfoot.com> remarked:

>>  Air fryers are great for a couple of baked potatoes. Which also look
>>a  bit lonely in a conventional oven.
>
>*Jacket* potatoes may be cooked in a microwave. Much quicker, uses less
>energy, and you can eat the skin, which supposedly contains a lot of
>"goodness".

I find that they only work well in a microwave if you par-boil them
first. And they still take as long as in an air fryer. The latter have
their skins on too.

ps. Potatoes done in the oven without skins are called "Roast potatoes".
--
Roland Perry

On 19/07/2025 22:41, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> On 19/07/2025 21:16, alan_m wrote:
>> Early in the season I purchased a bag of Jersey Royals that actually
>> tasted like I remember. A week later in the same store an identically
>> packed bag of the same - completely tasteless 🙁
> Yup. Same here

Hmm. My family ran a fruit and veg. market stall in St. Albans. Imported
goods were obtained from local suppliers.

The first early season potatoes came from places like Egypt! Jersey
Royals came in small wooden crates, packed in soil. Transport
cost/disease control concerns may have impacted on this and the bagged
versions did not have the expected flavour.

I grow early/salad potatoes for our own use. Browsing the catalogues, I
came across a variety claimed to be comparable to the JR. Caledonian
Pearl. OK but not quite the flavour. Probably due to soil differences.
>

On 20/07/2025 10:20, Timatmarford wrote:

>  Jersey
> Royals came in small wooden crates, packed in soil. Transport cost/
> disease control concerns may have impacted on this and the bagged
> versions did not have the expected flavour.

More likely the distinctive flavour came from the traditional way of
fertilising the soil - collecting seaweed from the foreshore.

Probably this practice has died out. The Jersey Royal potato is the same
variety as grown elsewhere but it used to have a distinctive flavour
when grown on Jersey.

It's much like some of the standard varieties of fruit grown worldwide
and imported into the UK to give us a year round supply. Some of it has
been engineered to appear perfect on the supermarket shelf but is devoid
of flavour but often the same variety of,say, apple is like chalk and
cheese depending on which country it comes from.


--
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On 19/07/2025 22:41, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> Yup. Same here

and here too..

Makes it entirly pointless reading the label description.

On 19/07/2025 19:52, Sam Plusnet wrote:
> I don't understand that.
> The crispy skin you get from oven roasting is tasty and enjoyable.  The
> skin on a microwaved potato might be edible, but it's far less enjoyable.

When having a BBQ, I microwave them first, then finish them off on the
BBQ, to crisp the skins up.

On 19/07/2025 22:40, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> On 19/07/2025 15:37, Max Demian wrote:
>
>> *Jacket* potatoes may be cooked in a microwave. Much quicker, uses
>> less energy, and you can eat the skin, which supposedly contains a lot
>> of "goodness".
>>
> Except the skins are not nice and thick like they are in an oven

It's a different food. Like bacon is a different food to pork.

--
Max Demian

On 20/07/2025 07:59, Roland Perry wrote:
> In message <105gak0$2p9pt$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:37:51 on Sat, 19 Jul
> 2025, Max Demian <max_demian@bigfoot.com> remarked:
>
>>>  Air fryers are great for a couple of baked potatoes. Which also look
>>> a  bit lonely in a conventional oven.
>>
>> *Jacket* potatoes may be cooked in a microwave. Much quicker, uses
>> less energy, and you can eat the skin, which supposedly contains a lot
>> of "goodness".
>
> I find that they only work well in a microwave if you par-boil them
> first. And they still take as long as in an air fryer. The latter have
> their skins on too.

For a 300g potato, stab all over with a fork and place asymmetrically on
a plate in the microwave. Zap for 4 minutes [1]. Turn over. Zap for
another 4 minutes [1]. Leave to stand in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Cut open, break up with a fork, add salt and butter. Add grated cheese
and return to the microwave for half a minute to melt it. If you want
baked beans, you can start the heating while melting the cheese.

[1] Reduce to 3 minutes for a 200g potato.

--
Max Demian

On Sun, 20 Jul 2025 12:05:47 +0100, Max Demian wrote:

> On 20/07/2025 07:59, Roland Perry wrote:
>> In message <105gak0$2p9pt$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:37:51 on Sat, 19 Jul
>> 2025, Max Demian <max_demian@bigfoot.com> remarked:
>>
>>>>  Air fryers are great for a couple of baked potatoes. Which also
>>>>  look
>>>> a  bit lonely in a conventional oven.
>>>
>>> *Jacket* potatoes may be cooked in a microwave. Much quicker, uses
>>> less energy, and you can eat the skin, which supposedly contains a lot
>>> of "goodness".
>>
>> I find that they only work well in a microwave if you par-boil them
>> first. And they still take as long as in an air fryer. The latter have
>> their skins on too.
>
> For a 300g potato, stab all over with a fork and place asymmetrically on
> a plate in the microwave. Zap for 4 minutes [1]. Turn over. Zap for
> another 4 minutes [1]. Leave to stand in the microwave for 2 minutes.
> Cut open, break up with a fork, add salt and butter. Add grated cheese
> and return to the microwave for half a minute to melt it. If you want
> baked beans, you can start the heating while melting the cheese.
>
> [1] Reduce to 3 minutes for a 200g potato.

Alternatively do the 4 * 4 in the microwave for a nice edible potato, and
then do it for another 2-4 minutes in the air fryer to crisp up the skin.

At the moment I am not bothering with the extra crisping up because they
are so nice with the skins still relatively soft.


Cheers



Dave R


--
AMD FX-6300 in GA-990X-Gaming SLI-CF running Windows 10 x64

--
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
www.avast.com

On 20/07/2025 14:16, David wrote:
> On Sun, 20 Jul 2025 12:05:47 +0100, Max Demian wrote:
>
>> On 20/07/2025 07:59, Roland Perry wrote:
>>> In message <105gak0$2p9pt$1@dont-email.me>, at 15:37:51 on Sat, 19 Jul
>>> 2025, Max Demian <max_demian@bigfoot.com> remarked:
>>>
>>>>>   Air fryers are great for a couple of baked potatoes. Which also
>>>>>   look
>>>>> a  bit lonely in a conventional oven.
>>>>
>>>> *Jacket* potatoes may be cooked in a microwave. Much quicker, uses
>>>> less energy, and you can eat the skin, which supposedly contains a lot
>>>> of "goodness".
>>>
>>> I find that they only work well in a microwave if you par-boil them
>>> first. And they still take as long as in an air fryer. The latter have
>>> their skins on too.
>>
>> For a 300g potato, stab all over with a fork and place asymmetrically on
>> a plate in the microwave. Zap for 4 minutes [1]. Turn over. Zap for
>> another 4 minutes [1]. Leave to stand in the microwave for 2 minutes.
>> Cut open, break up with a fork, add salt and butter. Add grated cheese
>> and return to the microwave for half a minute to melt it. If you want
>> baked beans, you can start the heating while melting the cheese.
>>
>> [1] Reduce to 3 minutes for a 200g potato.
>
> Alternatively do the 4 * 4 in the microwave for a nice edible potato, and
> then do it for another 2-4 minutes in the air fryer to crisp up the skin.
>
> At the moment I am not bothering with the extra crisping up because they
> are so nice with the skins still relatively soft.
>
>
Chacun a son goût...

When the Aga is on - if I am in a hurry - 2 mins in the micro before the
Aga top oven...

> Cheers
>
>
>
> Dave R
>
>

--
"I am inclined to tell the truth and dislike people who lie consistently.
This makes me unfit for the company of people of a Left persuasion, and
all women"