Paul: I’d by no means used an air fryer for latkes earlier than, however I attempted making them with an air fryer this yr. I preheated it to 400 levels for five minutes. Then I rapidly pulled the basket, and sprayed the underside and sides with cooking spray. I’d pre-smushed the latkes on a cookie sheet, so that they had been able to be put within the basket. I cooked them for a complete of 18 minutes. I flipped them as soon as, I take into consideration ⅔ of the way in which by. I needed to present them sufficient time to develop into strong sufficient earlier than I flipped them.
Tobie: I attempted this too, however I used a toaster oven with an air fryer perform. I additionally preheated it to 400 levels. I took the mesh shelf whereas the air fryer preheated, used cooking spray on it, and smushed the latkes proper there on the shelf. I ought to have finished what you probably did, although—smushing on a platter first—as a result of the pancakes had been laborious to flip. As soon as I flipped them—after about 10 minutes—I brushed oil on the tops and cooked for a number of extra minutes. They didn’t come out as darkish as the opposite latkes, which I truly favored. They had been a bit softer within the center, and never as crispy because the fried ones.
Paul: You’re proper, the air-fried latkes weren’t as crispy! However I used to be pleasantly shocked. The air-fryer latkes obtained eaten up quicker than the others did—as a result of there’s solely a lot fried meals you need on a given day.
Tobie: I felt I had extra management over how brown they obtained than I did with the frying pans. Nevertheless it’s not nice for a giant group, as a result of you possibly can solely do just some at a time. They usually do take extra time than pan frying.
We agree: For large, conventional batches, frying. For a small nosh that makes use of far much less oil, air frying (and 0 guilt).
