Cooking with Technology

About a year ago, and mostly on a whim, I’ll admit, I got an air fryer.

It was one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. I have read a few articles describing them, and how basically it’s simply a convection oven on steriods – which is to say that it heats your food anywhere from about 360-400 degrees but moves the air around, in, through it, so that it cooks it rapidly and thoroughly, taking care of both the interior temperature as well as a crispy exterior, so it does a great job on things you’d normally fry, or want cooked tender inside and crispy outside.

And an added benefit is that you can take breaded food – and there is more and more food prepared to be cooked in an air fryer available – and cook it without added oil. The benefit there, clearly, is fewer calories. But there is also the fact that the food cooks just about perfectly, very quickly, and with little supervision. I might open the device once during cooking to check on its progress, but it has, thus far, never failed to give me great results. While some people find the fryer isn’t large enough for a big family or a large item, I have been very happy with the portions it will handle, including a large chicken, a big batch of fries, or plenty of fish, even vegetables. The one I purchased has just the “drawer” for cooking, but there are now models with rotisseries, and even combo models that double as a toaster oven or pressure cooker.

If I were shopping for a similar appliance now, I might consider something called the “June oven,” which, according to its literature, is a convection oven, air fryer, dehydrator, slow cooker, broiler, toaster, and warming draw – and you can control it from your phone. It might not replace your entire kitchen full of gadgets, but if you had to get by with the old “hot plate on the table top” style of cooking in a small space, this would be the one device to try. Oh, and if you really know little about cooking, put your 12×16 inch pan, 12 pound turkey, or 12” pizza in it, and its internal camera will say, “Oh, look, a turkey,” and start it cooking for you. While you watch on your phone from the deck with your friends.

I also have a slow-cooker, and believe in the power of simply putting a good cooking pot on the stove and letting a slow, steady heat do its work – but I will also acknowledge that an “instant pot” that can act as a pressure cooker, steamer, cake baker and warmer in one device isn’t a bad addition to the modern kitchen. I watched as a friend put a stubborn cut of meat in his pot, and while it wasn’t instant, it was certainly cooked to a tender turn in far fewer than the 8 hours it would have taken in a slow oven, not to mention not adding any extra heat to the kitchen while it cooked. So whether you want to make a gourmet recipe in a hurry, or you’re juggling one stove and several items to cook, this is a good gadget to consider.

Another not-so-new but convenient product that makes probably the best made-at-home coffee I’ve ever had is a pour-over coffee brewer. The ubiquitous drip style coffee maker is terrifically convenient – you add your coffee and water, set the timer, and your hot coffee will be ready when you wake up, or within minutes of turning the machine on. It heats the water and drops the water over the coffee in a brewing basket. The difference with the “pour over” method is how the water is delivered to the coffee grounds. With the pour over method, the super-heated water will be slowly and usually in a circular motion quite literally poured over the waiting coffee. Because the process is slow, and doesn’t just dump the water onto the coffee to filter into the carafe, the coffee has a longer, more thorough contact with the hot water. And hot water is, without a doubt, the secret to a good cup of coffee.

I will admit to having an “old school” refrigerator. It is a refrigerator with crisper bins, and a freezer compartment with an ice cube maker/dispenser. It works. But some of the newer models with cold water, crushed or cubed ice in the doors, and a warning bell if your door is open have their attractions. But how about a refrigerator that could actually keep track of what’s in it for you, so that if you’re at the store and aren’t sure if you need eggs – you can check the camera or the smart board on the door that stores memos like “get milk, out of beer.”

Finally, I will again confess to using my 15 year old blender and being fine with it – but I also confess to more than a little envy when friends throw seventeen healthful ingredients into their high tech blender and end up with something that tastes like a blueberry milk shake in about 2 minutes.

But I can’t conclude without going all retro and saying the other simply indispensable piece of kitchen equipment, as far as I’m concerned, is my stand mixer. Again, for those times when you need seven hands and only have 2, the stand mixer is perfect. While I don’t think there’s anything especially new about the technology – they’ve added power, tilt, lift, and a few other features that make the tool even more convenient – there’s nothing quite like adding all the ingredients for cookies, turning it on, tending to another chore, and finding the mix perfectly put together for you.

And finally, why not indulge in a rapid cooler for your favorite beverage? Add water, and the device will spin a bottle of wine to a perfect chill in just a few minutes, or have your beer ready in about one. As long as you’re preparing your meal, you might as well enjoy the time you’ll save, thanks to technology!

Nancy Roberts