Shoutout to the diner in Philly that had an air fryer on the counter for onion rings

I stopped at a spot near Reading Terminal last week where they used an air fryer for the onion rings instead of a deep fryer, and half the people swore they tasted better while the other half said it ruined the texture so I'm asking who's actually right about air frying vs frying in a busy kitchen?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_taylor471mo ago

The Reading Terminal spot actually had a sign saying they tested both methods for a month before switching, which is pretty wild. @ellis.susan your friend Dave's wing struggle makes total sense because I saw them spraying the onion rings with avocado oil mid-basket on a busy Friday night and that seemed to be the trick. I used to be on team deep fryer all the way but after trying theirs where the coating stayed crispy without any of that greasy slick on the paper plate, I gotta admit they won me over. Not saying I'd swap my fryer at home for an air fryer completely, but for high volume stuff in a cramped kitchen it actually holds up way better than I expected.

ellis.susan1mo ago

Heard about this exact debate from my friend Dave who runs a food truck in Austin. He tried air frying his wings during a hot summer weekend when his deep fryer broke down. Said the first batch was dry and sad, but then he figured out you gotta spray them with oil halfway through and shake the basket every few minutes. By the third try his regulars actually asked if he switched to a new recipe, but he said it still couldn't beat the crunch of the real deal for crowded rushes. Did the Philly place actually pull it off or was it just a gimmick?

logan_ellis1mo ago

Man oh man, that Dave sounds like he's got his head on straight with the trial and error. I remember one time at this hole-in-the-wall barbecue joint I went to in Kansas, they had an air fryer for their tater tots and honestly it was the best tots I've ever had. But then I tried their onion rings from the same air fryer and they came out kind of limp and sad. So your mileage may vary big time depending on what you're cooking. I think if a place like that Philly spot actually commits to the spray and shake method for wings, it could probably work decent for a quiet Tuesday shift. But I'd be skeptical if they claimed it held up during a Saturday night dinner rush when tickets are flying everywhere. The real test is always how it handles when you're in the weeds.