Air Fryer Baked Potatoes with a Review of Different Air Fryers (Whole30)

Have you gotten an air fryer yet?  I got one over the holidays and I will say that I am pleasantly surprised with how much I use it.

What is an air fryer and why should you get one?  Well, first off, an air fryer uses super heated airflow above and around your food to convert tiny amounts of moisture into mist. The extra-hot cooking chamber lets dry heat penetrate the food from the outside in, yielding the familiar crispy texture food gets with a bath in the deep fryer.

However, unlike a deep fryer, an air fryer does not make your house smell like a McDonald's nor does it make a mess.  It is really easy to clean and since only 1 tablespoon of oil is used, you don't need to store or throw away any used oil.

Next question...What size should you get as well as which brand?  Like all great inventions, the consumer ends up with "copy cat" versions.  When I looked online, there were over 20 different brands of air fryer.  Although I have not tried all the brands on the market, I did do a LOT of research before purchasing my own and only looked at air fryers that were over 4 quart in size.  Any smaller would not be even worth the purchase.

I personally bought the Power Air Fryer XL 5.3 Quart.  It got wonderful reviews on Amazon and is under $100.  It is the perfect size for 2-4 people and so far, I have no complaints.

The other air fryer that I have used is the T-fal ActiFry Air Fryer.  This is the one my mum has and although it is more expensive (retails for about $150) it does have an additional paddle attachment that mine does not have.  Why would you want a paddle attachment?  Well, when you are cooking fries, Brussels sprouts or any other small food items, the paddle attachment constantly rotates and flips the food for you.  If you don't have this attachment, then you manually must shake the container every so often to make sure that all surfaces get crispy.

Finally, the third option for a high quality air fryer, is the Ninja Air Fryer.  What are the pros to this one?  Well, first off, it is a little smaller (4 qt) and therefore doesn't take up as much room.  Secondly, the temperature has a wider range then most air fryers.   This unit can range from 105 degrees F to 400 degrees F.  That is the widest temperature range on the market which makes it the only unit that can be used to dehydrate foods which means making jerky or dried apple slices is a breeze.

Here is a recap on the pros and cons of each unit:

T-fal ActiFry Air Fryer:

Pros: Has a removable paddle attachment and therefore it means you can walk away and do not need to shake the basket in order to make sure all sides of the food has browned.

Cons: Priciest of all three (>$150.00) and fairly large so storing is an issues.  Temperature is set and can not be adjusted.

Power Air Fryer XL:

Pros: Largest of the 3 with 5.6 quart, temperature ranges from 180-400 degrees F.  Cheaper than the ActiFry and under $100

Cons: Although not as wide as other air fryers, it's dome shape construction still requires room to store.  It does not have a paddle attachment so if you want to make sure that all sides of your food get crispy, you need to quickly give the basket a shake every so often.

Ninja Air Fryer:

Pros: Has the widest temperature range and therefore you can dehydrate with this unit.  Smaller size makes for easier storage.  Cheaper than the ActiFry at under $100.

Cons:  Smaller in size means that you can cook less food at one time so may only be suitable for 1-2 people.

So, how did the potatoes turn out?

Well, I can honestly say that they turned out to be absolutely delicious!  Crispy on the outside and super soft and moist on the inside, what more can you ask for?

All I did was rub the outside of the cleaned potatoes with a little olive oil, sprinkled some sea salt all over the skin and set them in the air fryer for 30 minutes.

I am not much of a baked potato fan but Mr. Grumbles loves potatoes and he claimed that these baked potatoes "rocked!"

I added some chopped fresh chives and my Vegan Creamy Garlic Sauce and called it a night!

This is also a great side dish for my Sheet Pan Chicken Drumstick and Peppers.

Whole30 Air Fryer Baked Potatoes

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In under 30 minutes, you can have crispy on the outside and soft on the inside Whole30 baked potatoes.

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 potatoes 1x

Ingredients

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• 4 russet potatoes, cleaned
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp sea salt

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Instructions

1. Pierce cleaned potatoes with a fork to allow steam to escape as they cook.
2. Place pierced potatoes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Add salt and using your hands, rub oil and salt all over potatoes
3. Place in the air fryer at 400 for 30 minutes.
4. Once potatoes are cooked, remove and add ghee or any other toppings.

Notes

• Feel free to stuff the potatoes once they are done with any leftover meat such as taco meat, meatballs, or pulled pork to make a complete meal.

• Author: Cat
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Sides
• Cuisine: Whole30

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 medium potato
• Calories: 180
• Sugar: 1.9 g
• Fat: 3 g
• Carbohydrates: 37 g
• Fiber: 4 g
• Protein: 4.5 g