Air Fryer or Air Fryer Oven is a new cooking appliance that uses rapid air circulation technology to fry, grill, roast, and bake food with little or no oil. The current ones are mostly made in China but there are now some of the top brands out there making them as well. One of the reasons they are so popular is because the food tastes fantastic and it is almost impossible to get anything soggy, making them great for batches of appetizers.
What are the Pros?
Here are some pros about Air Fryers:
1) It uses less oil than other methods like deep frying. This means you can eat more (without feeling guilty) and it is easier to maintain a healthy weight.
2) The taste is fantastic. Because you only need to use a tablespoon of oil, the food tastes like it has been deep-fried (without the guilt). It also means that you can experiment with flavors that normally wouldn’t work in deep frying or roasting in an oven. My favorite is sweet potato chips, they are just as crispy as deep fried but have less fat.
3) You can cook almost anything in an air fryer, the only things you cannot put in are non-oily liquids like soup or watery vegetables like broccoli. This means that your whole meal can be cooked in it.
4) They are extremely versatile and you can use them for many cooking techniques – stir-frying, steaming, boiling, baking, etc. It is really up to you how you want to use it.
5) Easy to clean because there is no oil residue! I normally give mine a quick rinse after using it then wipe with paper towel before I store it away. If something has been overcooked it might leave a bit of residue on the bottom but it will come off easily with a sponge.
6) They are great for portion control, if you have been eating out at restaurants and have been trying to lose weight or eat fewer calories this is a fantastic tool to use. Put multiple of ingredients in the fryer and watch as your meal turns from being 1 serving into 4-6 servings!
What are the Cons?
Here are some cons about Air Fryers:
1) Air Fryers tend not to be very big (unless you pay over $200). One reason they don’t seem that large is because they mostly make small appliances (similar size as an electric kettle – maybe even smaller), however, I would recommend buying one that is at least 12-quarts in size.
2) Some models are extremely expensive for what they are, however, if you want a larger one then it might be worth spending the money to get your hands on the best model out there. I personally don’t mind spending more when getting something good quality – saving my health is important!
3) They can stop working after a while so it’s not always the best idea to buy an unknown brand or low price range product because you never know how long it will last. Those tend to go out of production quickly and become harder to replace parts for later on down the track. I’m not saying you have to buy a super-expensive model but just do your homework before buying one, look at the reviews and find out what others are saying about this product.
4) Make sure you don’t overfill it, many people do this because they think they need to but if you are cooking something with liquid make sure there is space for your liquid to move around in the container when boiling/cooking. If not, then it could cause a problem with your machine or even worse – make it explode! This is one reason I was avoiding getting an air fryer for so long until my friend showed me that anything liquid-based has to be poured into the base part of the appliance where the fan is located (underneath everything else). You can then add things like chicken or fish on without worrying about them falling into the base of the fryer. It might be different on some models so do your research first before buying one – I’ll include some links to help you below!
What are the advantages of using an air fryer?
1) Fat reduced cooking method which means that it is healthier than frying or grilling food.
2) It can be used for a variety of primary foods including fish, potatoes, vegetables and meat products.
3) There is less need for oil as food doesn’t stick to surfaces during frying due to circulating hot air inside appliance. You may use small amount of oil if desired but not required.
4) Food takes less time to cook since hot air surrounds it instead of boiling water like traditional deep fat friers.
5) It cooks food from the inside as well as outside which means all those important minerals and vitamins don’t go to waste!
6) Fast and efficient cooking process that doesn’t heat up your kitchen (like stove top or oven cooking). You can set it and walk away until it’s done.
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