There’s been a lot of talk about how bad fried food is for us, but many of us just can’t resist the taste of it. However, frying the food with lots of oil (especially with deep-frying) really adds on the pounds and the cholesterol. But then there’s now the air fryer, and it’s different. So what is an air fryer and how does it work? What’s so great about it?
We’ve taken a closer look at the air fryer, and here are 5 key facts you need to know about it:
What is an air fryer and how does it work?
An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that you use to cook food. More specifically, you use it to fry your food. As its name indicates, this is done by using air to fry the food, so you don’t really need oil or at least you need very little of it.
You put your food inside the container, and the air fryer uses a special bit of technology to rapidly heat the air around the food. The air can get up to 200 degrees C, and the air fryer has a built-in fan to circulate the air to make sure that every part of the food gets the same degree of heat.
Like other cooking appliances, the air fryer usually has a timer, and there’s also a controller to adjust the heat. Its design resembles a rice cooker. You just put the slices of food on the tray and set it inside, and a few minutes later you get nice crispy food.
You can use it to cook a wide variety of food.
It’s interesting to note that in many countries, people have their own favorite foods to cook with their air fryer. In the US, many people find it very handy for their chicken wings. In the UK and the Netherlands, it seems like its most commonly used for making chips. The Japanese tend to use theirs for preparing fried prawns, while in India the air fryer is quite popular in samosa preparation.
Basically, if you can fry a food, then you can use the air fryer to fry it. So the list includes all types of meat (including fish, hot dogs, and chicken), as well as potatoes, French fries, and kale chips. You can use it for tapas, as well as curries. Others have tried to fry pickles and chickpeas and have gotten excellent results.
But it’s not just for frying either. You can use it to grill food (it’s great for veggies). In fact, you can even use it to bake brownies and cakes.
It’s a healthier option.
The main reason for this is that you don’t really need to use oil at all. You can if you want to, but you only need a few ml of oil for browning. The oil also helps make sure that your spices and salt actually stick to the food. This means you will never have to deep fry these food items to get the same deep-fried delicious goodness.
Deep frying is simply one of the unhealthiest ways you can cook food, because the oil saturates the food. This means you get a lot of unhealthy fat and cholesterol with traditional frying methods. This time, you can get the taste without feeling guilty.
For many of us, we equate “healthy” options with less tasty food. Now you can actually enjoy the taste and still eat something healthy. That’s not exactly common, is it?
It’s also very easy to use.
You just slice up your food, put it in, sprinkle a bit of oil, set the timer and the temperature, and wait. When you’re done, your food is crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. It’s heavenly, and there’s not much effort involved. Some models can even be used with an app.
There’s no need to preheat the air fryer, though you can for a few minutes to cut down on the cooking time if you want. You can put even frozen food inside, without taking the time to thaw them first. You don’t even need parchment paper.
You can also add more ingredients as you cook, though you’ll need to hurry so you can limit the heat loss. You also don’t have those mini “explosions” of oil that can cause burns.
The cooking time is about half the time you need when you use your oven. That also saves on electricity. Once you’re done, the cleanup is simple as well. You won’t have to deal with food that has stuck to the pan. You can just wipe it down, and it’s clean.
It does have some limitations.
It’s a bit bulky at a foot high and about 9 inches across, so you need ample counter top and storage space.
You’ll also need a bigger model if you want to cook lots of amounts at one time, because you can’t overfill the air fryer. You need space inside so that the air can get hot and it can circulate properly.
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Final Verdict
Sure, it does have its limitations. But then you can say the same about every kitchen appliance. But with the air fryer, you get exquisitely cooked food with a deep fried taste, without the unhealthy penalties of deep frying. It offers you food that’s both sinfully tasty and guilt-free healthy.
How many other cooking appliances can do that with regular meat and French fries?
So our verdict is that if you like frying your food, then you need to get an air fryer. It just makes sense. You get delicious and healthy food, in less time with simpler clean up. You don’t even use as much electricity. This is an investment worth making, so you need to clear some space in your kitchen for an air fryer.
So what is an air fryer and how does it work? It’s something you need to buy, and it sure works fine!
