Are Air Fryers Any Good?
You may have heard of air fryers as a healthier alternative to deep-frying because they require no oil to make foods crispy yet retaining the texture and taste of deep-fried dishes.
How Do Air Fryers Work?
Air fryers are self-contained convection ovens that have one or more heating elements with a fan or two circulating the hot air. Air Fryers quickly heat and circulate hot air around and through the tray. The intense hot air in a small space will cook food quickly, leaving them crisp and brown but moist inside, similar to deep frying foods.
Advantages of Air Fryers
Healthier Meals
Many of our favourite dishes tend to be fried, which uses a lot of oil, thereby making them oily and unhealthy. Air fryers do not need that much oil, users often spritz a little bit of oil on the food item. Any excess oil drains away from the food.
Faster Cooking Times
The intense circulating hot air will cook food items quicker than a traditional oven or stove and are more energy-efficient.
Easy To Use
Air fryers are easy to use. For most models, you just need to set the temperature and time however some models have pre-set food types. When cooking things like chips, fries, wings or nuggets, it is good to give your food a shake halfway through to ensure even browning and perfect results.
Disadvantages of Air Fryers
Takes Up Space
Even though air fryers have a small footprint they do still take a fair bit of counter space. They are small enough to put away in a cupboard however if you find yourself using them a lot you will keep them out on your kitchen counter.
Learning Curve
Even though they are easy to use, it takes time to figure out the right settings to get the result you are looking for. Also knowing when to apply a bit of oil or not when air frying.
Not ideal For large portions
Cooking for large groups of people or quantities is not ideal for air fryers. Air Fryers rely on the flow of hot air around the food item to cook. If you jam pack the tray you get some quantities that have not cooked. Air fryers are ideally suited to cook for 1-4 people, if you are looking to cook for larger quantities then a conventional oven will be best suited.
Summary
Air Fryers are a great alternative to deep-frying food items especially if you are looking for a healthier alternative. They are great for cooking small portions and will speed up cooking time however, there is a small learning curve to see which settings are great for the results you are looking for. If you are unsure about air fryers, they are a great device to add to your kitchen and will enable you to fry foods without the need for large quantities of oil.