Air fryer seems fancy and all, but it is in reality a cooking oven that looks like a basket. It’s easy to google air fryers and see the images but for those who do not know, air fryer looks like an electric kettle with a basket attached to it. It is an oven with a convention mode if we describe it in a simplified manner. It has a fan that emits hot air which helps in cooking.
It is becoming extremely popular these days, especially among health enthusiasts who want to avoid fried food and yet would like to have a taste of it.
While it is much in vogue, some people are skeptical about its uses and want to stick to the regular oven. It is not so different from a convection oven, frankly speaking. However, its special feature is the crispiness that it promises.
There are differences of opinions among health experts, gadget experts, and chefs about this kitchen appliance. Some say that buying it is a waste of money but others are of the opinion that with a tiny bit of oil, you can enjoy most food in this oven.
It is good for baking as well since it has a convection mode. Chicken tenders, onion fries, mozzarella sticks, etc are made pretty quickly in an air fryer.
There are many pros and cons of air fryers, we will talk about the cons quickly before we move on to the pros.
Cons:
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Small Cooking Basket
The con of using this fryer is that it has a small cooking basket. You can never cook much. Maybe some fryers have bigger baskets, but most fryers in the market have nine inches by nine inches cooking basket.
Basically, if you want to cook a small amount of food, then this is a value for money offer. People living alone and busy most of the time prefer an air fryer to a regular oven.
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Different Texture to Food
Some people would complain that food cooked in air fryers has a peculiar texture and taste. That is true for microwave-cooked food as well. You only need to get used to it.
Air fryer, judging from consensus, is really good for frozen food items such as chicken nuggets, etc. It fries them quickly with a minimal amount of oil.
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Harsh Noise
One of the other minor problems would be the noise of the fan. People often complain that they cannot hear the other person in the room if they do not talk loudly.
And the constant noise of the fan produces irritation to the ears.
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Takes Quite a Lot of Space
The space it takes on the kitchen counter is quite a lot. If you have both a regular oven and this one, you might encounter problems managing space in the kitchen.
But these last two issues are minor and not worth talking much about.
Suggested read: Best Non-Stick Ceramic Coated Air Fryer
Pros:
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Time
Moving on to the pros, the time-saving quality of air fryers deserves to be appreciated. The hot, rapid air and the convection mode help in fast cooking. It has heat transfer qualities that also contribute to the fast making of food.
However, because of the shortage of space in the oven, you cannot cook more food at a time. In the regular oven, there are more options and modes that you can man-oeuvre through as well.
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Healthy Meal
This would be most perfect for health-conscious people because it is mostly baked food that gives off a feeling of fried. It is extremely healthy for your body because of the minimal oil intake.
The lack of oil will make your skin glow and you will also intake minimal calories. The experts say that even baking is very easy and hassle-free.
You can take a very little amount of dough and a little amount of butter or oil to make doughnuts or cakes.
Recommended Reading:
- How to Mix Cooking Oils When Frying
- Best Commercial And Professional Grade Air Fryers
- Do you have to Preheat an Air Fryer?
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Crispy Food Without Oil
Believe it or not, air fryers are good for making crispy food without oil. You can even cook your chicken which will come out juicy and crispy.
But you will have to be smart about it. In case your food is not being prepared as well as you thought it would be, you can try the air fryer manual.
Fried chicken and shrimp have certified dishes that cook excellently in this oven.
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Hassle-Free Cooking and No Oil Stains in the Kitchen
Frying stuff in the kitchen on a gas oven always produces oil stains on the kitchen walls.
But if you fry your food in the air fryer, there will be no oil stains on the walls or on the kitchen items and utensils. Cooking is hassle-free here.
Frying stuff on gas is often uncomfortable for amateur cooks because they are afraid of hot, boiling oil which might sizzle and hurt them. In that case, if you fry stuff in the air fryer, there will be no such issue.
If your kitchen is small, it often happens so that the smoke coming out of the frying feels suffocating. If this happens in your kitchen, you should try to get an air fryer.
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Quick Food
If you want to make food quickly for a snack, air fryer is the way to go. If you have friends over and you do not have the resources to cook food and yet you want to cook for them yourself instead of ordering from restaurants, air fryer will help you make quick-fried food that the guests will enjoy.
Last Thoughts
In brief, Air fried stuff is good, oil-free and the food turns out quite tasty as well. But if it is worthy of your hard-earned money or not it will be up to you to say.
In that case, you might want to check out online customer reviews. Air fryers have many pros, however, if you compare it to the regular oven or even convection oven which has more capacity, then it might seem like a fail.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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What kind of food can you make in an air fryer?
Answer: Air fryer allows the making of almost all kinds of foods. From French fries to steaks and other food, including chicken, meat, fish, vegetables, etc.
Additionally, the making of crispier and tastier frozen food items is also possible. The main benefit of using an air fryer is cooking a particular meal in minimum oil that helps in maintaining good health and thereby a healthy lifestyle.
Want to bake, grill, or roast the food? There are multiple brands that are offering multi-purpose air fryers.
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What are the best air fryer brands on the market in 2020?
Answer: The best air fryer brands with a 9+ rating include the following;
- Cosori Air Fryer, Max XL 5.8 quart, 1700- Watt Electric Hot Air Fryer
- GoWISE USA GW22731 1700-Watt 5.8-QT 8-In-1 Digital Air Fryer
- OMORC Air Fryer, 6 Quart, 1800W Fast Large Hot Air Fryers & Oilless
- COSORI Air Fryer 3.7QT Electric Hot Air Fryers Oven And Oilless Cooker
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Is an air fryer healthier than a normal deep fryer?
Answer: Yes! Cooking an item in less oil is healthier in comparison to making use of the normal deep fryer.
Air fryers do not destroy the taste, aroma, and color of the food, but promote lower calories by eliminating the fats.
**When you cook in an air fryer, a drop of oil is enough!
The non-sticky base of the fryer further ensures the stickiness to not take place, thereby maintaining the texture.
So if you are looking for a healthy lifestyle an air fryer is worth it.
Related: Kitchen Appliances That Actually Help You Eat Healthier
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Is it difficult to clean an air fryer?
Answer: No! Cleaning an air fryer is a simple task as it does not carry the oil and grease mess. Hence, can be easily cleaned after the meal is cooked.
The process of cleaning includes the steps below;
- Take out the basket, pan, or tray from the air fryer
- Wash them using hot water and soap (just like any other utensils are washed).
- Soak them in hot water and add some soap to get the grease and oil get softened. It can be easily removed by using a brush.
For the outer parts of the fryer, simply rub using a damp piece of cloth after applying a few drops of dish cleaner.
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Does an air fryer use less electricity than an oven and microwave?
Answer: Yes! The consumption of electricity by an Air fryer is less in comparison to conventional ovens and microwaves. You can cook foods in the air fryers in 75% less time when compared to those traditional ovens.
A quality air fryer also serves as an electricity saver. Mainly Philips air fryers tend to save a lot of your electricity.
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Can an air fryer replace a convection oven?
Answer: Of course not, and I see many buyers see both kitchen appliances as identical, for the full comparison between an air fryer and convection oven check out this article.
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Can air fryer replace microwave?
Answer: No, there are a lot of differences between both appliances click here for more information.
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What is the difference between an air fryer and a halogen oven?
Answer: Here is a quick comparison guide that discusses air fryer and halogen disadvantages and advantages.
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Is Philips air fryer worth buying?
Answer: It is not quite easy to convince everyone to use an air fryer. However, if you have used and like an air fryer, the only problem you would have is getting the right one. So, is the Philips air fryer worth a try? After considering the reviews of the air fryer and comments on the air fryer, it is easy to agree that it is worth a try. The Philips air fryer is not only efficient and surprisingly good, but also quite easy to use. In fact, it might be the easiest air fryer to use on the market. Therefore, we recommend that you try out the air fryer.
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My air fryer is a 5.8 QT kitchen Academy it is a waste of money it does not work everything I’ve ever put it is still raw after over an hour of cooking that’s with every tip and trick that there ever was I feel ripped off wasted my $80 on this and I don’t recommend it to anyone