Air Frying Basics
What is an air fryer?
At the most simple of levels, air fryers are essentially small counter top convection ovens. They heat a small internal basket to high temperatures very quickly. They also have a fan which circulates the hot air at high speed around the cooking basket.
What are the advantages of cooking with an air fryer?
Air frying is healthy
Compared directly to deep fat frying, food cooked in an air fryer is much more healthy. You will use little to no oil in preparing your food.
Air frying is quick
The convection fan in your air fryer moves super heated air around your food very quickly. This means cooking can be as much as 20-30% quicker than using a regular oven.
Air frying can save energy
When you switch your regular oven on, you have to heat a huge cavernous cooking space. If you’re like me, often times you will only be preparing a small amount of food too – resulting in a huge waste of energy.
With their relatively small internal cooking space, air fryers heat up much more quickly, have less space to maintain heat, plus cool down quicker. The result is usually less energy used and…
Air frying can help your AC in the Summer
I don’t know about you, but I hate turning my oven on in the Summer months. That huge oven area has to be heated, it has to kept at temperature, and it has to cool when you switch it off; that heat enters your home which your AC in turn has to work hard to offset. If you live somewhere where you rely on your AC to work at its very best, you really don’t want to pump all that extra heat into your home.
Great for uniquely small kitchen space
For those who might not have the luxury of a full kitchen, an air fryer can represent a very flexible and functional way to cook, heat and reheat.
Do I add oil to an air fryer?
No! You should never add oil directly to your fryer. You may choose to coat your food with a little oil (just a little!) or cooking spray to achieve a crispier finish – but you should never add the oil to the unit itself.
Will my air fried foods be as good as deep fried food?
It’s important to realize that air frying does not replace deep frying. Food served up directly from deep frying will always have that special something – hey it’s cooked in huge amounts of delicious oil! If you’re expecting a like for like taste and texture as compared to deep fat frying you will be disappointed.
That’s not to say air fried food isn’t crisp or tasty. You will definitely find air fried food superior to cooking in a traditional oven, and we think you will enjoy the results greatly!
Eurgh, one more gadget in my home, is an air fryer for me?
That’s a decision only you can make. Certainly kitchen space is always at a premium, and air fryers are one more thing to make room for. A good sized air fryer will take up about the same room as a regular deep fryer.
For most units you will also want to make sure there is a little space behind and above the air fryer. Air fryers typically have intake and outlet exhausts for airflow. Be sure to read the documentation of your air fryer before use for safety. If you’re in the market for a new air fryer, you can usually find the user guide and manuals online before purchase; usually from the manufacturers website or a site like Amazon.
If you’re tired of switching your huge oven on just to cook modest amounts of food, tired of the heat it generates and disappointed in the crispness of the finished food from your oven – an air fryer could be a great buy!
O.k. got any tips and tricks?
We sure do! Here’s a list of all the more specialized tips and tricks for the air frying obsessed