The new kitchen craze started a couple of years ago and just like the last trend, the Instant Pot, air fryers became popular very quickly. Trend or not, both the instant pot and the air fryer have become part of our household and our everyday routines.
Some argue that kitchen appliances of this kind are luxury products that you don’t need unless you have the money to spend. Well, I’m not sure if I agree – there are inexpensive air fryers that perform really well.
In this article, we’ll talk about the appliance and what it has to offer. Then, with all the information provided, the decision is up to you.
Are Air Fryers Worth The Money?
I believe that air fryers are a great way to expand the cooking alternatives of any kitchen. I also believe that anyone could benefit from an air fryer, be it a veteran in the kitchen or a newbie with no understanding of basic cooking.
But when it comes to spending money, I believe the purchase of a product should be justified.
Besides the promise of recreating the wonders of fried food without the calories, an air fryer has a couple of other functions and features that I think are reason enough to consider an air fryer.
In order to really know if the air fryer is worth it in your case, you must really try it for yourself. However, seeing as that may be hard, the second best option is to research the appliance and everything it has to offer.
Quick
Cooking in an air fryer is a less time-consuming endeavor thanks to the rapid air technology, which transfers heat at a faster rate. The rather small chamber of an air fryer also makes for faster cooking times as there is less space to heat. All in all, an air fryer can cut cooking times by 25-50% in comparison to cooking in an oven or a stovetop.
Now lack of time won’t be an excuse for not eating healthy. With the air fryer, you’ll have time to prepare food, especially when you consider how little attention the air fryer requires during the process.
Your job is done once you’ve set the time and temperature and hit Go. In a worst case scenario, you might need to open the air fryer midway to shake or stir the basket. But more often than not, the air fryer will take care of everything while you spend your time elsewhere.
Broad price range
The price of an air fryer will vary depending on size, features,
An air fryer for $50 doesn’t have to be inferior to a more expensive air fryer, often, the price doesn’t define the power of the air fryer but the
Both models will most likely produce a lovely crisp. With that said, I do recommend that you pick a model from the popular brands with reviews available online.
Versatile
With 9 out of 10 TV commercials showing an air fryer with a basket full of newly fried french fries, it’s easy to forget how much an air fryer really can do with just a tablespoon of oil or less.
Unlike deep fryers that are specifically made for deep frying and nothing else, an air fryer can do much more than just creating crispy surfaces. Even the most affordable alternatives come with a variety of functions.
With an air fryer, you can expect to cook snacks, poultry, meats, vegetables, baked goods, frozen foods and much more. It can also be used to reheat food, preferably food that gets soggy when reheated in a microwave oven.
The standard setup that comes with most air fryers is good enough to bake, roast, grill and fry in. To further increase the capabilities of the appliance, there are accessories which can be found online.
Some accessories are made to increase the
Convenient
The air fryer is quick, it’s small enough to be placed on a countertop, it doesn’t require your full attention at all times and lastly, it’s very easy to maintain.
Cleaning an air fryer is easy, most components are dishwasher-safe and removable. But don’t worry, even without a dishwasher, the air fryer’s basket or pan clean up easily by soaking in a bath of warm water and soap for about 15 minutes.
What Can Air Fryers Do?
Air fryers are lauded as versatile but what can they really do? Well, the short answer is that an air fryer can cook anything that can be prepared in an oven, a deep fryer, on the grill or on the stovetop.
Additionally, the air fryer can turn any vegetable into a salty snack with a crispy surface. In our house, the air fryer has been the absolute best way to get my kids to eat their greens. Now, they actually ask me to prepare “green snacks” for them. Trust me, that’s a huge step in the right direction for us.
Here’s a list of some of the things you can make in an air fryer. With a little bit of creativity or a Pinterest account, you’ll see that the possibilities are endless with an air fryer.
- Produce a crispy exterior on anything that you otherwise would have cooked in a deep fryer.
- Bake cakes, muffins, pies, bread, and cookies.
- Larger models can cook a whole chicken, turkey or pizza.
- Make snacks – Nuts, fruits or vegetables make for a healthy and delicious batch of snacks.
- Reheat food.
- Some models can dehydrate food.
- Grill meat to juicy perfection.
- Make tasty kabobs
- Cook rotisserie style chicken.
- Cook frozen convenience foods such as chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, onion rings and more.
How Do Air Fryers Work?
I’m sure you’re wondering how an air fryer can replicate the taste and texture of the deep fryer without using oil, which is one of the main components in deep-fried food.
It’s also the one thing that makes deep-fried food calorie dense. The chicken, fries or onion rings you bathe in oil absorb the oil when cooking. The oil adds saturated fats to the foods and with them come more calories.
The added calories in combination with the formation of potentially harmful compounds make the methods used by the deep fryer less attractive.
Well, how does the air fryer imitate the results of the deep fryer without using oil?
The answer to that question is convection and the Maillard reaction. I’ll explain.
There are two main components in an air fryer. The first is the heating element which is placed at the bottom of the air fryer. The main objective of the heating element is, as the name suggests, to heat air.
The second component is the mechanical fan, often located on top of the air fryer’s inside. The mechanical fan helps the air circulate through the air fryer’s chamber.
Thanks to convection, the warm air rises to the top, where the fan is, and the cool air stays at the bottom, next to the heating element. Once heated, the air rises to the top. The constant battle between warm and less warm air causes the air to circulate.
The air fryer’s basket is designed to allow air flow through it. Food placed in the basket is exposed to the dry heat circulating the air fryer, when that happens, the surface of the food starts to dry up, producing a crispy texture.
The appearance and texture of air-fried food is a result of the dry heat and a chemical reaction.
When certain amino acids and sugars come in contact they create a chemical reaction called The Maillard Reaction, which produces a light brown surface and gives the food a distinct flavor like no other.
How Do You Cook In An Air Fryer?
Now that we’ve understood the principles adopted by the air fryer, let’s take a look at how they are used, which is much more important to the user than the actual anatomy of the appliance.
Cooking in air fryer is easy, generally speaking. It doesn’t require your full attention at all times, it’s very quick, maintenance is easy and the taste is delicious.
Air fryer’s come with a removable drawer with a basket placed inside. However, many air fryer’s also come with other components, most common is the basket and pan/tray combination.
Here’s how it’s done.
- Remove the drawer from the air fryer.
- Place your food in the basket
- Insert the drawer into the air fryer
- Select a suitable time and temperature for the food you’re cooking or use the pre-programmed presets that come with most air fryers.
- If cooking larger batches, flip halfway through.
- When finished, most air fryer’s make a sound and continue cooking for half a minute or so before they auto-shutoff.
Keep in mind that air fryers are much faster than conventional ovens and slower than microwave ovens when looking at cooking instructions on food packages. It’s extremely rare that packages come with instructions for air fryers, therefore, one has to convert the suggested cooking time and temperature to fit the air fryer.
The general rule of thumb is to cook at the same temperature that the packaging suggests for an oven but instead reduce the cooking time by 50%. If you don’t achieve the wished-for results using this method, try increasing cooking times until you hit the sweet spot.
These machines are highly praised for their ability to create something similar to deep-fried food without using oil, however, one would benefit from using a little bit of oil as it makes the surface even crispier.
When using oil, remember to use an oil that can handle high temperatures. The air fryer reaches high temperatures very quickly, and oils with a low boiling point won’t be able to handle the heat.
How To Pick The Right Air Fryer
The right air fryer doesn’t have to meet all of your criteria but there are certain qualifications that should be prioritized when considering the purchase of an air fryer. I believe some things can either make or break the experience of cooking in an air fryer.
Here’s a little something to keep in the back of your head when browsing for air fryers.
Size & Capacity
The cooking capacity of the air fryer is without a doubt the biggest dealbreaker of them all. You don’t want an air fryer that isn’t spacious enough to cook for your family in one batch, trust me. Your dreams of short cooking times and convenient preparations will go down the drain.
Instead, make sure to always pick an air fryer that is slightly bigger than what you think you need.
The second thing to consider is the size of the actual appliance. Most models are indeed countertop appliances small enough to both store and operate in a small kitchen. The larger models are, however, much larger and require plenty of room to cook and ventilate.
Dimensions are available online so make sure to check them out prior to purchasing an air fryer.
Here’s an article on the topic of air fryer sizes and cooking capacities.
Features & Functions
The most basic functions of an air fryer come with even the cheapest air fryer and that’s the ability to crisp food without adding oil. You will most likely have the option to adjust time and temperature as you wish or use presets made for specific foods.
Basic presets include chicken, fish, meat, fries, pork, cake, and shrimp. While some air fryers have more presets the standard amount seems to be somewhere around 8 presets. Some air fryers allow the user to create their own presets, this comes in very handy when you cook the same thing over and over again.
As the price rises, the size, the amount of presets, the accessories and the functions improve.
If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, an appliance that provides multiple solutions may be something for you. Imagine the air fryer equivalent of the swiss army knife, that’s what you can expect from a multi-purpose air fryer. The Cuisinart TOA-60 works like a toaster oven, convection oven, air fryer and, regular oven, all at once.
There are similar solutions implemented in some microwave ovens. The Faberware
- Air Fryer.
- Grill.
- Convection.
- Microwave.
Wattage
The wattage of an air fryer is not as important to me as the actual size and the functions offered by the appliance. Even at a higher wattage, the air fryer does not cost very much to run annually because it doesn’t run for very long, unlike a traditional oven or a deep fryer.
Therefore, the air fryer doesn’t consume a lot of electricity. The standard wattage of an air fryer is around 1400, and some air fryers have the option to change wattage, which can be useful when used in an outlet that doesn’t support 1400 watts.
Generally speaking, air fryers are cost-effective. The smaller models are even suitable for recreational vehicles, dorm rooms, and boats.
Warranty
It’s important to find out if the company offers warranties for their products if they break or malfunction early on. To be on the safe side, opt for an air fryer with a 12-month long warranty or more. When shopping on Amazon you can add insurance that has you covered longer than most companies do.
Where Can I Buy An Air Fryer?
Air fryers are available both offline and online. Big retail stores like Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Costco and Bed, Bath & Beyond keep a variety of air fryers in store. So, as you can see, there are local alternatives if you don’t enjoy shopping online.
However, the benefit of purchasing online is that you have a ton of different air fryers to pick from. Your best option when buying online is Amazon, where you can read reviews from hundreds of others who have used the product.
Which Air Fryer Should I Get?
Here are some of the air fryers that I recommend. I’ve split them up in categories to make sure that there’s something for everyone. Hopefully, this will lead you to an air fryer that seems to fit the criteria.
GoWISE 2.75 Quarts – Great Pick For Single Individuals
The GoWISE 2.75 Quart air fryer is quite small, it’s just big enough to host two chicken breasts or 2 pounds of chicken wings, the limited capacity makes it a suitable choice for a single individual or a couple.
The rapid air circulation prepares french fries, meat, snacks, desserts, fish, vegetables and much more to crispy perfection. Both the basket and pan are coated with a
Online, the product has garnered positive reviews for both performance and convenience. On Amazon, the product has earned the Amazon’s Choice badge.
Click here to check price on Amazon.
Philips HD 9240 3.7 Quarts – Great Pick For 2-3 People
Philips have earned their place as the go-to brand for high-quality air fryers. However, having such stature sure boosts the price of one’s products. The Philips HD9240 has everything an air fryer should have, and it does everything a good air fryer should be capable of doing.
The manufacturers state that the appliance is spacious enough to feed 4 people. It might be, but my rule of thumb is to always pick an air fryer that is slightly bigger than you may need, simply to ensure that you’re never restricted by the cooking capacity of the air fryer.
The HD9240 comes equipped with a stylish digital touchscreen which lets you operate, adjust and customize the air fryer’s presets as you wish. Another thing to note is the patented starfish design which improves the air circulation in the air fryer, better circulation means better results.
The basket and pan are both removable and dishwasher-safe. So, once you’re finished cooking in the air fryer, it won’t take more than a minute to clean it. Both components also come with a non-stick surface.
Lastly, it comes with an automatic shut-off function which lets you carry on with other chores while the air fryer prepares your food.
If quality, support, performance, convenience, and the actual taste is something you value, then the price tag of the Philips HD9240 can surely be justified.
I was surprised by the results achieved in this air fryer. It did wonders with vegetables, chicken, potato chips, fries, meat, shrimp, fish, muffins and snacks.
Cosori 5.8 Quarts Air Fryer – Great Pick For Families
If you’re looking for the best bang for
Rated as the 1# Best Seller on Amazon.
It measures 5.8 quarts, which equals enough space to cook a whole chicken in one session. But even though the air fryer is marketed as XL and is, in fact, large enough to cook large items, it has a slimmer design than most other air fryers with the same
The air fryer comes with a digital touch screen and 11 presets that make it very easy to operate. Pick the most suitable preset for whatever you’re cooking and start the air fryer, the appliance will shut off automatically once it’s finished.
If the presets don’t provide enough options, don’t worry, you can adjust the time and temperature manually to fit your needs.
The components are dishwasher-safe and non-stick coated. Another thing to highlight is that the components are PFOA and BPA-free.
The
Here are a couple of other things I really like about it
- The air fryer reminds you to shake the basket halfway through
- It has a function that keeps food warm
- It has a preheating option, which is quite rare.
- The detachable basket is very easy to clean
- The results are awesome, everything I’ve cooked in it has turned out great.
Well, Are Air Fryers Worth Getting?
Now, 3200 words later, we arrive at the place we started. With significantly more flesh on our bones, I hope the question can be answered this time around. If this kitchen-influenced odyssey has told us anything, it’s probably that it depends on your situation, but also your ambitions with the air fryer.
As an alternative to deep-frying, the air fryer comes in light years ahead considering the fact that it does not add excessive amounts of calories, it does not form acrylamide, and it retains more nutrients than most other methods of cooking.
The simplicity of the air fryer makes it easy for anyone to use. Both my parents and teenage kids can operate the air fryer and they love it. Knowing the tips and tricks has made it their go-to tool for cooking.
I’ve been using my air fryer on a regular basis for years now. The convenience of having a robot that cooks chicken, fries, vegetables and much more is incredibly valuable to me. However, with a tight budget, I would not spend as much money as I have, instead, I would opt for a more affordable model.
The air fryer is similar to the convection oven in the way it cooks, therefore, as the owner of a convection oven, buying an air fryer may not provide the same kind of upgrade.
Related Questions
Do air fryers cause cancer? Cooking in an air fryer does not cause cancer, in fact, in an air fryer, the formation of acrylamide is greatly reduced, thanks to the dry heat used by the air fryer. The air fryer also does a good job of retaining nutrients, making it a quite healthy alternative.
Do air fryers give off radiation? No, they don’t. The heat source on an air fryer is a heating coil which heats the air that then circulates the chamber. This is far from the same method used by a microwave oven where microwaves cause the particles in our food to shake – producing heat.
Is an air fryer the same as a small convection oven? Not exactly, no. While they do use the same technology, the convection oven does not produce the same crispiness.
Do air-fried foods taste the same as deep-fried? Air fried food has a more lean flavor than deep-fried food. Using a tablespoon of oil gives air-fried food an even crispier edge.