Air fryers have become a popular kitchen appliance, and that’s partly because you can use them for various purposes. Whether you want to cook crispy food or you’re looking to give life to your leftovers, the air fryer is your go-to appliance.
Microwaves can also be used to reheat food, however, an air fryer would do a better job than the microwave. But why? While a microwave can leave your food soggy, an air fryer turns your meal crispy, making it as yummy as it was while freshly cooked.
Read on to find out the various foods you can reheat in your air fryer. But before diving into the kinds of foods you can cook in an air fryer, let’s address an obvious question:
How Does an Air Fryer Work?
An air fryer cooks or heats food by blowing hot air all over the food. Some people would think that the appliance cooks by frying, as suggested by its name, but that’s not the case.
These are the steps to follow while using an air fryer:
- Add the food to the basket
The basket holds the food during cooking. Some air fryers may have bigger baskets than others, depending on their size, therefore make sure you add the appropriate amount of food to it.
- Set the temperature
You need to adjust the air fryer’s temperature before cooking. Most foods will cook well at 350 degrees F however others would need a little bit more heat.
- Let the air fryer do the job
Lastly, allow the food to cook. Sometimes you may have to turn the food as it cooks, depending on the ingredients, to ensure everything cooks well.
What Food Should You Reheat In the Air Fryer?
There are plenty of ways to reheat food, and they’re different from one another. The microwave works very well when reheating food quickly, but can destroy anything with a bread base, as it can overheat it in a matter of seconds.
The oven, stovetop, and grill also have their own areas where they excel. But what about the air fryer? What should you reheat in the air fryer to get the best results?
1. Pizza
Reheating pizza in an air fryer is probably easier than you think. And the best thing, it only takes a few minutes to get ready.
To reheat your pizza in the air fryer, begin by putting the slices of pizza in the appliance. The size of each piece of pizza will determine the amount of pizza you can place in the air fryer per session. If the slices are big, you can only place a few of them in the appliance.
Next, set the temperature of the air fryer to about 350 degrees, and allow your pizza to heat for around five minutes. Finally, pick your pizza from the air fryer, and enjoy.
If you have other pieces of pizza, repeat this process until all your pizza is warm and ready to eat. Once you’ve seen what the air fryer can do, you are never going back!
2. Fries
The air fryer is the best method to reheat leftover fries. Sometimes a portion of your fries could be left out while reheating them, however, the fans in the air fryer distribute the heat well, ensuring the food is heated evenly.
Before placing the fries in your air fryer, dip them lightly in some cooking oil, and then spread them well in the air fryer’s basket. Adjust the temperature to 350 degrees and allow the fries to heat until they’re crispy. The process to heat the fries will take around 5 minutes, and sometimes more.
3. Steak
Steaks are always delicious when cooked well, and we all would want to reheat them without compromising their taste and texture. This is possible, thanks to the air fryer.
Begin by preheating your air fryer to around 350 degrees and then place your leftover steak inside. Allow the steak to heat for around 5 minutes before you can remove it.
Sometimes the steak could be thick and so it may require an additional 2 to 3 minutes to warm thoroughly.
4. Garlic Bread
To reheat garlic bread, begin by preheating the air fryer to 350 degrees. Next, place your leftover garlic bread in the air fryer and let it cook for around 3 minutes. Lastly, serve and enjoy the bread!
5. Vegetables
You can reheat any veggie in your air fryer, be it tender ones like zucchini, or tougher ones like beets.
To reheat vegetables in the air fryer, start by preheating the appliance to 375 degrees F. Sprinkle a little amount of oil on the vegetables, for a better end result. Then add the vegetables into the air fryer and allow them 5 minutes.
It’s advisable to shake the air fryer a few times while reheating vegetables to allow proper distribution of heat.
6. Rice
Reheating rice is always stressful but if you have an air fryer you shouldn’t be worried. To reheat rice, place it on a pizza tray and put it in the air fryer. Set the temperature and wait for your rice to be heated.
Stir your rice as it heats up to allow an even distribution of heat.
7. Roasts Potatoes
Reheating roast potatoes in the air fryer is a quick and easy process. Begin by setting the temperature of the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Place your potatoes in the air fryer and reheat them for 5 minutes, or until they are in your desired state.
Is Reheating Food In the Air Fryer Healthy?
The air fryer has become super popular among kitchen appliances, but how healthy is cooking with it?
The air fryer circulates warm air around the food making the food crispy. During this process, the Maillard reaction occurs, simply as a result of reducing sugars and amino acids getting combined in the presence of heat.
Air-fried food is considered healthier than deep-fried food, as it has less fat and calories. While deep frying requires that you fully submerge the food in oil, a tablespoon of oil is enough for air frying. Therefore, if you are looking to cut some weight, stick to air frying.
Air frying also reduces the chances of formation of dangerous compounds in food, for example, acrylamide. Although these compounds may also occur in deep frying, the likelihood is lower as compared to deep frying.
Air Fryer Vs. Microwave Oven: Which is Better?
Both the air fryer and microwave oven help in food preparation however they have their own differences.
In terms of energy consumption, a microwave requires more power to heat food, as compared to an air fryer. Therefore the air fryer wins when it comes to energy saving.
It would take either of them an average of 5 minutes to reheat food. So, that’s probably a tie.
The healthier option between the two is the air fryer. In a few instances, the microwave oven requires you to use oil while preparing food, however, in an air fryer you can cook without oil. Microwaves also produce electromagnetic waves which are harmful to your health.
The final decision, in this case, would be easy, noting that we all want our bodies to remain healthy. And that narrows down your options to the air fryer.
As you’ve seen, air fryers never disappoint while you are reheating your food. However, you should be keen on a few things to ensure the process is as efficient as possible.
First, never put excess food in the air fryer. For example, you could be tempted to put all your fries in the appliance, assuming that this will save you time. If the food is too much, divide it into portions as you heat it, otherwise, you will end up with uncooked fries.
The other thing is that you need to keep an eye on the air fryer as it prepares your food. The air fryer will do most of the work for you, but sometimes the food needs a bit of stirring or turning, and that’s your responsibility.