In order to make the most strategic decision, one has to lay out all the cards on the table and spend some time analyzing them. That’s partly what we do when we read reviews prior to purchasing a product.
We’re trying to find the cons and the pros. We don’t want a balance between those two, we want all the pros. However, there is a balance between the pros and the cons, how balanced depends on who you are and what you are looking for.
When it comes to weight loss, healthier cooking alternatives, reducing one’s intake of fried food, and making delicious meals and snacks, the air fryer does have a lot to offer. In all honesty, the air fryer has something to offer everyone, I believe.
However, one good thing doesn’t always cancel out one bad thing, therefore, I’ve decided to make a list of the disadvantages of an air fryer. Hopefully, this will make it easier for you to come to a conclusion regarding the purchase of an air fryer.
Before we dive in, I’d like to say that I love air fryers. The simplicity, the convenience and the possibilities that an air fryer provides are great. But, even with that in mind, I would be a liar if I were to say that there are no ways to further improve the air fryer.
If you stumble upon a deal-breaker when reading this list, make sure to do some research on that specific feature, you may find an air fryer that’s an exception to the rule.
What’s Bad About An Air Fryer?
Air fryers were introduced to the market a couple of years ago and the hype started building up, the thought of frying food without oil was enticing enough to catch the attention of a couple of million costumers.
With that said, there are still some features that may make or break the dream of frying without oil for some people.
Here they are, in no specific order.
May Have Small Cooking Capacity
Depending on which air fryer you purchase, it may have a rather small cooking capacity. Because you have the choice to pick a larger air fryer, this may be a self-inflicted problem, however, bigger air fryers are oftentimes more expensive.
When measuring an air fryers capacity, one uses the unit “quart” which is equal to a quarter gallon.
Air fryers that measure 1-2 quart are suitable for one person. They may be big enough to prepare snacks or appetizers for two.
If you’re cooking for an entire family, you need to aim for a bigger air fryer, preferably somewhere in the 5-6 quart size.
Here’s an article that compares both the size and capacity of air fryers.
If Handled Incorrectly, It May Produce Smoke
Yes, air fryers can form clouds of smoke if precautionary measures aren’t taken. With that said, the air fryer won’t do this unless you’re handling it without care. An air fryer may let out a cloud of smoke because of a couple of different reasons, they are all very easy to counter if they should arise.
The Non-Stick Coating Can Flake
Air fryer baskets often have a
When cleaning the air fryer, remember to use a soft sponge, a harsh brush will peel the non-stick coating right off. Also, make sure to remove grease residue from the components, a build-up of grease may also reduce the lifespan of non-stick coating.
Once the non-stick coating is gone, the basket or pan should be thrown for safety reasons. The exposed metal could potentially release toxic fumes when overheated. The alternative would be to spend money on a stainless steel basket, they tend to surpass the lifespan of a non-stick coated basket by a lot.
Larger Cooking Capacity Means Less Kitchen Space
If you opt for a bigger air fryer with more space for your food, you will have to sacrifice more space on your kitchen counter. If you’re already having a hard time storing all your appliances and kitchen gadgets, a large air fryer might be quite troublesome for you.
Before purchasing, make sure that the air fryer can fit in your kitchen, secondly, make sure that it won’t take up enough space to bother you or stop you from having the best cooking experience. Not having enough space when you’re cooking can be frustrating.
New Air Fryers May Have A Strange Smell
Some manufacturers warn their costumers about the smell they may experience when using a new air fryer for the first time. It’s kind of like a chemical or plastic smell coming out of the air fryer. With some models, the smell is gone after one or two times, other models may require you to use them a couple of times before you get rid of the odor. To be honest, it can be quite intolerable at first.
If it doesn’t go away, try cleaning the air fryer properly (check this guide). If that doesn’t work, contact the manufacturer to see what they can do.
Other than that, cooking in an air fryer doesn’t produce more smell than cooking in a conventional oven would.
But, when comparing the air fryer to a deep fryer, the smell from an air fryer is far less (if even) greasy and can quite easily be neutralized, making it a much better option than the deep fryer when it comes to keeping the odors to a minimum.
If Stacked, Food May End Up Unevenly Cooked
Looking back at the rather tight basket that some air fryers provide their users with, one must’ve contemplated the idea of stacking a bunch of food in the basket to cook a larger batch, all at once. While it is possible to stack food in the air fryer, one has to do so strategically in order for the food to cook evenly.
Because air fryers cook food by circulating hot air, the food itself has to be exposed to the air flow. If hidden or blocked by other pieces, the hot air won’t reach it. Therefore, If cooking meat, fish or poultry, I would discourage the thought of stacking food. When cooking fries or other foods that can be shaken or stirred, you can stack them on top of each other, just make sure to shake them halfway through so they get cooked from all angles.
But for bigger pieces of food, I would not stack. Instead, I would make sure that they have enough space to not overlap.
Some Air Fryers Can Be Quite Loud
Inside the air fryer, there are two important components: the heating coil and the fan. The heating coil heats the air which then circulates with the help of the
When the fan spins at maximum speed, the air fryer makes noises. While this is far from true for every model, some models do have quite loud noises.
But as always, it comes down to doing research prior to purchasing a product. To me, the sound wasn’t a problem as I usually play music while I’m cooking, however, it may be an issue for some. I’m mainly thinking about people who share a small apartment or rent a room.
The noise on some air fryers can be up to 65 decibels, which equals the loudness of a conversation in a restaurant or background music.
Does Not Substitute Microwaves, Pressure Cookers or Conventional Ovens
The air fryer is capable of doing a lot. It handles different foods quite well. However, it does not replace a microwave or pressure cooker as they use entirely different methods when cooking.
It’s similar to an oven but the conventional oven has so much space, which means you would need a large air fryer in order for it to replace your oven.
Microwave ovens use microwaves to cause particles in the food to vibrate, creating heat. That’s far from the rapid air technology used by the air fryer.
Pressure cookers use sealed containers which build up pressure when liquids inside the container start to boil. Pressure cookers use moist heat while air fryers use dry heat.
You may be interested in reading these for further comparison
May Be Expensive
This doesn’t have to be true. There are decent air fryers for $50. However, if you are looking for a spacious device with a ton of functions from one of the top brands, then you’re looking at a $200 price tag.
It varies greatly though. The average price of an air fryer seems to be 100-150 bucks.
May Dry Out Food
The method used by the air fryer creates a crisp surface because it dries the surface to a crisp. The right cooking times prevent the air fryer from removing the juices from inside the meat. Either use the presets that come with the air fryer or look for conversion charts online to avoid overcooking.
The Benefits Are So Many
If you didn’t react strongly to any of the disadvantages, then I think you should go ahead and purchase an air fryer. Besides, a state of the art air fryer may not have any of the disadvantages while a cheaper one may have more, and sometimes it doesn’t even come down to price.
I think it’s important that one highlights the features that are important and those that aren’t and start filtering products from there. Reading reviews online may help you make your decision.
The air fryer is a quick and versatile tool that I’ve had so much fun with the last years. I seem to find new ways of using it all the time, and the results are very pleasing to the entire family.
Here are a couple of things that I love about the air fryer
- It’s quick. Because the air fryer is so small, it doesn’t take much time to preheat.
- It’s compact. Some of the models I’m using are bigger indeed, but there are still very compact solutions. I used to live in a much smaller apartment where the kitchen space was very restricted. The air fryer became my go-to solution for cooking, which made it possible for me to store other appliances and open up space.
- It creates a crispy exterior without using any oil, making it a very healthy alternative.
- It can be inexpensive and it can be expensive. There’s an air fryer for everyone.
- It doesn’t require my full attention when cooking. I just open it up halfway through and shake or stir the basket. Sometimes I don’t even open it until it beeps. This allows me to continue with other tasks while cooking food.
- It’s very simple to use
- It can be used for meat, snacks, appetizers, soups, desserts and more
- It reduces the number of calories in fried food by up to 80%, therefore, it can aid you in your weight loss if you can’t seem to let go of fried food.
- It reduces the formation of acrylamide, a carcinogenic compound formed when certain carbohydrates are exposed to hot liquids for a longer period of time.
Conclusion
An air fryer might not be for everyone, and to speak generally when talking about pros and cons can be hard. I’ve decided to do it to raise awareness of a couple of features that may come with the air fryer in order to help those who seek to buy an air fryer.
I believe transparency is the best guide to a good purchase.
Related Questions
Are air fryers toxic? Air fryers are not toxic. They are a healthier alternative. Compared to their sibling, the deep fryer, an air fryer can “fry” food without oil, which helps keep the calories to a minimum. This may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Does air frying destroy nutrients? No, it does not. An air fryer preserves a larger amount of the important nutrients in your food than many other methods of preparing food.