Air Fryer, Complete And Useful Guide

Air fryers help you prepare food in a healthier way because they fry through hot air. In a way, these fryers are similar to a miniature oven, cooking food with a large amount of hot air circulating at high speed. Actually, these fryers are known in two ways, oil-free fryers or air fryers.

With an Air fryer it is possible to fry food in a completely natural way, however, I recommend adding a small spoonful of oil to achieve really optimal results. 

In addition, Air fryers offer you the opportunity to cook a wide variety of foods, from vegetables and potatoes to meat and frozen foods, among many others.

You may think that oil-less fryers are simple and similar to all other models, but when you go to buy an Air fryer it is important that you take into account some aspects, which differentiate an oil-less fryer from another so that it is easier for you to choose the fryer that best suits your needs.

Look at its capacity, as this is undoubtedly one of the aspects that must be taken into account. On the market you will find Air fryers with bowls that have a capacity that varies between 1 and 5 litres. 

A trick to find out how many portions you can prepare according to the capacity of the fryer is to count one portion per litre and leave a little margin.

 in other words, an Air fryer with a capacity of 3 litres allows you to cook 3 to 4 portions, while a 5-litre fryer can prepare 5 to 6 portions.

Contents

Advantages and Disadvantages of Air Fryers

When talking about air fryers, I can assure you that they work really well, especially the most modern models. It is very likely that if you try an oil-less fryer you will no longer want to make your fried food with another type of fryer.

It is necessary to mention that the air fryers are very easy to use, so if you have not had a fryer before you will learn to use it without major problems.

 Usually you will only have to follow a few simple steps to get the fryer going and cook your favorite dishes in a much healthier way than with a traditional fryer.

From my point of view, this last one is the main advantage that air fryers offer since they do not add any additional calories to any of the foods, since only a small teaspoon of oil is added, which makes the food much healthier. 

However, I am going to make a small list of the main advantages and disadvantages of air fryers to make it easier for you to know if you should buy an air fryer:

 

Advantages of Air Fryers

Greater comfort when cooking as it is not necessary to be aware of the cooking process at all times.
It is possible to reduce 85% of the fat in food.
You will cook without fumes or odours in the kitchen or on your clothes.
You will save on oil, since this type of fryer works without oil, although as I mentioned before, you can add a teaspoon.
They do not cause splashes when used.
They are easier to clean.

Air frying could also prevent trans fats, the harmful processed fat that can increase your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. 

There are many establishments that fry their foods in vegetable oils that contain trans fats, such as soy or canola, and reusing the oil for frying, whether in a restaurant or at home, has been shown to increase blood pressure and cholesterol and cause vascular inflammation.

Disadvantages of Air Fryers

In fact, the food is not really fried, so both its taste and texture are not the same as traditional fried foods, and it is not as crisp and not cooked as evenly.
They tend to be more expensive than oil fryers and usually have a higher power consumption.
They tend to be a bit noisy and slower than oil fryers.

How do air fryers work without oil?

At this moment you are probably wondering how these air fryers are able to fry if they don’t require oil and as I mentioned, this is only half true, since frying food does require oil, only the amount to be used is much smaller.

It is necessary to clarify that the name “without oil”, for which they are known, is not completely true since oil turns out to be something necessary to facilitate a better cooking of the food by means of the circulation of hot air at a high speed that is produced inside the fryer. 

The electric fryers, with the help of their heating element, heat the air that circulates between the foods at a high speed of approximately 200°C, most of them with fans to ensure perfect and uniform cooking.

These foods are impregnated with a thin layer of oil. With this system, the food is browned on the outside as if it were fried. The reality is that they don’t get the same taste or crunchy texture.

As far as cleaning is concerned, it is really easy even this type of hot air fryer can be put in the dishwasher.

What to Consider Before Buying an Air Fryer

To make the right choice when buying your air fryer, you must take into account the following points:

• Capacity: This point is of great importance since you must take into account how many people you plan to cook for. Currently on the market, you have air fryers from one to five liters of capacity.

• Power: The oil-free fryers have motors that cause hot air to circulate throughout the tank that cooks your food. You will find an air fryers from 800 watts to 2,000 watts, but you must bear in mind that the cooking time will be somewhat longer than in traditional fryers.

• Size: These air fryers are usually smaller than traditional ones, but before buying one, check its dimensions so you can place it in your kitchen without any problems.

• Functions: With the vast majority of air fryers you will be able to fry, cook, roast, toast and bake many healthier dishes than with traditional fryers. 

Also check whether the air fryer has an auto-off function, a timer, adjustable temperature, an anti-overheating system… and, in short, everything that can help you to prepare your favourite dishes more easily.

Are Oil-less Fryers Healthier?

The air fryer are undoubtedly healthy fryers since, as I said before, they reduce up to 85% of the fat in the food you prepare in them, although they are popularly called air fryers, you should add a teaspoon of oil to give a more optimal result to your frying. 

Do air fryers cause cancer?

In relation to the issue of carcinogens. Compared to deep-frying, it has also been shown that air-frying produces significantly less acrylamide, harmful compounds that are formed when amino acids in foods, such as potatoes or bread, are heated to very high temperatures. 

But when it comes to cooking meat, the high temperatures of both cooking methods have the potential to form compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heterocyclic amines (HCA), especially if the meat is burned. 

And all of these chemicals could increase the risk of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Air-fried foods usually tend to be significantly lower in both calories and fat than fried foods, which may be better for your waistline over time. But that’s just the beginning. 

Air frying can helps you to avoid trans fats and safeguard your heart health. It can also reduce your exposure to harmful compounds like acrylamide, which have been linked to cancer.

How many calories do you save with an air fryer?

Taking a fried chicken leg, for example, will add about 250 calories and 19 grams (g) of fat. But in an air fryer it only has 135 calories and 5 grams (g) of fat, for a reduction of about 115 calories. 

And while that may not seem like much, if you eat a lot of fried foods, it’s the kind of thing that can increase the risk of obesity or weight gain over time. 

Conclusions

Enjoying a delicious and healthy meal that is free of oil, is much easier if you do it with an air fryer, as these are the only fryers on the domestic market that offer us to enjoy any food, whether fried or not, without having to use a large amount of oil, so the dishes are much simpler to prepare and above all healthier.

The cooking time of air fryers is somewhat longer than with traditional fryers. The most convenient thing to do is to check the instruction booklet of your air fryer and look at the recommended cooking times for each type of food, as the times will vary depending on the food and the type of cooking you choose.

However, despite the extra cooking time, it’s worth waiting a bit to eat a delicious and healthy version of your favorite dish. 

It should also be mentioned that the air fried foods that can be obtained with this type of fryer offer a clear advantage, which is that in addition to having a healthier diet, it is possible to avoid the unpleasant sensation that food full of fat usually leaves.

The capacity of the air fryers varies from one litre to 5 litres, and with any of them you can cook practically any type of food, either at the same time or for several batches. And through its control system and timer, you can keep the temperature under control, as well as the time it will take the air fryer to prepare the food in a healthier way.

Image Credits: Flickr.com