This is perhaps one of the most confusing points about an air fryer, so we will break it down a bit for you. An air fryer inherently does not need hot oil to cook because it uses hot air to cook the foods. Air fryers work by rotating super-heated air around the food, essentially cooking foods in their own oils instead of having to coat them with extra oil. This machine would only need to use oil with specific recipes and in these cases, you can use a low- fat oil like olive oil and only brush the foods.
The fact that it does not use oil in a traditional sense goes far beyond the calorie count, but that is a consideration. Most fryer manufacturers agree that air frying your food can lower the calorie count of fried foods by up to 80%. That is a staggering number which would be easy to see on a scale within only a couple of weeks. Apart from the calorie count, there is another health concern that has been become increasingly important in the past few years. As we learn more about the world we live in people are becoming increasingly aware of their food allergies and sensitivities – oils and fats being near the top of the list—no need for oil means no need to worry about these concerns when enjoying your perfectly cooked foods.
All the Crispness with Fewer Calories
One of the main draws of fried foods is their crispy outside and soft inside; which up until this point has never been able to be reproduced. Now you get all of the crispness and flavors of fried foods with only a fraction of the calories. Not only does this make enjoying fried foods less guilt-full, but it also makes it easier to stomach healthier foods without worrying about losing their health benefits.
Cooked from All Directions to Ensure Thorough Cooking
Any seasoned cook will tell you that there is nothing more
frustrating than following all of the rules and still ending up with undercooked food. This can happen in almost any cooking method including oil cooking. Cooking in oil is not an exact science and you could always hit a pocket of oil which is under heated for whatever reason causing uneven cooking of your food.
With air frying, there is never a worry about under cooking, because the method is so precise. Food is cooked at an even temperature from every angle which means that—as long as the basket is not overfilled—all of the food cooks evenly every time. This means that there is no need to worry about any kind of food-borne illness that could come from undercooking.
Safer than Oil Frying
Aside from the calorie count the biggest negative factor of oil frying is that it is downright dangerous. How many times have you half placed, half thrown something into oil and then ran the other direction to avoid the hot oil splatter? If there is even an ounce of moisture on that food you are looking at a 4th of July display of hot oil all over the kitchen—and probably your skin.
If there is one concern more important than burning your skin it may be burning your whole house down. The lack of oil frying means no oil to start kitchen fires which could eventually lead to a house fire. This may not be a selling point to buying an air fryer but it is definitely a big benefit.
Food Keeps its Nutrients
One of the biggest health benefits besides fewer calories is that food actually keeps its nutrients. In almost any cooking method food—especially vegetables—loses any nutrients it may have through the cooking process. Since air frying cooks by sealing the natural juices in instead of cooking them out it naturally seals in all of the nutrients as well making air frying one of the healthiest ways ever to cook vegetables.
No Trans Fats or Other Potentially Harmful Food Additives
When you are not cooking with oil you are not cooking with any trans fats either. These fatty oils have been condemned in recent years for their harmful effects on the body. The fact that you only need hot air to cook foods in this machine means that you don’t need to add anything at all in order to produce delicious meals without harmful byproducts.
