“I like to eat and I love the diversity of foods.” – David Soul
In this chapter, you will learn about air fryers including:
● What an Air Fryer Does
● The Different Types of Air Fryers
● Advantages to Using an Air Fryer
● Why Air Frying is a Healthier Frying Method
● How to Choose the Right Air Fryer For You
● Using Your Air Fryer
An air fryer is often referred to as an oil-less fryer because unlike a deep fat fryer that uses hot oil to fry foods, an air fryer uses the circulation of superheated air to fry foods. The air within the air fryer can heat as high as 392 degrees Fahrenheit. Such high heat allows food to brown, crisp, and cook through much as the foods would do were they in a traditional deep fat fryer. This hot air is emitted from a heating element in the cooking chamber that is quite close to the food and then an exhaust fan above the food provides circulation for the hot air. This system lets the superheated air circulate and pass through the food so that the food is evenly heated.
Since frying technically describes a method of cooking foods in fats and oil, how can an air fryer be considered a fryer? Well, air fryers aren’t technically fryers at all. The reason why they are referred to as fryers is because the air fryer was developed to provide a healthy alternative to deep fat frying. In actuality, air fryers are much more like convection oven cooking instead of deep fat fryers. Since companies intended for the air fryer to replace the deep fat fryer, however, marketing teams took to referring to this new cooking method as “air frying.”
Technically, there are two different types of air fryers – the basket air fryer and the paddle air fryer. There are, however, a few more categories that can separate some air fryers from others. In this section we will take a look at all of these categories.
Basket Air Fryers
A basket air fryer is a more affordable type of air fryer, but when using this air fryer you may have to stop the fryer multiple times during the cooking process to shake up or turn the food in the fryer to ensure that it is thoroughly cooked. When cooking with a basket air fryer, food needs to be coated with fat before it is put in to the cooking basket.
Paddle Air Fryers
A paddle air fryer is usually a more expensive air fryer than a basket air fryer, but this expense is justified by the fact that this fryer turns or stirs the food in the fryer while it is cooking. When using a paddle air fryer, fat should be added to the pan with the food before cooking begins.
Completely Oil Free Fryers
Completely oil free fryers are a favorite among health conscious people because they don’t utilize oils to cook the food. The food from oil free fryers is crisped up simply through the use of hot air circulation as in convection ovens. When people refer to air fryers being similar to convection ovens, this is most often the type of air fryer they are talking about. Without oils, these cookers have absolutely none of the drawbacks of oil fryers. Oil free fryers can be both basket or paddle fryers.
Oil Air Fryers
Oil air fryers do not use as much oil as a deep fat fryer – in fact, they use much, much less. This method of air frying does, however, require a small amount of oil which coats the food in oil before cooking rather than dunking it in to and leaving it in a vat of oil during frying. This results in much less oil being absorbed by the food while the exterior of the food is still crispy. Air fryers that use oil during the air frying process can be basket or paddle style fryers.
Air Fryers with Rapid Air Technology
Air fryers with rapid air technology can be either basket or paddle style air fryers. Rapid air technology is actually a feature of air fryers and is a patented system. This system utilizes both high speed circulation of hot air in combination with a grill at the top of the air fryer unit. This feature was designed to allow food to cook evenly and much faster than some other air fryer units.
Some of the biggest concerns about frying in a traditional deep fat fryer is that the hot oil method of frying can be unhealthy, dangerous, and can leave a greasy flavor and texture on foods. Air fryers eliminate all three of these concerns since they don’t utilize hot oil to cook the food. Getting rid of the hot oil means that foods are not soaked in oil making them unhealthier, frying is not as dangerous as it was previously, and food has less of an oil soaked flavor and more of its original, intended flavor. Using an air fryer also means that the home does end up smelling like oil and that there is no messy oil to dispose of once cooking is through.
In the section above we talked about the advantages of using an air fryer, but did you know that there are health advantages to the air frying method as well? Since air frying uses much less or no oil during the cooking process, less fats are eaten with air fried meals or foods. This means less unhealthy fat to clog arteries, less unhealthy grease to clog pores, and less weight gain from fat consumption!
When it comes to choosing the right air fryer for you, there are a few things to take in to consideration. In addition to choosing an air fryer that you like, some things that you should consider when picking an air fryer include:
- Size: Choose an air fryer that will accommodate the size of your family.
- Wattage: Higher wattage gives the air fryer more power resulting in food that cooks quickly. It is important to be careful and read reviews of different air fryers, however, since some high wattage air fryers can cook food too quickly and even burn it.
- Settings: Some air fryers have higher temperature settings than others, some have timers, and some have other specialized settings. Choosing the right air fryer means choosing a fryer that has the settings that are most important to you.
- Features and functions: Do you want a completely oil free fryer or are you okay using an air fryer that uses a small amount of oil? Do you want an air fryer with digital settings? Are you looking for an air fryer that can cook multiple types of food at once? Do you want an air fryer that has rapid cook technology? Do you need a nonstick air fryer?
- Price: As with any purchase, if price is a concern, find an air fryer that fits your budget and has the features that you are looking for.
When it comes to using your air fryer, there are so many different air fryers with so many unique features, the best way to learn how to use your fryer is by consulting the user manual. Make sure that you read your air fryer manual before you begin trying to figure out how your air fryer works and if you still have questions about your machine, give the manufacturer customer service number a call! In order to get the most benefits out of your air fryer, it is important that you use it properly.
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