Factors to Consider Before Buying an Air Fryer

Most individuals love deep-fried, greasy food such as potato chips, french fries, and fried chicken.

There's a comfort that most of us feel when indulging in a plate of fried food.

However, besides taste, eating fried food comes with little other benefits. It's usually high in fat and calories, and contributes to high cholesterol.

The Old Way to Fry

The way fried food is typically prepared is to completely submerse the food in oil, allowing the food to soak up an unhealthy quantity of oil and dramatically increase the fat and calorie content of the food.

There is an option however, that can dramatically eliminate the unwanted side effects of fried food.

In addition to being rather unhealthy, frying food also poses some risks as well:

  • Many house fires start from grease fires caused by frying food in oil.
  • The popping and exploding oil from the pan can also easily cause burn injuries.
  • Also, the mess that frying food creates is excessive and hard to clean.

The taste of fried food however, can cause even the most healthy person to cave every once in a while and spoil themselves to a heaping helping of their favorite fried dish.

Frying with Air?

An air fryer is an efficient kitchen appliance that can give fried food lovers easy access to fried food with as much as eighty percent less fat.

Air fryers are also a safer solution because they do not require a pan filled with hot oil to produce food with a fried consistency.

Who should use an air fryer?

Air fryers can be used by anyone who desires the taste and texture of fried food, with more convenience than traditionally frying food.

Air fryers are exceptionally easy to use and relatively easy to maintain as well. For that reason, owning an air fryer is very convenient. People who would benefit the most from owner an air fryer are:

People who hate a big clean up after cooking:

Because air fryers work by circulating hot air, there is little clean up necessary after using the air fryer.

This is completely different when choosing a traditional fryer which uses an extremely large quantity of oil to fry a small amount of food.

The oil mess can be massive since oil splatters will typically happen throughout the cooking process.

Disposing of the used oil can also be a daunting task. Air fryers are typically easy to clean because the parts are usually removable and dishwasher safe, making clean up a breeze.

People who want to eat healthier:

If losing weight or simply eating a healthier diet is important to you, an air fryer is an excellent way to reduce a massive amount of fat and calories without sacrificing on taste.

  • Because air fryers use air to heat food, it does not require the extra calories that submerging food in oil can add.
  • Air fryers produce food that has the same crispy outside that standard fryers produce, without the unhealthy additives.
  • Air fryers can reduce up to eighty percent of the fat content of foods typically cooked in hot oil.
  • In addition, you do not have to sacrifice on the taste or quality of the food, since air frying creates food that has the same taste and texture that deep frying does.

People who want to cook food faster:

Air fryers are extremely efficient because they can heat from room temperature to over three hundred degrees Fahrenheit in less than three minutes.

This can cut cooking time dramatically. When frying foods in oil, one must wait until the oil has heated to the appropriate temperature before starting to cook. This can be extremely time consuming, depending on the amount of oil being used.

Also, air fryers heat more rapidly than traditional ovens take to "pre-heat."

People who just love fried food:

If fried food is on your list of favorite food items, owning an air fryer is an economical way to satisfy your cravings. Air fryers are user friendly and produce excellent tasting "fried" food, quickly. But, most air fryers are not just limited to frying, most can also bake and roast as well.

Air fryer benefits

Air fryers are an extremely useful kitchen appliance. The benefits of owning an air fryer are plenty.

  • Air fryers produce food that tastes great.
  • Air fryers prevent the food from becoming dry on the inside, while still creating a crispy texture on the outside.
  • Air fryers cook food quickly.
  • Owning an air fryer provides convenience that is unmatched by any other kitchen appliance for the fried food lover.
  • The process of "frying" food in an air fryer verses a pan of oil is much simpler and much more economical.
  • An air fryer is very user friendly and usually comes with a simple timer, so users can walk away from the frying food without worrying about oil splattering, grease fires or burning or sticking food.
  • Air fryers are easy to clean and easy to maintain. Most parts disassemble and are dishwasher safe.
  • Air fryers produce food that is exceptionally healthier than traditionally fried foods.
  • They produce food that has up to eighty percent less fat than oil fried foods, without sacrificing the taste.
  • Air fryers can also be used to cook things like muffins and cupcakes, or to roast chicken as well. Air fryers can be used to cook an assortment of different foods, different ways.
  • Air fryers are safer to use than conventional fryers.

What to look for in an air fryer

Like any purchase, knowing the options available in an air fryer is a useful way to make a good purchasing decision.

Most air fryers use the same basic technology and therefore have very similar features. All air fryers use a hot air circulation technology to cook food, so there is no difference between air fryers in the designs.

However, there are different options available for air fryers. Some air fryers features to consider before purchasing are:

  • Size: It is important to make sure your counter top has adequate space to store the air fryer when cooking.
  • Wattage: It is equally important to ensure that your kitchen outlets can support the 800-1400 watts that a standard air fryer typically uses.
  • Capacity: Knowing how much food and the type of food you want to cook is very important when purchasing an air fryer. Typical air fryers have a capacity to cook between 1.8 and 2.5 pounds per food, which is sufficient for every day cooking such as fries, and drumsticks. However, if the main focus is to use the air fryer to cook a whole chicken or a turkey, a larger than standard capacity will be necessary.
  • Settings: Figuring out what settings are available on the air fryer will help you make a better decision. Most air fryers can reach temperatures of 360 degrees and come with timers to make cooking simple. However, depending on the brand and model the air fryer may not get as hot as necessary for the type of food you are wanting to cook.
  • Other Features: Some air fryers come fit with the ability to cook two separate food items at once by having levels in the baskets. This makes cooking meals like fish and chips easier, but may not be necessary for people who just want the occasion fries as a side dish.

Other Things to Consider Before Making an Air Fryer Purchase

Air fryers, although an excellent appliance, may not be for everyone.

They usually range in cost of over $200, making an air fryer a relatively expensive item in comparison to other small kitchen appliances. But as a mini fryer, it is highly economical.

Air fryers can be immensely beneficial to those who consistently like "fried" food in their meals.

People who like a little variety can also enjoy the different colors air fryers can come in too.

Since it makes the process of frying food much simpler start to finish, an air fryer can be a valuable appliance to own: Air fryers cut prep time, cooking time, and cleanup time considerably in comparison to oil frying foods.

Air fryers have the added benefit of making fried food healthier, but if fried food is not a staple within your diet, you probably will not benefit from owning an air fryer.

In addition, most food that can typically be fried can also be oven baked for similar results. Although, oven baking does not typically provide the same texture that fried food has, if baking the food does not affect the taste and texture in a negative way for your taste, you may want to bake you food instead - but here the thing: Air Fryers also bake, roast, and grill your food!

Air fryers can be an excellent appliance to add to your kitchen, especially if you are a fried food lover. With careful consideration, purchasing an air fryer can be a great decision for your diet, your taste buds, and for your convenience.

Browse Air Fryers for Healthy Food

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