(UPDATED: May 24, 2023)
Air fryers have been all the cooking rage lately. The range of foods you can cook and prepare are vast. Those against air fryers say they are glorified convection ovens. I'll blog about air fryers for you and maybe convince you to get one... if I like them. I invite you to read my blog post regarding air fryers in case you are interested about air fryers.
BEFORE I BEGIN...
This blog post contains affiliate links. Any involvement in purchasing any items can result in me getting commission for qualified purchases.
LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S)...
MAY 24 2023 - a few edits made
Air Fryers at a Glance
Air fryers have exploded in popularity for their ease of use and for the different foods you can prepare. They have become a healthy cooking alternative for preparing food without the need for oil. They use heating elements to cook food despite the "fryer" in their name. You can still put in oil and seasoning(s) for food, but this isn't a deep fryer, griller, skillet, or anything like that. Most air fryers can cook for temperatures as low as 200°F and as high as 400°F. An air fryer can also be used to defrost or thaw certain foods.
The meal options for air fryers can range from leftover cold food to some other foods. Some food in an air fryer some people may not even know is possible. For example, I once prepared hard boiled eggs in an air fryer. It is possible to even cook rotisserie chicken or crabs. To help in giving people ideas for air frying, there are a number of air fryer magazines and cookbooks to buy. A handful of websites and online videos also help give people some air frying recipes and instructions.
An air fryer is able to prepare some meals for longer than a microwave but shorter than a stove. If you are unsure of the cooking temperatures or times for an air fryer, the usual rule of thumb is to take 25% of the oven cooking temperature and 50% of the cooking time. So (for example) if a meal is to be cooked at 425°F for 20 minutes, an air fryer can prepare the same meal at 400°F for 10 minutes. Getting optimal cooking for a lot of meals may suggest you flip over or shake whatever is in the air fryer. For oven-type air fryers, you may need to rotate tray(s) at halfway or at certain points.
Popular manufacturers of air fryers include the likes of
PowerXL,
Ninja Kitchen,
Cosori, and
KALORIK. Even the famous chef, Emeril Lagasse, has his own air fryer- the
Emeril Air Fryer 360. However, lesser brands also make their own air fryers. Most air fryers can begin at a price of about $40 USD but can rise to almost $200 USD (and sometimes above $200 USD). Air fryers can be as small as two quarts but can go much greater to cook more food and some bigger food items.
Now that you know about air fryers in general, let's explore the different kinds of air fryers.
Air Fryer Types
Allow me to share certain types of air fryers:
Basket Air Fryers.
^ from: High Street TV -
The most common air fryers are of the basket variety. An air fryer can open you up to many cooking opportunities.
The most common air fryers are of the basket variety. A basket-style air fryer allow you to drop in food to be heated. These air fryers consist of a basket and a drip pan. The drip pan is where the different juices fall to after cooking. To open a basket-type air fryer, remove the basket by pulling out the basket from the handle. Dump in whatever food you want to put into it. Once you have everything set up, put the whole assembly- basket and drip pan back into the air fryer.
Cooking advice for a basket air fryer is to stop the air fryer at halfway to either shake the air fryer or flip over foods in the air fryer.
Air Fryer Ovens and Air Fryer Toaster Ovens.
^ from:
Walmart -
Oven-type air fryers lack the convenience of basket-type air fryers, but the range of foods you can prepare is greater.
Oven-type air fryers allow you to cook more food at a time, and you can even use some extra features not possible with a basket air fryer. Air fryer ovens allow you to use a tumbler or even use some forks for rotisserie chicken. Use the tumbler for food like French fries or tater tots. Use the rotisserie tools for rotisserie chicken. Getting a bigger air fryer will allow you to cook more food at a time. In addition, you can utilize the use of trays in an oven air fryer to cook food with. Place the tray higher up to be closer to the top heating element. Or, you may opt to put one tray near the bottom heating element in case you want the bottom heating element to be used. You may also need to rotate the tray(s) for an even cook of food.
If you have an air fryer oven but prefer having an air fryer basket, you can purchase air fryer kits that include an air fryer basket that can fit into your air fryer oven.
Air Fryer Pressure Cookers.
^ from:
QVC -
Some air fryers are also pressure cookers, such as this one.
If you use something like an Instant Pot, this style of air fryer may be familiar to you. In addition to pressure cooking, you can air fry in these devices. You may even be better able to air fry whole chickens in them. You may also be able to cook more items in more layers in this style air fryer. This would be a great air fryer to use if you want to prepare things like rice, mixed vegetables, boiled eggs, and more while also still using it to air fry food.
Air Frying Stoves/Ovens?
^ from: Frigidaire -
Some stoves have air frying modes.
Some stoves of late have air frying capabilities. Therefore, you can do your air frying with a stove rather than have a proper air fryer to cook with. The advantage to this is being able to prepare more food for more people than with a basic air fryer or air fryer oven. Plus, you still can use your stove for basic cooking.
My Air Fryer Experience.
I started to become more interested in cooking around September 2021. My air fryer interests were starting to grow over the coming months. I first got to make my first toaster oven meal in December 2021, which was a grilled cheese sandwich. Later that month, I made my first air fryer meal- a grilled cheese sandwich with chopped pieces of cocktail shrimp. The ease of use of the air fryer got me to stick with the air fryer for my meals. I started using the air fryer more often to expand my array of meals to cook. I started to share more of my meals on Facebook based on videos I've seen and recipes I followed from websites and online videos.
The air fryer I use is a PowerXL Vortex with about 5 quarts of space. My household also has a PowerXL Vortex Pro air fryer which has not been used. I have been fairly happy using PowerXL products for air frying. However, I have looked at Ninja or Cosori air fryers if I were to choose a separate brand.
Now that you been briefed on air fryers, let's talk about why they are so appealing and what gives them their appeal.
Why Air Fryers?
What makes air fryers a big deal? For one, I consider the air fryer an upgrade over the microwave. An air fryer can cook food better than in the microwave. Most foods that come from the microwave may be soggy and not have as much a crispy texture. If you are defrosting or reheating leftover food, air frying can make food crispy and tasty much better and safer than in a microwave.
Foods prepared in the air fryer can cut down calories and sodium after cooking. Some air fryers claim to reduce as much as 70% of calories and even cut down on sodium when air frying foods. Air fryers, therefore, can offer a healthy way of cooking.
Some foods cook better and take shorter amounts of time to prepare. For foods you normally can't microwave, an air fryer is a viable alternative. Air frying is great for meals such as Mozzarella sticks, tater tots, French fries, chicken wings, and more. You may even find some foods may be better and more fun to prepare in an air fryer than a microwave or stove. One thing I can tell you right away is that bread cooks very quickly in an air fryer. Bread products can be just as toasty as putting them in a toaster... even if you normally can't toast some breads!
Air fryers, as mentioned before, can also be used to defrost or thaw certain foods. They can also be a great way to reheat cold, leftover food. An air fryer can reheat leftovers almost to their original crispiness and taste. It can perform this task more masterfully than you could with a microwave. For example, you would be surprised how well a slice of pizza would cook in an air fryer as opposed to in the microwave.
For places that don't allow for stoves or ovens to be in the building, an air fryer can be a great way to enjoy quality meals without relying on the microwave. If you have a portable generator or a vehicle that has its own power unit, you could even prepare food in an air fryer when not in front of a stove or microwave. They also take up less space. Air fryers also don't heat up the kitchen as much as a stove can.
These are among some of the many reasons people enjoy air fryers. A microwave is more convenient and actually uses less electricity than an air fryer, but air fryers can do so much better cooking than a microwave can do.
Air Fryer Hints
While an air fryer can be great for cooking, you need to be mindful of a few things to safely and properly use your air fryer. A few hints will be mentioned in this section. Take a look at these bits before you consider getting an air fryer:
This first point I have no personal experience with, but I want to share it anyways...
• Properly clean a brand-new or unused air fryer. If you have a brand-new air fryer, it is recommended you clean the inside and its parts thoroughly to get out the plastic taste of food from the air fryer. A lot of websites and online videos you do various test cooks for a total of about one hour or an hour in 15-minute intervals. If there are still plastic smells, you may need to consult the manufacturer of your air fryer or simply get a new one. It is probably also recommended to do a sample air fry to test it out. You can simply air fry a slice of bread for a test.
• Some surfaces can crack from air frying! I heard of how placing an air fryer on some surfaces (such as marble counter tops) while cooking can damage or crack certain surfaces. If you feel squeamish about this, place your air fryer on top of some sturdy surface (like a wooden chop board) to prevent certain surfaces from getting cracked or damaged. If possible, you may need to do your air frying outside of the kitchen (or even outdoors).
• Use aluminum foil or parchment paper if you want to make cleanup easier. I always use either aluminum foil or air fryer liners to make cleanup easier. Food that is air fried usually has juices that go down below the air fryer basket. Aluminum foil is great enough to cook with without fearing getting the bottom dirty or greasy. It is best to use parchment paper for breads or certain foods that aren't greasy or messy when cooked.
• Certain oven-safe items can be used in your air fryer. For better cooking, you can use air fryer pans, silicone pads, and more for cooking. Certain air fryer pans can be good for preparing things like omelets, egg bites, and more. I even saw you can use aluminum foil pans for air frying while researching this topic. You will need to look online for what items can be safe to put in your air fryer for cooking. Some items that may not be air fryer friendly can damage your air fryer or even burn up your air fryer.
• Try to keep food in one layer, and space out individual portions for even cooking. If you have a bag of tater tots, French fries, chicken wings, mixed vegetables, or anything like that; it is great practice to keep everything in one layer. If you are preparing more of one item, you may need to prepare them in batches. This is especially if you have a smaller air fryer. Also, you may need to try to space out individual portions so they cook easier.
DO NOT crowd or completely fill up the air fryer.
• Be mindful of the speed of air fryers. An air fryer uses a lot of hot air and some fans to cook food. Therefore, it is important to keep the heating element(s) free to properly operate. Some food cooked in the air fryer may emit some steam. This is perfectly fine. However, black smoke could mean the air fryer may be burning. Also, because of the furious speed of how air fryers work, lighter items can fly off of cooked food. So you will need to weigh down some lighter items like pepperoni on pizza or bacon. You can use certain air fryer racks to weigh down some items.
• Be mindful of smoke points. Although air fryers cook without oil, you can still use certain oil and some products in an air fryer. Invest in certain spray oils with smoke points greater than 400°F. Examples of good oils to use in an air fryer include canola oil, avocado oil (which I use), grapeseed oil, coconut oil, and ghee. Some people even suggest you use spritzers to lightly oil food because it's healthier. While non-sticking spray on the air fryer basket can help food from sticking, it is perhaps better to use oils with a high smoke point.
• Wash your air fryer basket regularly. If a lot of food and grease get on your air fryer basket, you will need to clean it regularly. It is recommended you clean your air fryer basket after every use. The metal basket can be detached from the inside of the bottom part of the air fryer. I often clean the metal element of the air fryer basket and the inside of the air fryer basket can be cleaned with dishwashing soap on a sponge or cleanser. Use that along with running water to clean them.
Now that you know about some of the tidbits about air fryers, I now will provide some final thoughts.
Air Fryers: Final Thoughts
Air fryers likely will not replace many of your cooking appliances. However, they can carry the same level of quality (if not better) than your toaster, microwave, BBQ grill, or stove. The ease of use for air fryers can make cooking fun. If you want to cook more than what can be cooked in a microwave but do not want to risk burning down the house with a stove, an air fryer is a safe and great middle ground for cooking. Lots of people whom I have chatted with about air fryers have been mostly satisfied because of the ease of use with an air fryer and how well you can cook food with them. Air fryers, however, will not replace all of your appliances. Some foods cook better in other devices than in the air fryer. Most air fryers even are great mostly for one or two people. Cooking for larger audiences can take longer or may require something better and more efficient than an air fryer. As with any appliance, proper care and maintenance are required to keep your air fryer in tip-top shape.
Personally, I think if you are on the fence about getting an air fryer, or if you are gifted an air fryer and unsure as to whether or not to keep/use it; I suggest you get an air fryer. The cooking options and array of meals you can prepare are much more than a microwave and much safer than using a stove. The air fryer will not replace your microwave, but it is an upgrade over the microwave. You can get yourself either a basket air fryer or an oven air fryer. While I do not recommend them, you can even get stoves that have air frying capabilities if you so fancy them and still want to use your stove for basic cooking. If you want inspiration or meal ideas, use various websites and look at various online videos. You may also buy air fryer cookbooks. Air fryers may even come with their own cookbooks when you purchase one.
Keep on air frying! :)
Air Fryers Online and Resources
A handful of resources are going to be offered now regarding air fryers. Take a look around and help support me and my work.
Air Fryers Online.
NOTE: Your involvement in this next section is voluntary, meaning it is not required you take part in this section. However, your involvement would be vastly appreciated.
I may have convinced you to get an air fryer or consider gifting one to someone. If so, I included this item below that may help you. It features many different air fryer types along with different price points and sizes. So look around if you are interested:
Alternatively, you can shop for air fryers from retailers online such as these:
•
Walmart
•
Target
•
The Home Depot
•
Lowe's
•
JCPenney
•
Kohl's
•
Walmart
•
Amazon
•
eBay
•
QVC
Happy shopping! :)
Air Fryer Resources.
I have included some resources for you in case you want air fryer recipes or advice. Take a look at these and get psyched about air frying your meals:
--- Air Frying Websites ---
•
Air Fryer Recipes on Allrecipes.com
•
Food Network Air Fryer Recipes
•
Food Network Air Fryer Recipes
•
Air Frying Foodie
•
Air Fry Anytime
•
My Forking Life
--- YouTube Channels ---
•
Fabulessly Frugal
•
Melanie Cooks
•
Kelly's Cookin'
•
Cookin With Colt
•
Tried Tested and True
•
My Forking Life
•
Air Frying Foodie
--- Social Media ---
•
#airfryer results on Instagram
•
air fryer recipes on Pinterest
•
#airfryer results on YouTube
•
#airfryer results on TikTok
I may add more material in edits if this blog post becomes popular.
I hope you enjoyed my post about air fryers and air frying. I'm glad you could be here! Feel free to tell your family and friends about my blog if you enjoy my work. If you enjoy my work, please Subscribe/Follow my blog(s) in any capacity if you love my work and want to support me any way you can. Share my blog post(s) with others if you enjoy my work. Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.
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