Air fryers are a healthy cooking method since you don’t drench the food in oil. Are you thinking of getting an air fryer for your cooking?
Well, below are the factors to consider before making that purchase decision.
Follow This Step To Choose An Air Fryer
First, you must decide which design of the air fryer you want, its size, and some specifications.
How much capacity?
When it comes to an air fryer’s capacity, think about the width of the basket and not about the standard power of the air fryer.
An air fryer may look significant to your eyes and have a lesser capacity than one that looks small.
You should choose an air fryer that will suit your family’s needs, i.e., the number of people it can serve.
If you are considering cooking whole chicken or turkey in your air fryer, you can go for one with a larger capacity.
Read Next – 10 Best Air Fryers Under $100 For Healthy Food In 2022
Consider Storage space for your air fryer.
The amount of space the air fryer will occupy should align with your kitchen counter space.
This means you should consider the amount of working space available on your countertop when using the air fryer.
Note that some air fryers will allow you to replace unnecessary cooking devices on the working space, countertop, or cabinet since they are multi-cookers.
Other air fryers are designed to save on space with a small footprint.
Ease of cleaning
You will be cleaning your air fryer every time you use it; that is the easiest way, and with that in mind, before settling for an air fryer, you should choose the one that will not give you much stress or hassle when it comes to cleaning.
Take a look at the settings of the air fryer.
The settings available on an air fryer can help you with the purchase decision.
Most air fryers come with timers, which will make your cooking simple; others come with alarms, others come with analog temperature switches, and some with digital temperature checks.
People have different preferences, and you should select the settings that suit your needs. An air fryer up to 400 degrees is ideal for chicken recipes.
Wattage consideration
An air fryer uses between 1,400 to 1,700 watts of electricity per hour. Your kitchen design should be able to support these watts.
Look at what people are saying.
Always read reviews because you will know the good and the bad about an air fryer before buying it out of the studies. With thoughts, remember to be objective because some people like to complain naturally about everything.
Price
The price of the air fryer will help you make the purchase decision. Remember that quality air fryers will always cost more, even though there are many affordable air fryers in the market.
Read Next – Is Cooking With Air Fryer Healthy?
FAQs about Air fryers
What is an air fryer?
Despite the name fryer, an air fryer is not a fryer; instead, it is a countertop oven that simulates deep frying without drenching the food in oil.
Is food that has been air-fried healthy?
Air-fried food is healthier than deep-fried food. Air frying uses less oil and cuts calories by 70%-80%.
Which is better, the oven or the air fryer?
Air fryers are better than ovens because you don’t need to add oil to food. After all, as the air fryer heats up, your food gets crispier by itself; this is difficult in an oven, even for convection ovens.
What foods are not recommended in an air fryer?
As mentioned, the air fryer blows hot air inside the unit making food crispier, and light foods are not advisable to be put inside an air fryer unit as they risk being blown.
Also, avoid wet batters as they create a huge mess that is difficult to clean.
What is the principal disadvantage of using an air fryer?
Air fryers have small cavities for holding food, so cooking for many people can be a hassle. On the positive side, though, the small hole means food cooks quicker.
Can you open an air fryer while cooking is in progress?
It depends on which side your air fryer basket is positioned on. If the basket is on the side or front of the air fryer unit, you can open it when cooking is in progress.
The opening is not advisable if your basket is at the top because all the air will escape. For the latter, most have a see-through lid.
Read Next – Best Air Fryer For Two People – Top Ratings And Reviews
Preheating or not preheating an air fryer?
Regardless of the manufacturer’s recommendation, preheating an air fryer is crucial.
Preheating in cooking makes cooking temperatures and time more accurate, and it is advisable to preheat your air fryer though different manufacturers have different recommendations.
If the food says 20 mins and you have not preheated your air fryer possibility of your food being undercooked is high.
Air fryer Health benefits
Air fryers have been advertised as a healthier alternative to deep-fried foods. Typically, deep-fried foods use 750 ml of vegetable oil, whereas air-fried foods use 15 ml of vegetable oil for a similar result.
We all know that fat intake increases cholesterol, which increases your risk of cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases. By reducing the oil, air fryers reduce calories and fats.
Air fryers retain essential nutrients because they keep the food surface dry and cook using hot air, which means beneficial nutrients like vitamins, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, fiber, etc., are retained.
Read Next – The Best Buy Air Fryer: What You Need To Know Before Buying
Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1, 4QT Air Fryer Oven, From the Makers of Instant Pot with Customizable Smart Cooking Programs, Nonstick and Dishwasher-Safe Basket, App With Over 100 Recipes, Stainless Steel
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