How Does an Air Fryer Work?
Similar to a convection oven, an air fryer’s fan circulates hot air generated by a heating element. This circulating hot air allows the air fryer to cook food quickly and evenly. An air fryer can even cook food straight from the freezer. Since the air frying is done inside a contained unit it makes clean-up easier since there aren’t flecks of oil on the countertops, stove or walls.
Before purchasing an air fryer, figure out where you have space for it on your countertop. Large capacity air fryers need a dedicated corner. If your counter space is at a premium, store your air fryer in a cabinet or pantry and pull it out as needed. If it’s one of your most-used appliances, clear a spot for it on the counter to save time.
Air Fryer Accessories and Features
Consider the type of controls you want on your air fryer. Air fryers with knobs, also known as manual air fryers, are easy to use. They use a dial feature to control the temperature and time. Digital air fryers give you precise control over time and temperature. The cooking status appears on an LED screen for easy viewing. There may also be added features such as preheating, preset cooking functions and more.
Some air fryers come with accessories such as grill pans, a cooking rack, skewers, baking pans, rotisserie spits and more, expanding your cooking options.
Depending on the size, air fryers come in a variety of wattages, typically from 800 to 1800 watts.
Other highlights include a drain feature, which helps to drain fat for crispier food that’s lower in fat, a ready light indicator to let you know when the food is done, non-stick cooking surfaces and programmable features.
Air Fryer and Toaster Oven Combination
Save countertop space with an appliance that can do double duty. An air fryer toaster oven combination can air fry your food with minimal to no cooking oil, resulting in healthy dinners. In the morning, the toaster oven air fryer combo can easily switch to make the perfect piece of toast. Use the knob to select a light, medium or dark piece of toast.
For even more options, choose an air fryer oven combination that includes other cooking functions, such as roasting, baking, convection mode or a dial to keep food warm.
How to Pick the Right Air Fryer Size?
If you’re short on space, a two-quart air fryer prepares enough food for one or two-people and takes up about as much space as a toaster. A general rule for deciding on an air fryer size is to buy a quart per person in your household. When in doubt, round up. Extra-large air fryers with a capacity of six quarts or higher are your go-to if you want to cook whole roasts, kebabs, tenderloins, etc.
To expand the cooking capacity, air fryers with dual-layer racks help you prepare two different foods at once.
How Much Does an Air Fryer Cost?
If you search for air fryers for sale, you'll find that the prices can range from around $50 to hundreds of dollars. The cost of an air fryer depends on the appliance's capacity and features. Basket air fryers tend to be the most affordable air fryer, while a tray air fryer, which doubles as a toaster oven, is more expensive. Paddle air fryers agitate the food while it cooks and are usually the most expensive types of air fryers.
How to Use an Air Fryer?
Air fryers are versatile and fast once you master how to use them. While there are differences between brands, most air fryers offer cooking temperatures based on the food. Preheating the air fryer before adding in your food helps food cook faster. Air fryers don’t need a lot of oil, but foods can benefit from a light brushing or a short spray of oil (especially on breaded foods). The oil’s fat helps seasoning stick to food and promotes even browning. Unlike cooking in a dish or on a sheet pan, the hot circulating air catches food on all sides, resulting in crisp food.
What Can You Cook in an Air Fryer?
Chicken wings, egg rolls, potatoes, cooked pasta, pizza, steak, cookies, fish, hard-boiled eggs and more cook well in an air fryer. Surprisingly, some of the best foods to cook in an air fryer are vegetables. They get crunchy on the outside and stay soft on the inside. Air fryers are quite versatile, the list of what they can’t cook is much shorter than what they can.
What Not to Cook in an Air Fryer?
While an air fryer works wonders there are some foods that it just won’t work for. Here are a few foods you shouldn’t cook in an air fryer:
- Foods with a wet batter, such as fried fish, aren't good options because the moist batter won’t bind to the food the way it does when it's fried in oil.
- Leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale and collard greens, are too light and will fly around the fryer during the cooking process, resulting in uneven cooking.
- Cheese creates a melty mess.
- Bacon is fatty and cooking it in an air fryer will result in lots of grease on the inside of the appliance.
- Food covered in a dry seasoning isn’t ideal for the air fryer. Make sure seasonings are rubbed into the food to avoid being blown off by hot air during the cooking cycle.
How to Clean an Air Fryer?
Every air fryer needs to be cleaned after use to avoid oil build-up and prevent flavors from mixing between meals. Some air fryers have dishwasher-safe parts, making cleaning a breeze. There are many types of air fryers, but most consist of two removable pieces that include a basket and crumb tray. Follow the steps below to clean your air fryer:
- Allow your air fryer to cool down.
- Unplug the air fryer.
- Remove the basket, tray and pan and wash with warm water and soap.
- Don't use utensils to try to pry off stuck-on food
- Avoid using disinfectant or all-purpose cleaners inside your air fryer because they aren't food safe.
- After every few uses, wipe down the other parts of your air fryer with a damp cloth.
- Wipe any residue off the heating coil once it has cooled.
Air Fryer vs. Deep Fryer
Compared to deep fryers, air fryers cook food at a higher temperature. Air fryers require little or no preheat time while a deep fryer can take over 10 minutes to heat the oil. Battered food requires a few sprays of oil to cook in an air fryer but tend to soak more oil in a deep fryer. Flour-based or wet batters cook better in a deep fryer. Air fryers are easy to clean as the parts can be washed separately. Deep fryers tend to get messy and you also have to dispose the oil after use.