Air-fryers: are they worth buying for your kitchen?

Air fryers are popular in this age. People like it because they produce foods with less oil and fats. But like any other kitchen gadget, they have their pros and cons. One by one below…

Air-fryers

An air fryer is a modern kitchen appliance that is a countertop convection oven. It simulates deep frying but the food is not submerged in oil. Hence it is supposedly healthier.

The purchases and popularity of air fryers have soared recently, especially amongst the health-conscious strata of society. This gadget is similar to conventional baking.

In it, there is a fan that moves at high speed. The air inside the product is heated and this fan circulates it over the food item. Thus it cooks and bakes it but without oil. The product also becomes crispy and soft.

The units have temperature and timer controls for that precise cooking.

It was in 2010 that the multinational company Philips launched this new gadget at a trade fair held in Berlin in Germany. After that, this consumer electronics item has picked up sales enormously.

Advantages of this kitchen appliance

Air-fryer is versatile and easy to use. Anyone can fry food in it. The food fried has the flavor of deep frying but with no fats. It has 70 to 80% less fat compared to deep frying.

What’s more? It provides the crispiness that a person desires in food. This appliance is good for French fries, onion rings, and fish sticks.

The home does not smell of oil after using this product. There is no risk of carcinogenicity such as with repeated reuse of the same oil for deep frying.

Acrylamide, the probable human carcinogenic chemical that builds up in deep-frying oil is absent with frying in an air fryer. It takes less time to cook food with this new gadget as compared to deep frying.

Preheating is also quicker. They can preheat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit in five minutes. Gas ovens require 13 minutes for it and electric ovens need the most time (around 17 to 19 minutes).

The air fryers take less time and effort for cleaning after use. They are also safer with no risk of burning themselves with oil spatters. One can reheat crisps in it and they would not get soggy.

Limitations of the fryers

The gadgets are bulky and occupy a significant place on the kitchen countertop. They are also tall and might not snugly fit under shelves or kitchen cabinets.

Furthermore, it requires a lot of free space around it to avoid overheating and the potential chance of fire. It is not so portable to take during travels or for picnics.

The fryer has limited cooking capacity. Hence it could be difficult to use for cooking for a large family or parties. The food at times can get over-burnt or over-dried.

Moreover, you cannot fry everything in it. You cannot cook liquid batters because the forced air would blow them off and create a mess. Similarly one cannot cook pork bacon in it.

Because its surface grease would blow off to stick inside the gadget. Food items with large uneven surfaces would cook unevenly; some places cooked and other areas uncooked.

Cheese would melt fast and not cook. It is hard to cook green leaves and whole grains. One cannot cook popcorn, toast, or broccoli in it.

The fryer requires more cleaning as compared to ovens. They are noisy due to the fan running. There is a lot of energy consumed with fryers despite their small size. Some people may find fryers more costly.

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Thus fryers are good for small families to cook healthy meals fast and easily. It is a good investment that will reap benefits in the long run.