Are you looking to buy an air fryer? Are air fryers a gimmick? Is it worth buying an air fryer? These are some common questions lingering among the buyers with its popularity in the market.
An air fryer is convenient and uses hot air to cook the food placed within. It provides food which is about 90 percent as fried or rather baked without dealing with any oil.
The marketing ads may reveal crispy chicken wings, crispy fries on their cover; however, they are not the same as fried foods.
Are air fryers a gimmick?
Air fryers, do not fry but use hot air circulation to bake food. The air fryer is considered a healthier choice as compared to frying using oil. They are like a traditional oven with hot air cooking/baking the food and not frying as such.
Air fryers mimic deep frying with brushed oil and hot air. This is a gimmick partially but it has its advantages.
Some other points to consider are:
- Air fryers are good for air fried frozen food like chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, and French fries.
- Air fryers can bake.
- They mimic and do not taste like deep-fried foods but almost close to them.
- Air fryers are not ideal for liquid batter frying, however, if you freeze, maybe it might work partially.
- Since it is compact, they are not for large quantities of food in the air fryer. Loading them with food for air frying can only make your food worse to eat as they are not air fried all through and be soggy.
- Cook in batches and as much as the basket can take for good air fried food.
- Their price runs from 100 dollars to 300 dollars based on features and size.
- You will need some valuable counter space as it is bigger than a toaster in size.
- You do not require any specific skills but follow the instructions to air fry the food. It is a plug and uses an appliance.
- The texture and taste of an air fried food are closer but not the same as deep-fried food.
- The air fryer does use minimal oil, however, if you are considering frozen foods, they already have 4g-6g fat within. So is it healthy, no, but lesser fat than deeper fried foods.
- Overall, Air fryer is a slick gadget that provides better results as compared to oven frying. It is good for frozen foods and cooking veggies and meats.
Do air fryers actually fry?
Though labeled as air fryers, they do not fry food technically. The air fryer is a countertop/compact convection oven. It is compact and cooks quickly.
With the heating mechanism equipped with a fan for circulation, hot air rushes around and down the placed food within in a fryer basket. The air circulation makes the food exterior brown and crisp as in deep frying.
The extra fat drips into the pan. It can be cleaned easily and the parts are dishwasher safe.
Air fryers do create similar crispiness like in traditional fried food, but the taste may not be as same but close. Air fryers cook/bake the food by eliminating high-calories and high-fat oils.
You can just brush the food with a coat of oil that is used to get the moisture off the food. This way the fat levels are low when using an air fryer.
Air fryers use a chemical reaction while cooking/air frying the food which is called the Maillard effect. This chemical reaction results in a flavorful and improved color in the air fried food.
Is an air fryer worth it?
An Air fryer gives results that are better as compared to frying in an oven. The appliance does not generate heat and keeps the kitchen cool. It does a good job cooking veggies and meats.
However, an air fryer mocks deep frying. So, if you are a person who loves to eat deep-fried foods, then this appliance will not fit your bill and not worth the price.
But, if you are looking for low fat and low oil yet getting a close taste to deep-fried food, then this is certainly an option.
For people who have purchased a convection oven, an air fryer is not a worthy option as it can be considered as mini-oven versions.
If you do not have an oven and looking for a smaller appliance doing the job of frying, then an air fryer is something that you may want to consider.
For large families, this appliance is not a fit as the fryer basket does not accommodate huge amounts. You will have to think of cooking in batches.
You will need to leave out some space for hot air circulation and appropriate cooking of food in and out. An evenly cooked food is a chore if you are considering large amounts of food and in batches.
However, an air fryer does cook quickly, so it can save you time. Moreover, the taste and texture of air fried food are not all the same as deep frying.
However, a little compromise on deep frying in oil can lessen the mess, healthier food, and easy cooking with an air fryer.
Air fryers can also be worthy for weight loss, safer eating, replace grilling and roasting, comprises of lesser fat as compared to other types of cooking, uses minimal oil for similar texture and flavor, and crispier texture.
What are the pros and cons of an air fryer?
Pros
- Promotes weight loss.
- Safer as compared to deep fryers.
- Minimizes the danger of the formation of toxic acrylamide.
- Healthy meals with minimal oil yet close to the taste and texture of crispy fried food.
- Efficient and quicker
- Versatile and simple to use
- Not a guarantee of a healthy diet.
- Can create some other toxic compounds.
- Quality issues like material, accessories, and so on.
- Not perfect for huge families or events.
- Will take time to get a hang on the right air -frying.
- Space limiting
Final Thoughts
Air Fryers are convection ovens with a fan circulating the hot air. This sustains a constant temperature all through the cooking region. However, it is quicker than a regular oven.
This way you obtain a crispier exterior. However, if you ask are air fryers a gimmick? They do not fry the food and give the same flavor as deep-fried food.
