An air fryer is a great way to cook crispy and crunchy food with little or no oil. Reheating leftovers is also possible with air fryers. This means air fryer are versatile kitchen appliances, helping a homeowner or a chef cook healthy foods.
But if you are using an air fryer for the first time, you might be wondering how does an air fryer work. The same question also popped into my mind when I used air fryers for the first time.
Let’s learn the working mechanism of the air fryer by reading this comprehensive guide.
How Does an Air Fryer Work?
Technically, the working process of an air fryer is straightforward. Toss the food in the air fryer basket, turn the appliance on, and you will get quickly cooked food.
Air fryers consist of the below parts,
- A drawer where you will place the food
- A grate or basket which holds the food inside the drawer
- An element for heating
- A fan
- Controllers in the front of the air fryer
Learning about the parts will help you understand the working mechanism of the air fryer.
Cooking Process:
The most important thing you need is that air fryers don’t actually fry your food. According to the definition, frying is when food is cooked in hot oil. It means frying requires oil where the oil completely surrounds the food.
These appliances copycat the deep-frying mechanism when it comes to the air fryer. In the case of the deep fryer, the oil surrounds the food and touches every surface. Due to this reason, deep-fried food items are crispy.
On the other hand, the functionality of an air fryer is quite similar to a convection oven. After setting the temperature, you will need to put the food into the cooking drawer. Hot air gets created by the heating elements. Then, the air circulates through the entire surface of the food with the help of the fan.
Interestingly, for the air fryer, you will require the utmost minimal or no oil. More importantly, air-fried foods are always crispy and browned.
It would be best to think that the air fryer is basically turbocharged roasting. Using an air fryer at a low temperature, you can quickly reheat leftover foods. Additionally, frozen food can easily be defrosted with air fryers since this appliance evenly cooks different food items.
Are Air Fryers Convenient?
Well, it is obvious that the convenience of a kitchen appliance always matters.
When using an air fryer, the first thing which will disappoint you is its capacity. Since air fryers perform the following convection method, an adequate amount of space is a must so that air can circulate evenly around the food. This means, in order to get crispy and browned food, you will be unable to fill the basket up fully. Therefore, you will have to cook in small batches.
However, this is not a problem unless you must air fry foods for 2 persons. Cooking time is also important in this case. With 30 minutes of cooking time, air frying food for 2 people is good enough.
Air fryers are a deal-breaker for reheating previously fried foods. Crispy food items can become soggy if you reheat them using the microwave or the oven. Convection methods of air fryers keep crispy food items as much as crispy as they were before. Don’t you think this reason is enough to buy an air fryer?
Happily, a few models are available for large families. You can air fry more food in a single batch with these models.
The decision entirely relies on your personal preference. If the capacity doesn’t satisfy you, the reheating performance of an air fryer will surely astound you and insist you buy one.
Is it Worth having an Air Fryer?
The straightforward answer is, yes, air fryers are worth the price. Air fryers are easy to use. The cooked foods are flavorful, tasty, and yummy.
Air fryers are available in a wide range of models and designs. Before buying an air fryer, it is vital to learn the features of different models. Otherwise, you will be unable to get the most out of your selected model.
Generally, air fryers cook vegetables faster compared to the oven since they cook in smaller batches. Moreover, adding so much food to an air fryer will not be a good idea since the food quality will be bad.
While, if you need to cook food for many people, think twice before buying an air fryer. But having an air fryer in the kitchen is always beneficial as it adds versatility to your cooking method.
FAQ
Do I need oil to cook food in an air fryer?
In many cases, using oil is unnecessary for air frying foods. Many foods don’t require oil to be cooked in air fryers. On the other hand, a little oil can make many foods crispier such as vegetables.
Adding oil is necessary if you want to add a little seasoning to the food. Moreover, salt and pepper will add extra flavor and smell to the air-fried foods.
Are air-fried foods tasty?
The taste of air-fried foods depends on the food. If the food is tasty, air-fried food will surely be tasty. However, some food items, such as tater tots, chicken wings, etc., taste best after deep frying. These foods will taste less if you cook them in an air fryer.
What food items are the worst for air fryers?
Food items that are dipped in the liquid batter are not a good choice to cook in an air fryer. Fried chicken or onion rings are such food items that are the worst option for air fryers.
Summing Up
Therefore, the mystery is solved: how does an air fryer work? Cooked foods from air fryers are healthy, tasty, yummy, and flavorful. Also, you won’t have to spend many hours cooking healthy food using air fryers. This kitchen appliance is faster and more efficient enough in preparing crispy foods.
Happy air frying!
