Similar to an oven in the sense of cooking and roasting, the difference of the air fryer is that the heating elements are on top and it comes with a big, powerful fan, while also making the food crispy in a very short time. Notably, it contains less fat than its deep-fried counterparts. Thanks to the combination of an intense heat source and the size and placement of the fan, air fryers heat up and cook food very quickly. With this product, you can prepare all the delicious dishes that you can’t cook at home due to the issue of long-lasting smell. As soon as you get the hang of how they work, they can be used to heat frozen food or cook all kinds of fresh food such as chicken, steak, vegetables, and salmon with little or no oil.
Just like for any other kitchen robots, you should always consider the amount of food you will be making before buying the product. Smaller units are usually 0,5 liter to 2 liters, ideal for one person or kitchens with minimal countertop space. Fit for couples or small families, 2 to 4 liters of unit models are considered as the standard models while 4 to 6 liters of capacity is ideal to opt for a larger fry to serve more guests at once.
Overall, a standard air fryer uses 800 watts to 1500 watts of electricity so it is important that your kitchen outlets can support that wattage level.
The heat settings of an air fryer affect the final result of the food you are making. Higher temperatures have the advantage of cooking food more quickly but to be able to ensure that the right temperature, it’s crucial for the machine to have a control panel with a light-indicated timer.
Staying safe is as important as cooking a good meal, so make sure that the air fryer has a cool-touch hand grip which can prevent your hands from getting burned while pulling out the basket.
Air Fryer Benefits
Most of the air fryers require almost zero preheat time and due to their fast heating technology, they are useful for quick and easy dinner options. They save you time to multitask or get some rest until your food is ready.
They are all about healthy life so as they require the usage of little to no oil, healthy dishes will reduce your fat and calorie intake without compromising the tastefulness.
Too much oil is not only a problem for health but also a problem for arms as scrubbing it off the utensils can be quite annoying and tiresome. No oil also means no need to worry about cleaning the grease off the frying baskets.
Even though frozen food needs to be fried in oil, air fryers change this myth while maintaining the crispy texture.
The timer and the temperature settings provide to cook the dishes evenly but make sure not to overcrowd your appliance. Air fryers are dependant on the air circulation so cramming the food up will prevent getting the best result.
Best Air Fryer Brands and Reviews
- BLACK+DECKER Purify 2-Liter Air Fryer: Black+Decker is a well-known brand of countertop appliances. You can find their air fryers on Amazon and at a number of mass retailers, such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Target, and Walmart. This 2-liter air-frying basket fits 2 to 4 servings of your main dishes and favorite treats. The temperature control ranges from 175-400°F as one indicator light shows when the unit is powered on, and the other turns off when the preheat temperature is reached. It comes with a dishwasher-safe basket and a deep fryer alongside an instruction manual that includes tips on cooking times, temperatures, and quantities.
- Cosori Air Fryer: Winner of the Red Dot Award for best design, Cosori features an angled display with easy to use presets. You can choose your own custom cook time and temperature with 11 presets. This model is great especially if you hate spending your time washing the dishes. It’s non-stick, easier to clean with a fingerprint-resistant surface. This air fryer’s 5.8-quart square non-stick basket can fit a 5 lbs-6 lbs whole chicken, which smaller round baskets fail to do so. Crispier and tastier, this model is faster (120V, 1700W) than a conventional oven.
- Dash DFAF455GBAQ01 Deluxe Electric Air Fryer + Oven Cooker: Instead of oil, this air fryer uses air crisp technology to reduce the added fat by %80 while maintaining the taste and flavor of your food. With the large 6-quart capacity fryer basket you an adjust the desired temperature manually. The 1700-watt Deluxe air fryer prevents overcooking with the auto-shutoff function and the cool touch handle prevents the burn accidents.
- Ninja 4 Quart Air Fryer: Ninja gives you 4 specific functions with this model; air frying, air roasting, reheating and dehydrating. These functions are supported by an easy-to-use control panel with a digital countdown timer. The ceramic-coated, 4-quart capacity basket is ideal for the whole family. The crisper plate is also a ceramic-coated non-stick basket that allows hot air circulate efficiently for a good crisp. The multi-layer rack that comes with this air fryer also increases your dehydrating capacity while making homemade, healthy snacks!
- Instant Vortex 6 Quart 4 In 1 Air Fryer: This air fryer heats up very quickly, so there’s no need to ‘reheat’ when you’re going to use it because it normally heats up in less than 5 minutes. The noise is about the same as any other air fryer. There are also ‘add food’ and ‘turn food’ over prompts that give you more control over your food without a hassle. The knob to manage the time and temperature, allow for flexibility and you can change the time and temperature whenever you need to. The food also has more room to spread out while cooking and evenly heat and brown. This air fryer also has 6 in 1, 7 in 1, 9 in 1, and 11 in 1 models if you prefer a larger capacity and more functions to use.
- GoWISE USA 8-in-1 Digital Air Fryer: This 5-quartz capacity GoWise air fryer is an amazing appliance to have if you want to be able to prepare large meals faster. It has an air frying, a rotisserie, and dehydrator functions. The air fryer is easy to use, with 8 preset programs and a timer which can be set to up to 1 hour. It includes 50 recipes, and the basket divider also gives you the option of cooking two meals at once! Another thing we can’t go without mentioning is the cool-touch handle that throws the risk of getting your hand burnt out of the window.
- Dash DCAF200GBAQ02 Tasti Crisp Electric 2.6 Qt Air Fryer: What we love about this model is that it’s down to the point. Simple but efficient. If you know what you like, have a minimalistic stylish kitchen, this small and lightweight air fryer available in 4 different colors will be the perfect fit for you. It doesn’t sacrifice any features either; the non-stick frying basket guarantees crispy meals with a recipe guide book. The auto-shutoff feature and the cool touch handle keeps you safe as you experiment with tasty meals!