Is an air fryer worth buying? Read on to know the benefits and downsides of getting an air fryer and decide if you need one for your home.
Fried foods are irresistible. The crispy fried chicken that is so juicy inside, the fries that you like to munch while watching television, and basically a lot of your daily fast meals are cooked with lots of oils. These crunchy and delicious meals are known for the health consequences they cause, like cardiovascular diseases. Thankfully, technology has something to offer people who love fried foods: the air fryer.
While traditional deep frying requires lots of oil to achieve the right crisp and golden brown look, an air fryer does the job with significantly less oil, making it the new favourite of fried food enthusiasts.
What is an Air Fryer?
Generally, an air fryer is a countertop appliance that circulates hot air within the appliance to cook food faster. The heat from this appliance is circulated by the fan to cook the food inside the basket at any angle effectively. This convection process ensures that the food is evenly cooked without using too much oil compared to traditional frying.
Air fryers come in different sizes to go from daily frying to more complex recipes that you want to achieve.
An air fryer typically comes with a baking pan, a stainless frying basket, or a rack. The excess fat from the food will be drained into a container, ensuring healthier consumption.
Because of its versatility and health benefits, the air fryer is loved by home chefs in Singapore.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Air Fryers Make Healthier Meals
Using an air fryer is an effective way to cut down on your oil intake. If you love the golden brown look and crispiness of fried foods without the excessive saturated fat and cholesterol coming from oils, an air fryer is a good investment in your kitchen. Using this appliance provides almost the same result as deep-frying without too much oil and overwhelming effort. Unlike microwave ovens, air fryers don’t emit harmful radiation.
However, even with an air fryer, it's important to know that fried foods, in general, are not good for your health. It's still vital to also do some grilling, steaming, and boiling as healthier alternatives. Compared to conventional frying, using an air fryer is a better solution.
Air Fryers Cook Food Fast and Easy
Cooking requires time and effort to get great results. Conventional frying needs lots of attention to get the golden brown look and the right crisp. On the other hand, using an air fryer requires less time and attention. This innovative appliance works with automatic settings, helping you cook your meals in less time without the need to focus on the cooking process to ensure the quality of the dish. By using an air fryer, you can set the required temperature within a few clicks, and you're ready to do other things while the appliance is doing the work. Because of its convection process, cooking with an air fryer takes less time.
Air Fryers are Versatile
Aside from frying, air fryers are pretty flexible when it comes to the dishes that you can cook with them. If you have an air fryer at home, you can also automatically grill, bake, roast, cook more complicated recipes, and do lots of dishes with its convection process. Many air fryers in Singapore also come with multiple attachments like baskets, pans, and racks to properly prepare the dishes.
With its versatile features, an air fryer is a beginner-friendly appliance that you can trust. If frying in hot oil or constantly checking on your dishes to get the right taste is overwhelming, an air fryer can make the work a breeze.
An Air Fryer is Easy to Clean
What's more daunting than the cooking process itself is cleaning your kitchen afterwards. Removing the oil and scraping residues from your pans is truly stressful, especially if you have to use multiple cookware pieces for your meals. An air fryer's interior is made with non-stick materials, making it easy to clean.
Air Fryers are Energy-Efficient
An air fryer considerably consumes less energy than other major kitchen appliances. Because of its convectional system, using an air fryer cuts the time you usually spend cooking. This means that the electricity that you regularly use is reduced. They also have a timer and automatic shutdown features.
What are the Drawbacks of Using an Air Fryer?
Every kitchen appliance has its own benefits and drawbacks. An air fryer is no exception. With all its benefits, it's also important to take note of the limitations of an air fryer before buying one.
Air Fryers are Quite Expensive
With all their benefits and versatile features, air fryers are considered investments for a more efficient kitchen. Although there are many varieties offered by appliance outlets, the more advanced air fryers are pretty pricey. Is it a good purchase? It depends on how you want to use the appliance and how often you will use it.
Air Fryers Can be Small for Big Families
Air fryers are known to cut the time we spend cooking. But if you cook big meals for a large family or gatherings, you might need to spend extra time cooking in batches with this compact appliance.
Air Fryers Might Not Give You the Best Food Quality
One thing to note if you are a first-time air fryer user is that its extremely high temperature can cause the food to burn or dry out if you don't pay close attention to the settings. When using an air fryer, take note of the recommended time for a dish to be cooked appropriately.
Do You Need an Air Fryer for Your Kitchen?
The answer is that it depends.
All kitchen appliances have their pros and cons. Some may be more beneficial for you than others, and vice versa. If you want cooking in small to medium batches to be a breeze, an air fryer is a great compact appliance that might become your next favourite kitchen appliance.
What Should You Look For When Buying an Air Fryer?
Price
Air fryers come at various prices, depending on the model and size. If you are short on budget or ready to invest in a more innovative variety, you can find an air fryer that will suit your needs and budget.
Capacity
As mentioned earlier, air fryers are usually compact and good for small family cooking, but there are models that can handle bigger batches. These are more expensive than compact units.
Cleaning
Aside from an air fryer's non-stick properties, most parts are also dishwasher-friendly.
Advance Features
When buying an air fryer, it's important to look for advanced features to make your cooking experience more worthwhile. Some air fryers come with features beyond air frying, like grilling, dehydration, and baking.