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How to use an air fryer
By Klarna
What is an air fryer?
An airfryer is in short a kitchen appliance that is not strictly a fryer as the name might suggest, it is more of a convection oven as it utilises a technique that circulates warm air instead deep frying in oil like you would with a deep fat fryer, as a results you get healthier food as you use less oil but you still get the crispy crust and soft inside you might want from a deep fat fryer. The technique entails warm air quickly circulating the food, which is in a basket, the speed at which the air circulates is much faster than that in a normal oven, it also become more concentrated since the air moves in a smaller space.
Even though you can skip any oil altogether when using an air fryer, many opt for a bit of oil to add to the flavour and crispiness you may be used to from a deep fat fryer. If you want to use as little oil as possible but still want some flavour a cooking spray is the best choice as you get maximum spread with very little. It's also important to bear in mind that with an air fryer you will quickly reach high temperatures, and the cooking time is significantly short than in a regular oven. Make sure to keep an eye on your food and stop half way through the time to shake the air fryer basket so that everything is evenly cooked.
Why should you buy an air fryer?
- It's more energy efficient than cooking in your oven
- It's a time saver as it requires no pre-heating paired with a shorter cooking time
- It's healthier as less/no oil is used
- It's versatile, not just for air fryer chips but for just about anything
How to use an air fryer
How does an air fryer work and how what can you cook in it? Much more than you think, most people know how to cook chips in an air fryer as well as jacket potatoes and roast potatoes in an air fryer, but that is largely due to the misconception that the air fryer is a deep fat fryer, when in fact it is more of a convection oven. So essentially you can cook anything would in a regular oven, that means you can not only cook vegetables and protein, but you can actually bake in your airfryer. A great place to start and to get inspired is by reading some recipe books geared specifically towards cooking in an air fryer such as the Air Fryer Cookbook For Dummies or The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook, you can even get an entire book just for baking in an air fryer; Airfryer Dessert Recipes. Some brands will also give you access to an app filled with recipes when you buy their air fryer, for example when you buy a Philips air fryer you will be able to use Philips NutriU.
Which air fryer is the best?
If you're thinking about getting an air fryer, then as you may know there are quite a few models to choose from. So which is the best air fryer on the market? You can take a look at the air fryer top list, where you will find the most popular brands topping the list such as: Ninja air fryer, Tower air fryer, Cosori air fryer and Tefal air fryer.
The number one best seller however is undoubtedly the Ninja dual air fryer, specifically the AF400UK model and the AF300EU model a pricey but large air fryers. If you want a cheap air fryer then the Xiaomi Mi Smart air fryer is a great budget choice and a small air fryer.
Popular air fryer brands
Air fryer accessories
As mentioned air fryers are not just for frying food, it's also great for baking! There are plenty of air fryer accessories that are helpful for anyone looking to bake or just cook some more out of the box stuff. There are plenty of complete accessory kits with cupcake forms, cooking grates and baking sheets. Many also choose to invest in air fryer baking forms, with them you will avoid making a mess which makes clean up a lot quicker. There are also plenty of accessories that will help you get the perfect crispy surface, for example with the help of cooking grates and skewers. You will find more air fryer accessories down below.