If you are thinking of buying an air fryer, but you do not know yet which one, then you have come to the right place! Here we will give you all the information that you need to be able to decide; We also indicate the best-selling air fryers on the market.
We know that fried foods are very tasty and crunchy. However, they are very harmful to our health many other negative effects, like the strong smell of frying permeates in your entire kitchen. Also, the splashes of oil everywhere, the amount of used oil that must be discharged and most importantly, the crazy number of calories that these foods have.
Although, its flavour is not the same, we have to admit that… a good air fryer can allow us to achieve a very similar result, with crunchy foods on the outside and tender on the inside. But the best part is that our meals will be healthier.
What are Air Fryers?
An air fryer is a smart machine that allows us to cook food using convection heating, circulating hot air around food and above it at very high speed.
This provides them with a crispy layer without the need to fry or use those large amounts of oil, considerably reducing calories.
You can make all your favourite meals, in a healthier and more nutritious way! since it preserves the quality of your favorite food better because it allows you to control the time, the cooking temperature and just a pinch of oil in your non-stick tray!
Advantages of having an Air Fryier
A fabulous advantage is its reduced size, compared to conventional ovens or fryers, there is a large number of models, with different sizes and colours that can be adapted to any space in your kitchen, some can occupy the same space as your traditional toaster.
However, the main advantage is the magnificent reduction of oil in your meals and the decrease in calories. In addition, the cooking time of your meals will be shorter and they will be ready quickly. Perfect for those days when you don’t have much time to prepare lunch or dinner!
You will also have great savings in electricity consumption, since conventional ovens need a lot of time to preheat and cook food.
Another additional benefit is that it is very easy to wash and clean, since its accessories are very easy to remove and clean; so, this will make it your favourite kitchen little machine!
There is no doubt that the best air fryer will be the one that suits your needs, you may even wonder how it is that you have been able to live so long without having one in your kitchen?
What foods can you cook with an air fryer?
Foods cooked with an air fryer show the Maillard reaction, which is a chemical effect produced between amino acids and low sugars levels that brown the food, giving them that toasted color and their distinctive flavor.
In other words, an air fryer will provide the flavor and texture of fried foods, without having to soak them in oil. Due to its innovative design, you can cook almost anything you want to eat. Forget about all those long hours cooking!
Some people may think that it is only to prepare the traditional French fries, but it is not, you can prepare an infinity variety of dishes in just a few minutes such as: fish, a delicious baked chicken, your chicken wings with barbecue sauce, chicken or meat fillets, healthy nuggets, roasted potatoes, vegetable chips, desserts and many other recipes.
Surprise your family with new preparations and recipes, in a healthier way; even vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini can achieve crispy cooking at high temperatures. Just like steamed potatoes, by sprinkling them with a little oil of your choice, you can pop them in an air fryer, you will get a very crispy roasted potatoes in just 20 minutes.
Is it healthy to use an air fryer?
Frying food is known to produce acrylamide, this is a compound linked to the growth of cancer. Cooking food with an air fryer can help reduce the amount of acrylamide in your meals.
Traditional fryers can use up to 50 times more oil than an air fryer. Although food will only absorb a small portion of that oil, frying is still the way to get the highest-calorie foods.
To cook fresh foods, it is recommendable to use a little oil, to make them lighter you can use olive oil or coconut oil if you wish, although it can be just a teaspoon or a tablespoon if you are preparing food from scratch and meals such as chips and nuggets, they will not need any additional oil.
If all during this time you have wished to live a healthier life or maybe you love fried foods, but do not want to consume more fats, well, you have found a great solution; a beautiful little one that will allow you to cook your meals with or without oil, reducing its use by 80%!
Every day, we do have more information about the adverse effects caused by foods with high fat in our body, this makes us concern more and more about our health and how to prepare a healthy meal by using the best ingredients. Now you can also help yourself with an air fryer that will give you a better life! plus it will be your little secret with the preparation of your meals, since it will be faster than cooking with the conventional oven. Therefore, you will probably find that you can roast food with less oil than you would normally use when cooking them in an oven.
Do you need to use oil in an air fryer?
To make your meals in an air fryer you do not need to use oil. Simply place them in the non-stick tray and that’s it! However, some fresh foods do well with a small spray or a layer of cooking oil, you can use the one you prefer. For example, vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and even potatoes, or sweet potatoes will dry if you place them without a light layer that hydrates them. So, you can use an avocado, olive oil or coconut, this will be of great help and will make your vegetables crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. On the other hand, if you want to cook chicken or salmon, they have their natural oil to bathe while cooking, so they will not need you to put any oil on them.
You should keep in mind that even if you put a little oil in your food, you will still be using much less oil than when frying them in a traditional fryer or even frying them in a pan, where food is immersed in oil all the time while cooking.
How to choose the best Air Fryer?
There is a huge range of options when it comes to acquiring an Air Fryer. However, here are some tips that will help you when choosing one.
- Size and Capacity
According to the number of people that you want to cook for, either just for yourself or several family members, you will have to estimate the size, which is measured in litters. You can find out by reading it in manual of your fryer, which is accompanied by a measurement of the number of servings you can prepare.
To give you default amounts, with a 1.5-liter model you can cook approximately 400 grams of chips, for two people; 3.5 litters between 500 and 1,000 grams, for an average family. 5 litters, more than 1,000 grams, for a large family and finally, the newest Air Fryer on the market and the with 15 litters, for a family of 10 people. Wonderful deal!
- Warranty
Depending on the brand and store you choose, they will be able to offer you a guarantee that can range from 3 months to 1 year. Some can even provide technical service, which can be an important factor when choosing the product.
- Temperature
Air Fryers are similar to conventional ovens, some can reach up to 400°F, it will all depend on the type of food you want to cook.
In general, it is mandatory for frozen and meat products to reach this temperature, so it is something that you should take into account when choosing one.
Por lo general, los productos congelados y la preparación de carnes requieren de esta temperatura, así que es algo que deberás tomar en cuenta a la hora de elegir una.
- Analogic or digital control?
Some can offer analogic, digital functions or even better: remote control. You can find from the most basic with two regulating handles for temperature and time. On the other hand, you can configure with great precision the temperature and the cooking time by using the digital air fryer.
However, if you are looking for something more convenient and you have WIFI, then you can have everything ready from an app! whether you are at home or elsewhere, allowing you to save your own recipes, checking the status of your food being cooked, keeping them warm and of course, something you should not forget, it is that you should leave all food inside the fryer.
- Easy cleaning!
Most fryers allow you to remove the non-stick tray and its accessories, which are washed inside the dishwasher; so, the best Oil-less Fryers will be the easiest one for cleaning.
- Prices
Prices vary depending on the brand, number of liters and functionality. So, it all depends on your budget and the specifications that you are looking for.
Some people can get a spectacular price of $50 and others can cost more than $ 150. Keep in mind that by investing in a good product, you will save more money in the future.
- Power
Basic fryers can have a power of between 1,000 and 1,500 W. Others are usually more powerful; they can have a power of up to 3,000 W.
- Energy consumption
In order to perform their functions, they must use electricity, you may find that some are efficient energy use; with this option you can save a lot of money on your monthly electricity bill.
You must take into consideration that the voltage of the fryers is related to the power. So, if you want your food to cook quickly, you will need to use a fryer with greater power and it might cost you higher electric bill. Those that have less power will take longer to cook food, but with less energy consumption.
Is it safe to use Air Fryers?
Absolutely! Air Fryers are very safe, manufacturers have strict quality controls, and you can see them in the product specifications according to their manufacturing site.
But this does not mean that you do not have to take care. Remember that air fryers use high temperatures, so you should make sure to place it in a dry place, away from the children and do not move it from its place while it is turn on.
Another benefit of Air Fryers is that they are safer than traditional fryers, since there is no risk of heating large amounts of oil, spills or splashes at high temperatures that can cause accidental injury.
What accessories do Air Fryers bring?
Within the great variety of brands and models, you can find some fabulous accessories that bring Air Fryers, these will help you take advantage of even more all the benefits they have.
One of them, it is the popular non-stick trays for cookies, cakes, muffins; others can bring steel grids to create two or three levels and be able to cook several dishes at the same time; steel rod, rotating basket, accessories for skewers and finally, the non-stick basket with baking rack.
So, you should make sure you choose the Air Fryer that suits you and the use you want to give it in your kitchen.
How big is an Air Fryer?
There are many sizes available, you must take into account both the external and internal dimensions available to contain the portions of food that you want to cook. You can find out this information by reading the manual of the product before buying it.
One of the limitations of a small air fryer is that if you put a large amount of food inside, the cooking performance may be affected, since air fryers cook food by circulating hot air at high speed, so if air cannot heat the food, it will not be cooked in a proper way.
The cooking capacity of most air fryers ranges from 1.5 litters to 5.5 litters. Regarding the space where you want to place it in your kitchen, you should keep in mind that you will need several inches of free space around it while it is functioning.
What are the best Air Fryers?
Summarizing all the information that we have been describing, now it is time to show you which is the best-selling Air Fryer. However, please notice that the brands and models that we have not included in this list are not necessarily bad quality. We are simply going to show you which are the most popular at the moment.