While some of us love having fried food every now and then, others practically live off it for how delectable and soul-satiating it is. Having said that, one cannot ignore the fat and oil content of deep-fried food, which might lead to health concerns. However, we live in a world where through technological advancements made to kitchen appliances, like an air fryer, you can make fried food a lot healthier.
A clever blend of convenience and efficiency, the first-ever air fryer was launched back in 2010 by Philips. Little did the brand know they were going to create history by altering the ways of cooking in an exemplary manner. Equipped with the Rapid Air technology that uses hot air circulation to cook food, air fryers have been a rage ever since. And the innovation in their technology has only touched new horizons if nothing else.
What is the use of an air fryer?
Using the least possible amount of oil, an air fryer can serve as a healthier alternative to the conventional method of deep-frying, reducing the fat content significantly. It is also a user-friendly and time-saving option that lets you make all sorts of scrumptious dishes. From fries, samosas and chips to potato wedges, burger patties, fried nuggets and cigar rolls, there’s nothing you cannot cook in an air fryer.
Additionally, the use of an air fryer goes beyond frying food, as it can also be used for boiling, grilling, roasting, reheating and even baking. Whether you want to make roasted veggies, chicken, pizzas or popcorn; bake a cake or cookies; grill meat; or boil potatoes or eggs, an air fryer will always come in handy.
No wonder air fryers have been flying off the shelves since they do pretty much everything that a microwave or an oven does.
How to choose the best air fryer?
The market offers a lot of options to pick from. If you are wondering which one is best for you, here are a few things to consider.
Size and capacity
These aspects of an air fryer are essential to consider since they determine how much space the appliance is going to take in your kitchen and how much food you would be able to cook in it. Usually, the standard size of a 3.7-litre to 4.1-litre air fryer is ideal for making food for up to four people. It is also compact.
Controls, settings and other features
Some air fryers have knobs for controlling the temperature and the timer, while others have digital panels with LED/LCD displays. Many also have presets that make the cooking process easier. Before you buy the product, ensure that it has features like timers, safety locks, auto shut-off functions and temperature settings that go up to at least 200 degrees Celsius.
Special features
Air fryers also come equipped with additional features that make the cooking process easier. For instance, the Instant Pot 8 Quart Vortex Air Fryer (Buy it for THB 11,886 on Lazada) has windows that let you monitor the progress of the food and dual baskets that allow you to cook two separate meals in one go.
Ease of cleaning
These are usually easy-to-clean, as most of them come with detachable pans and baskets. These parts are dishwasher safe and can also be cleaned gently with a sponge and soap water. Take, for instance, the Philips Essential Air Fryer HD9200/91 (Buy it for THB 3,400 on Lazada). Both its pan and basket can be easily detached and cleaned even in a dishwasher.
Remember to always clean your air fryer after every use.
How to use an air fryer?
Using an air fryer is easy, and all you have to do (apart from following the instruction manual) is keep the following things in mind.
- Always preheat the fryer before cooking so that the food has a crispy exterior and a tender interior. You can either use the automatic preheat button or set the temperature manually at around 200 degree Celsius for five minutes.
- Once preheated, take the basket out and place the food in it. Never overcrowd your air fryer basket. To ensure even cooking, always place the food in a flat single layer in the basket. Cook more batches if need be, but do not stack or layer the food.
- Now place the basket back in the fryer, set the temperature and time, and press the start button. The instruction manual or recipe book that comes along with it will have recommended temperatures for different foods. Follow them or other trusted air fryer recipes.
- Do not use too much oil. An air fryer is designed to cook food with minimal and sometimes no oil at all.
- Shake your basket (when making fries) and flip the pieces (when making chicken, fish or lamb) halfway through to ensure even cooking and browning.
Air fryer vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes
Air fryer lets you make a lot of vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes while enhancing their health quotient owing to the less usage of oil. Whether you want to cook a snack or go all out with a main course dish, there’s a lot you can cook using this kitchen appliance. Check out this video below explaining some of the easiest air fryer recipes and how you can make them.
Check out some of the best air fryers to invest in right now
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THB 3400
Known for its Rapid Air Technology with the unique starfish design that swirls hot air to cook delicacies, the Philips Air Fryer HD9200/91 is one of the most popular choices. Cooked in little to no added oil, the food is always crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with up to 90 percent less fat, according to the brand’s official website. In fact, you can download the NutriU app from Google Play Store or the Apple App Store and try the many recipes available on it.
This air fryer also lets you bake goodness, grill, roast and even reheat food. It includes features like an integrated timer that allows you to preset cooking times of up to 60 minutes, an auto shutoff function with a sound alert when your dish is ready, and fully adjustable temperature control. While the QuickClean basket has a non-stick coating allowing easy cleaning, all the removable parts are dishwasher safe. This low-fat fryer has a power of 1,400 watts and a 4.1-litre capacity.
Image: Courtesy Philips
THB 22447
And it’s time to invest in this all-in-one cooking appliance that does the job of a pressure cooker, a slow cooker and an air fryer. The only pressure cooker that crisps, this is useful for everything from grilling and steaming to slow cooking and air frying. Using upto 75 percent less fat as compared to traditional frying methods, the meals always end up juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
It operates on a power of 1,460 watts and comes with a 3.7-litre Cook & Crisp basket and a 6-litre cooking pot. All the accessories and components are dishwasher safe. This multi-functional cooker comes with two separate cooking lids.
Image: Courtesy Shopee
THB 3220
A two-in-one air fryer and griller, the Tefal Easy Fry & Grill lets you cook everything from crunchy, crispy snacks and chips to wholesome salmon and steak. The appliance is equipped with a rotary button system for control operation and even air circulation that ensures thorough cooking. It comes with prominent features such as auto-bell, automatic shut-off, upto 60-minute timer and temperature control from 80 degrees Celsius to 200 degrees Celsius.
The non-stick coating on pots and sieves is easy-to-clean while each removable part is dishwasher safe. It runs on a power of 1,550 watts.
Image: Courtesy Tefal
THB 999
Crafted in a sleek body with the pot in a PFOA-free non-stick coating, the Airbot Air Fryer AF680 is an easy-to-use air fryer. It has two simple knob control functions, one for each timer and temperature. While it features a rapid pre-heating in one minute function, this air fryer uses turbo hot air flow that ensures even heat distribution and perfectly cooked food. While the temperature setting reaches upto 200 degrees Celsius, the timer ranges upto 30 minutes.
It also comes with a built-in safety sensor which allows the heating coil and fan to instantly shut down whenever the pot is pulled out or not properly attached. The Teflon coating on the pot is oil-resistant and makes the pot easy-to-clean. It comes in different capacities ranging from 4.8 litres to 6.8 litres and 15 litres catering to different family sizes.
Image: Courtesy Shopee
THB 11990
It’s time to let your air fryer take charge of both cooking and thinking. With Smart Sensing technology, the Philips Air Fryer XXL automatically adjusts the temperature and time settings to provide perfectly and evenly cooked dishes every single time. Running on a power of 2,200 to 2,225 watts, this air fryer uses upto 90 percent less fat and instead uses hot air to cook the food with little to no oil. This appliance is also equipped with Fat Removal technology that separates excess fat from the food to make it healthier.
Additionally, while you can save your favourite dish’s cooking setting, the Smart Chef programs designed by professional chefs let you cook with just a single touch without you having to set the temperature and timing every time. Its XXL capacity even lets you cook a whole chicken and large portions in one go.
Image: Courtesy Philips
THB 11886
Turning your cooking time into an experience is the Instant Pot 8 Quart Vortex Air Fryer that comes with an eight-in-one functionality of frying, roasting, broiling, baking, reheating, dehydrating, SyncCook and SyncFinish. This air fryer comes with dual baskets that allow you to cook two separate meals at the same time or cook large batches in one go.
Additionally, while the SyncCook lets you cook both baskets with the same settings, SyncFinish lets you programme both baskets differently to automatically finish at the same time. While the EvenCrisp technology drives airflow from the top down for perfect cooking, the ClearCook windows with internal lights allow you to easily monitor the progress without opening them.
With a power of 1,700 watts, built-in features like overheat protection and auto-off and easy cleaning make the entire process effortless. While the fryer has customisable programmes for one-touch wings, garlic potatoes, cinnamon buns, roasted veggies and many other dishes, you can also download their Instant Pot app to check out loads of easy recipes.
Image: Courtesy Instant
(Main and Featured Image Courtesy: Philips)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: Some of the best dishes to cook in an air fryer include French fries, potato wedges, nuggets, burger patties, Brussel sprouts, mushrooms, broccoli, fried chicken, meatballs, salmon, pork chops and corn on the cob.
Answer: Foods with a wet batter or lots of cheese, fresh leafy greens like spinach and kale, whole large chicken, rice and raw grains are some of the items that cannot be cooked in an air fryer.
Answer: If you’ve just purchased an air fryer and are wondering what to cook first, French fries make for the easiest dishes to try out. You can then try potato wedges or cutlets, frozen foods, onion rings, Brussel sprouts, meatballs and other such delicacies.
Answer: Air fryers and microwaves are different in many aspects. While air fryers use hot air circulation to cook, microwaves use electromagnetic radiation. On one hand, air fryers are more energy efficient, compact in design than microwaves, and use less oil to cook. On the other hand, microwaves take less time to cook than air fryers and offer more capacity. While it all comes down to your needs and preferences, if you’re looking for a healthier cooking option, air fryers can be your go-to for how they require less oil and do not use harmful radiations to cook.
Answer: Yes, you can cook eggs (hard boiled or fried) in an air fryer easily. To cook hard boiled eggs, simply place cold eggs (no more than six at once) in the air fryer at 130 degrees Celsius for 16 minutes. After they’re done, take them out and place them in cold water to stop the cooking post which you can peel them and enjoy.
Answer: Yes, the food cooked in an air fryer is healthy as compared to traditionally fried foods. An air fryer uses less oil, which cuts down the fat percentage as cited in a study on ResearchGate.
Answer: The best at cooking delicacies that are usually deep-fried like nuggets, fries, burger patties and samosas, you can also use an air fryer for baking, roasting, grilling and reheating.
Answer: Compared to a conventional oven or microwave, an air fryer uses less electricity and energy.
Answer: Yes, you can make popcorn in an air fryer, and it’s super easy to do so. Simply preheat the air fryer to around 205 degrees Celsius, and line the bottom of the basket with an aluminium foil in the shape of a bowl. However, do not line the sides to ensure proper air circulation. Then, toss in the popcorn kernels and one-fourth tablespoon of oil. Make sure to arrange the kernels in a flat single layer so that they aren’t on top of each other. Cook them for five minutes until you no longer hear the popping sound. Remove the air fryer basket and transfer the popcorn to a bowl. Cook the leftover kernels for another three minutes and you’re done.
Answer: Yes, you can cook a pizza in an air fryer. Simply spray the base of the basket with some cooking oil or line it with parchment paper. Then, carefully assemble your pizza in the basket itself, since putting an already assembled pizza inside can be tricky. Once done, cook it for six to seven minutes at 200 degrees Celsius and voila, it’s done! You can also cook your pizza base for around two to three minutes on both sides before adding the toppings to ensure that while the base is crunchy, the toppings do not get overcooked.
Answer: You should ideally clean the air fryer post every use. After this, turn off the machine and allow it to cool. Then, take out the basket and the pan and wash them, as you would normally clean your non-stick utensils. Usually, the air fryer attachments are also dishwasher safe, which makes cleaning them a lot easier.
With an academic background in Public Relations, Divya has a flair for writing about topics spanning genres like lifestyle, beauty, fashion, travel, FnB, tech and entertainment. She fancies everything that's a wholesome blend of contemporary finery and timelessness. Quirky earrings and tees are her weakness. When not creating content, you will find her devouring food, snuggling in with a book and a cup-a-chai, admiring skies or revisiting Hogwarts.