For those who’re considering of shopping for an air fryer – or when you’ve already bought one – it’s a good suggestion to understand how they work. Not solely will this imply you’ll have a greater understanding of the right way to obtain the most effective outcomes, so that you don’t unintentionally frazzle or undercook meals, it’ll show you how to resolve when air frying is greatest or whether or not one other cooking methodology could be extra appropriate. Understanding how an air fryer works may turn out to be useful if you’re adapting your favorite recipes.
For those who’re in search of air fryer shopping for recommendation, you possibly can see our high suggestions by kind in our round-ups of the most effective dual-drawer air fryers and the most effective air fryer ovens, see our high Ninja air fryers and cookers, or take a look at the most effective air fryers general.
How does an air fryer cook dinner meals?
An air fryer is greatest considered a mini fan oven, in that it makes use of convection warmth to cook dinner. Relatively than having a fan and aspect on the again (like a fan oven), these are normally positioned on the high in order that they’re above the meals.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
There are exceptions. Because of its double-decker design, the Ninja Double Stack has two heating coils on the again – one behind every drawer.
An air fryer’s fan runs at a excessive pace, with typical air frying temperatures starting from 160°C/320°F to 240°C/460°F.
Under the coil and fan is a crisper plate the place your meals sits. It’s perforated, in order that the warmth can attain the underside. The fan blows scorching air across the cavity in an effort to cook dinner the meals shortly. As an air fryer’s cavity is smaller than the typical oven, it reaches a excessive warmth sooner, and might preserve it with much less vitality use. Coat your meals in a small quantity of oil and the fanned scorching air ‘fries’ the floor for a crisp, browned end.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
This may be boosted by shaking the meals within the drawer, roughing up the outside to create extra floor space for a crispier outcome.
Is an air fryer extra economical than my oven?
Air fryers have a popularity for being good at saving vitality, and that is true, although solely to a sure level. It’s largely all the way down to the air fryer’s small cavity, which heats up sooner and stays scorching.
Whereas the temperatures an air fryer makes use of are just like your oven, since you’re not spending time ready for a big cavity to preheat, and the meals cooks shortly, air frying is extra economical for a lot of, if not most, on a regular basis meals.
The scenario adjustments when you’re cooking giant quantities without delay, similar to a family-sized roast dinner. Operating a regular oven for an enormous batch of roast potatoes, plus joint of meat or poultry, roasted greens, and different accompaniments tends to be extra economical than cooking every individually in a single-drawer air fryer.
Nonetheless, a dual-drawer air fryer has the capability to cook dinner a complete meal without delay and could be cheaper, relying on what number of you’re cooking for. Take a look at our round-up of the most effective dual-drawer air fryers for our high suggestions.
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
To work out which is best for a big meal or batch cooking, have a look at the equipment’s wattage so you possibly can calculate its approximate kWh energy consumption. You need to use a web based electrical energy price calculator that can assist you out.
Is cooking in an air fryer more healthy?
Air frying is one thing of a misnomer in that the meals isn’t fried in a traditional sense. If you deep or shallow fry in oil, what you’re doing is utilizing the oil to seal the surface, in order that the water within the meals can’t escape and is heated, steaming the inside. To do that, oil penetrates the floor layer of the meals.
In distinction, air frying makes use of fanned air to warmth the meals, with solely a small quantity of oil and agitation creating the crispy exterior. Not solely does much less oil end in meals that’s decrease in fats, making it more healthy, however when you’re cooking high-fat meals, similar to bacon or sausages, the perforated crisper plate permits extra fats to empty away, in contrast to in a pan the place the fats has nowhere to go.
Nonetheless, as air-fried meals will lose moisture because it cooks, it could actually develop into dry if heated for too lengthy, or on too excessive a temperature.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Ought to I at all times use an air fryer’s programmes?
Most air fryers have default presets for time and temperature – normally for meals sorts or cooking strategies – however there’s no want to stick to them strictly.
Chances are you’ll must experiment to seek out the precise temperature and cooking length to your favorite meals. Some recipes present higher outcomes with a decrease temperature and longer cooking time, whereas others might solely want a speedy blast of warmth.
Take a look at our article on 5 new issues to cook dinner in an air fryer for some inspiration and cooking temperature steering.
