Bhavna
I usually opt for healthier cooking methods, such as baking, roasting, steaming or sautéing, to boost flavor and avoid the negative health effects of fried foods. But I love fried food as well. I crave for fried food often, specially on a rainy day in monsoon season and on a very cold day in winter. In winter, I satisfy myself with yummy soup and garlic bread when I crave for fried food but when it comes to my craving on a rainy day, I have no choice but to satisfy my crave with fried food. So I started loving Air Fryer.
Compared to deep-frying, using an air fryer can reduce the amount of fat, calories and potentially harmful compounds in your food. Although air fryers may be a better alternative to deep fryers, limiting your intake of fried foods altogether is the best option when it comes to your health.
A lot of time, I get question, what’s the difference between air fryer and oven?
Convection ovens and air fryers are very similar, but there are enough differences to put them into two different categories.
Let’s first understand how convection oven and air fryer works.
Convection ovens are known for causing some issues with soft baked goods such as souffles and certain cakes. This is because the circulated hot air is too harsh on the surfaces of these pastries, and may cause them to collapse. Theoretically, the hot air in an air fryer is circulated much faster (especially since it has a smaller chamber) than a convection oven. Air fryers are actually more gentle and suitable for baked goods. The hot air in an air fryer is not directly blown around the food. An air fryer’s heating element is above the food. The heat generated from it is pulled up with the fan, so there is no direct heat source on the food. It’s dispersed on the outside of the chamber, and then ascends from the open bottom to heat the baked goods from all around.
Many people might say air fryers are more suitable for crispy foods. Because air fryers have smaller chambers and higher speed air circulation than a convection oven, it actually takes less time than a traditional convection oven to bake/fry foods. Recipes that say foods need to be heated for 10 minutes may only require 6 minutes in an air fryer for tasty perfection.
As a counter top appliance, air fryers are smaller than convection ovens– which makes them efficient for daily family meals. Cleaning out an air fryer is also much easier than cleaning a convection oven. If any mess were to occur in an air fryer, it is contained within the pot that slides out. A convection oven would require cleaning of the rack, which can be a bit unwieldy. Any drips to the bottom would have to be cleaned with a hand towel and scrubbing device brought into the oven.
So you may now think, what can I make in an air fryer? Well, almost anything that deep fried can be air fried!
I have shared many Air fryer video recipes on my youtube channel to watch. Below is the playlist.
Now, the question is, is it worth investing in an air fryer? It depends on your needs. I personally needed as I love fried food and living in Florida, I don’t like to turn on my big oven for small batches of food like fries and many other snacks.
And lot of time, my viewers asked me to review air fryer. I did try few brands and honestly, most have the same functionality so just go with your own needs. I have Habor, Bestek and Holsem Brands. They all works great.
