On condition that air fryers made their means onto our worktops with the promise of low-fat fries, more healthy cooked meats and even an entire hen, it’s comprehensible that that’s what many people are likely to prepare dinner in them.
Nevertheless, most air fryers are able to providing extra, from simple snacks and breakfasts, to lending a serving to hand once you’re baking. Learn on to search out out why you have to be reaching in your air fryer at each time of the day, not simply dinner.
1. Begin dehydrating
In case your air fryer can attain the low temperatures required for drying out (relatively than cooking), there’s a large number of meals you’ll be able to flip into wholesome snacks. This consists of turning thinly sliced meat into jerky (round 65-80°C/150-175°F). Beef is in style however you too can attempt much less widespread meats, akin to venison or buffalo.
Or you’ll be able to dry out slices of fruit (round 55-60°C/130-140°F), akin to apple, pineapple, banana and orange. Six to eight hours ought to give them a chewy texture or you’ll be able to dry them out longer for a crunchier consequence.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
You possibly can even use your air fryer for making meringue: prepare dinner it at 120°C/250°F for 20 minutes, adopted by a drying-out temperature of 95°C/200°F for 70 minutes. Go away to chill for an hour within the basket and the consequence must be crisp meringues for desserts.
2. Whip up a batch of yoghurt
Some air fryers have a devoted yoghurt setting however even when they don’t, so long as one of many presets dips as little as 42°C/107°F and runs for not less than six hours, you may get fermenting. A ‘proof’ preset can typically double up for making yoghurt.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
It’s advisable to make use of a microwave or hob beforehand, in addition to a thermometer, to warmth the milk as much as 82°C/180°F (this kills any micro organism and tends to lead to a thicker completed yoghurt), earlier than quickly cooling it in a water or ice tub to round 47-52°C/117-126°F.
Then you’ll be able to combine in a beneficiant spoonful of stay yoghurt, pop it in lidded containers that match inside your air fryer basket – glass jars are supreme – and set for something as much as 12 hours to ferment. As soon as the programme has completed, depart the container or jars to chill to room temperature then place them within the fridge.
3. Be a greater baker
Making desserts, bread rolls, doughnuts and even bagels has historically meant turning on the oven however when you’ve got an air fryer you might not need to.
Not solely do many have a ‘proof’ preset (round 32-38°C/90-100°F) – excellent for serving to dough to softly rise with out having to stash it in an airing cabinet or working your oven on low – you’ll additionally discover a bake setting (often preset to 180°C/355°F) on most fashions, permitting you to bake virtually every little thing you’ll be able to in your oven however on a smaller scale.
As a tough information, set your air fryer at 20°C/70°F decrease than the temperature specified for baking within the oven, and cut back the time by 20-25%.
4. Obtain excellent eggs
No pan? No drawback. You need to use your air fryer to ‘boil’ eggs: simply ensure you prepare dinner them for longer than on the hob and never at air frying temperatures.
Eggs can crack, or in excessive circumstances explode, in an air fryer in the event that they’re cooked of their shells utilizing intense warmth. It is because a excessive temperature causes steam to construct up too shortly contained in the egg, rising the strain and bursting the shell.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Utilizing temperatures of 170°C/340°F and above will trigger them to crack. As a substitute, set your air fryer at 150°C/300°F, and prepare dinner for 8 minutes for delicate boiled and 12 minutes for laborious boiled, primarily based on a medium-sized egg. For bigger eggs, enhance the time barely.
Air fryers will also be used for different varieties of eggs, akin to poached (7 minutes at 180°C/355°F) in ramekins containing somewhat sizzling water.
5. Puff up your pastry
The excessive temperatures and quick cooking instances in an air fryer imply you may make something from a batch of canapés or apple turnovers to shortcrust mince pies.
The important thing to getting it proper is within the preheating: whilst you can cheat and pop some meals in an air fryer from chilly, pastry must go in when the air fryer is already at 200°C/390°F. This helps it to rise correctly and be mild and crispy. It’s additionally a good suggestion to not crowd the basket as this prevents warmth from circulating because it ought to. Cook dinner in batches relatively than attempting to do heaps concurrently.
Pastry can burn shortly so verify on it midway by means of, particularly if it’s skinny, and hold a skewer handy to verify if crusts are executed.
Given the big variety of makes use of, even when kitchen worktop area is scarce, your air fryer is bound to earn its place.
In search of an air fryer? To browse our suggestions, take a look at our round-ups of the most effective air fryers, the most effective Ninja air fryers and, for extra cooking capability, the most effective air fryer ovens.