In case you’re considering of shopping for an air fryer – or should 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 easy methods to obtain the very best outcomes, so that you don’t unintentionally frazzle or undercook meals, it’ll assist you to resolve when air frying is finest or whether or not one other cooking methodology could be extra appropriate. Realizing how an air fryer works may also turn out to be useful whenever you’re adapting your favorite recipes.
In case you’re in search of air fryer shopping for recommendation, you possibly can see our prime suggestions by kind in our round-ups of the very best dual-drawer air fryers and the very best air fryer ovens, see our prime Ninja air fryers and cookers, or take a look at the very best air fryers general.
How does an air fryer prepare dinner meals?
An air fryer is finest considered a mini fan oven, in that it makes use of convection warmth to prepare dinner. Somewhat than having a fan and component on the again (like a fan oven), these are often positioned on the prime so 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 velocity, 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 sizzling air across the cavity with the intention to prepare dinner the meals rapidly. As an air fryer’s cavity is smaller than the typical oven, it reaches a excessive warmth sooner, and may preserve it with much less power use. Coat your meals in a small quantity of oil and the fanned sizzling 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 status for being good at saving power, and that is true, although solely to a sure level. It’s principally all the way down to the air fryer’s small cavity, which heats up sooner and stays sizzling.
Whereas the temperatures an air fryer makes use of are much like your oven, since you’re not spending time ready for a big cavity to preheat, and the meals cooks rapidly, air frying is extra economical for a lot of, if not most, on a regular basis meals.
The state of affairs adjustments should you’re cooking giant quantities without delay, reminiscent of a family-sized roast dinner. Working an ordinary oven for a giant 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 prepare 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 very best dual-drawer air fryers for our prime suggestions.
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
To work out which is best for a big meal or batch cooking, take a look at the equipment’s wattage so you possibly can calculate its approximate kWh energy consumption. You should use a web based electrical energy value calculator that will help 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 standard sense. Whenever 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 should you’re cooking high-fat meals, reminiscent of bacon or sausages, the perforated crisper plate permits extra fats to empty away, not like in a pan the place the fats has nowhere to go.
Nonetheless, as air-fried meals will lose moisture because it cooks, it could 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 all the time use an air fryer’s programmes?
Most air fryers have default presets for time and temperature – often for meals varieties or cooking strategies – however there’s no want to stick to them strictly.
You could have to experiment to seek out the best temperature and cooking length to your favorite meals. Some recipes present higher outcomes with a decrease temperature and longer cooking time, whereas others could solely want a speedy blast of warmth.
Take a look at our article on 5 new issues to prepare dinner in an air fryer for some inspiration and cooking temperature steerage.