Air fryers cook by circulating extremely hot air around the food. A heating element, much like a stove top burner, is situated above the food and then a fan is used to rapidly move the air around the food. Food comes out crispy on the outside while moist and tender on the inside. Air fryers provide a healthier alternative to conventional frying because they use very little or no oil during the cooking process.
The appliance itself is relatively small. It sits on the countertop like a crock pot and plugs into an electrical outlet. It is not meant to sit on a stove top. The unit contains a basket to hold food, an electric heating element and a fan to circulate the hot air. Some units have a digital control panel while others have large dials/knobs. All of the units come with an operator’s manual and suggested recipes.
I’ve had experience with two air fryers. Both fryers were 3 quart capacity. One was a digital model and one was not. I found both units easy to operate and very easy to clean. The baskets and basket holders were both dishwasher safe, although I hand washed them as there was hardly anything to wash. I cooked chicken breasts and tater tots in both units for comparison. The chicken breasts were fresh and rather thick. Only two split breasts fit into each basket and both units required additional cook time as an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (measured with a meat thermometer) was not achieved on the first go around.
This was not a problem though, I simply placed the baskets back into the fryers and cooked for an additional 3-4 minutes. As expected, the outside of the breasts was crispy and the inside was moist. The breasts were not battered, as traditional wet batter is not recommended when air frying. I just chose to flavor with a little seasoning spice. The tater tots were excellent. I couldn’t tell that they had not been deep fried in oil…..except when I didn’t need to wipe my fingers after each bite!
Air fryers are also capable of baking. However, it should be noted that additional equipment may be necessary. Most of your glass baking dishes and muffin tins will not fit into the air fryer basket. You will need to purchase smaller, oven safe bake ware to fit into the basket if you want to bake cakes or muffins. Cookies may be baked on parchment paper. However, the basket can only bake 3-4 cookies at a time (depending on size) and this is probably not worth the trouble. It is much easier to bake 12-18 cookies on a sheet pan in the oven all at once.
If you are thinking about purchasing an air fryer consider the things below:
How much money are you willing to spend? Air fryers range from $99 to $200 depending on the size, features and added options.
How often do you fry food? Will you really use the appliance and get your money’s worth?
How much do you enjoy eating deep fried food? The flavor and texture of some foods, especially meats, are slightly different than conventional frying.
How many do you cook for? The fryer baskets are relatively small and if you are cooking for a household of 4-6 you will be extending your cooking time. The time required for two chicken breasts was 22-25 minutes.
Whatever you decide, be sure to follow the operating instructions included in the owner’s manual. Both units caution not to overfill the basket as foods may not cook evenly or reach the proper temperature, which could lead to foodborne illness. Cooking in small batches is a necessity when using an air fryer.
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Contact Lora Pullin, Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences in Greenup County at 606-836-0201 or lora.pullin@uky.edu. Educational programs of Kentucky Cooperative Extension serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.
