Air fryers have received a significant amount of popularity since they were introduced over a decade ago. Air fryers are still new to the kitchen appliances industry. Many people adore fried food and eat it quite often. Oil fried food results in the food soaking up an unhealthy amount of all. Food fried in oil has a high amount of calories and fat content. Air fryers get rid of all the unhealthiness of fried food and leave you with the best part. For people who are health cautious, air fryers are a blessing.
Healthier food might be the most significant benefit, but there are loads of other benefits too. Getting yourself an air fryer will also cut down the price you spend on cooking oil by a lot. Frying foods using cooking oil can be messy, but an air fryer can cut down on the mess by a considerable amount. Frying food with cooking oil is a dangerous process that needs a lot of care and precaution. Air fryers are a much safer option to go for when it comes to frying food. Air fryers fry your meals faster than the traditional way of frying.
Are you looking forward to buying an air fryer any time soon? Well, here’s a list of things that you should know before buying an air fryer.
The Size
It is essential to buy an air fryer that will fulfill your cooking portion requirements. Most air fryers usually have a maximum frying limit of up to 1-2 servings. If you have a big family or plan to cook for more people at once, you might want to consider buying a larger air fryer. On the other hand, if you don’t fry as much food and are looking for a healthier alternative for frying your snacks, a small air fryer would suit your best. The capacity of air fryers ranges from 1 liter to 6 liters. A 2-liter air fryer is ideal for a family of 4-5 members. Make sure the serving capacity of an air fryer fulfills your requirements before buying it.
Power Usage
Most people miss this step, but it is crucial to know the amount of power required and used by any kitchen appliances. Most air fryers use an average of half a unit of electricity a day with regular use. The units could go higher or lower depending upon the extent of your usage. The standard wattage of a regular-sized air fryer is between 800-1500 watts. It is gravely important to ensure that your kitchen power outlets support the amount of wattage your air fryer will use.
Air fryers with higher wattage consumption heat up quicker than the others, thus cooking your food faster.
The Settings and Usage Features
The different settings your air fryer has and the variety of features it offers have a vital role in the outcome of your food. Some air fryers come with high-end features and different cooking styles that ensure the consumer is at much more convenience. A top-notch feature that some air fryers provide is a pause button. Having a pause button allows the user to pause the air fryer to flip the side of the food cooking and resume it again. If a pause feature is not given, the heat settings and timer have to set all over again after flipping the side of your food, which is highly inconvenient.
Temperature control is another feature not included in all air fryers. If an air fryer has a fixed temperature setting, cooking most foods becomes inconvenient. Temperature control in an air fryer would allow the user to set the heat levels according to the food choice, which would result in better and more deliciously cooked food.
Some air fryers do more than fry food. They can bake, roast, reheat food, and more.
Some people want a simple air fryer while others look for the most futuristic ones. It is important to get the one that suits your needs the best.
Cleaning
Cleaning is an inevitable process of cooking. Having an appliance in your kitchen that is hard to clean is highly inconvenient and annoying. Before buying an air fryer, make sure that it has an easy-to-remove and clean basket.
Safety Features
Like with any other appliance in your household, safety is always the number one priority. However, electrical appliances pose a severe safety threat if they are mishandled or the safety precautions aren’t carried out. Unfortunately, air fryers also bring forth some of these hazards.
When looking for an air fryer to buy, make sure the grips it has are cool-touch. If the air fryer does not have cool-touch grips, you might burn yourself while pulling the basket out. Also, if the air fryer is top load, a locking lid is a fantastic safety feature for an air fryer. Finally, one of the most crucial safety features for an air fryer to have is auto-shutoffs. Auto-shutoffs will make sure your food does not burn if you’ve turned on the air fryer and forgot about it. Auto-shutoffs can also make sure there are no unwanted mishaps due to the extended running time of the air fryer, like a short circuit or even a fire.
Additional Parts
Buying a few extra accessories for your air fryer will help you cook a much wider range of foods. For example, simple addition to your air fryer like a cooking rack will eliminate the need for you to flip the food over and even cook crispier food than before. If you’re looking to take it one step further, you could even buy air fryer accessories pack. Air fryer accessories packs include various items like cupcake molds, parchment paper, and much more. So whether you purchase skewers for your kababs or a baking tray for your cookies, buying additional items for your air fryer is a win-win situation.
The Takeaway
Air fryers help in easier and faster cooking. Nowadays, air fryers do much more than just fry your food. They cook your food in so many other ways possible. It is essential to know all the basics before buying and using an air fryer for effective and flawless cooking. A person must consider all of their requirements and needs with the air fryer before buying one.
There aren’t many reasons not to avoid buying an air fryer. They make cooking more convenient, and they’re a much healthier option. Try looking for air fryer recipes for you to try and test out an air fryer once you’ve got your hands on one.
Now that you’ve sufficient knowledge on what to know before getting an air fryer, it’s time to get one. Meanwhile, be sure to read our guide on what to consider when buying a chopping board.