You’ve probably heard about air fryers and been impressed by manufacturers’ claims that they produce crispy foods with less fat than deep frying and faster than a conventional oven. Is that even possible? Yes
However, there’s not much on whether an air fryer makes you sick or not. Because an air fryer uses less oil than a deep fryer, food cooked in them is healthier than deep-fried food.
This blog is all about the random questions that might pop up in your mind while buying an air fryer. So let’s dive into it.
Air Fryer And It’s Working
Air fryers are square or egg-shaped devices that sit on your counter, about the size of a coffeemaker.
Air fryers do not cook food. Instead, food is placed in a perforated basket, and the machine cooks it by blowing hot air around it. The air force creates a convection effect, which cooks and browns the outside of the food in the basket.
Breaded foods like frozen chicken tenders or unbreaded starchy items like french fries or tater tots will turn brown as long as the air temperature exceeds 320 F.
Can the Use of an Air Fryer Help Cut Fat?
Some brands claim that employing an air fryer instead of a deep fryer can help diminish the fat content of foods by up to 75%.
This is because air fryers use significantly less fat for cooking than traditional deep fryers. While many deep-fried recipes call for up to 3 cups (750 mL) of oil, air-fried foods require only about 1 tablespoon (15 mL).
Deep fryers use up to 50 terms more oil than air fryers. Even if the food does not soak all of the oil, using an air fryer can significantly reduce the overall fat content.
Can Air Fryer Decrease the Formation of Harmful Contents?
Aside from increasing fat and calorie content, frying food can construct potentially hazardous compounds such as acrylamide.
Air-frying your food instead of deep-frying it may help relieve its acrylamide content. In fact, a previous study discovered that air-frying reduced acrylamide by up to 90% when resembled conventional deep-frying.
Are Air Fryers Healthy?
To begin with, we know that all cooking oils are relatively healthy. As long as you’re not frying your foods in vegetable shortening or lard, the oil used in a deep fryer isn’t particularly unhealthy.
However, the oil contains calories, and while calories are not inherently unhealthy, using less oil may be a good way to cut calories. right?
Air frying is generally considered to be healthier than deep oil frying. It reduces calories by 70% to 80% and contains significantly less fat.
This cooking method may also reduce some of the other adverse effects of oil frying. When you fry potatoes or other starchy foods, the chemical acrylamide is formed, which research has linked to an increased risk of cancer. According to one study, air frying reduces the amount of acrylamide in fried potatoes by 90%.
When you fry something, the batter absorbs the oil that was used to cook it. This provides a satisfying crunch on the outside of fried foods while keeping the inside moist. Frying also imparts a rich, dark color to foods, which is pleasing to the eye.
Air frying still produces a crunch, but not the same look or mouth feel as oil frying.
Well, If you’re considering the fumes coming out of your air fryers, you can check out Are Air Fryer Fumes Toxic? (The truth)
Benefits Of Air Fryer
When it comes to benefits, an air fryer has plenty of them:
Healthier Meals
With little to no oil, you can cook delicious and healthier meals in an air fryer.
Even if you use a small amount of oil, the amount consumed is negligible because it drips off the food as it cooks and collects at the bottom of the basket. As a result, you’ll use less oil and consume fewer calories.
You also get the added benefit of avoiding carcinogens associated with deep-dried foods, specifical acrylamide. The compound, which is formed when high carbohydrate foods such as potatoes are deep-fried, is classified by the Agency for Research on Cancer as a probable human carcinogen.
Faster Heating And Cooking
An air fryer preheats and cooks food in a fraction of the time of a conventional oven or toaster oven.
Most air fryers can reach a temperature of 400°F in five minutes or less. Gas ovens can take up to 13 minutes to get 400°F, while electric ovens take between 17 and 19 minutes.
Air fryers not only heat up quickly, but they also cook quickly. Because an air fryer’s chamber is much smaller than that of a large oven, the heating is more concentrated.
Most oven recipes can be converted to air fryer recipes by lowering the temperature by 25°F and the cooking time by 20%.
Less Cleanup
Traditional frying necessitates a significant amount of cleanup. You must clean the surfaces around your frying element or frying pan of any oil splatter. You must also clean the fryer and dispose of the oil properly.
Splatter in an air fryer is minimal because it uses little to no oil. Furthermore, there is no need to dispose of any leftover oil. Some air fryer baskets have a PTFE nonstick coating or a ceramic nonstick coating to make cleanup easier.
Read below to see how you can clean your air fryer.
Ease Of Use
An air fryer is a one-button appliance. Some use a manual dial to control the temperature, while others have digital displays.
For the most part, all you need to know are the temperatures and cook times for the dishes you want to make.
Most air fryers come with instructions or recipe books to get you started. Refer to the instruction manual for your specific model for the best results.
Safety
Traditional frying uses several cups of oil and can be dangerous if the hot oil pops and gets on your clothes or skin. Because air frying uses less oil and cooks in an enclosed chamber, it is a safer option than traditional frying.
Keep in mind, however, that the contents of the air fryer remain hot. When opening an air fryer during the cooking process, use oven mitts or heat-safe gloves.
Reheating Of Crispy Food
Another useful feature of an air fryer is the ability to reheat crispy foods. When reheated in the microwave, foods like french fries, fried chicken, small pizza slices, and battered fish can become soggy.
An air fryer reactivates the oils in these foods and aids in the restoration of crispness. Even steak and glazed fish reheat well in an air fryer, providing a broiler effect without the use of an oven.
Versatility
An air fryer can cook a wide variety of foods, including meats, seafood, and vegetables.
To make recipes ranging from deep-dish pizza to a mini pound cake, use air fryer accessories such as cake pans, racks, pizza pans, and silicone mats. You can use an air fryer to make appetizers, side dishes, main courses, and desserts.
Can Air Fryer Kill Bacteria?
The majority of the time, the answer is yes.
The previous method of pasteurizing food uses a temperature of around 72C/162F to kill the main harmful bacteria that people are concerned about. Some food manufacturers sterilize food by heating it briefly to 132C (270F), which kills almost all bacteria (hence the name sterilization). Consider the temperatures used in the majority of air fryers.
They are frequently much higher than the sterilization temperature mentioned above. Not only that but air-fried food is exposed to this heat for extended periods, whereas sterilization is only a few seconds! This means you shouldn’t be concerned about bacteria and air-fried food.
Here’s what you should know about air-fried food:
How Do You Clean An Air Fryer?
Well, an uncleaned air fryer can lead to multiple diseases. This can be because of the oil stains that are being heated or the fan is blocked by dust. Now, there are some simple steps that you can follow to clean your air fryer:
- First, remove the basket and the air fryer pan insert from the air fryer.
- Then place both in soapy water.
- Lets them soak for about 10 minutes this will dislodge oil and food scraps from the pan.
- After soaking, grab yourself a cloth, preferably nonabrasive.
- After air drying the pan, use the non-abrasive cloth to wipe the pan and outer skirts of the air fryer.
- Avoid steel bristle brushes; instead, use a soft, dry cloth to clean the air fryer’s heating element.
- Now that all parts have been dried up you can place them back and continue using your air fryer.
Note: Sometimes, your air fryer can malfunction or produce smoke. In these circumstances, you can call the company helpline for a service check or go through the manual booklet that comes with the air fryer for troubleshooting.
Can You Get Sick From Not Cleaning Your Air Fryer?
A dirty air fryer can be harmful to your stomach and nose. If you do not clean your air fryer between uses, you put yourself at a much higher risk of food contamination because of reheating the oil.
Attempt to clean your air fryer after each meal cooked in it. It may appear to be a big mess, but it’s quite simple.
When you turn on an air fryer, don’t forget about your food safety knowledge. The same rules for thoroughly cooking meat apply here as they would on a grill, oven, or stovetop.
Those who believe that there is no need to check internal temperatures when air-frying food is setting themselves up for disaster.
What Food Should I Avoid To Put In An Air Fryer?
You’ll be surprised to know that an air fryer has limitations, this means there might be a few foods that you won’t be able to cook in an air fryer:
- Wet Battered Food
- Pork Bacon
- Cheese
- Whole chicken roast
- Raw Grains
- Toast
- Broccoli
- Popcorn
- Leafy Greens
Is an Air Fryer Safer Than a Microwave?
Apart from the obvious design and aesthetic differences, there are significant differences between air fryers and microwaves that you should be aware of.
The primary distinction between air fryers and microwaves is their heating method. Simply put, air fryers use convection heating, which uses convection currents to heat and circulate air, hence the name “air fryer.” What a creative kitchen appliance!
Unlike microwaves, air fryers take a long time to reach the desired temperature for cooking. However, because the heating does not last long, air fryers are relatively efficient in terms of power consumption, consuming between 1200 and 1500 watts.
However, for more details, you can read How Much Power Does Air Fryer Consume? (Complete analysis)
When shopping for an air fryer or a microwave, the size and capacity of your cooking appliance are two of the most important factors to consider. They’re especially important if you frequently cook for a large group of people and don’t want a limited appliance.
Both air fryers and microwaves provide much healthier cooking than conventional ovens. These devices extract the juices from the food being cooked, allowing for frying or cooking without the use of oils, thereby eliminating any health risks associated with excess oils.
If you’re looking for a good and budget-friendly air fryer after reading this then this little comparison of a few popular brands might be helpful for you
Here is some top of the market brands that you can consider:
| Brands | Price |
| Max XL Air Fryer | $129.99 |
| Vortex Plus Clear Cook | $99.00 |
| 7-Quart Electric Air Fryer | $93.63 |
Final Thoughts
In the end, I would like to say that if you keep a tab on your air fryer, you might not encounter anything that will make you sick.
You must keep your air fryer clean after use and use proper products by checking the expiry date.
Good thing is that due to its high temperature and pre-heating option it kills many bacteria that might be present in your food.
However, some foods may not be suitable to cook in the air fryer and can go bad if you ever try to cook them.
With this, I hope all your queries have been answered!