Is Air Fryer Worth It? Pros, Cons, & My Experience [2023]
Yes, air fryers are worth buying. They are fast, energy-efficient, healthy cooker, and more. Read on to learn some pros and cons.
Over the years, there has been a constant surge in the popularity of air fryers, both for meal prep and quick reheating, and why not! They are easy to use, versatile, and have the same or comparable flavor as in a deep fryer but with much less oil.
So you can keep yourself safe from the added calories. But they don’t come without their own challenges.
Is Air Fryer Worth It? Pros, Cons, & My Experience [2023]
Yes, an air fryer is worth it. It reduces fat consumption by approximately 70% and electricity consumption, leading to lower operating costs. Additionally, they are easier to clean, portable, versatile, and do not heat the kitchen.
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Advantages Of Air Fryer
An air fryer is a splendid appliance. But in the end, it is a piece of technology. So, even if you have the best air fryer, some aspects might still need improvements. Read on to know the Air fryer pros and cons and learn if investing in an air fryer is worth it or not.
Crispy Crust On The Food
If you are fond of crispy crust on the food, you must make some place for an air fryer on your kitchen countertop.
In an air fryer, food cooked in a perforated basket get hot air from all sides, which bestows it with the right browning and perfect crunchy texture. This is why air fryers are much liked for cooking French fries, onion rings, buffalo wings, and KFC-style chicken wings.
Cooks Healthier Food
Health-conscious people who always count the calories of their food find air fryers an essential appliance for their kitchen.
It does not use oil for making most foods. When it does, the quantity is 50% less than the oil used in a deep fryer. The excess oil dribbles down through the bottom of the perforated air fryer basket.
Plus, you are not consuming food cooked in the oil reheated multiple times as you do in deep frying, so excess carcinogens, especially acrylamides, stay away from you.
Fast Heating and Cooking
An air fryer heats up quickly and cooks faster than a toaster oven— no question. When cooked in an air fryer oven, recipes require 25% less temperature and 20% less time.
If you have been using a gas oven, you will know it takes 10-12 minutes, or even more, to reach 400F. In the case of an air fryer, it is mostly 4-5 minutes. As for preheating, ovens require preheating, but it is seldom a requirement in the case of an air fryer.
Easy Clean-Up
While the texture and taste of the food are similar to what you get in a deep fryer, cleaning up is not the same.
Most air fryers have a ceramic non-stick coating on accessories, so cleaning them is a breeze. These accessories are also dishwasher safe.
Air fryers use little to no oil, so there are no excessive splatters inside the unit. Compared to deep fryers, there is also no need to take care or dispose of large quantities of leftover oil.
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Great for Cooking Frozen Food
Air fryers outshine traditional cooking methods when cooking pre-packaged frozen foods. Here’s what you try:
- Spring rolls
- Nuggets
- Fish fingers
- Frozen fries
- And more
Air fryers are perfect for families who regularly prepare frozen meals for kids. Also, check what you can cook in an air fryer.
Disadvantages Of An Air Fryer
Air fryers are not without limitations. However, these disadvantages do not apply to everyone. Here is a quick breakdown of their cons.
Health Assumptions Are Not Always True
Whether air-fried food is healthy or not depends on how and what you cook. Though air fryers reduce oil use by more than 80%, they still cannot match the healthiness of steamed and broiled foods.
Cooking large quantities of processed food, such as fries and nuggets, in an air fryer cannot be considered healthy. The bottom line is that the healthiness of an air fryer comes down to your food choices.
Cumbersome Design
Air fryers often come in a bulky body, which is difficult to carry from one place to another. They can take up ample space on your countertop permanently.
Air fryers also have a heat release vent at the back, so they must be placed a foot away from the wall.
Moreover, you cannot keep them under the cabinets or near other appliances because they often get hot from all sides. So, if you have a smaller kitchen, you may need to pay attention to your air fryer’s footprints. Learn, where to put air fryer in kitchen.
Limited Cooking Capacity
You can cook a range of foods in an air fryer compared to a convection oven. Air fryers often have limited cooking capacity unless you buy a jumbo multifunction air fryer oven combo.
Overloading an air fryer with food can malfunction, and it can turn off automatically.
Short Power Cord
An air fryer’s short power cable is a concern for many users. A short cord restricts you from placing your unit near the power outlet. If there is already an appliance, you will need an extension cable to supply power to your air fryer.
Should You Buy an Air Fryer
Air frying was introduced as a convenient way to cook food with the least to no addition of extra calories. This research conducted by the University of Porto has successfully substantiated this fact.
This study used various air fryers and deep fryers to fry potatoes. The results showed that air-fried potatoes had 70% less fat, meaning air frying leads to a decrease of 45 kcal per 100 g compared to deep frying.
The same study found that air fryers also perform better regarding the formation of a toxic biochemical substance called acrylamide. Air frying reduces the formation of acrylamides compared to deep frying.
So, as “Air Fryers Toxic?” or “are air fryers healthy?” is concerned, this study has proved that air fryers and air-fried food is non-toxic and healthy.
FAQs
Are Air Fryers Overrated?
No, air fryers are certainly not overrated because they do the job for which they are made. First, an air fryer reduce your oil consumption by 70%. You don’t essentially require oil for cooking. Secondly, they generally consume considerably less electricity than deep fryers, which is an economical option too.
Is an air fryer worth it for a single person?
An air fryer for a single person is worth buying, who is not looking to make big meals. It is perfect for cooking small quantities of frozen food, crisping up veggies, and quickly reheating food items.
Is an air fryer worth it for keto?
Air fryers are excellent cooking appliances for people on a Keto diet. The best air fryer for keto diet doesn’t require the use of oil, so excess calories stay away.
You can also make low-carb veggies, chicken, steak, snacks, and much more. Moreover, you can also cook food with more keto-friendly coatings.
Do I need an air fryer if I have an oven?
The air fryer size is smaller compared to an oven, an air fryer heats up much more quickly than an oven though both work on the same convection mechanism.
An air fryer also crisp-up things more effectively and evenly due to its perforated basket than a convection oven where food cooks on a rack.
The latter often makes the skin crispier in some places, leaving other spots without enough crispiness, so the result is not even.
Are air fryers worth it for vegetarians?
While most think that an air fryer is only suitable for meat lovers, in fact, an air fryer comes as an excellent appliance for vegan and vegetarian users.
Air fryers cook plant-based recipes to perfection. Simultaneously, it keeps the calories in check too. Roasting and dehydrating veggies and fruits are among the most cooked foods in an air fryer.
Wrapping Up!
To sum up, air fryers are not a waste of money! Buying an air fryer is worth it for people who love eating fried food but fret about gaining extra pounds. You can make a much healthier version of vegetables, steaks, French fries, salmon, and whatnot. But a small air fryer might not be worth the effort if you want to make large quantities per batch. For that, you may need a big air fryer oven combo.
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