It should come as no surprise that we here at Air Fryer Dinners love our air fryers! We have been cooking with air fryers for years now, and have developed a wide variety of recipes specifically for air fryer cooking.
Long before the basket-style air fryer we know and love today appeared on the scene, our chef Marion was using a convection toaster oven in her kitchen. With more than 30 years of experience creating recipes for her convection toaster oven, it was an easy transition for her to start developing air fryer recipes when these 'super convection ovens' first debuted in 2010 with the Philips air fryer.
From air fryer dinners to side dishes, snacks, desserts and everything in-between, the amazing air fryer has transformed the way people cook at home. They can do it all, whether you're cooking salmon bites for dinner or baking cinnamon rolls for a breakfast treat.
So what exactly is an air fryer? How does it work? Read on to learn!
Jump to:
- What is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of air frying?
- Is air fried food healthy?
- How does an air fryer work?
- Cleaning Your Air Fryer
- What are the safety concerns with air frying?
- How is an air fryer different from an oven?
- Different Types of Air Fryers
- What can you make in an air fryer?
- What should you not make in an air fryer?
- Need ideas?
- Feedback
What is an air fryer?
Air fryers are a kitchen appliance that is essentially a mini convection oven, with multiple heating elements and a fan used to circulate hot air all around the food at high speeds as it cooks.
Despite the name, these countertop ovens do not actually fry your food, but food cooked in an air fryer does generally reach a level of crispness greater than what a regular oven can produce.
These countertop appliances are making waves in kitchens everywhere, offering a new way to cook that is not only tasty, but saves energy (source).
What are the benefits of air frying?
The benefits of air frying are many. To summarize, here's an idea of what air frying is like, but we'll cover all of this in detail in the article ahead, too:
- It uses less oil. Oil contains fat, and although avocado oil and olive oil have healthy fats in them, it's better to enjoy oily foods in moderation. As a result, air-fried foods are more health-conscious than other methods of cooking.
- It's more energy efficient. Air fryers use far less energy than a traditional oven.
- It's super fast - and we mean fast. You don't have to wait long for an air fryer to preheat - it generally takes only 5 minutes - and it will cook food nearly twice as fast as an oven on average. A dish that takes you 30 minutes in the oven may only take 15 or even less in the air fryer.
- It won't heat up your kitchen. Air fryers don't take up a lot of counter space, and won't heat up your kitchen like a traditional oven does. That makes them a great option for the hotter months especially!
- You can make almost anything in it. We're serious! Just about anything you can make in an oven, you can make in an air fryer. Don't believe us? See our catalogue of recipes!
- It's easy to clean up after. With minimal oil splatter and removable parts, air fryers are easy to clean compared to traditional frying methods.
Is air fried food healthy?
In addition to using less energy, this cooking method also uses much less oil in comparison to other methods of cooking such as traditional deep frying. When you air fry food you do not need as much oil to achieve the crispness you desire. Because of this, air frying is often viewed as a more health-conscious method of cooking than, for example, shallow-fried or deep-fried foods.
How does an air fryer work?
Okay, now you know what an air fryer is. But how does it work? As we said earlier, air fryers are basically compact, super-charged convection ovens. They operate by circulating hot air around the food at high speeds, which creates a crispy outer layer while keeping the insides of food tender.
This super convection oven evenly distributes heat to ensure uniform cooking, and offers a more energy-efficient way of cooking. They take less time to preheat and cook your food faster.
Air fryers come equipped with a basket or tray that allows excess oil to drip away during the cooking process. This further reduces the overall fat content of the food, in addition to making it easy to clean your air fryer, too.
Cleaning Your Air Fryer
It's easy to clean an air fryer, but there are a few things you should keep in mind when you do. We've put together a simple guide on Cleaning an Air Fryer. Take a look!
What are the safety concerns with air frying?
Air frying is a relatively safe and energy-efficient way to cook, but there are some safety precautions to consider. Rather than review them here, check out our list of Air Fryer Safety Precautions to follow when using your air fryer. Be sure to bookmark the page so you have it on hand whenever you need it!
How is an air fryer different from an oven?
Ovens and air fryers work in different ways.
While there are different types of ovens, the typical home oven has only two heating elements for cooking food. Where you place food in a traditional oven, closer or further away from those heating elements, will make a difference in how it is cooked.
Meanwhile, air fryers, as a type of convection oven, have a heating element and a fan built in that circulates the hot air all around the food. Air fryers cook food evenly all of the way around.
Different Types of Air Fryers
Air fryers come in various sizes and designs to accommodate different cooking needs. The main types of air fryers you may be familiar with already are basket-style and toaster oven-style air fryers, but there is a relatively new style that is a range with an air fryer setting!
- Basket-style Air Fryers: These air fryers feature a basket or drawer where the food is placed for cooking. They are typically compact in size, making them suitable for smaller kitchens or households, but also great for more energy efficient cooking no matter the size of your kitchen.
- The Air Fryer Dinners team has tested a variety of basket-style air fryers. We really love the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone 2-Basket Air Fryer, as well as our Gourmia 7-Quart Digital Air Fryer, and the Cosori Pro II 5.8 quart Air Fryer.
- Another air fryer we've tried out and love is the Dash Compact Air Fryer that takes up less countertop space and is perfect when air frying for two. If you're cooking for yourself or yourself and just one other person, this is the way to go!
- Toaster Oven-style Air Fryers: Also known as air fryer ovens, these appliances resemble traditional convection toaster ovens, but have air frying capabilities. When it comes to choosing an air fryer toaster oven, we love our Breville Smart Oven Air.
- Air Fryer Range: More and more ranges now have their own air fryer features and baskets. So, if you're thinking about getting a new range and want to have everything in one place, this could be a smart choice!
What can you make in an air fryer?
Just about anything you can make in an oven, you can make in the air fryer. It's great for cooking proteins like chicken, shrimp, pork, steak, as well as sturdy veggies like brussels sprouts, potatoes and onions, and sweet potatoes.
We also love it for breakfast foods, like bacon, eggs, and toast, and more unique dishes like spaghetti squash. Go ahead and search for a recipe - we might just have the perfect one waiting for you!
Browse our full recipe index →
What should you not make in an air fryer?
While air fryers are versatile, there are certain foods that may not yield desirable results or may even damage the appliance:
- Battered Foods: Foods coated in a very wet batter, such as homemade corn dogs (frozen corn dogs are fine, though!), may not crisp up properly in an air fryer and can cause the coating to become soggy or fall off. These wet batters are specifically designed to be cooked in a deep-fryer, so it's harder to air fry them properly. It's doable, though - see our onion rings!
- Important Note: Dry breading, such as the kind you might use to make homemade fried chicken wings or chicken tenders, will work just fine. We use a relatively dry coating for our breaded chicken breast, and it turns out great.
- Wet Ingredients: Foods with high water content, such as certain raw vegetables or fruits (many air fryer vegetables are totally fine), may not cook well in an air fryer and can result in a mushy texture.
- Delicate Foods: Foods that are easily blown around by the circulating air, such as leafy greens or lightweight ingredients, may not cook evenly in an air fryer. It doesn’t mean you can’t cook them in the air fryer, but you might have to be clever about it and think outside the box like we did for our secret to making Air Fryer S'mores.
Need ideas?
Air fryers offer a convenient, health-conscious alternative to traditional frying methods, allowing you to enjoy your favorite foods with none of the fried food guilt. With the help of our recipes here on Air Fryer Dinners, and a bit of experimentation, an air fryer can become a valuable addition to your kitchen, offering versatility, speed, and ease of use.
That's why we do what we do! We want to provide easy air fryer recipes for you and your loved ones to enjoy. So, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us.
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