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You have an air fryer. Great!
Now, what do you do with it

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If you're used to a conventional oven,
air fryers can be tricky to tackle

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Keep watching to make sure you get the absolute best results.
The main reason air fryers have gained popularity in recent years

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is that you can prepare traditionally
fried food in a much healthier way

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But you may be wondering what
exactly makes it so much healthier

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Well, it all comes down to the amount of
fat — generally oil — you have to use

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In an air fryer, you can cut down on
most of that oil, if not entirely

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You usually have to deep fry your food if you want
it to reach that desired crispness we all love

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But to do that, you basically have to soak whatever
it is you're frying in oil for several minutes

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But because air fryers cook food at a super high temperature
using a high-powered fan, you can use a lot less oil

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Some foods, like meat, don't require any additional fat at all. So if you've
been looking for a way to cut back on your oil intake without sacrificing taste

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then your air fryer is definitely going to get the job done. Admittedly, we do
love deep-fried food. Who doesn't? But there are some downsides to deep-fried

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food, especially if you're making it in your
own kitchen. There are the health concerns

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of course, but it's also just a super messy
process to fry anything in your own kitchen

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according to Tiny Kitchen Divas. Seemingly, no matter what you do,
it's impossible to prevent all oil splatters when you're deep frying

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And because oil is notoriously difficult to clean up, deep
frying can be a huge hassle even after you've eaten the food

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Plus, you're not supposed to dump oil down the sink, so
then you have to find a way to clean that up as well

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Here's another reason why people love their air fryer so much.
Because you don't have to use a ton of oil in your air fryer

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you're not going to have any of these issues.
Therefore, not only can you get healthier fried food

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but it's also a way easier and
more mess-free process. In the end

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that saves you time, and who doesn't want that? It's not just you and
your circle of friends. Air fryers really are getting more popular

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The first modern commercial air fryer hit the market in 2010, but it didn't
gain a ton of traction until recently. However, over the past few years

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things have changed drastically. Go on any social
media and you will see countless photos of the

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food people have made with their air fryers — even
popcorn. But you don't have to take our word for it

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The proof is in the numbers. According to NPD Group as of July 2020 almost 40 percent of American households own an air fryer That a huge
percentage of people that are finding a way to use this appliance in their everyday lives If air fryers continue to rise in popularity

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as seems to be the case, then we'll surely
see more air fryer-friendly recipes hitting

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cookbooks and recipe blogs in the coming months and years. If you're like
most people, you probably think about using the microwave to heat or defrost

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leftovers. Sure, you can always use the oven,
but many people go with the quicker option

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However, you may not realize that you
can use your air fryer to heat leftovers

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You know how many fried foods or foods with
breadcrumbs get sad and soggy when you put them

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in the microwave? Well, you're not going to have
the same problem when you use your air fryer instead

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It's great, doesn't take any time at all.
Leftovers are great in your air fryer

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And since your air fryer can cook food quickly, you won't
wait forever like you would cooking with a standard oven

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There's plenty to love about air fryers, but that
doesn't mean that they don't come without issues

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One of the most notable drawbacks is the
amount of space they take up in your kitchen

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Some people opt for smaller air fryers,
which obviously take up less room

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but those aren't exactly ideal for a large
family. If you have a larger kitchen or plenty

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of storage space where you can keep your
air fryer when you're not actively using it

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then you may not even see this as a problem.
However, for those who live in smaller spaces

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or don't have as much storage or countertop space
to work with, you really have to consider the pros

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and cons of keeping your air fryer around. If
you're really limited on space in your kitchen

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you may want to find a closet or some
other out-of-the-way storage space

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where you can keep it when you're not using it. Many people use an air
fryer to replace deep frying in their kitchens. It can also be used

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in place of an oven, since an air fryer is
basically just a powerful convection oven

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However, if you're used to baking and roasting in your oven, be aware that you're
dealing with something completely different when you turn on your air fryer

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Some new users expect their food to take longer to cook, but
these appliances really can cut down on cook time significantly

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Therefore, it's important to follow recipe directions closely.
And if you're reading a recipe that tells you to use an oven

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you're going to have to adjust the timing
if you decide to use your air fryer instead

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Keep in mind that the less food you
have in the basket of your air fryer

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the quicker it will cook. If you
add more food, it will take longer

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In general, air fryers don't require
much hands-on work to get the job done

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You pretty much just throw in the food, wait,
and then eat. But if you want to cook your food

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perfectly there actually is a step that you should be taking every so often while your food cooks About halfway through your cook time you want to shake the basket
of your air fryer a bit This will ensure that your food won stick to the basket When you do this you may think that it a good time to add cooking spray to the basket

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but that's something you'll want to avoid,
unless it's fries and you spray at the beginning

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If you spray oil into the basket while it's actually in the machine,
you're going to get a sticky residue on the surface of your air fryer

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Sure, you could argue that air
fryers are perfect in some ways

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They can help you prepare healthier food, they're
easier and cleaner to use than a deep fryer

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and they cook the crispy fried food you crave. But
nothing is totally perfect, not even your air fryer

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And the first time you turn it on, you'll
understand why. Air fryers can get quite loud

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That's because they use high-powered fans
that move heat around to cook your food

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Because that fan is moving so
fast, it makes a loud whirring

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"'Shh, too loud, too loud.'" Is this sound so loud that your
neighbors will be knocking at your door telling you to turn it down

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No. But could it wake up a sleeping baby? It's possible.
Overall, we think the slightly annoying sound is worth it

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Plus, some brands are louder than others, so
do your research if you want to avoid that

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Air fryers usually don't need an overly
high temperature to cook your food properly

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And if you're used to cooking in an oven, it
can take some time to get used to the difference

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Therefore, if you see a low temperature
when you're following an air fryer recipe

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don't worry, it's probably right. And if you're
adapting a recipe from an oven for use with an

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air fryer, remember that you don't want to
crank up the heat like you would in an oven

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With a bit of practice and patience, you'll
get a handle on how hot your air fryer cooks

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so you can adjust accordingly. Some people have endlessly
decked-out kitchens that contain all the appliances anyone could

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ever wish for. But not everyone is quite so lucky.
Maybe you live in a big city in a small space

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or maybe you don't have central air conditioning, and the thought of
turning on your oven in the middle of the summer sounds laughable

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Whatever the case may be, using an oven on
a regular basis may just not work for you

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And if that's the case, you may be happy to learn
that an air fryer can essentially replace an oven

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in your kitchen. Of course, an air fryer can't
do absolutely everything an oven can do. No

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cooking a massive turkey for a Thanksgiving
gathering probably isn't going to happen

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But when it comes to everyday cooking, an air
fryer can do most of the jobs an oven would

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normally take care of. I'm telling you folks,
you stick with me and in one week we will gather

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enough food to feed a bear What Just a figure of speech You already know
that you shouldn mist your food with cooking spray while the basket is

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in the air fryer. That's just asking for a huge mess. However, that doesn't
mean you should be afraid to add more oil during the cooking process

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at all. And just a small amount of oil can make
a huge difference when it comes to using your

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air fryer. Try adding more oil to your
food halfway through the cook time

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Of course, this isn't necessary if you're
cooking foods that are already quite moist

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Most meats, for example, aren't going to need any additional oil. Other foods,
though, like vegetables, tofu, or tempeh, may benefit from an extra drizzle

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of whatever oil you're using. Give it a try
and see how much more crispy your food ends up

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So what happens if you start smelling
smoke while you're using your air fryer

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Well, first, you should probably
turn it off. The next step is simple

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Clean your air fryer. Most problems with smoking
ultimately came down to a dirty air fryer

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America's Test Kitchen suggests cleaning the
area around the air fryer's heating element

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as any residual oil there could be causing the smell. If
that doesn't work, you may want to clean the whole appliance

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Some of the removable parts of air fryers
are dishwasher safe, but don't place yours

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in the dishwasher until you're sure that they are.
You should also clean the outside of your air fryer

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a bit of detergent along with water will ensure
that you can clean up any leftover oil. You

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won't have to do this deep clean every time
you use your air fryer, but do it on a regular

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basis so you don't have any issues. You already know that you
can cook fries, chicken wings, drumsticks, and steak in your

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air fryer, but you probably didn't realize
that you can cook an entire chicken. Yes

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you read that right. Megan Splawn wrote for
The Kitchen about her air fryer experience

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she actually managed to cook an entire chicken
in her air fryer, even though she had an air

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fryer on the smaller side. If you've been cooking for a
while, then you probably feel confident about cooking chicken

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in the oven and shrimp in a pan. But if you're
new to using an air fryer, you may not have

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that same familiarity you've come to depend
on for other cooking methods. This can make

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it difficult to ensure you're cooking food
all the way through. For foods like fries

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or veggies, this isn't a big deal. Just try
it and keep cooking if need be. But with meat

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you really want to make sure it's cooked
thoroughly. That's why we recommend using a

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meat thermometer when you cook meat in your
air fryer. That way, you won't have to rely

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on guesswork. Otherwise, you could end up with
under- or overcooked meat, and nobody wants that