You have an air fryer. Great! Now, what do you do with it
If you're used to a conventional oven, air fryers can be tricky to tackle
Keep watching to make sure you get the absolute best results. The main reason air fryers have gained popularity in recent years
is that you can prepare traditionally fried food in a much healthier way
But you may be wondering what exactly makes it so much healthier
Well, it all comes down to the amount of fat — generally oil — you have to use
In an air fryer, you can cut down on most of that oil, if not entirely
You usually have to deep fry your food if you want it to reach that desired crispness we all love
But to do that, you basically have to soak whatever it is you're frying in oil for several minutes
But because air fryers cook food at a super high temperature using a high-powered fan, you can use a lot less oil
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
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
food, especially if you're making it in your own kitchen. There are the health concerns
of course, but it's also just a super messy process to fry anything in your own kitchen
according to Tiny Kitchen Divas. Seemingly, no matter what you do, it's impossible to prevent all oil splatters when you're deep frying
And because oil is notoriously difficult to clean up, deep frying can be a huge hassle even after you've eaten the food
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
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
you're not going to have any of these issues. Therefore, not only can you get healthier fried food
but it's also a way easier and more mess-free process. In the end
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
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
things have changed drastically. Go on any social media and you will see countless photos of the
food people have made with their air fryers — even popcorn. But you don't have to take our word for it
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
as seems to be the case, then we'll surely see more air fryer-friendly recipes hitting
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
leftovers. Sure, you can always use the oven, but many people go with the quicker option
However, you may not realize that you can use your air fryer to heat leftovers
You know how many fried foods or foods with breadcrumbs get sad and soggy when you put them
in the microwave? Well, you're not going to have the same problem when you use your air fryer instead
It's great, doesn't take any time at all. Leftovers are great in your air fryer
And since your air fryer can cook food quickly, you won't wait forever like you would cooking with a standard oven
There's plenty to love about air fryers, but that doesn't mean that they don't come without issues
One of the most notable drawbacks is the amount of space they take up in your kitchen
Some people opt for smaller air fryers, which obviously take up less room
but those aren't exactly ideal for a large family. If you have a larger kitchen or plenty
of storage space where you can keep your air fryer when you're not actively using it
then you may not even see this as a problem. However, for those who live in smaller spaces
or don't have as much storage or countertop space to work with, you really have to consider the pros
and cons of keeping your air fryer around. If you're really limited on space in your kitchen
you may want to find a closet or some other out-of-the-way storage space
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
in place of an oven, since an air fryer is basically just a powerful convection oven
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
Some new users expect their food to take longer to cook, but these appliances really can cut down on cook time significantly
Therefore, it's important to follow recipe directions closely. And if you're reading a recipe that tells you to use an oven
you're going to have to adjust the timing if you decide to use your air fryer instead
Keep in mind that the less food you have in the basket of your air fryer
the quicker it will cook. If you add more food, it will take longer
In general, air fryers don't require much hands-on work to get the job done
You pretty much just throw in the food, wait, and then eat. But if you want to cook your food
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
but that's something you'll want to avoid, unless it's fries and you spray at the beginning
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
Sure, you could argue that air fryers are perfect in some ways
They can help you prepare healthier food, they're easier and cleaner to use than a deep fryer
and they cook the crispy fried food you crave. But nothing is totally perfect, not even your air fryer
And the first time you turn it on, you'll understand why. Air fryers can get quite loud
That's because they use high-powered fans that move heat around to cook your food
Because that fan is moving so fast, it makes a loud whirring
"'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
No. But could it wake up a sleeping baby? It's possible. Overall, we think the slightly annoying sound is worth it
Plus, some brands are louder than others, so do your research if you want to avoid that
Air fryers usually don't need an overly high temperature to cook your food properly
And if you're used to cooking in an oven, it can take some time to get used to the difference
Therefore, if you see a low temperature when you're following an air fryer recipe
don't worry, it's probably right. And if you're adapting a recipe from an oven for use with an
air fryer, remember that you don't want to crank up the heat like you would in an oven
With a bit of practice and patience, you'll get a handle on how hot your air fryer cooks
so you can adjust accordingly. Some people have endlessly decked-out kitchens that contain all the appliances anyone could
ever wish for. But not everyone is quite so lucky. Maybe you live in a big city in a small space
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
Whatever the case may be, using an oven on a regular basis may just not work for you
And if that's the case, you may be happy to learn that an air fryer can essentially replace an oven
in your kitchen. Of course, an air fryer can't do absolutely everything an oven can do. No
cooking a massive turkey for a Thanksgiving gathering probably isn't going to happen
But when it comes to everyday cooking, an air fryer can do most of the jobs an oven would
normally take care of. I'm telling you folks, you stick with me and in one week we will gather
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
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
at all. And just a small amount of oil can make a huge difference when it comes to using your
air fryer. Try adding more oil to your food halfway through the cook time
Of course, this isn't necessary if you're cooking foods that are already quite moist
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
of whatever oil you're using. Give it a try and see how much more crispy your food ends up
So what happens if you start smelling smoke while you're using your air fryer
Well, first, you should probably turn it off. The next step is simple
Clean your air fryer. Most problems with smoking ultimately came down to a dirty air fryer
America's Test Kitchen suggests cleaning the area around the air fryer's heating element
as any residual oil there could be causing the smell. If that doesn't work, you may want to clean the whole appliance
Some of the removable parts of air fryers are dishwasher safe, but don't place yours
in the dishwasher until you're sure that they are. You should also clean the outside of your air fryer
a bit of detergent along with water will ensure that you can clean up any leftover oil. You
won't have to do this deep clean every time you use your air fryer, but do it on a regular
basis so you don't have any issues. You already know that you can cook fries, chicken wings, drumsticks, and steak in your
air fryer, but you probably didn't realize that you can cook an entire chicken. Yes
you read that right. Megan Splawn wrote for The Kitchen about her air fryer experience
she actually managed to cook an entire chicken in her air fryer, even though she had an air
fryer on the smaller side. If you've been cooking for a while, then you probably feel confident about cooking chicken
in the oven and shrimp in a pan. But if you're new to using an air fryer, you may not have
that same familiarity you've come to depend on for other cooking methods. This can make
it difficult to ensure you're cooking food all the way through. For foods like fries
or veggies, this isn't a big deal. Just try it and keep cooking if need be. But with meat
you really want to make sure it's cooked thoroughly. That's why we recommend using a
meat thermometer when you cook meat in your air fryer. That way, you won't have to rely
on guesswork. Otherwise, you could end up with under- or overcooked meat, and nobody wants that