Air Fryers

An air fryer is a compact kitchen appliance that cooks food by circulating hot air around it. It works similarly to a fan oven, helping food develop a crispy surface while keeping the inside tender. Despite its name, it does not deep-fry food.

A heating element warms the air, while a powerful fan circulates it around the food. A perforated basket or cooking tray allows hot air to reach more of the food’s surface, helping it cook and brown evenly.

An air fryer has a smaller cooking chamber, so it heats up quickly. Its strong airflow transfers heat efficiently to the food, reducing cooking time compared with a conventional oven.

An air fryer uses less electricity when cooking because it heats a smaller space and therefore needs to run for less time.

Electricity consumption mostly depends on cooking time. A more powerful model may cook food faster and use less electricity. With a cheaper, lower-powered appliance, achieving crispy, thoroughly cooked results can take longer and may leave you disappointed. Invest in a well known model from a trusted brand to enjoy fast cooking, delicious results and lower electricity consumption.

Many foods can be cooked without adding oil, especially frozen products that already contain fat. Lightly coating fresh potatoes, vegetables or lean foods with oil can improve browning and make the results crispier.

You can cook almost anything in an air fryer, and most models offer preset programmes for foods such as chips, chicken, fish, vegetables, meatballs and roast potatoes. It is also suitable for reheating food and preparing oven-baked dishes. You can adjust the cooking time and temperature manually, depending on your model’s settings. You can always stop cooking as soon as your food is cooked to your liking – there is no need to wait for the preset programme to finish.

Air frying generally requires much less added oil than deep frying, which can reduce the fat and calorie content of the finished dish.

Shaking chips or turning larger pieces of food during cooking helps hot air reach more surfaces. This improves browning and helps food cook more evenly. However, shaking is not always necessary if the basket is not overcrowded and hot air can circulate freely around the food.

An overcrowded basket can restrict airflow and trap moisture around the food. Cook in smaller batches, dry ingredients before cooking and add a little oil if needed. Also, make sure the temperature and cooking time are suitable for the food you are preparing.

An air fryer is suitable for many everyday cooking tasks, including preparing main courses and side dishes. A conventional oven is still useful for large baking trays, bulky oven dishes and quantities of food that would need to be cooked in several batches in an air fryer.