The one appliance you NEED in you life!
Trying new recipes in the Air Fryer has become a weekly occurrence for me because of the ease of this appliance. You may be asking yourself, "Are air fryers worth the money?". Well, I have honestly become so obsessed with it, I started promoting it to all my friends and family by nature. It is my new favorite appliance in the kitchen and if you are considering getting one, please read on to find out why I love it so much!
Thanks for all that you do, Air Fryer
Firstly, I had no clue what all you could do. To find out, I really had to start experimenting (plus watching numerous vids on Instagram). The air fryer is 1 unit that can cook your whole meal. It uses a convection mechanism and circulates hot air around your food to cook it. Typically, just in like baking or sauteing, you use as small amount of fat (oil, butter, etc.) to cover the food to help it cook evenly and not burn. Same concept with the air fryer.
You do not submerge your food products in oil to get them "crisp" but rather just use a spray oil or toss with a little oil to cook. This cuts down on a lot of fat that would be used to deep fry a food traditionally. The amount of oil I use in my air fryer is the same as I would when I am baking or sauteing. The beauty is, it comes up much crispier and quicker in the air fryer.
Time is Money
Time is money, and if an appliance can save me 1 hour in the kitchen these days, I am all for it. The amount of time it takes to cook my whole dinner in the air fryer is drastically shorter than it would on the range or in the oven. I have timed out most of my meals to be ready within 30 minutes. Versus if I was using the range or the oven, it could be upwards of 1 hour before I get to eat my delicious meal.
For example, let's say I am making salmon with roasted zucchini and sweet potatoes. I prep the sweet potatoes and put them in the air fryer for 10-12 minutes (flipping in between). While the potatoes are cooking, I prep the zucchini and the salmon. Once the potatoes are finished, I put them in a bowl and cover them. Then I cook the zucchini which takes 5 minutes and then the salmon which takes about 12 minutes. Once those are done, I pop the potatoes back in for a minute or 2 to crisp them back up and my whole dinner is ready. Overall, that took roughly 30 minutes. Not to mention just one appliance.
Who likes doing a million dishes anyway?!
So onto the next perk of the air fryer: the amount of dishes used in cooking. This is probably my favorite perk using the air fryer for cooking. I am using 1 appliance to cook some or all of my dinner.
Normally, for the above said dinner, I would be using 2 pans - one for the salmon & one for the squash, and then a baking sheet for the sweet potatoes. Plus, I would use at least 1 spatula. With that added up, that's a whole sink full of dishes. Which more than likely I have to hand wash anyway.
With the air fryer you just use the 1 appliance and because it has a handy handle, you toss everything in the air fryer- no need for wooden spoons or a spatula. So again - time is money, and here I get to save at least 10 to 15 minutes in the kitchen every time I use the air fryer. Plus who wants to be doing a ton of dishes when they can relax after dinner instead?!
Anybody can do it!
The air fryer is foolproof. I say that because I truly feel like even the worst cooks can learn how to use this appliance and cook delish meals at home. Firstly, not only does it come with a book of recipes, but it also has a set guide on the appliance of standard temperatures and cooking times for multiple food items.
For example, the Fish setting is set to 400 degrees for 12 minutes. How hard is it to put a piece of fish in the air fryer topped with some spice, maybe some oil, press a button, and have dinner ready? It is so simple. At first I played around with the different setting to get used to it and you can definitely do that. But if you are someone that does not know how to cook well but still wants to enjoy a delicious meal at home, this appliance makes it very simple for you to do so.
Consistency is Key
Lastly, I want to mention the delicious consistency that my food has when it's made in the air fryer. I have made chicken, fish, beef, tofu, vegetables, and potatoes, just to name a few. I have made them with just some seasoning and oil and I have made them seasoning and breaded. The consistency comes out just how it should, every single time. It is really hard to overcook anything in the air fryer because the way it cooks the product - convection method and uses air to cook.
The crispiness on my breaded foods is divine - no oven could over bake that well and have that delicious texture in that short amount of time. Any foods that I have just used seasoning and oil have turned out so great. Sometimes it's easy to overcook foods when you saute and it can come out mushy, but with the air fryer it comes out crisp on the outside and tender on the inside - like it's meant to be.
A word on leftovers...
I can't forget to tell you about leftovers! This thing is a miracle worker when it comes to reheating leftovers. Firstly, if you had made something crispy the night before, the next day when you reheat it in the air fryer - it regains it's crispiness! How great is that? Plus it takes like 3-5 minutes to reheat leftovers that taste great and remain juicy. Versus the microwave which literally pulls all the moisture out of the food you reheat.
I haven't tried the air fryer for baking or cooking eggs or some of the other fun stuff you can do in it but that is definitely on my to-do list. There are a ton of options, and multiple accessories available to use this appliance for a variety of cooking techniques.
Cost
Air fryer like many other appliance can range in price. I have researched many air fryers and they can range anywhere from $50 to $300 depending on brand, size, and functionality. I am not here to tell you which one will work for you but I have tried several and have seen some differences in them. You can get the direct link at the bottom for the one I recommend!
Are you convinced yet?
Overall, I think the air fryer should be and could become a staple appliance in every household. It makes cooking easy, fun, and less over-whelming. The time savings alone are huge. So if you're still asking yourself if air fryers are worth the money I hope this post helps to give you some more insight into this magical appliance. I rave about it all the time and have become nonchalantly it's #1 fan!