If you love deep-fried food but are trying to commit to a healthier lifestyle, an air fryer could be the perfect home appliance for you. Offering a healthier alternative to deep-fat fryers, air fryers can produce the delicious crispness that you expect from fried food but with lower levels of fat and calories.
Here, we take a look at how air fryers compare to deep-fat fryers, and why you should get one for your home.
Are air fryers better than deep-fat fryers?
When it comes to preparing food, frying is never the healthiest option. However, if you can’t resist the tasty texture that fried food offers, an air fryer is certainly the way forward if you want to keep your calorie intake down.
With an air fryer, you just need to add a drop of oil which is then dispersed across the food via hot air. This hot air cooks the food and pulls the moisture from it which will give it the crisp texture that you desire.
This is very different to essentially bathing your food in a pool of hot oil by using a deep-fat fryer as, in addition to being far less healthy, it can be messy and produce unwanted odours too.
Air fryers are safer to use than deep-fat fryers too, especially if you have children around. It can be easy to spill or splash hot oil from a deep-fat fryer, but this is not an issue with air fryers – although they do get hot so care and attention are still necessary when in use.
A top-rated fryer with a clear viewing lid and great performance over a variety of foods.
via johnlewis.com
Air fryer features to look out for
If you’re hoping to buy an air fryer, there are a few features to look out for. Budget friendly air fryers are very simple in design, which can be perfect for occasionally making chips and fried snacks, but won’t be so helpful if you want to use it for a multitude of recipes.
More expensive options boast features such as stirring paddles and rotating baskets, which are ideal when making chips, plus digital timers and temperature controls which can make the frying process far easier and more convenient.
You might also want to consider how you can check your food with each air fryer model. For example, some designs require you to pull out a basket or tray in order to look at your food, while others have a bowl with a transparent lid or viewing window which you can check the progress through.
When it comes to shopping for air fryers, some models really are far better than others, so doing your research is very important. You can usually get a good air fryer for between £60 and £150, with cheaper options having a smaller capacity and less features.
The right air fryer for you really does depend on what you’re going to be using it for, as there’s a big difference between a model that’s good for snacks and one that’s going to help you to cook for the whole family.
Ready to buy an air fryer for your home? You now have all of the information you need to make the right decision for you.
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