At any given point in time I have a "favorite toy" in my kitchen. This same time a year ago was my spiralizer. I was into veggie noodles and would eat them at least three times a week. On the fall / wintertime was my Instant Pot. I mean, how not to be into your Instant Pot? makes your life to easy, makes everything quick, simple and easy to cook at clean. With a busy life like mine those are the magic works: Quick, Easy & Simple. I would also add delicious!
Since we went into quarantine 23 weeks ago, I really got into air frying my food. I thought about buying an air fryer for a few months and the thought of adding another thing in my kitchen counter stopped me from buying it. Then I came across a good deal and bought one. Now I regret not having bought one earlier.
What is really an air fryer and why they have become so popular?
The air fryer uses a combination of heat and air. Like a typical oven, the air fryer heats up, but then the fan “blows the air around, which means faster cooking time and crispy skin on meats. The reason they have become so popular is because with little to no oil at all, it creates crispy, crunchy, and golden-brown foods. So, you get to indulge on all your favorite fried foods without the guilt of eating high fat / high calorie foods.
Thanks to the combo of heat and air, an air fryer is great at:
Adding flavor with little to no fat
Cooking food faster
Faux frying even without added fat
Creating crisp crusts and skin on meats
Preventing frozen foods from getting soggy as they cook
Some of my favorite things to cook in the air fryer include:
Fries, of course. I feel so much better when I give my kids fries made in the air fryer. I don't add any oil at all when cooking them, they are ready quicker than baking them in the oven. We use less electricity and they taste 100 times better. I am not an expert on fries but I bet you can't tell difference between deep fry fries and air fried fries.
For me, I like to make veggie fries. Some of my favorites are zucchini fries, turnip fries and carrot fries. Sooooo goooood! I just cut them, put them in the air fryer and in less than 15 minutes they are ready.
Crispy chickpeas. I like to add these to my salads or eat them as a snack. I have tried different seasonings and really enjoyed them.
Chicken tenders for the kids. I am running all day and those days that I have meetings all the way to lunch it makes an easy and quick lunch for the kids. I through some chicken nuggets and some fries all together in the air fryer and in 12 minutes lunch is ready.
All kinds of protein. We have made burgers, roasted chicken, salmon, really you can cook anything in the air fryer. One thing I really like about cooking meat in the air fryer, aside from the fact that is quick and the meat is cooked perfectly is the fact that all the excess fat goes to the bottom, so not only you don't have to add fat to cook it but you get rid of the fat in the meat, making the dishes even healthier.
How to select the right air fryer?
I looked at many air fryers before decided which one to buy. It's what I do when I am looking to buy something. I am that kind of person. Hopefully I can save you some time trying to figure out which one to get, if you are considering getting one.
Air fryers come in different sizes, that is one important factor to consider. Whether you are cooking just for yourself or you are cooking for a family of 4, like me, size can be a big factor on what air fryer to buy.
Another factor to consider is how much you want or are willing to spend. Prices can range from $45 to several hundred dollars. I found there is a happy medium, you don't really need to spend hundreds of dollars to get a good air fryer that has exactly what you need.
Finally, you might want to consider consolidating appliances. I am all about consolidating and saving space! Some air fryers have baking functionalities, for example. I choose one that has this option, so not only I can use my air fryer to "fry" foods, but I can use to bake stuff instead of having to use my oven. So as you can imagine I find myself using my oven much less these days.
Here are some of the best options I found:
This is the one I have and love: Instant Vortex 4-in-1 Air Fryer
Another great option, where you get a lot for it's value: Ninja Air Fryer
If you want it all, this is the one for you: Instant Vortex Plus 7-in-1
If you are cooking just for yourself: Dash Compact Air Fryer
Looking for recipe ideas?
Check out my Pinterest board