Air Fryer: Working, Uses, Advantages & Disadvantages

Scientific advancements and increasing awareness among health-conscious people have led people to look for healthy cooking options. People nowadays are on the lookout for healthy food options, from having a nutrition-rich diet to choosing the most nutritious cooking oil. An air fryer is a tool that is nowadays used by people to cook food without oil. In this article, we are going to check the use of air fryers.

We will also look at the advantages and disadvantages of cooking using an air fryer and check out the various recipes that can be cooked using an air fryer. Also, let us know the best air fryer brands in India and air fryer benefits.

1. Best Air Fryer With Rapid Air Technology: PHILIPS Digital Air Fryer

2. Best Air Fryer With Different Preset Programs: Inalsa Digital Fryer Nutri Fry

3. Best Air Fryer With A Large Capacity: Instant Vortex Air Fryer

4. Best Air Fryer With Digital Advance Technology: KENT Hot Air Fryer

The table below includes 6 best air fryers available in India:

Air fryers have become a useful kitchen appliance in today’s time. This appliance speeds up the process of frying, baking and grilling effectively. Let’s have a look at the best air fryers available in India.

This air fryer from Philips comes in large size with a capacity of 4.1 L. The air fryer features a patented rapid air technology that ensures that the food is evenly fried without flipping. It also includes a unique starfish design pan. The air fryer helps in various processes such as frying, baking, grilling, roasting and reheating. With different presets available on the touch screen panel, this appliance allows better usage and to try out new recipes. It also includes an auto shut off function which can be used when the basket is removed. The air fryer is dishwasher safe. 

Product Features:

• Includes an auto shut-off function
• Comes with a digital display and touch panel
• Features a patented rapid air technology

This air fryer from Inalsa is a handy kitchen appliance. The air fryer includes an air system technology that assists in frying the food at a high speed and constant temperature. For better usage, it comes with 8 preset programs that allow you to cook all kinds of vegetables, meat, fish and more. This appliance is entirely digital and you can use the touch screen to manage it easily. Once your cooking is done, the air fryer ensures cool touch handles and plays the buzzer at the end of cooking.

Product Features:

• Comes with non-slip feet
• Easy to use features
• 36o degrees of frying

This air fryer ensures easy and quick cooking. The appliance comes with simple touch controls and you can quickly fry, roast, bake and reheat your food with just one touch. This air fryer saves kitchen space and lets you whip up a quick dinner within minutes. This is a large capacity air fryer; you can quickly cook French fries, samosas, kababs, chicken nuggets, and more at home.

Product Features:

• Includes one touch digital panel
• Has a high food grade plastic body
• Comes with a non stick cooking tray

This air fryer comes with a capacity of 4 L. The kitchen appliance equips with a rapid air technology that ensures your food is cooked using less oil. Different features allow you to manage temperature and the appliance can shut on or off on its own. Also, this air fryer is safe to use as it comes with a cool touch handle. Moreover, its air filtration system will ensure that there’s no lingering foul odor trapped in the air fryer.

Product Features:

• Manage temperature control
• Includes a heat resistant handle
• Easy to clean

This smart kitchen appliance from KENT helps in cooking food using less oil. It features a rapid hot air technology that fries the food with hot air and makes it crispy from the outside and tender from the inside. The 8 preset menu options let you cook a variety of dishes such as French fries, baked corn, fish and more. Its large capacity allows you to cook 1.4 kg per batch. For easy use, it features digital control with an LED display which includes menu, time and temperature settings.

Product Features:

• Allows faster and uniform heating
• Includes inner tray
• Good for small families

The air fryer from Havells has 10 preset options to cook and a digital touch control panel. The LED display also includes the cooking time and temperature to manage the cooking time better. The temperature can be controlled up to 200 degrees. Its auto shut-off feature shuts the appliance automatically for up to 60 minutes. The pan of the air fryer has a capacity of 6.5 L and the food basket has a capacity of 5 L. It also features a safety lock and over heating protection function.

Product Features:

• Includes 10 preset cooking function
• Manages the temperature up to 200 degrees
• Large size

What Is An Air Fryer?

An air fryer is a tool that is used for cooking food without oil. It is similar to an oven, since both are used for baking and roasting. The difference lies in its heating elements. In an air fryer, the heating elements are located on the top and are accompanied by a large and powerful fan, resulting in crispy food with less oil than its deep-fried counterparts.

Air fryers heat up very quickly, and they cook food evenly and rapidly due to the combined presence of a concentrated heat source and the size and placement of the fan.

Air fryers are also very easy to clean. Most of the air fryer parts are dishwasher safe, which ensures that you can clean them easily. This ensures that you do not need to worry anymore about cleaning them. You can also call them a frying machine without oil.

How Does an Air Fryer Work?

Before discussing the use of an air fryer and air fryer benefits, let us talk about how an air fryer works.

Air fryers work by circulating hot air around a food item to create the same crispiness as traditional fried foods. These achieve this desired effect by removing high fat and high-calorie oils from the cooking process. The air fry machine requires very little oil as compared to other deep frying techniques. With only one spoon of oil, you can cook your favorite food items instead of using multiple cups of oil.

A fan pushes heated air- up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit around the food. The circulating air cooks the outside of the foods first, which creates a crispy brown coating and keeps the inside soft, just like deep-fried foods. The grease, if any from the food, is collected in a basket at the bottom.

Research shows that air fryers use heated air containing fine oil droplets to take the moisture out of the foods. As a result, it produces the same kind of fried food, but with significantly lower levels of fat.

Air fryers trigger a chemical reaction called the Millard effect that improves the color and flavor of the air-fried food. So, this is all about ‘what does an air fryer do.’

Is Cooking with an Air Fryer Healthy?

If you are wondering ‘is air fried food healthy?’, the answer is Yes! The use of air fryers is healthy and nutritious.

Use of an Air Fryer

You can cook pretty much everything with the use of an air fryer. This means that you can now enjoy your favorite French fries, samosas, and nuggets without having to worry about the oil.

Some of the dishes that you can air fry with the use of an air fryer are:

• Chicken, including chicken nuggets, fingers, and pakoras.
• Vegetables.
• Cutlets, samosas, onion rings, and French fries.
• Your favorite pizzas.
• Doughnuts
• Fish cutlets and fries.
• Cheese sticks.

• Air fryers are fast, and once you understand how they work, they can be used to heat frozen foods or cook all sorts of fresh food like chicken, steak, pork chops, fish, and vegetables. All the meat requires is a little bit of seasoning with salt and your favorite herbs and spices.
• Sticking to dry seasoning is better since less moisture guarantees crispier food. In case you want to brush your beat with barbeque sauce, it is best to wait till the final minutes of cooking.
• Lean cuts of meat or food with little to no fat require brown and crisp oil. Brush boneless chicken breasts and pork chops with a little bit of oil before seasoning. Vegetable oil or canola oil is recommended due to its higher smoke point, ensuring that they stand to the high heat in an air fryer.
• Vegetables should also be tossed in oil and sprinkled with salt before air frying. The crispy, air-fried bits pack a lot of flavors. Using an air fryer for broccoli florets, Brussels sprouts, and baby potato halves gives us an amazing crispy output. Butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and beets taste equally good when air fried.

You can also purchase some improved models that have baking and toasting settings that work like conventional ovens. You can use them for baking brownies and roasting a chicken.

However, there is a small disadvantage with air fryers- their small basket size leaves little room to cook an entire family meal.

Hence, you can enjoy unlimited use of an air fryer.

Benefits of Air Fryer

There are many air fryer benefits. This is the reason why more and more people are opting for the use of air fryer nowadays.

Some of the air fryer benefits are mentioned below.

1. Aid in weight loss

Obesity is a common disease these days. Almost half of the world is affected by obesity. A common reason for this is the junk and oily fried food that we consume. Deep-fried foods tend to be high in fat and calories.

Switching from deep-fried foods to air-fried foods can help in losing weight. Since these use an almost negligible amount of oil, they are a preferred cooking option for people trying to shed off the extra kilos.

2. Safer option compared to deep fryers

Frying food in kadhai-deep oil always has the threat of spilling, splashing, and accidentally touching hot oil. However, the use of air fryer for cooking food does not have such problems. If you are looking for an answer to ‘is air fryer safe?’, the answer is yes.

3. Reduce the risk of toxic acrylamide formation

Frying food in oil can cause the development of dangerous compounds like acrylamide. This develops while deep frying certain food items. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, acrylamide may be linked to cancer development, including endometrial, ovarian, pancreatic, breast, and esophageal cancer.

Additional studies have also suggested a link between dietary acrylamide and kidney, endometrial, or ovarian cancers.

Switching to the use of an air fryer can lower the risk of acrylamide in food.

4. Can lower the risk of contracting various diseases

Consuming deep-fried food for a prolonged period can have an adverse effect on the heart, kidney, liver, and our body as a whole. Replacing deep frying with air frying can reduce our risk of contracting such diseases.

If the thought “is cooking with air fryer healthy” is still tormenting you, then let us assure you that it is one of the safest and quickest options to eat fried foods without the adverse health impact.

Disadvantages of Air Fryer

Everything comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Let us look at the disadvantages of air fryer and downside of eating air-fried food.

1. Not Necessarily healthier

While air fryers are capable of providing more healthy food options than deep-frying, limiting fried food intake altogether can significantly benefit a person’s health.

Only replacing deep-fried food with air-fried food cannot ensure good health. Regular exercise, proper sleeping patterns, a healthy diet, and drinking lots of water are all vital for good health.

2. Can Create Harmful Compounds

Though air frying reduces the risk of acrylamide formation, other potentially harmful compounds can still form. It can lead to the production of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines when meat is cooked in high heat.

According to the National Cancer Institute, these compounds can cause cancer.

Air Fryer vs Deep Fryer

Air fryers and deep fryers have certain differences. Let us look at the differences between air fryers and deep fryers.

1. Oil Requirement

Deep fryers require enough oil to completely submerge the food. Air fryers, on the other hand, require an almost negligible amount of oil. You can fry your favorite dishes in an air fryer with a spoon or even no oil.

Food cooked in a deep fryer has a thicker and crispier crust since the oil penetrates deeper.

Since air fryers use little to no oil, some foods can come out dryer than what you would find with a deep fryer.

2. Used For

Deep fryers are strictly for frying foods. Air fryers, on the other hand, can be used for grilling, roasting, and even baking.

3. Cleaning

The cleaning process in an air fryer is easier compared to a deep fryer.

Air Frying versus Deep Frying: Which One is Better?

We compared which is better based on these 3 parameters.

1. Taste

If the taste is what you look for in food, then a deep fryer would be appropriate. Although air fryers can produce a crispy exterior similar to deep-fried food, there is nothing that can win over the taste of deep-fried food. Also, the use of an air fryer for certain food items can make them dry compared to their deep-fried counterparts.

2. Health

Deep-fried food is usually very unhealthy since there is an excess amount of fat added to the foods.

But does air fryers use oil?

An air fryer does not use oil at all or you can use just a fraction of the oil you would normally use, reducing the level of fat in the meal.

When it comes to health, the air fryer wins in this category.

3. Versatility

If you want an appliance that can do more than just fry foods, then you will want to buy an air fryer. You can purchase accessories that will allow you to grill and roast foods. You can even make desserts in an air fryer. Then an air fryer is a more versatile appliance out of these two.

An air fryer can also act as an alternative to deep-frying for health-conscious people. Having air-fried food is recommended for people with high cholesterol, liver and kidney disorders, or who are trying to lose weight.

Air fryer recipes

Let us check out some crispy, delicious, and decadent meals that are air-fried.

1. Air fried sweet chili chicken wings

You may never order restaurant chicken wings after sinking your teeth into this homemade version which is crunchy and tossed in a Thai-inspired sauce made with soy sauce, sweet chili, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.

2. Crispy air fried fish fillets

Use any semi-firm, flaky white fish to make this version of fish and chips. You could also eat these fish fillets in taco form, on top of a salad, or in a burrito bowl.

3. Air fried wonton mozzarella sticks

This hugely favorite recipe can be made in no time in an air fryer. Wrap mozzarella string cheese in egg roll wrappers, spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss them in an air fryer to get golden brown.

4. Air fried caramelized bananas

This caramelized banana dessert is so decadent you will forget that you are gorging on fruit. Top it with anything from banana and cinnamon to ice cream and chopped walnuts.

5. Air fried sesame chicken

Boneless chicken thighs get coated in corn starch then tossed in a homemade Chinese-inspired glaze made with hoisin sauce, soy sauce, orange juice, and sesame seeds. The result will be better than even a restaurant.

6. Air fried eggplant parmesan

This is a favorite among vegetarians. This crunchy, cheesy, saucy eggplant can be cooked in no time and with no oil. Serve a few of these eggplant rounds in stacks, coated with melted mozzarella cheese and your favorite marinara sauce.

7. Air fried shrimp fajitas

Frozen shrimp, bell peppers, and onion get cooked in the air fryer with taco seasoning, then everything is tossed in tortillas. Serve it with a side of rice for a super-filling lunch or dinner.

8. Air fried honey glazed salmon

This is a tasty and lip-smacking fish recipe that you just cannot get wrong with.

9. Air fried coconut shrimps

Dredged in eggs, panko, and shredded coconut, this crunchy, breaded shrimp is a delectable mix of sweet and savory.

10. Air fried cinnamon rolls

If you have a sudden sweet tooth, then delve into these puff pastries topped with a mixture of cinnamon, sugar, and butter. Toss them into the air fryer and outcomes these heavenly cinnamon rolls.

Is an air fryer healthy?

By most measures, air frying is healthier than frying in oil. It cuts calories by 70-80% and has a lot less fat. This cooking method might also cut down on some other effects of oil frying.

If you are looking to trim your waistline, swapping your deep-fried food with air-fried foods can be a very good idea. Research on the effects of air-fried food is currently limited, but experts suggest that we should cut down on our intake of fried food irrespective of the mode of cooking. Just because your food is air fried does not mean it is the healthiest.

Try to incorporate other cooking options too in your diets such as roasting, grilling, baking, and pan-searing foods. Maintaining a variety of cooking methods and foods will help you to stay fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

This article will clear all your doubts about the use of air fryers and ‘is air frying healthy?’

At the end of the day, it is a pretty slick gadget. It can fulfill all your desires of eating all the lip-smacking and delicious fried food but without the oil input. The results are so much better than oil frying, your kitchen stays mess-free too. While it does an admirable job cooking other meats and vegetables, the air fryer really shines at mock deep frying.

This article includes some top picks such as PHILIPS Digital Air Fryer, Inalsa Digital Fryer Nutri Fry, Instant Vortex Air Fryer and KENT Hot Air Fryer.

This article will let you know the benefits of an air fryer and the side effects of using it for cooking in an air fryer and also provide you with a list of lip-smacking recipes that you can cook while enjoying the comfort of your home. It will further tell you how to do air fryers work and the various ways in which you can use an air fryer.

Air Fryer- A detailed study

Frequently Asked Questions