Why is Everyone Air Frying Their Food?
Air frying is all the rage these days. You’re not really frying food. Air frying is a method of cooking that can crisp up the food without using a lot of oil. This makes it a very popular method of preparing your favorite meals. The technology behind this is the same as a convection oven in that it uses high heat and fans that rapidly circulate the air. The result is a very juicy and tender inside with a very crispy outer texture that tastes very much as if it were fried. Since the trans fats resulting from deep frying are a major factor in an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular diseases and other health issues related to being overweight, getting your food to taste good without a lot of fat becomes a high priority.
As this technology has improved in even the last three to four years, air fryers have become as popular in the 21st century as microwaves were in the 1970s.
Comparing Deep Fat Frying to Air Frying
First, let’s get one thing out of the way quickly. You’re never going to be tasting deep fried fatty foods in the same way that you taste something that comes out of an air fryer. The one thing an air fryer will not do is cook wet batters. This means the thicker, crunchy breading that you get when you use wet batter isn’t there.
The advantage here is that air fried foods also don’t carry a heavy, greasy taste you get from deep fried foods. The batter is what absorbs and holds the fat. If you’ve ever had fried dough, you’re basically eating deep fried wet batter.
Another advantage here is that you don’t have to work as hard to get that fried texture with air fryers. Heavy oil is dangerous and it’s time-consuming to use. You have to wait for the oil to come up to the right temperature and cool down and find a way to dispose of it. Air fryers free you from that extra work.
When you’re comparing the time for preparation and cooking, it would appear that deep frying wins the day. However, the advantage goes back to the air fryer when you realize that an air fryer only takes about 2 to 3 minutes to heat up and it’s ready to go.
You also don’t have to worry about the smell. deep oil frying has a distinctive, nearly rancid smell as it breaks down. You avoid this with air frying.
Advantages of Air Frying Over Deep Frying
If you’ve ever eaten food cooked in an air fryer, this list will be like preaching to the choir. If you’re still on the fence about using one, here are some good reasons to pick an air fryer over a deep oil fryer.
Brings Back the Snacks. The best part is that those tasty junk foods that you crave can rejoin you during the big game (you can leave the carrots out for those that haven’t eaten a vegetable all day).
Fried foods are banned from heart-healthy diets because of the breading and other batter coatings. The air fryer gives you that fried food flavor without the coatings. Nutritionists will have no problem approving chicken made without first being dunked in oil.
More Choices for Oils Adds More Flavor. A lot of healthy oils can be used in an air fryer. If you’re still looking for the moisture you find inside deep fried foods, you can add many flavorful, healthy oils to an air fryer. Avocado oil for richness, coconut oil for tropical cuisines and farm fresh vegetables tossed in olive oil all taste amazing in an air fryer.
Faster Set Up and Take Down. How often do you deep fry food? The hassles of dragging out a deep fryer, changing the oil, cleaning the appliance – these are eliminated when you choose to cook with an air fryer instead.
Faster Clean Up. Most air fryer baskets can go right into the dishwasher. You’ll be watching a movie while the dishes are getting cleaned and won’t have to face emptying the deep fryer after the oil has cooled enough to handle.
Cheaper to Use. Since you don’t have to spend a paycheck on oil every time you want homemade potato chips, you can spend the money on fresher ingredients or just leave it in the bank for a rainy day.
Air Frying is a Safer Way to Cook. Between 2012 and 2016, fat, grease and other combustible oils were responsible for 24,700 fires [souhttps://go.nfpa.org/l/14662/2020-11-30/8h3wyxrce]. While just 700 were in a deep fryer, that means 24,000 were trying to deal with fat and grease and failed miserably. An air fryer can reduce the amount of fires, injuries and deaths related to grease fires in the home.
If you’re looking for a healthier, safer way to cook and still create delicious food, you really need to check out air fryers.
