Nowadays, almost every home has various household appliances designed to make housekeeping easier and save owners a lot of time, which is always in short supply. This is especially true when it comes to cooking, because you always want to please yourself and your household with delicious pastries, healthy cocktails, amazing borscht... How can you manage everything?
This is why we need kitchen helpers: blenders, shakers, toasters, etc. If you decide to acquire a modern, reliable and easy-to-use device, an air fryer will be an ideal option.
Air fryer: what is it and what is it for?
An air fryer is a type of convection oven and is a versatile cooking appliance . The design of the air fryer is quite simple. The device looks like a large saucepan.
On a plastic stand that protects the table surface from high temperatures, there is a transparent flask made of heat-resistant material, which is covered on top with a special thick lid, equipped with a control panel (electronic or mechanical), a fan and a built-in heating device .
The working container is the main element of the device. The most popular models are those with a flask volume of 10–11 liters, however, if necessary, you can opt for a more compact unit with a volume of 7 liters.
The functional lid is the heaviest part of the air fryer. Its weight can reach 2.5 kg. The power of heating elements ranges from 600 Watts or more. By type, heating elements are divided into the following:
- tubular;
- halogen.
Models with tubular heating systems will last much longer than halogen ones, and their cost is much lower. However, if you are looking for an environmentally friendly device that saves energy, it is better to opt for halogen heating systems.
Fans ensure uniform heating of the working container, directing air flows first from top to bottom, then vice versa.
In addition to the air fryer itself, the kit usually includes additional accessories : skewers, tongs for gripping hot dishes, a steamer (a special baking tray with a smooth surface divided by partitions to allow cooking several dishes at the same time), several baking racks, etc.
Before starting work, the required amount of products is placed on the steamer and/or grids, which are then placed in a glass flask. After closing the lid, select the desired operating mode of the device and simply wait for the cooking result. The heating element, heating up, begins to radiate heat, which is evenly distributed throughout the working chamber by means of a fan.
Many models are equipped with a special regulator that allows you to set and change the speed of air flow and air temperature. The presence of such a function allows you to select the desired cooking mode for each product individually, preventing overcooking, underdrying, etc.
How does an air fryer work?
The principle of heat treatment of products in this device is somewhat reminiscent of conversion, and somewhat reminiscent of grilling. According to manufacturers, the technology of cooking in an air fryer is as close as possible to a Russian oven .
You can cook dishes either inside a fireproof flask (metal, ceramic or glass) or on a steamer (or grill).
absolutely anything can be cooked using an air fryer , but in fact, most housewives use this device only for preparing homemade barbecue, baking and frying fish, poultry and meat.
Dishes prepared in an air fryer have an impeccable taste and look simply excellent. In addition, the device allows you to cook food without the use of fat and oil, which is important for people who adhere to a healthy diet.
In addition, the design of the unit is such that even excess fat in the product itself is melted and flows down freely, so most of the dishes obtained during the cooking process can be classified as dietary .
The functionality of the air fryer allows it to be used for sterilizing marinades, smoking, simmering, drying, baking, stewing, as well as preparing soups and main courses . However, in practice, this is not always advisable, so such methods of processing products are used quite rarely.
Almost all of the above functions of a convection oven can be performed by a regular electric stove, however, this will require additional energy consumption. In addition, the air fryer heats up faster (which is important), and its design allows you to cook several dishes at the same time.
What dishes can be used in the air fryer?
The kitchen air fryer is a glass bowl with thick walls and a capacity of up to 10 liters. A grate is usually supplied with the unit; it can be installed inside the device and food can be placed directly on it.
But you can also cook in a bowl in an air fryer - this is especially convenient when you need to make soup or porridge. And if you place the second dish in the appliance in a bowl with solid walls, then later you will not have to wash the grate from any remaining fat.
Several types of dishes are suitable for placement inside the unit:
- Ceramic. The material tolerates temperature well, does not crack or melt. The advantage of ceramics is that it does not enter into a chemical reaction with products and does not affect their taste and benefits. Dishes retain the most intense aroma. But the plates themselves, even with constant use, do not absorb odors and are easy to clean.
The downside of ceramic cookware is considered to be low thermal conductivity - food warms up more slowly - Metal. The air fryer can be used to place cookware made of stainless steel or aluminum with a non-stick coating. Such containers heat up very quickly, making them convenient to use if you need to cook food urgently. It is important to handle the inner lining of metal pans carefully and not leave scratches on it.
You can use steel containers without plastic elements on the handles in the convection oven. - Glass. Plates, bowls, cups and jars work well to be placed inside a kitchen appliance. They heat up evenly, provide quick cooking, and after use they are easy to clean with a regular gel. The main thing is that the glass is heat-resistant, designed for high temperatures.
Glass is afraid of sudden thermal changes - chilled containers cannot be placed in a convection oven - Silicone. In the air fryer, you can use baking dishes - the same ones that are usually placed in the oven. Silicone not only conducts heat well, but also helps prevent flour products from sticking to the bottom and walls of the kitchen appliance. You don't even need to grease the pans with oil before baking.
Before using silicone molds, they must be checked for integrity.
Attention!
Photos of dishes for the air fryer show that you can put gold-plated plates in it. Regular hot air does not harm decorative elements on bowls and cups. Although almost any type of cookware can be used in an air fryer, some plate materials cannot be placed in it. Namely:
- paper and cardboard - disposable containers can catch fire when exposed to high temperatures;
- wooden - if you turn on the device at maximum power, the wood will most likely begin to smolder and smoke;
- plastic - the material does not withstand extreme temperatures, emits an unpleasant odor or melts.
Advice! The cookware can be used together with the wire rack. It is convenient to place a bowl of vegetables at the bottom of the container, and a plate of meat or soup on the middle level.
Advantages and disadvantages of an air fryer
Advantages of the device:
- Possibility of preparing several dishes at the same time.
- Excess fat does not remain on the products, but flows to the bottom of the working container.
- Food is prepared with minimal or no added fat.
- You can cook in any container.
- There is no need to open the lid, since the cooking process is visible through the transparent walls of the flask.
In addition to the advantages, air fryers have the following disadvantages:
- The glass container gets very hot, and prolonged operation of the device at high power increases energy consumption. The average power is 1 thousand watts, the maximum is 1300 watts.
- The dimensions of the device require the allocation of a large space, which is not very convenient if the kitchen area is small.
- Dries food. If there is no possibility of regulating the strength and speed of air flows, the top layer of the prepared dish becomes dry.
- Difficulty in mastering. Although manufacturers claim that working with an air fryer is easy and simple (most likely, this is done for advertising purposes), in fact, mastering the device requires the consumer to carefully study the instructions, as well as spend time and effort. In addition, a beginner will spoil a lot of products before he learns how to operate this unit.
- Difficulty in washing The container is quite large in size, and the heavy lid has a complex structure.
- Since the working flask gets quite hot, the device can be dangerous if there are small children in the house.
Types of air fryers
Simple devices . They have a minimum of functions and are used for preparing hearty, tasty, but fairly simple everyday dishes (porridge, soups), as well as for frying or baking fish, poultry, meat, and vegetables.
Multifunction devices . In addition to the standard set of options, they also have additional ones. For example, using a multifunctional air fryer allows you to prepare baked goods from any type of dough (bread, Easter cakes, sponge cake, meringue, as well as choux pastry products).
It is also possible to prepare dairy products: fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. The multifunctional air fryer is capable of smoking meat, lard, poultry, and fish both cold and hot.
As for the cost of the unit, the first option, naturally, will cost you less. These devices have a predominantly mechanical control system and are equipped with special switches with which the heating time and temperature are set. A significant disadvantage of such a simple air fryer can be considered the limitation of cooking time (the timer is set for no more than 60 minutes).
Poultry in an air fryer
A medium-sized (1.5 kg) duck or chicken in an air fryer is baked whole in about 1-1.5 hours at an operating temperature of 250 degrees. It is recommended to cook on the lower rack and turn the bird to the other side every 30 minutes. This way, the meat will be thoroughly baked, and the crust will be golden brown and tender.
Cooking in an air fryer. Poultry in an air fryer.
Larger carcasses are processed at the rate of 60 minutes per kilogram of product weight at medium fan speed. To test for doneness, carefully pierce the bird at the joint with a knife. If clear juice has released, the dish is ready and, after cooling slightly, can be served.
Cooking sweet dishes
Cottage cheese casserole in an air fryer turns out especially tender and airy. It is cooked for 40 minutes at a temperature of 185-205 ° C in a special form under a closed lid on the lowest rack. It is recommended to cool the dessert before serving.
Curd casserole in an air fryer
Making sponge cake in an air fryer is not difficult. The prepared dough must be poured into a springform pan and placed in a unit preheated to 180 °C. The biscuit is baked on the middle rack for half an hour. The temperature does not change during cooking. The finished delicacy can be coated with sour cream, decorated with fruit or whipped cream.
Sponge cake in an air fryer
Air fryer dishes. Baking in an air fryer: video recipe for charlotte
How to cook vegetables
Regular potatoes are baked in an air fryer at a temperature of 210-220°C for 30-35 minutes. First, the tubers need to be rinsed with water, peeled and shallowly cut. Then thoroughly coat with a mixture of salt, olive oil, paprika and ground black pepper and place on the lower wire tier for processing.
Air fryer dishes. Baked potatoes
Stuffed zucchini in an air fryer can be prepared in just a quarter of an hour. First, you need to wash the vegetables, peel them and carefully remove the pulp with a teaspoon. The resulting boats can be filled with any filling you like (minced meat, vegetable mixture, cheese-garlic mixture, etc.) and placed on the bottom rack of the air fryer for 15-20 minutes. The temperature switch must be set to 180 °C and the average ventilation speed must be selected.
Stuffed zucchini in the air fryer.
