Having an air fryer has proved to be incredibly handy and useful in the kitchen, as it allows you to whip up meals and snacks so quickly! No wonder everyone is going crazy and buying them.
Your meals are also much healthier when cooked in an air fryer as you are using less oil, as hot air is blown on your food, heating it up from all angles. This is why food is so delicious, crispy, and tender when cooked in an air fryer.
But there is actually more to know about air fryers than you think. Read on to find out our top 10 air fryer hacks that will change your life!
- An alternative to the microwave
When reheating food, it can be tempting to just quickly use the microwave to get instant results. But do you ever notice that your food isn’t quite the same, and it is more soggy and mushy than it previously was?
Well, if you use an air fryer to reheat your meals, your food will come out a lot crispier and tastier than using a microwave. If you set the temperature to a low one, it won’t overcook or burn your food at all, and it is perfect for those days where all you want to eat is leftovers!
- You can make desserts
Air fryers aren’t simply for cooking big dinners and main meals – you can also make desserts and sweet things too!
If you’re in the mood to whip up some brownies, cakes, or doughnuts, you can use your air fryer to do so, and it’ll be just as powerful as your oven. You will have to do multiple batches when baking with your air fryer, but your sweet treats will be just as delicious as baking them in the oven!
- Replacement parts
If you find that your air fryer doesn’t work, or some part of it is broken, did you know that you can purchase replacement parts?
This means that you don’t have to throw away your whole air fryer and buy a new one – you can buy individual parts, which will save you a lot of money.
- Boiling eggs
Air fryers are exceptionally handy when it comes to boiling eggs, without needing to boil water and make hard boiled eggs on the stove.
It’s very easy to do – you simply heat up your air fryer and then place your eggs into the fryer basket and let it sit there for about 10-15 minutes. After that, they should be boiled and ready to go!
- Clean air fryer before cooking
Another important hack is to clean your air fryer between each use to clear up any spillages or oil that is left over. It is better to hand wash your air fryer with warm water and soap, instead of sticking it in a dishwasher.
This will prevent your air fryer from being damaged or broken, and will ensure that your air fryer is hygienic and clean when cooking future meals.
- Don’t overcrowd your air fryer
Many people have made the mistake of filling their air fryers completely with food, such as potatoes or French fries, but this is a huge mistake.
Your air fryer needs enough room inside for the air to circulate around so that your food can be cooked thoroughly and evenly.
- Dehydrate food in an air fryer
A great food hack to know is that air fryers can be used to dehydrate food, and you don’t necessarily need to buy a dehydrator in itself.
This may take a few hours, but all you need to do is use the dehydration setting on your air fryer, and make sure the temperature is much lower than usual. You can dehydrate food such as banana pieces, beef strips, peach slices, and blueberries.
- Leave room around your air fryer
As your air fryer uses a lot of heat, it is wise to leave as much room as you can around your air fryer when it is on.
Your machine needs enough room to allow the food to cook, and it is also better to place your air fryer on a heat-proof surface.
- Preheat your air fryer
Before cooking or baking anything, it is so important to preheat your air fryer beforehand. You should always let it heat up for about 4-5 minutes each time, and then place your food inside.
- Add some water
Our final air fryer hack is to add a bit of water when cooking something, particularly fatty foods like sausages and bacon.
This will stop smoke from erupting inside of your fryer basket, as cooking grease can drip down to the base causing a little bit of smoke. Adding water will also stop grease from sticking to the bottom of the fryer basket, and will make cleaning your air fryer much easier!
