Perhaps you’ve heard the buzz around these little cooking whizzes, and you’ve found yourself wondering, is cooking with an air fryer really healthier?
Deciding whether or not to invest in a new cooking appliance and method comes with many questions – you want to make sure you’re making the best choice.
We’re here to lay it all out for you, how air fryers work as well as the advantages and disadvantages of cooking with these appliances. This way, you can make an informed decision as to whether you think cooking with an air fryer is indeed healthy.
What is an air fryer?
So you’ve heard about this innovative kitchen appliance, and you’re dying to know: what exactly is an air fryer?
Basically, an air fryer is a smaller convection oven that sits on your counter. They can be used to cook just about anything. However, they’re best known for being used for cooking crispy foods – like chicken nuggets or fries – that mimic the original, deep-fried versions.
Now that you know what an air fryer is and what it can do let’s look at how these appliances work and create these crispy snacks.
How do air fryers work?
To give a brief answer to this question, air fryers essentially use a combination of a little bit of oil and hot air to create delicious crispy foods. But how could a machine possibly achieve this, you ask? Let’s take a more in-depth look at how these kitchen appliances function.
An air fryer is essentially a hybrid between a deep fryer and a traditional convection oven. When you place an item of food in the fry basket, the air fryer cooks the food by circulating very hot air around it.
Generally, you only need to use about one tablespoon of oil when cooking in an air fryer. This means that an air fryer can deliver crispy foods with a similar texture to fried foods while almost eliminating the high-fat and high-calorie oils that are usually associated with the frying process.
Benefits of cooking with an air fryer
Based on the above, it’s easy to see that one of the most significant benefits of cooking with an air fryer is the lower fat and calorie content. But these aren’t the only advantages of cooking in an air fryer.
Cooking with air fryers reduces the risk of taking in harmful chemicals
Acrylamide is a toxic chemical that forms when certain foods are cooked at extremely high temperatures, as is the case with deep frying. Research has shown that this compound can increase the risk of developing certain types of cancers.
So by switching to an air fryer, you’ll be limiting the chances of you ingesting this dangerous compound.
Lowering your intake of deep-fried foods can reduce the risk of disease
Eating fried foods increases the likeliness of several diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure and diabetes. This is due to many factors. For example, deep-friend foods contain significant amounts of trans fats, which can increase the likeliness of developing high blood pressure.
So by switching to an air fryer, you’ll be avoiding all these harmful things and effectively reducing the risk of developing the above diseases.
Cooking with an air fryer can aid in weight loss
Deep-fried foods tend to contain higher amounts of fat and calories. So taking in too much of these fried foods can result in obesity. However, by changing your cooking method to an air fryer, and monitoring your intake of high-fat foods, you’re likely to experience weight loss.
Disadvantages of cooking with an air fryer
While air fryers certainly present a healthier alternative to deep-fried foods, it’s better for one’s health to lower the intake of these foods altogether.
Based on the above information, it’s pretty easy to see that air fryers are usually the healthy cooking method. Now that you know the benefits of using these appliances, it’s time to choose the right air fryer for you.
