How to Use an Air Fryer?

Do you know how to use an air fryer? We have given almost all details regarding the topic in this article. How you can preheat, reheat, and clean, what you can cook, etc., are a few things you can know. It allows you to cook delicious meals on the table. Besides using the appliance, you can make foods extra crispy while using very little oil. If you are outside, carrying an oven is not always possible. In this case, you should try to use a model rather than that without heating up your kitchen.

What is an Air Fryer?

It is a versatile kitchen appliance used to air fry, roast, bake, broil, crisp, dehydrate and reheat foods. You can use the appliance easily.

Types of Air Fryer:

Two major types are available: basket types and air fryer ovens. The first types come with a removable basket where you can put food. Besides, the second type looks similar to a toaster oven.

These come with racks inside on which you put food. Usually, these come with more cooking functions and space for food inside. However, these can consume more space in the kitchen. Both types work similarly.

How Does Air Fryer Work?

The appliance contains a heating element used to radiate heat. Besides, it comes with a fan used to circulate hot air around the food in the included basket. In addition, the hot air circulation lets you use significantly less oil than you might in the oven. As a result, you can see that food browns provide you with delicious flavour on the caramelized edges.

What Can You Cook With Air Fryer?

Fortunately, it allows you to cook anything. For instance, you can cook proteins like fish, chicken, chicken wings, healthy vegetable side dishes, pork, appetizers such as zucchini fries, and even desserts and baked goods.

It is ideal for cooking foods that you want extra crispy or crunchy, including fried chicken, French fries, and baked potatoes with crispy skins. You may find it tastes like steak or chicken because these can turn out juicy and flavorful.

Safety Precautions:

Go through the safety precautions included in the manual. In addition, we have given here some tips to inform you about the safety tips you should follow.

• As the name suggests, it is designed for its purpose, not traditional oil frying. Therefore, ensure that you must not fill the basket with oil. 
• Remember that you should cook in a well-ventilated area. In this case, your task is to leave massive space around it for the exhaust to ventilate. You should not put this near a wall. 
• While cooking like bacon, be conscious about the smoke point of the fat you are cooking. In this case, you should cook the food item at a temperature lower than the smoke point of bacon grease. Thus, you can prevent your food from burning. For example, you can cook it at 350° F. 
• You must be conscious of the cooking oil's smoke point. Hence, you should avoid using oils with low smoke points or a lower cooking temperature. In addition, you must not allow oil to smoke, burn or splatter on the heating element. 
• Keep your hands protected along with the countertops from the basket included in the appliance. If you are willing, you can set your hot basket on a silicone trivet. In addition, you can use a pot holder/hot pad while taking out the appliance. 
• You need to unplug it while you are not using this. 
• Remember that you must not need to set it on the stove. 

Best Air Fryer Models:

Several models are available on the market. Therefore, knowing which will suit you the most is challenging. 

These are a few names of companies, including—

• Ninja 
• Power XL 
• Ninja Foodie 
• Instant Pot 
• Cuisinart 
• Gourmia 
• Nuwave 
• Emeril Lagasse 
• Walmart 

How to Use An Air Fryer:

Remember that you should not keep your basket overcrowded. If you are willing to get foods crispy and promote even cooking, you need to keep foods in a single layer in the basket. Keep in mind that the foods should not be stacked or layered. It allows you to cook in batches as required. If necessary, you can pull the basket out to check on the progress of food during the cooking cycle.

Choose The Right Temperature:

While setting up the temperature for the appliance, the rule of thumb is to reduce the temperature by 25 degrees. Ensure that you should lower the temperature when cooking in an oven. The included manual asks for recommended temperatures for different foods. You may follow recipes from trusted sources.

Shake Or Flip Part Way Through To Cook Evenly:

If you cook foods in small pieces like Brussels sprouts or French fries, you can allow the basket to have a good shake about halfway through the cooking time. It helps to promote browning and cooking. Likewise, ensure you flip over the pieces of meat like pork chops or chicken while cooking about halfway through.

Dry Foods To Get Them Crispy:

Moisture works the opposite of crispiness. Remember that you should fry your food using a clean kitchen towel or paper towel before adding oil, seasonings, or placing food in the basket.

Air Frying Presets:

Most appliances have several preset programs with cook times and temperatures for familiar foods. You can use the manual air fry function instead of using presets. It allows you to set the cook time and temperature.

How to Preheat:

You may want to preheat your appliance before cooking. But it relies on a few conditions. For example, most instruction manuals preheat it before placing food inside it.

The process allows you to cook your food correctly. It is as if you preheat an oven before placing food inside. Preheating takes a while to cook if you don't preheat the machine.

However, you may not preheat it. You can use a cold machine if you cook foods browning on the edges quickly, but it takes longer to become tender in the center, like broccoli or Brussels sprouts. Thus, you can prevent them from burning on the edges before the centers cook through.

How to Reheat:

You can use this fryer appliance to reheat foods and crisp them back up. In this case, you will need some minutes only. While reheating, you may use a temperature of about 30 degrees. Ensure that the temperature should be lower than the temperature at which you cook the food.

If you want to reheat pizza in this appliance:

1. Cook at 320° F. Continue the process for 3-5 minutes, or until heated thoroughly. 
2. Keep the food item in a single layer to prevent the slices from overlapping. If you find a thicker crust, it will need a longer time to heat through than thin crust pizza. 
3. Give a shake to the basket after 2 minutes during the process.

For the crispiest fries, you should cook the food only a single layer of fries at a time.

How to Clean AirFryer:

• Usually, these appliances come with a nonstick coating to easily create cleanness. 
• These have an inner and outer basket you can take apart for washing. Besides, you may wash it in warm, soapy water. Ensure that you have used a non-abrasive cloth or sponge to prevent the nonstick coating from getting damaged. 
• You may check the instruction manual to see if these baskets are dishwasher safe. However, we advise hand washing because the parts must be easily washed. In addition, it can make them last longer. 
• If you want the simplest cleanup, you should try rinsing the basket right after cooking. 
• You can also clean the removable parts using warm soapy water or in the dishwasher. 
• If you find the surface of the base unit dirty, you should try to clean it with a soft, damp cloth.

The bottom line:

Have you ever put foil in this appliance to clean up easily? You may put aluminium foil or parchment paper in it. If you are willing, you may purchase sheets of perforated parchment paper designed for its use. The holes enable air to flow through while cooking. Remember that you must not run it with parchment paper. In addition, you must not foil it without food on top of the paper/foil. Otherwise, the parchment paper will lift up and touch the heating element.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. How do you cook in an air fryer?

You can cook in these ways:-

• Firstly, you should place it on heat-safe surfaces. 
• Then, preheat it. 
• Use a spray bottle for oil. 
• Remember that you must not overcrowd the basket. 
• Shake it while cooking. 
• Next, you should stop smoking with water or bread. 
• Pop out the drawer basket before you dump the food on the plate. 

Q. Where do you put oil in it?

You should put oil on the food, not in the basket.

Q. What Cannot be cooked in it?

You must not try to cook these foods, including—

• Battered foods. 
• Fresh greens. 
• Whole roasts. 
• Cheese. 
• Raw grains. 
• Hamburgers. 
• Toast. 
• Popcorn.