What is an air fryer and how to choose a decent model?

Surely many have heard about such a device as an air fryer. How can it be useful on the farm and what is it even? In fact, an air fryer (or, as it is also called, a convection oven) is a very useful thing in the kitchen. This electrical appliance is designed to process and cook food using heated air streams.

Air fryers were invented in the mid-eighties of the last century in the USA. Well, in the nineties they appeared on our market. And it was then that the beautiful word “aerogrill” stuck to them.

Device and equipment

A modern convection oven is a transparent bowl or flask with a stand and a lid that covers the entire structure on top. Inside the lid there is a heating element (tubular electric heater) and a fan, and outside there is a control panel.

Some budget models use halogen heating elements instead of heating elements. When using halogens, the glass of the bowl is practically not subject to oxidation and corrosion, and this is a clear plus. However, halogen heaters have a modest working life and not a very long service life. Usually it is 3 years. For metal heating elements, by the way, this figure is much longer - 8-10 years.

In addition to the items listed above, the air fryer usually includes grills for cooking meat. As a rule, there are three of them, and they differ in height.You can often see a special mesh baking tray included, which may be needed for steaming and deep-frying food, as well as for drying. Most inexpensive models, in addition, are equipped with a metal ring - it is installed on top of the bowl and serves to increase and adjust its volume.

Operating principle and varieties

The operating principle of the air fryer is as follows: the heating element heats up to the desired temperature, then, under the influence of fans, multidirectional hot air enters the bowl, evenly blows on the food and warms it up efficiently. As a result, you can bake, fry, stew, or cook the dish in the air fryer. By the way, the heating temperature of the air here varies from +60 to +260 degrees.

Air grills can have one of two types of control:

mechanical;
electronic.

Models with mechanical control are quite simple - they have only one operating mode. In general, this option is gradually becoming a thing of the past, but it has one obvious advantage: the price of air fryers with such controls is quite low.

Electronically controlled devices have several speeds and operating modes, as well as various additional functions. For example, modern convection ovens are equipped with timers, and therefore the presence and constant control of a person is not necessary. The device will automatically turn off at the desired time.

Many electronic air fryers have a “Keep Warm” function. It allows you to continue simmering the dish in hot air after the cooking process itself.

Another useful feature is Self-Cleaning.The bowls of modern air fryers are made of unbreakable heat-resistant glass, so they are quite heavy and not easy to care for. The self-cleaning function makes everything extremely simple: you just need to pour water and detergent into the air fryer and press the button.

The presence of a height adjustment function will also be a pleasant bonus for buyers. This function allows you to place dishes higher or lower in relation to the heating element.

Advantages

The convection oven can replace other appliances, such as a microwave oven, toaster, electric stove, or steamer. This is a very strong argument in favor of purchasing it for those who still doubt whether this device is needed in the kitchen or not.

The advantage of the air fryer is that you can cook on it without oil, margarine and fat - absolutely nothing will stick to the bowl.
In an air fryer you can cook several dishes at the same time, and this distinguishes it from a similar device - a multicooker.
Since the cooking container is transparent, the whole process can be observed from the outside.
The air fryer allows you to cook or reheat food in absolutely any container.

How to choose a good model?

First of all, the buyer should find out about the functions of the device. And you shouldn’t always choose the most “sophisticated” convection oven. Why is it needed if it is supposed to be used only for certain purposes? A large number of functions in many situations seems unnecessary.

It is also worth looking at the equipment offered. It would be nice if the set included tongs for replacing and gripping ready-made dishes. Having a chicken spit and skewers is also a significant advantage.

Another important point is that it is better to choose models with a removable cord.This will make it easier to both clean and store the device. But the removable lid on the air fryer is not very convenient. During the cooking process, you will probably have to look for a place where to put it, very hot. A cover attached to the body with a bracket is much more practical - it will always be in its place. And you should definitely look at the place where it joins the body. The fasteners should be metal, not plastic, since the lid has a significant weight.

Advice

If possible, choose a convection oven model with a removable protective grill (it is designed to protect the heating elements). Of course, this grille gets clogged quite quickly, and if it is removable, it will be much easier to care for. It is enough to unscrew the bolts, take it out, wash it and put it back in place.

What can you cook in an air fryer?

An air grill can actually be considered a universal device for preparing any type of hot food. So, what can you cook with it?

You can cook borscht, soups and other first courses in an air fryer. Here, for example, you can make delicious porridge, bake potatoes in pots, and cook pizza.
Defrosting various foods and heating ready-made dishes is also quite possible in an air fryer.
You can cook, stew and bake vegetables in an air fryer.
In preparing homemade yogurt and cottage cheese, this device will definitely become a faithful assistant for a housewife.
You can’t do without a convection oven when making preparations for the winter - when pickling and canning, as well as drying mushrooms, fruits, berries and vegetables for the winter.
It is also important to use this machine for hot smoking processes, deep-frying and steaming.
Those who want to test their culinary skills can bake pies, buns or, for example, homemade fragrant bread in the air fryer. It is also important that you can prepare baked goods from almost any type of dough without any problems.
In an air fryer, meat and fish are perfectly fried, without the use of sunflower oil. Want to cook fish fillets or chicken cutlets? No problem! An air fryer is also quite capable of frying shish kebab.
Among other things, using this technique you can, for example, make jam and prepare mulled wine.

So, an air fryer will, without a doubt, facilitate the cooking process and take its rightful place in the kitchen. And many consumers have already seen in practice that this is a device that can replace several other household appliances with similar functions. That is, buying an air fryer is an economical and smart choice.