With all of the rage surrounding healthier ways of crafting meals, more and more people are beginning to look at air fryers. Yet, many still ask, “Is air fryer worth buying?”
There surely are a ton of benefits surrounding air fryers. However, there is also some skepticism pertaining to whether they’re as healthy as everyone says.
We’ve compiled a list of the pros and cons of owning an air fryer to help you decide whether it should be the newest addition to your kitchen appliances.
The Pros of Owning an Air Fryer
While there are many benefits to using an air fryer such as its user-friendly designs, we are only going to talk about the most common ones below.
Creates Healthier Meals
There’s no doubt that air fryers make it possible to prepare food in a way that doesn’t involve the use of a lot of oils and fats. Inevitably, this makes things healthier to consume, especially if you are having issues with cholesterol levels.
With these innovative appliances, you don’t need to use as much oil as you would if you were deep frying. The vast majority of people who own air fryers will use oil for seasoning, and that’s about it. This helps to cut away a lot of the unhealthy calories from items such as frozen fries, nuggets, and other proteins.
Faster Cooking than with Ovens
Normally, people would turn to their ovens to prepare things the healthy way including mozzarella sticks, onion rings, or fries. With the help of an air fryer though, you have the ability to cook things in far less time. Not only does the preheating cycle take less time than with an oven, but the entire cooking process as well.
The majority of air fryers allow you to set the temperature anywhere from 100 to 400 degrees, which is similar to a traditional oven. You also have to take into account how the fryer cooks, as it uses heat convection to circulate air around your ingredients in a sealed environment, keeping all of the hot air inside of the fryer.
Saves You Money on Energy Consumption
Ovens are notorious for their energy consumption, which is a large worry for many families across the globe. The more energy that your appliances consume, the more you have to pay every month, after all.
With an appliance that is more energy-efficient and cooks food faster, you can guarantee that you can scale back on your monthly electricity consumption. This is a benefit that will not only be felt in your kitchen but your whole household, as you can use the remaining funds for home improvements or family trips.
Lets You Be Able to Cook in Different Ways
Even though their name suggests that they can be used for frying, one of the ways to figure out whether is air fryer worth buying is to remember that they are equally as versatile as a traditional stove. How so?
Not only can you fry a bag of frozen fries to the perfect crispy texture, but most models also give you the ability to grill, bake, broil, or even reheat leftovers. With such a multipurpose design, it’s curious to see how many households have yet to jump on the air fryer bandwagon.
Saves Space in Smaller Kitchens
Not everyone has access to a large kitchen. For this reason, there are plenty of people who have to rely on space-saving appliances in terms of storage as well. This is another reason as to why air fryers can be a great option to have at your disposal.
Some devices are designed to be particularly slim, making them easy to store away in cabinets or keep on your counter. The vast majority of air fryers are substantially smaller than a traditional oven. This also helps to make them great for RVs, apartments, or even dormitories, depending on rules and regulations.
The Cons of Owning an Air Fryer
Now, those are some pretty good benefits and advantages don’t you think? Then again, like with any appliance, it also comes with its own set of negatives.
Issues with Quality
Since these appliances are relatively new to the market, you can bet that they come with their own array of problems, especially if you use yours frequently. As with most kitchen appliances, the more you use it, the more likely it is to break or fall apart at some point in time, rendering your investment useless.
There have also been numerous customer complaints about faulty fans being inadequate for air circulation, frying baskets falling apart after use, and even nonstick coating flaking off after using the appliance at high heats.
To avoid dealing with issues with your air fryer, we recommend putting a lot of research into the best air fryers to make sure you’re making the right decision.
Not Recommended for Large Families
Unless you’re willing to invest over $120 on an air fryer, you can guarantee that most air fryers are not recommended for five or more people. This is especially true if you want to serve your food while it’s still hot.
The majority of air fryers only accommodate up to five quarts of cooking space. Even then, it’s not useful to stack ingredients on top of each other as they won’t cook evenly.
If you’re looking to craft meals for one to four people, then they can be useful. However, anything more than that and you’re better off using your regular oven.
Final Thoughts
So, is air fryer worth buying? As you can see, the pros far outweigh the cons, making this appliance a smart investment for most households. With the ability to fry, bake, roast, or even broil a variety of ingredients without having to rely on oil as a base, you can have lower calorie and healthier meals with a snap of your fingers and the twist of a dial.