Air Fryers. This has to be the most improperly named appliance in any kitchen.
Call it Air Cooker. Or Air Oven. Or even Skinny Cooker. But limiting its abilities to simply Fryer is a misnomer.
I recently received one as a gift from my son and daughter-in-law, in spite of my saying many times “I don’t eat fried foods,” “I don’t want one.” “I’ll never use it.”
Now I recommend it as a Christmas gift for anyone who wants an easy and delicious way to prepare great meals in record time. And still maintain high healthy standards.
With my personally imposed new healthy food regimen after being diagnosed with aging macular degeneration, I don’t eat any fried foods, increased the amount of seafood I consume, and have fruits and vegetables at every meal, keeping in mind the health benefits for the eyes of red, orange, and yellow fruits of the earth.
But now, my meal plans have changed once again, this time to enlarge on the variety of ways I can prepare the things I like best and think are best for my eyes and overall health.
Therein lies another benefit for people living alone, or couples. Saving on utility costs. It is a lot more economical to use this Appliance for maybe 10 or 15 minutes to create a Chipotle Rib-Eye steak with an avocado salsa rather than putting on the broiler in that large oven. And more economical to cook something like Greek style Chicken wings for 20 minutes or so rather than hauling out a deep fryer, melting all that fat and creating the same entrée. Roasting a whole chicken, complete with stuffing, might take 45 minutes or so, but that’s in an appliance that sits right on your counter.
An Air Fryer, as it’s called, preferably an Air Cooker, is a means of cooking food simply by having hot air, really hot air if you’re cooking at 400 degrees or so, circulate through the enclosed section where you’ve placed your food. If you bread it or coat it, or brush it with a sauce, you can still have that crunchy deliciousness that comes with food fried in all that deep fat or oil. But without all the calories and bad choices for health. But, you can also bake, broil, roast, steam, and even rotisserie. Think of it as a microwave oven or stove, with a lot less space, a lot easier to clean, and a lot faster service.
With healthier eating the best benefit of air cookers, it’s easy to see that fat and oil are reduced from cups to perhaps a tablespoon. That also means a lot less calories without sacrificing the crispy outside and tender inside of a fried chicken leg or French fries for instance.
Are there disadvantages? A few! It’s an appliance you don’t want to store in a cabinet; it can be unwieldy to haul out and put on the counter because yes, it’s bigger than a coffeemaker, but smaller than a breadbox. So counter space is a definite necessity. Accommodate it. If you normally keep a dish drainer by the sink, think of those great absorbent towels to rest rinsed dishes or glasses on and put away that unsightly drainer. Move the coffeemaker a bit to make room next to it; you’ll probably use this appliance more than your toaster; think of storing that in a cabinet instead.
Can you cook everything in it? Well, almost, but soups, broths, or anything else with a lot of liquid won’t work. Don’t think of making hot cocoa in an Air Cooker. Puddings, cakes, even pies can be created with an Air Cooker.
And, like any new appliance, you have to try it out for a while to get it used to the way you like to prepare meals. So until you’re used to each other, you’ll want to check to be sure the temperature and time of a recipe might fluctuate a little from the Air Cooker. Simply open the cooker and check for doneness as you would in an oven. Simple, easy, and individual.
As far as cleaning, it’s a distinct advantage over so many other appliances. You can use aluminum foil or parchment paper to cut back on spills. You have to wait until it cools completely since it gets so hot while it’s working, but you won’t need abrasives or steel wool. Hot soapy water does the trick for the cooking basket and tray, simply wiping down the outside is all you need for the exterior.
As one who eats fruits and veggies at every meal, I also appreciate the cook book my very thoughtful younger ones included. One of the best things in it, for me, admittedly not for every taste, were the chick peas! Never had them crispy before, and with that tablespoon of butter and rosemary and turmeric, they’re unreal!
A medley of winter root vegetables is also spectacular in the Oven Cooker, and the choice of veggies could be yours, but carrots, potatoes, beets and perhaps turnip are a great start and take about 15 minutes to get crispy and delicious. Or how about a half butternut squash with a bit of cinnamon and sugar, and some chopped walnuts? The sugar caramelizes and is great.
All in all, to me the biggest disadvantage of the Air Fryer is its name. For those who like to choose healthy meals all the time, it’s a terrible misnomer that would turn you away from considering it. It did me…until that son and his wife ignored everything I said, and apparently knowing me better than I know myself, gave me a gift that’s perfect!
