Throughout the course of a year, there always seems to be a new trending kitchen appliance that is going to ‘revolutionise’ the way we cook. This new gadget is going to cut cooking time in half, it’s going to help us create healthy meals for the whole family, and clean up is a breeze. How did we live our lives without this new whizz-bang contraption? Enter, the airfryer.
Airfryers became a thing about ten years ago, and naturally, being a keen home cook, I went straight to my closest Good Guys and picked one up. I used it a couple of times, but I just didn’t get it. I wasn’t convinced. My expectations had been extremely high. I mean, this was a product that had been marketed as the healthy alternative to a deep fryer with similar results. Who wouldn’t want that? But that is not what I found. I tried out my new purchase with some frozen fries and chicken nuggets. I think I may have even tried some hashbrowns. The results were ok, but there is no way you could say that these were as crispy as what you would get deep-frying them. And perhaps, I was a little naïve to believe that such a thing would exist. So in the cupboard the airfryer went, never to be used again.
About a year ago, my personal trainer was telling me about his venture into the world of airfrying and had glowing reviews about his experience. He has young children and being able to prepare a delicious snack for them in five minutes is an absolute godsend. After hearing about how helpful he had found his airfyer, I thought I should give this previously dismissed appliance another chance. It had been some time since I had last tried this, so maybe the technology had changed, but my expectations were pretty low.
what is an airfryer?
The air fryer is basically a small convection oven. You have a basket that you put your food in, and there is a heating element just above the basket and a fan moves the hot air around, cooking your food evenly. The claim by Philips, the company that patented this ‘airfryer technology’, is that you can replicate the results of deepfryer with nothing more than a little oil and some hot air. This might explain why so many pompous people look so orange?
Straight up, I am going to be honest with you. You are never going to replicate the results of deep frying with an airfryer. Unless the good people at Philips have changed the laws of chemistry and physics, you are never going to pop your freshly battered fish into this basket and have it come out golden and crispy. But that doesn’t mean that what you cook isn’t going to be delicious.
As I described above, the airfryer is an oven replacement. An oven that is going to cook your food quicker, and it is going to use much less energy.
Choice Writer and Researcher Wendy Evans put her airfryer to the test to see whether an airfryer will save you time and money. She put three meals together, sausages and roast vegetables, a meal of chicken tenders, arancini, and potato gems, and a family sized apple pie. She measured the energy usage using her home’s smart metre. As you can see, the airfryer came out on top every time.
my experience with the airfryer
I use my airfryer nearly every day. I love it. Now that my expectations have been managed, I am a fan. I use it for toast in the morning, which takes around the same time as a toaster. I don’t really notice any difference in the toastiness, so I have been able to remove an appliance from my arsenal. It seems to be almost impossible to dry out a chicken breast when using the airfryer. I cook mine for about 12 minutes and they come out perfect every time. They still have the roasty qualities but are just cooked quicker. I feel as though airfryers were designed for frozen snacks, which they cook with ease. Potato gems do come out pretty crispy. I even made my baked oats this morning in the airfryer, in just 12 minutes.
And weirdly, since I’ve been using this airfryer, the potted plant that sits on the shelf nearby has been flourishing. It seems as though it’s not just me that is being fed by my airfryer.
recommendations for airfryers
I have tried three airfryers, and my favourite is the Philips Airfryer XL. Don’t even bother with the Kmart version, unless you like the adventure of going to the shop to buy it, cooking six things, and then lugging it back to the shops to return it because it stopped working. This particular model has a very easy to use interface, there are some preset options you can select, but honestly, it’s just easier to use the time and temperature controls on either side of the panel. The capacity will allow for meals with four servings, so this model is good for individuals and families. The white and rose gold design is perfect for the millennial cook who doesn’t want to compromise on style for function. My parents have also been using this model and rave about it. This model is slightly more expensive than some others on the market, retailing at around $250, but the quality cannot be questioned.
downsides for airfryers
It’s not all sunshine and lollypops for the airfryer. They do take up bench space, so if you have a small kitchen, these may be annoying to have to find space for. They do everything an oven does, so if you’re in this boat, you can probably live without an airfryer. They do also come with the added expense of an appliance that performs the same function as an existing one.
verdict
Are they worth the hype? I think, yes. Sure, they perform a task that is already being performed by an appliance that is literally built into your home, but they do it quicker and by using less energy. If you are someone with a particularly hangry streak, or a family with similar characteristics, an airfryer could be a good option for you.
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