Air fryers are appliances that gained popularity in the recent times. They help us prepare delicious snacks like fries, crisps and nuggets with the least amount of effort. So, if you’ve decided to get one for your kitchen then, you’re at the right place. In this article, we have highlighted all the things that you need to consider before buying an air fryer.
1) Type
Before choosing the best air fryer for your kitchen, it is better to familiarize yourself with all the types available in the market. This will help you choose the one that fits all your needs and requirements. Here are the most popular types of air fryers.
a) Basket Type Fryers
The basket type fryers are hands-down the most popular and the most affordable ones in the market. These fryers are extremely versatile and can be used to prepare fries, wings, and other crispy items. They come with a basket of varying capacities and can cook food with only one tablespoon of oil.
b) Paddle Type Fryers
Paddle-type air fryers are on the slightly expensive side but, they are totally worth it. In the basket type fryers, you will have to remove the food occasionally to stir it. But paddle-type fryers do not require that much attention. They come with a rotating paddle that rotates from time to time causing the food to be cooked evenly from all directions. You can fry, grill, roast, or even make liquid dished like curries in this fryer.
c) Combination air fryers
Combination air fryers come in handy for those people who like to multitask. You can either have the toaster fryer combination or the pressure cooker fryer combination. These appliances can serve multiple purposes and can save you a lot of time and energy. For example, in the pressure cooker fryer, you can make crisp fries and also make soups, stews, dal, rice, and a lot of other pressure cooked items as well.
d) Compact air fryer
If you have a family of just about 2-3 people, then this is the best option for you. Compact air fryers are small, portable and do not take up much space in your kitchen. When normal air fryers make up to 8 cups of food in a go, the compact ones make 4 cups or less to suit a family of 2-3 people. The have analogue controls and can be easily carried even on vacations.
e) High-capacity air fryers
As the name suggests, high-capacity air fryers can cook huge quantities of food at once. These are ideal for larger families and even restaurants. These air fryers are best suited for making pizzas, whole chicken or turkey. The basket has two to three racks where you can also make multiple dishes at once. This fryer easily cooks 8-12 quarts of food in one go.
2) Capacity
Okay! Now, that you’ve decided the type of air-fryer you want, it is time to decide on the capacity. As mentioned before there are compact and high-capacity fryers to suit your needs. But, if you want a capacity that is in between these two, then you might have to go for the basket type or paddle type fryers. A typical 2 litre fryer will be sufficient for a family of 4-5 people. If you have a family of 7-8, then a 3.7 litre fryer will be good for you.
3) Wattage
Wattage is the measure of electricity that your appliance uses. Typically, air fryers use between 1400-1800 watts of power. The more the wattage, the higher temperatures your air fryers can reach and the faster they can cook food. It is better to have a higher watt air fryer, otherwise it may not be able to heat up fast and it will take a lot longer to cook food.
4) Safety Features
For any electrical appliance, safety has to be the first priority. Air fryers are devices that tend to get extremely hot while operating so, they need to have special built-in safety features. First of all, the fryer should be properly insulated and should have cool-touch grips to remove food from the basket. Secondly, the fryer should come with auto shut off features that can kick in in case of short circuit or over-heating. Lastly, the air-fryer should have secure locking system and a non-slip base to ensure that it does not slip while operating.
5) Temperature controls
If you want to get the desired results while cooking in an air fryer, you should be able to effectively control the temperatures. Most food items are evenly cooked at 400 degrees Celsius. But, different food items will require different operating temperatures, so to make sure that your food is not overcooked or under cooked, it better to get a fryer that has timers and temperature control knobs.
6) Maintenance
It is not enough if you just buy an air fryer, you should be able to maintain it well to ensure that it has a long life. That’s why it is better to buy fryers that are easy to clean. They should come apart easily so that you can clean individual parts and replace them back. This will ensure that no leftover food remains in the fryer after use.
Conclusion:
Here are some of things that you should consider while buying an air fryer. Electrical appliances are expensive. This is why it is better to consider all these factors before purchasing and make an informed decision.
About The Author
Dan Taylor
Dan is responsible for content marketing and branding at GuestPostBlogging. He writes about topics related to startup naming, branding and entrepreneurship.
