An air fryer can do as much work as your oven can do, from baking to roasting, deep-frying, and broiling, it is very efficient. It works by heat rising with fans blowing the hot air around in order to ensure that the temperature is evenly distributed throughout the pot. This airflow is often designed to work similarly to the heat distribution of deep-frying in hot fat. With a rough understanding of how it works, the following are a few things to take note of when using an air fryer for the first time.
Use little oil
Usually, when you use too much oil on the air fryer, the excess goes under the grate in the drawer. Over time, the oil will build up and possibly smoke when using it. A good trick is not to use oil on foods that are naturally fatty such as chicken with skin. Other types of food that don’t have oil can go without, e.g. vegetables.
Don’t use cooking spray to grease the drawer
The baskets are made of non-stick coating, so using cooking spray on them only damages the finish the more you use your air fryer. If you have to use cooking oil, toss the food in oil beforehand or rub some on top using a paper towel.
Use oil with a high smoking point
Since olive oil has a low smoke point, you might not want to use it for your air fryer. For obvious reasons, it is going to smoke when subjected to high temperatures and in addition, develop a weird aftertaste. You could instead opt for choices such as peanut oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil which have high smoke points
Don’t crowd the drawer.
While air fryers appear large from the outside, they might not have so much space on the inside. If you want great results from using it, ensure that you don’t pile food in the drawer if you want your food crisp. Also, putting just enough will ensure that the food cooks faster so work in small batches.
Ensure to shake the basket
When you frequently shake the basket, you ensure that the food inside cooks evenly and browns better. While you can easily shake small foods, flip larger ones such as breaded fish fillets. While shaking the basket is not essential, doing it will, without a doubt, give you better results.
Use tongs to empty hot contents from the drawer
If you don’t have tongs, use a spoon to empty the hot contents into your plate. The excess oil is often collected under the drawer in a grate, so emptying directly only spills it out onto the plate. Besides making a mess, this might not be safe, as you might end up burning yourself.
Do not trust the timer 100%
Not all timers will run accurately, some are usually off by a few minutes. The best thing to do after setting your timer is to check the food to see if it is cooked to your liking. Also, ensure that you keep on resetting the timer as the food cooks. Each model is different, and you can check bella air fryer reviews to see some of the best in the market before making a choice. With the timer, you can choose to use your phone if you don’t trust the air fryer.