Just imagine, a few years ago, you had to visit a medical shop to get your blood pressure checked. But, now, you have smartwatches that display your heart rate and your pulse rate easily. Similarly, a convection oven in the kitchen was an element of chaos and problems. This is why engineers came up with a new idea that changed the kitchen air fryer scenario. It is said to be one of the most convenient kitchen gadgets that have been introduced to date. Not only it cooks fast, but also it is far more versatile than the oven. Even though the perks of having this gadget are quite compelling, some people always seem to be reluctant and ponder over the question – is air fryer healthy or not?
Since the question itself is so argumentative, we will be discussing some facts about the kitchen element. These facts will answer your dilemma of ‘is airfryer healthy’ or not, and hence they will help you to understand the gadget deeply. So, let’s get started!
Also Read: Best Air Fryers In India – Reviews And Buying Guide
Table of Contents
What Is An Airfryer? How Does It Work?
Have you ever used a deep fryer or a conventional oven? If so, you will know that these two kitchen elements are used for baking, roasting, deep-frying, and even grilling. Engineers have kind of combined the technologies of both these gadgets into what we now know as an air fryer.
There is a heat source at the top of the machine, which produces a considerable amount of heat energy in the closed space inside the fryer. The energy heats the surrounding air, which in turn helps to cook the food from the top. There is a high speed rotating fan beneath the cooking area, which rotates at a very high speed. This fan helps create convection currents inside the fryer, thereby distributing the heat evenly throughout the cooking area.
If somehow the air inside the air fryer gets too heated up, you can easily expel the air from the exhaust vent that is located at the back of the gadget. The temperature usually maintained inside the fryer is around two hundred degrees Celsius, which is much less than what you typically need in a conventional oven or a deep fryer.
What Can You Cook In An Airfryer?
Before discussing ‘is airfryer healthy’ or not, let’s talk about something that you would want to know as a buyer – What can you cook in an airfryer?
As discussed earlier, an air fryer is a mixed combination of a conventional oven and a deep fryer. This is why the cooking technique is also a fusion of two different methods. You will need oil for cooking as you need in a deep fryer. There is a fan inside the air fryer, which generates heated conventional air currents inside the container like a conventional oven. The heated air, which is circulated inside the cooking chamber, will help the food to get cooked. Now, since the air gets heated up quite rapidly, a quick brown crispy crust is formed over the food, making it quite tasty and delicious.
So, before we move on to the discussion about how much healthier an air fryer is, let’s look at the foods you can cook with this machine.
- Roasted seeds like pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, oats, and so on.
- Roasted or grilled chicken, steak, bacon, and so on.
- Baked cookies and biscotti.
- Crispy potato chips.
- Hard-boiled eggs, poached eggs, and so on.
- French fries.
- Slightly roasted vegetables with a layer of oil on top.
- Cakes and muffins.
- Toasted pieces of bread and buns.
- Grilled sausages.
- Reheating fried food.
- Cooking frozen fried food.
Is Cooking With An Airfryer Safe?
Now let’s come to the main point of our discussion: Is airfryer healthy or not?
Well, every gadget has its own set of benefits and disadvantages. For example, even though your refrigerator will keep the foods fresh, drinking cold water is not good for health. Similarly, there are both advantages and disadvantages of air fryers.
But, as of now, we will discuss the health benefits of the appliance!
- Foods cooked in the air fryer will have low fat – Let’s remember when you wanted to bake a crispy chicken breast in your conventional oven. To have a crispy surface, you need to brush a lot of butter or oil on the surface of the chicken. Even though the food tastes delicious, you cannot ignore the fact that it is full of fat, which can be harmful. But, in an air fryer, the hot air is enough to create a crispy skin on top of your chicken breast. So, you don’t have to brush too much grease on the surface to have a delicious meal. The same is applicable for cakes, sausages, steak, and other food items that need roasting or baking.
- Cooking is fast and quite convenient – If you want to know ‘are air fryers good for you’ and your busy schedule or not, you are at the correct place. As we have said previously, the heat generated from the source is located right on top of the food. And the rotor fan located below the cooking plate circulates the hot air throughout the chamber at a fast pace. Combined, both these two important elements of the air fryer will help you cook faster than a deep fryer and an oven.
- Little to no oil is required for cooking – Whenever the question of is airfryer healthy suddenly pops up in your mind, you start comparing the gadget with other kitchen cooking appliances. Well, just like you, we would also like to bring in a comparison. When cooking with this particular cooking element, you will require almost little to no oil for baking, roasting, or even frying certain elements to get a crisp surface.
- Prevents the accumulation and formation of toxic elements – It is said that normal deep fried foods aren’t as healthy as we consider them to be. Instead, fried elements are said to be the ground of accumulation of toxins like acrylamide. This is why many health-conscious people are trying to include an air fryer in their daily cooking regimes. We hope that this new revelation will clear your doubts about whether an airfryer is healthy or not.
- Good for people who want to eat healthier – If anyone close to you has undergone heart surgery recently or is suffering from a high cholesterol levels, the doctors will always suggest avoiding oil and fried foods. Rather, most of the cardiologists prescribe baked foods with a little bit of oil. This is where an air fryer comes into action. Not only are they perfect for cooking foods quickly, but they can also cook the dishes with minimal amount of oil.
- No loss of important nutrients from the food – Last but not the least, to know ‘is cooking with an air fryer healthy’ or not, you need to understand what deep frying does to the food. Usually, this cooking method causes food items like vegetables or protein sources to lose their nutrient content. Since in an air fryer you are not using too much oil for cooking the food, the nutritional value is not lost.
Any Side Effects Of Cooking In An Airfryer?
Even though the air fryer is a healthier cooking option than an oven and the deep fryers, there are a few points that need to be considered. Let us discuss some side-effects in our topic of – Is airfryer healthy or not.
- Food cooked in an airfryer can remain uncooked or raw on the inside, While it won’t be harmful for some foods like carrots or beans, raw/uncooked meat might lead to severe problems like food poisoning, diarrhoea, stomach ache, and so on.
- One of the major disadvantages of using an air fryer is that you have to occasionally flip and stir the food now and then after a periodic amount of time. Even though some fryers come with an in-built food agitator, you will have to do it manually.
- If you want to know ‘is airfryer healthy’ or not, you should know first that in this appliance, food is cooked at a really high temperature. This is why you need to be careful since it can burn food quickly.
- Since little to no oil is used in an air fryer, there are high chances that the food will easily dry out if kept in the open for a long time.
- The air fryer’s capacity isn’t that much, which is a problem in case you are going to cook in bulk or for a lager group of people.
The Best Brands Of Airfryer In The Market
Now since you have a clearer picture of your confusion of is airfryer healthy, let us discuss the best air fryer brands that are available in the market. So, let’s have a look!
- Philips TurboStar Technology Air Fryer
- Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven
- Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker with TenderCrisp
- Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer
- Gourmia 6-Quart Digital Air Fryer
- Instant Vortex Pro 10-Quart Air Fryer
- Dash Compact Air Fryer
- Gowise Digital Air Fryer
- Cosori 5.8-Quart Smart Air Fryer
- Chefman 2.1 qt. Analog Air Fryer
How Can You Choose The Best Airfryer?
Since there are many different air fryers in the market, you might find it a bit overwhelming when you will have to choose one from the list. This is why you need the help of a brief buying guide that will tell you what to keep in mind for buying the appliance.
- Choose the size of the air fryer accordingly. The size of the air fryer should depend less capacity than the ovens.
- Make sure you are buying a fryer that has a food agitator if you are not in favor of manually doing the work.
- Check the power consumption of the fryer before you buy the appliance. This will help you have a clear idea about the fryer, its safety features, and so on.
- Check the reviews and the feedback earned by your chosen fryer before you buy one. This will help you to have a clear idea about the fryer, the safety features it has, and so on.
- Don’t forget to decide on a budget.
Conclusion
Answering the question ‘Is airfryer healthy’ is not easy. Now that you know the perks and risks of using the cooking appliance, it can be said that an air fryer is a lot healthier than other appliances.