In the midst of the cost of living crisis, the air fryer has come out as the must-have kitchen gadget. Billed as a cheaper alternative to cooking in the oven and even a slow cooker, love for the cooking method has led to sales rocketing.
However, with so many models and sizes on the market, just how do you choose which one is right for you? An expert working at Currys offered up some advice on the best air fryer to buy and the low down on the appliances health benefits.
Lara Brittain, a kitchen expert for the firm, said that you can cook virtually anything in an air fryer. "An air fryer is similar to a mini oven that can take on almost anything you’d put in a conventional oven or deep-fat fryer. Air fryers have come a long way over the years and they’re not just for chips: you can bake, roast and even dehydrate ingredients too, depending on the model."
READ MORE: Sainsbury's advises customers to freeze unexpected foods to save cash
However, there are some exceptions. She said: "We do not recommend cooking anything considered a wet food i.e. anything in a wet batter as you would not get the best results and the batter would probably run off."
Lara's 'need to know' facts and advice continued. Here's what you need to know before splashing your hard earned cash.
How does it work and is it really healthy?
The electrical gadget circulates superheated air around your food. If you’re cooking chips, for example, you only need about 1 tablespoon of oil for 1kg of sliced potatoes.
The machine helps the oil coat them thinly so there’s not too much oil to saturate your spuds. Circulating hot air cooks and crisps your chips to perfection. No more submerging your chips into deep vats of fattening oil. The hot air system cocoons your food in heat, cooking it evenly.
Lara says that on some models the stirring paddle keeps things moving, there’s no need to shake or stir. It’s hands-free cooking at its finest, leaving you to do more important things. Models without a stirring paddle need the occasional shake.
In comparison to deep-fat frying, air frying can be a healthier alternative – using convection cooking rather than oil means there will be less fat in the final food that end ups on your plate.
Can you put foil in an air fryer?
Unlike a microwave, cooks can use foil or parchment paper in their air fryer to make clean-up easy. However, parchment paper is probably a better option!
Now the big question, which is the best air fryer?
Air fryers come in all shapes and sizes, but here a few of Lara's picks at either end of the price spectrum that might be suitable for couples and some for families.
Budget option
At £39.99 the Logik air fryer is a good option for couples or a small family looking for a compact addition to their kitchen. Its product description says it has 6 pre-set functions so it can "whip up crispy shrimp, chicken or a cake in no time". The fryer has a capacity of 1.2 litres.
Clocking up five star reviews, shoppers who had bought the product said: "Perfect size for 2 people Very easy to use." Another purchaser added: "Small and compact" with a third adding: "It is fast and it cooks well". Of course, not everyone loved it. One person said: "Could be slightly larger.", another said: "The tray/stand needs improvement," while a third had a faulty product. however, overall, reviews averaged 4 out of five stars.
Big families and entertaining
Unfortunatley, the bigger the air frying the higher the cost. For big families, Lara chose the TEFAL ActiFry Genius XL. It only needs one spoon of oil and its extra-large 1.7-litre fryer cooks family meals like curries or tajines. The touch-screen makes everything simple and it comes with lots of different meal ideas. There's also a Delayed Start function so it'll have food ready in time for when you get home. And it'll keep meals warm until you're ready to eat. This is a top of the range fryer and comes in at £250 according the Curry's website.
If you’re having people over for Sunday Roast, the TEFAL EasyFry 9-in-1 FW501827 Air Fryer not only has a massive 11 litre capacity but it even has a special Chicken setting - so you can roast a chicken in one rack and do extra crispy (but much healthier) roast potatoes in another. And if you need pudding ideas, you can even serve cake - since this air fryer bakes as well as fries!
Again this one is at the top of the spectrum. It currently retails at £199.
Running costs
One of the benefits of an air fryer is its cost to run. Research has shown that using an air fryer would set you back 14p a day – totalling running costs of £52.74 over a 12-month period. This compares to an electric over at 87p a day to run and £316.54 and year, according to the latest data from Cornwall Insight. Even a slow cooker can't beat the fryer on running cost, according to this research. The slow cooker comes in at 16p a day to run, £120.83 a year.
A big brand product at a budget price has been highlighted for sale at discount retailer Home Bargain. The £45 Swan air fryer usually sells at £79.99, according the discount store's website. The four-litre capacity fryer is currently available. Details of the property are here.
READ NEXT:
