Why You Need An Air Fryer In Your Life

An air fryer can be a game changer for anyone looking to eat healthier without sacrificing taste. In this article, I'll explore the benefits of owning an air fryer and why it may soon become a staple in your kitchen.

There’s a reason why air fryers have become so popular in recent years. This magical kitchen appliance combines the convenience of a convection oven, deep fryer, and microwave all in one compact, tidy countertop appliance. I use my air fryer so much, I even wrote an air fryer ebook!

Air frying is a healthy way of cooking and delivers the satisfying crispy crunch of fried food with minimal oil. The air fryer also heats up and cooks food much faster than the oven and is easy to clean. This makes it the perfect kitchen helper for busy weeknights!

I'll break down everything you need to know about air fryers so that you can decide whether it's the right choice for you!

Jump to:

• How Does An Air Fryer Work?
• Basket vs. Oven Air Fryers
• The Benefits of An Air Fryer
• What Can You Cook In Your Air Fryer?
• Air Fryer Cons
• How To Convert Any Recipe To Cook in the Air Fryer
• Unlock The Full Potential of Your Air Fryer with My New Digital Book!
• So Is An Air Fryer Worth It?
• Tasty Air Fryer Recipes
• More Air Fryer Resources
• Want To Shop My Favorite Air Fryer Products?
• Reviews

How Does An Air Fryer Work?

Despite the name, an air fryer isn’t really a fryer at all. An air fryer is basically a mini convection oven that sits on your countertop and cooks your food using hot air rather than hot oil.

Air fryers have a heating element at the top and a powerful fan that helps circulate the hot air around your food more efficiently. This makes air-fried food perfectly crispy on the outside, while keeping it moist and juicy on the inside.

Basically, air frying gives you the taste and texture of deep-fried food but with little to no oil. Because of the way air fryers work, you can simply spray or brush a small amount of oil on your food before cooking. This cuts back significantly on the number of calories and fat, making air frying a healthy cooking technique.

Basket vs. Oven Air Fryers

There are many different air fryer models available on the market. The two most common types are the basket-style air fryers and air fryer ovens. Both are essentially countertop convection ovens, but they do have some different features.

Basket air fryers preheat faster, take up less counter space, and don’t heat up the kitchen much. It’s also easy to shake or toss your food in basket air fryers to ensure even cooking and crisping.

Oven air fryers take longer to preheat, take up more counter space, and heat up the kitchen more. But they have a larger capacity, have multiple cooking functions, and can accommodate a larger variety of baking dishes.

The Benefits of An Air Fryer

1. It's a healthy way of cooking

Air frying gives you the taste and texture of deep-fried foods that we all crave, but with minimal oil. Traditional deep frying requires submerging food in oil, which can add a lot of unnecessary fat and calories to your meal.

With an air fryer, you can achieve the same crispy texture without all the added oil. This makes it a healthier option. For most foods, you can simply spray a small amount of oil on the outside with an oil sprayer to achieve a deliciously crispy, golden crust.

Not sure what types of oils to use in your air fryer? Read my post on The Best Oils and Oil Sprays for the Air Fryer.

2. Gives you perfectly juicy, crispy food

Because of the way air fryers circulate air around your food at high heat, they make your food golden brown and crispy on the outside while keeping it moist and juicy on the inside. Chicken legs, diced potatoes, and coconut shrimp are all great examples.

3. It’s versatile

Air fryers aren't just for making french fries. They can be used to cook a wide variety of foods, including vegetables, chicken wings, fish, and even desserts like cookies and fruit crisps. Many air fryers come with additional accessories, such as baking pans or grill grates, that allow you to cook even more types of food.

Air frying is also a great way to increase your veggie intake. I make everything from whole spaghetti squash to butternut squash and perfect asparagus in my air fryer.

4. Quick and easy

Air fryers cook food quickly and easily. Unlike traditional frying methods that require a lot of preparation and cleanup, the cooking process with air frying is relatively simple. Simply put your food in, set the timer, and you're all set! For some foods, you may need to shake the basket once or twice during cooking.

Plus, air fryers heat up very quickly, so you can have a meal ready in just minutes. With my air fryer, I can have dinner on the table before my oven is even done preheating! This makes the air fryer a cook’s best friend on busy nights when you have hungry mouths to feed.

5. Great for heating up leftovers

The air fryer is perfect for reinvigorating leftovers like pizza, grilled cheese, and chicken tenders. The food comes out hot and crispy rather than soggy, like when you use the microwave. And it's much faster than waiting for your oven to heat up.

6. Clean up is easy

You can clean your air fryer basket after each use just like you would for any pot or pan you use for cooking. Simply wash it with soapy water and a nonabrasive sponge.

Many air fryer baskets can even go in the dishwasher, making clean up even easier! If you need to quickly dry the basket, simply put it in the air fryer, and turn it on for a minute.

To make clean up even easier, you can line your air fryer basket with parchment paper liners or reusable silicone liners.

7. Energy-efficient

Air fryers are also energy-efficient, which is good for both the environment and your wallet. They use less energy than traditional ovens and stovetops, so you can save money on your electricity bill while also reducing your carbon footprint.

Plus, they don't require preheating, which means you can start cooking right away without having to wait for your oven to heat up.

What Can You Cook In Your Air Fryer?

What started off as a tool to make healthier fried food has evolved into so much more. It turns out that air fryers do a lot more than just cooking your favorite fried foods in a healthier fashion. They bake, broil, grill, roast, heat up leftovers, and cook frozen food like a champ!

Here are some examples of what you can cook in your air fryer:

• Crispy foods like chicken cutlets, chicken wings, quesadillas, and onion rings with less oil than traditional frying methods

• Roasting vegetables like sweet potatoes, asparagus, and butternut squash to crispy, caramelized perfection. It’s a great way to increase your veggie intake!

• Cooking moist, juicy chicken legs, breast, thighs, fish, and shrimp without needing to preheat the oven

• Baking small batches of desserts like cookies, muffins, and crisps. These adorable reusable silicone cupcake liners (pictured below) are the best!

• Reheating leftovers like leftover pizza and grilled cheese, which come out hot and crispy rather than soggy, like in the microwave

• Making quick breakfast dishes like hard-boiled eggs, toast, and baked oatmeal before you head out the door in the morning

• Heating up frozen foods like chicken nuggets or tenders, French fries, burritos, fish fingers, and burgers much faster than the oven

• Making healthy snacks like apple chips, kale chips, and roasted chickpeas

Air Fryer Cons

• They're not good for large batch cooking. You never want to crowd the basket in an air fryer so if you want to make a large amount of something (like wings), you have to cook it in batches. 
• They take up counter space. Some models can be put away in a cabinet after each use, but others are large enough that they’ll take permanent real estate on your countertop.
• They don’t make everything healthy.  Although air frying is a healthier cooking method in general, if you’re using it to make mozzarella sticks and stuffed Oreos, it's not going to make them any better for you.
• Cost. On average, air fryers range from around $75 to $150 but there is a wide range. You can find some models as low as $50 and some can cost as much as $1,000.
• Not ideal for certain foods (see below).

Some foods that are not ideal for cooking in an air fryer

While the air fryer can cook many things, it does have a few limitations.

• Delicate foods like certain baked goods and seafood may not be ideal for the air fryer. These foods require gentle cooking methods to avoid overcooking or drying out. The high heat and circulating air in the air fryer may not be conducive to achieving the desired results.
• Foods with a thin, drippy batter like tempura. The batter won't set the way it does when it's submerged in oil, and it will create a mess rather than getting crunchy.
• Leafy greens like kale chips. Because they're lightweight, they will fly around the air fryer and may cook unevenly.
• Large items like a whole chicken or bone-in roast tend to cook unevenly.
• Pork bacon. Although you can cook bacon in an air fryer, the bacon grease will fly around the interior, causing a big mess. It can also burn on the heating element.

But having said all this, a lot of these types of dishes can be adapted to cook in the air fryer with some adjustments.

How To Convert Any Recipe To Cook in the Air Fryer

If you have some tried and true recipes that you cook in a conventional oven, the good news is that you can most likely cook them in the air fryer, with a few adjustments.

Ovens and air fryers both use hot air to cook food. But because air fryers are small and circulate the air so efficiently, they cook food very quickly. They also give your food a crispier texture compared to the oven.

So basically, when you’re cooking in an air fryer, you want to cook your food at a lower temperature than you would in the oven otherwise it will get overly browned or burnt. Also, you will likely have to shorten the cook time. Some recipes take half the time in the air fryer as they would in a traditional oven!

Learn how to adapt any recipe to cook in your air fryer! Read my Easy Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Guide and get my helpful conversion chart!

Unlock The Full Potential of Your Air Fryer with My New Digital Book!

Are you ready to master your air fryer? Check out my new digital cookbook, The Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook & Guide. Whether you just got an air fryer or are a seasoned pro, this book is for you!

What You'll Get in the Book:

• 35 crave-worthy, healthy recipes to make in your air fryer from tasty breakfasts to fun appetizers, hearty main dishes, sides, and even dessert
• Full nutritional information with every recipe
• Comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about how to use your air fryer
• How air fryers can help you eat healthier and achieve your weight loss goals by slashing calories and fat
• How air frying can save you tons of time, money, and effort in the kitchen
• Recommended accessories to maximize the potential of your air fryer
• FAQS including what are the best oils to use in the air fryer, do you need to preheat the air fryer, and can you bake desserts in the air fryer

So Is An Air Fryer Worth It?

An air fryer is a great investment for anyone who wants to cook healthier meals quickly and easily. With their versatility, energy efficiency, and convenience, they offer a unique cooking experience that is both fun and rewarding.

With an air fryer, you can enjoy healthy, delicious meals without sacrificing taste or convenience. So if you're looking to lead a healthier lifestyle, you may want to consider getting one.

So why not give an air fryer a try and see what all the fuss is about? You may be surprised at how much you love it.

Tasty Air Fryer Recipes

More Air Fryer Resources

Want To Shop My Favorite Air Fryer Products?