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Do you own an air fryer and feel like food isn’t turning out the way you saw in the ad? Or you want to explore air fryers and understand the buzz surrounding them. If your answer is yes to any of the above questions, then you have come to the right place. Knowing how to operate this kitchen appliance the correct way & the things that you should avoid at all costs will allow you to make the most of an air fryer.
Before we move forward, let’s get to know a bit more about air fryers and how do work.
Air Fryer is a kind of kitchen appliance that uses rapid hot air technology as a medium to fry foods. They are not oil intensive which means that they cook food in a less messy & more healthy manner, unlike their counterparts, the deep fryers.
You might be thinking that if air fryers use hot air for cooking food, aren’t they similar to convection ovens?
Although air fryers use hot air technology for frying, their airflow distribution is not like convection ovens. In fact, it has been designed to replicate the heat distribution style of deep fryers.
You can cook a variety of fried foods & even grill using your air fryers.
If you want to enjoy crispy and healthy fried food items in the comfort of your home, then you need to learn how to use the air fryer correctly.
If you have just unboxed your machine, wash the basket & grated pot and then run the air fryer for a few minutes. It helps in releasing the smell of the new appliance. This step is not a must but, some brands recommend doing this in their user manual.
The whole point of frying food in the air fryer is to opt for a healthy way of frying. Therefore, there is no need to pour oil on the food items that need to frying. We recommend lightly brushing the grated pot of the air fryer. A teaspoon of oil will be more than sufficient.
Since they use hot air technology, it is best if you preheat the air fryer for a few minutes before you pop in your marinated chicken, fish, or prawns.
Frying & grilling in air fryers is literally hands-on. You cannot just pop in the french fries and then forget about them. To get an even & beautiful brown crisp on any of your fried food items, we suggest that you check on your food while it is cooking. The best way to do it is to take out the basket after few minutes, toss the food around and then reinsert the basket into the air fryer.
If you’re grilling chicken or fish, you can reapply the marinade and flip sides to ensure that the cook is even on all sides.
PS: Please make sure that you push the basket in all the way, or the air fryer won’t start working.
This goes for both the inside & outside of the air fryer. Although it is tempting to hog the pot and fill it to the brim; but, please avoid doing it at all costs. Cooking food in smaller batches will yield better results for sure.
Now, make sure that you place the air fryer on the counter so that there is a considerable distance between the wall and back of the air fryer. There is an inlet on the back for air. Therefore, please make sure that you do not back the air fryer to the wall while it is working.
If you are new to cooking food in the air fryer, it might feel intimidating. Don’t worry! We have got you covered. Although air fryers use hot air technology, they cook food faster than convection ovens. The reason is again their unique airflow distribution style. For example, roast chicken takes about an hour and a half in a convection oven but, it will be done in almost an hour in the air fryer.
Now, Westpoint Air Fryers have cooking times mentioned on the top of the appliance. This will help you avoid guess working the time needed to cook different food items. Besides this, it is always good to rely on your instinct when it comes to food.
Although the exterior of the air fryer will not be hot due to its built-in cool-touch body structure, the basket & the pot will be super hot. Use tongs or spatulas to remove the food items carefully and place the hot basket on a heat-resistant plate. Allow it to cool down for several minutes before you wash them. You can check out our blog which explains how to clean the air fryer correctly.
These were some of the mistakes that we have seen people make while using air fryers. We hope you are now equipped to better handle your air fryer & enjoy fried food that is healthy & wholesome. Let us know if you have any questions related to air fryers and, we will help you out.
