What are the pros and cons of air fryers? Not only the health! are air fryers worth it?

The last thing you should miss on your countertop is an air fryer. People are debating all over how this kitchen appliance is a lifesaver. But you must be wondering whether there are air fryer pros and cons.

The air fryers’ pros are versatile, easy to clean, faster, easy to use, and safe. But anything that has pros must have cons. The cons of air fryers are noise fans, not suitable for large families, and hard to find the right one.

Our article will dig deeper into the air fryer pros and cons you should know to decide whether an air fryer is worth it.

Keep scrolling to discover more! We will recommend the best 3 air fryers in the end.

How An Air Fryer Works, the Technology

The air fryer consists of a powerful fan and a heating mechanism circulating hot air around the basket. The rapid movement of air creates the convection effect and hence browns and cooks your food.

Also, the heat shortens your cooking time and keeps the food’s interior moist yet crispy and crunchy on the exterior.

How to Use An Air Fryer

You must be wondering how to use your air fryer. Most air fryers feature easy cooking preset modes like chicken, steak, fish, French fry, cake, shrimp, and roast.

You can set the cooking time and temperature depending on what you prepare or even what your cooking recipe suggests.

Most importantly, preheat the air fryer before frying for optimum results. Moreover, read the manual instructions to get your air fryer’s basic information.

Air Fryer Pros and Cons

Pros, benefits

1. Versatile, multifunctions

Air fryers allow you to cook many foods, from chicken wings to seafood to French fries to vegetables.

Moreover, air fryers are designed to fit additional accessories like racks, cake pans, silicone mats, and pizza pans, making many recipes right from your kitchen.

2. Healthier Meals Because of Less Oil

The air fryer uses less oil to cook your food crispy and crunchy, making it a healthier cooking appliance that you should not miss in your kitchen.

Your food will not soak up excess oil when cooking hence low fat and calories. There are also several healthy recipes online to give you a beginning.

3. Easy to Clean

Cleaning an air fryer requires minimal effort compared to a deep fryer. The air fryers apply minimal oil, making them easy to clean with dishwashing soap, running water, and a bristle brush.

Here is a guide on how to clean the air fryer after use;

Fill your sink with warm soapy water, remove your air fryer basket, and soak them in the warm soapy water for ten minutes. After that, use a sponge or bristle brush and let it dry. Don’t forget to wipe the air fryer’s interior part and heating element using a soft and dry cloth.

4. Safe to Use

You must be bothered by the effects of using an air fryer. The air fryer has no radiation like microwaves. Besides, it prevents you from heat and splattering fat, not to mention its automatic shutdown at the end of your cooking time.

5. Easy to Use

You can start to use an air fryer quickly even without the manual. Once you have this kitchen appliance on your countertop, you will not turn it back. Even if a kid can prepare meals for you, the appliance is easy to use.

All you need to do is throw your frozen chicken wings, French fries, and a whole chicken set the temperature and time, and call it a day. What’s more, you can even reheat your leftovers.

6. Low Odor and Smoke

Traditional deep fryers reuse oil when cooking before doing away with it, hence smoke and odors. Air fryers do not reuse oil; furthermore, they use less oil for cooking hence low odor and smoke. 

The only smell you will get when using an air fryer is the food’s smell. Remember you should keep the air fryer clean for delicious meals.

7. Make food Crispy

I love crispy and crunchy food without deep frying. When I learned about an air fryer, everything worked out well.

Air fryers have a convection heating style that surrounds your foods in the perforated air fryer basket, raising their contact with hot air on both sides.

You can get the same outcome from the normal convection oven, but foods will not be crispy as the air fryer since a sheet pan does not allow air to surround your foods evenly.

Air fryers are great for fish sticks, meat, French fries, fried foods, chicken wings, and onion rings. Besides, the perforated basket allows the oil to drip into a pan, meaning the food will absorb a little bit of fat, thus making it crispy and dry.

8. Faster, Saving Time

Are you a busy mama and have no time to cook? Air fryers cook food in less time. With the appliance in your kitchen, you will save time.

Many air fryers use up to 5 minutes to preheat to 400 degrees F, unlike the convection oven, which takes 13 minutes to preheat to a similar temperature. Although the time for preheating varies from model to model

Additionally, air fryers have a smaller chamber where heat concentrates more, thus faster cooking.

9. Does Not Take Much Counter Space

It does not matter the size of the air fryer you have; air fryers do not take up much of your countertop space. Many air fryers are similar to coffee machines or small ovens. You will love how air fryers complement your beautiful kitchen counter.

10. No Oil that Can Go Rancid or Splatter

Nothing will go to waste with an air fryer! I know that you can find it hard to eat leftovers since you will not receive the original taste and texture. But with an air fryer, you will not throw anything since it allows you to reheat foods yet get their original taste.

It reactivates oil in your food and restores its crispiness. Ensure that you check your food regularly to avoid burning or drying.

You can reheat all types of food except water-based ones, from chicken wings, French fries, and battered fish, to fried chicken, without getting soggy compared to reheating in the microwave. As time goes by, you will learn the time your appliance takes to reheat your food without grease.

Cons

1. Not Suit for a Big Family

Unfortunately, you cannot use an air fryer when preparing a meal for a large family or when having a dinner party. Air fryers have a limited capacity, hence a slow cooking process.

You will be forced to cook in bits and have to clean an air fryer after each meal before cooking the other.

So if you are cooking for many people or have a large family, you will consider going for a large-size air fryer (up to 24 Qt ) to avoid the inconvenience.

For example, a six-plus quart air fryer will be suitable for large families and even a group of eight people.

2. Little Expensive

Many types, brands, and models are available, but the most pleasing ones with high performance are quite expensive.

Also, if you are on a budget and want an air fryer for a large family, you will not get that. Instead, you will go for a small-sized air fryer.

But you must be wondering how many are air fryers. The cost of air fryers varies from brand to brand, although they range from 30 dollars to  300 dollars or more depending on the model you prefer. However, many home-use air fryer countertops can range between 60 and 150 dollars.

3. Noisy Fan

Air fryers can be super noisy since they use forced hot air to cook food. Some air fryers can reach 65 decibels, unlike the standard vacuum cleaner and handheld air dryer, which is 70 decibels.

It is good to read the reviews or call customer services when getting a quiet or less noisy air fryer. Also, checking the specification of the product will help you learn more about the rating of decibels.

4. Could Burn and Dry Food

Air fryers have unique modes and settings, meaning you cannot get similar results when the same food is cooked in different air fryer models. If you do not monitor your food more often, it may easily burn and dry.

So, it is important to read manual instructions before using the air fryer model you have because cooking using an air fryer is about experimenting with different modes and food.

5. More Clean Up than Cooking in the Oven

Air fryers are easier to clean than deep fryers, but they take more time. You will need to begin by cleaning up the air fryer basket to pan to the heating element and the outside.

It takes many steps to complete the process. So, it is important to use liners like parchment paper and aluminum foil to reduce the cleaning time.

Put the air parchment paper at the bottom of your air fryer basket, and then add your food. After cooking, you can remove the liners and throw hence less cleaning time

6. Hard to Find the Right Air Fryer

Several air fryers are available from size to price to model, and it can be hard for you to know which air fryer is right. So it is important to consider your budget and the size of your family before getting one.

For instance, if you want an air fryer for one or two persons, 1-2 quarts will be enough, and 2-3 quarts of air fryer will be enough for two to four persons.

Are Air Fryers Worth it?

Yes, the air fryer is worth it! You should know a famous air fryer meme: Clearly you don’t own an air fryer. Air fryers are lifesavers and hence one of the best kitchen appliances you should consider having. The air fryers come with many health benefits and are easy to clean, versatile, safe, and easy to use. Besides, you will not waste your food with an air fryer right in your kitchen since you can easily reheat the leftovers and get the same taste as yesterday.

Best 3 Air Fryer Review

1. Best Anti-Stick Frying Pot: Ultrean 4.2-Quart Air Fryer

The Ultrean 4.2 quart air fryer allows you to eat every bit of your fried food with little grease and fat. Apart from air frying, the products allow you to bake, grill, and roast your most loved meals. You will know its high cost-performance after your click!

Thanks to the innovative heating system technology that cooks your food evenly, saving the hassle of using the thermometer and hot oil.

The product is hassle-free since it comes with adjustable temperatures of 180 to 400 degrees F and an automatic timer of 0 to 30 minutes.

Cleaning the air fryer is easy as it features a heat-resistant handle, an anti-stick pan, and a detachable, dishwasher-safe basket. Besides, it is easy to cook and perfect for a family of 1 to 3 people.

2. Best Mess-Free Cooking: Cosori 5.8 QT air fryer

The Cosori 5.8 quarts air fryer is a highly efficient appliance that will bring healthier fried foods to the countertop.

This air fryer features a sensor that automatically sends accurate information to adjust your temperatures for evenly cooked foods.

You can select 13 convenient functions using a single touch to get the tastiest results. And you can choose the preferred time and temperature depending on your recipes.

It has a large capacity of 5. 8 quarts that can cook a whole chicken for 4 to 6 people. Also, the corner space gives extra flexibility and cooking capacity to round structures.

Additionally, it does not matter whether you are a beginner; the Cosori comes with 100 recipes with cook time, temperature, and size.

Compared to traditional ovens, the Cosori cooks healthy foods at 50% faster with 85% reduced oil content than deep frying yet crispy. You will love how the air fryer is easy to clean since it is dishwasher safe and has a non-stick coating.

3. Best Two Independent Baskets: Ninja 6-in-1 10 Quart Air Fryer

The Ninja 6-in1 air fryers come with two independent baskets allowing you to cook two foods in two ways at a go.

Its smart finish unlocks cooking two foods two ways and finishes at once while the match cook easily copies the settings across the 10 quarts capacity foods, it’s suitable for a family size up to 12 people.

When the smart finish or match cook isn’t selected, the IQ boost distributes the power across every basket to cook a whole chicken.

It also features six versatile programs for cooking: dehydrate, reheat, bake, roast, air broil, and air fry.

You can comfortably cook chicken wings for 7 to 12 people with ease. Its capacity is perfect for extra-large families. Also, it is the best frying option, with 75% less oil than traditional fryers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Air Fryer VS Microwave, which is better

Air fryers are better kitchen appliances compared to microwaves. When using an air fry for cooking the food, you will only need to add less oil or no oil to get a crispy outcome. 

On the other hand, a microwave needs oil but will not give you a crispy outcome as an air fryer. Therefore air fryers are healthy appliances.

Does the Air Fryer Use a Lot of Electricity?

No, air fryers don’t use as much electricity as many think. But they take in a raised current in a short time. The air fryer’s electric cost is less than other electric appliances, and they cook food in a fraction of a minute.

Will Air Fryers Cause Cancer?

Compared to deep-frying, air fryers have more health benefits. Besides, air fryers don’t cause cancer as their design and material are safe. However, cancer risks will rely on the food types and how you make the food in an air fryer.

Do Air Fryers Use Radiation?

Compared to microwave ovens that produce radiation, air fryers do not emit radiation. The air fryers use radiated heat which quickly circulates your food, making it dry and crispy.

Are Air Fryers Toxic?

Air fryers can produce acrylamide that harms your body’s health without proper cooking, the carcinogenic chemical can leach into the food. But all kitchen appliances will make unhealthy content if you don’t use them in the right way, you just need to follow the manual!

Is An Air Fryer Healthier than An Oven?

The air fryer is healthier than the oven because the air fryer needs no oil when frying. Although oven-baking preserves the good nutrients and filters out bad nutrients, oven-baked meals are healthier than air-fried ones. 

Wrap Up

On weighing the pros and cons of the air fryer, adding this appliance to the countertop is worth it. From cooking healthier meals to easy cleaning and fast, nothing should stop you from owning one.

Like any other product pro, there must be a con, but that does not mean that you should not have that product; it’s just a way of making you aware. Luckily, every problem has a solution.

Hope you find the article helpful, and if you have any questions concerning air fryer pros and cons, feel free to comment below.