The Pros and Cons of Air Fryers

Air fryers have become extremely popular in recent years. Especially now, in January, they go hand in hand with us wanting to keep our New Year’s resolution by eating healthier. Perhaps we’re struggling to shake off the festive weight we gained, and we’ve heard talk that air fryers are the way forward. Or maybe we’ve heard that they make fried food healthy.

Well, hopefully, by the time you’ve read this short post, you’ll be better equipped to make a sound judgement call as to whether or not an air fryer is right for you.

So here you have it, a list of the pros and cons of an air fryer.

The Pros

• It might be a given, but they make fried food without the frying. Instead, a coil sits at the top, and a powerful fan blows heat (the air in air fryer) downward, distributing it on and around your food. Less oil means better health for you and your family.
• They are easy to use, with a minimal amount of dials and buttons to complicate things.
• Unlike a deep fat fryer, an air fryer doesn’t use a vat of hot oil, making them safer to use.
• Air fryers are faster than conventional ovens, which means they use less energy and are therefore more cost-effective. 
• Once you’ve eaten your crispy meal, and it’s time to wash up, air fryers are easy to clean.

And now…

The Cons

• They’re not the smallest of appliances. It might not sound like a big deal, but if you’ve got a small kitchen with limited worktop space, then an air fryer might prove to be a cumbersome addition (especially if you store it in a cupboard, and every time you want to use it you have to dig it out).
• Be cautious if you’re buying an old, cheap, or off-brand air fryer, as the inside of the air fryer basket could be coated with a non-stick surface that’s toxic and therefore harmful to your health. Check out this article for a list of the safest, non-toxic air fryers.
• The majority of air fryers available at the moment don’t allow you to watch the food as it’s cooking, which limits the amount of control you have.
• Depending on the model you buy, it could be a tad noisy.
• As air fryers are so convenient, you may want to use yours time and time again. This might not sound like such a negative point, but due to how easy they are to use, they can lure uses into a false sense of security into eating fried food too often — the very thing you were trying to get away from when you bought your new fancy air fryer.

No product is perfect. They all have a questionable downside. There’s no doubt that air fryers are convenient and way healthier than their older brother, the deep fat fryer. That said, you can’t go wrong with opting to forgo fried food and instead use your stove top or a steamer to ensure your meals are as healthy as possible.

But are they right for you?

If you’re thinking of buying one, then we urge you to do your research first.

Until next time…