Hot air frying is a relatively new cooking technique which involves the use of an appliance which can fry, grill and roast by circulating hot air around food which is lightly brushed with oil, as opposed to being smothered in a barrel of oil like you normally do in a deep-fryer. The movement of the hot air mimics the hot vapors of a traditional deep fryer. Air frying achieves the same crispy results as a deep fryer without the copious amounts of grease dripping off of your food and onto a stack of paper towels. There may be a very slight difference in taste but air fried food is the next best thing to actual fried food, without the excessive calories and guilt.
It is hassle-free in comparison to deep frying since you don’t have to wait for eternity till the oil heats up and the air doesn’t get heavy with grease which gives you that sickly feeling in the back of your throat. It also occupies a lot less counter space than a deep fryer since it doesn’t need a well for several gallons of oil.
It is also a lot safer since there is very little oil involved, which means you don’t have to worry about sizzling droplets of oil catching you off guard while you’re making some fried chicken. Most air fryers have a timer on them, so you won’t have to worry about overcooking or burning your food.
While air-frying is great and innovative, it has a few cons as well. It takes slightly longer for an air-fryer to cook food thoroughly, since it uses less oil. Air-fryers are also somewhat pricey, compared to deep fryers. An air-fryer may end up costing you twice as much as a traditional deep fryer, but it is definitely worth the investment since it turns fried food into a healthier option which you can regularly indulge in.
Contributed by: Ameera Mehmood.
