Everyone knows how much that I love and rave about my Instant Pot, but I have fallen in love with my Air Fryer just as much!
The Instant Pot has truly reformed the cooking process in my kitchen beyond belief. However, there are times when it isn’t the best tool to use when cooking certain things.
My favorite Instant Pot meals include soups, stews, roasts and beans. Cooking under pressure not only takes less time for traditionally long to cook meals, but the flavors of the dish intensify greatly!
See: 5 Great Reasons To Own An Instant Pot
However, there are things that I opt not to cook in my Instant Pot.
When you are looking for that deep fried or crispy textured meal, an air fryer is the better alternative.
You see, a pressure cooker cooks under pressure built up with liquid in a sealed pot. So it is fantastic for items that require a liquid base.
But when you are wanting a crispy outer layer, such as fried chicken, French fries or a grilled texture such as hot dog and hamburgers, the air fryer is the preferred method for cooking.
It took me a long time to commit to another kitchen appliance. I just kept coming across stories of everyone that loved cooking with their air fryer.
I resisted as long as I could. So after months of research, I finally made the plunge and made the purchase.
Air Fryer Magic
Now that I have used the air fryer for over a month, I am mad at myself that it took me so long to purchase one!
Of course, when I first purchased my air fryer I dove right in to the classic ‘fried’ recipes. Fried chicken, French fries, and onion rings were on top of the list.
Each item came out perfect and without all of that deep fried oil! I was excited, but I wanted to try something that wasn’t traditionally fried in a vat of oil to give the air fryer a true test.
It was by accident that I became 100% convinced that I had made the right purchase!
I had planned to grill hamburgers on the gas grill one evening when an unexpected, massive storm appeared.
It was raining cats and dogs and had no sign of letting up and grilling out was no longer an option. I didn’t want to heat up the kitchen on a hot summer day, so I decided I would give the air fryer a go.
Not knowing what to expect, I was skeptical and honestly thought the results would be mediocre at best.
I was blown away!!!!! It was the juiciest, most delicious burger that I had ever had!
There was no waiting for the grill to heat up and no grease dripping onto the hot burners causing flames to char the bottom of the burger. I just threw frozen hamburgers into the air fryer basket, and in 12 short minutes, dinner was ready!
5 Reasons You Should Own an Air Fryer
1. Lower Fat/Calories –
Because air frying uses circulating hot air and not oil to cook your ‘fried’ foods. Therefore you consume less fat and calories without sacrificing the taste!
2. Multipurpose cooking
An air fryer isn’t just used for traditionally fried foods. You can use it for grilling, roasting, and baking as well.
Make an entire roasted chicken and you will end up with a moist inside and crispy skin. And we have already mentioned how great ‘grilled’ hamburgers are. Finally, think baking – they make the perfect buttermilk biscuits as well!
3. Quicker
The overall amount of prep and cooking time is reduced when using an air fryer. No need to heat up a grill, deep fryer or oven before cooking.
Just turn on the air fryer, heat it up for a couple of minutes, and in goes the food! A frozen burger that would require a grill to heat up for 10 minutes and then 15-20 minutes of cooking time is completely cooked in the air fryer in just 15 minutes total!
4. Virtually Hands-Off Cooking
Once you put your food in the basket, it requires little attention to finish cooking.
No need to worry about grease splattering all over the kitchen or burning over a hot flaming grill. Open the air fryer half way through cooking to shake or turn your food and close it up until the timer goes off. It’s that simple!
5. Keep Your Kitchen Cool
There is nothing worse on a hot summer day than to have to turn your oven/stove on to cook dinner.
With the air fryer, all the heat is contained in the unit. That means you can cook a hot dinner any time of the year!
Which one to buy?
The biggest question that I get is which one is best to buy. There are a couple of things to consider when purchasing an air fryer.
The most important thing to consider is the size of the air fryer. I would definitely recommend purchasing a large capacity air fryer, any size over 5 quarts.
I have read too many stories of people purchasing the 3 quart and are frustrated because they can’t adequately fit their food inside the basket. They love the air frying process, so they end up purchasing a bigger one within a year.
There are several different brands of air fryers on the market. When you begin to read all of the different reviews on the various makes and models, you will see there are various opinions on which one is the best.
Overall, it seems that the NuWave, GoWISE, Phillips XXL, and Power Air Fryer are the most reliable and popular brand names with good reviews.
Just like with any new kitchen appliance, don’t be afraid to try it as soon as you purchase it. Keep using it for at least a month.
This will give enough time to experiment with various recipes to see how it can be an asset to your life!
And if you need a few recipe ideas here are two fantastic cookbooks to get you started:
Air Fryer Cookbook: 550 recipes for Every Day. Healthy and Delicious Meals
Air Fry Everything: Foolproof Recipes
Enjoy!
Mary and Jim
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