The Principle of Operation
Frying without fat? Is this possible? An air fryer can do it all, and there is a very reasonable explanation to that. This kitchen appliance cooks food by circulating very hot air around it at high speed. It’s fitted with an electric heating element and powerful fans that move hot air inside the chamber. The principle of operation actually resembles that of convection ovens. That is to say, an air fryer doesn’t really “fry” anything but only mimics the action of deep-frying while using no oil or just a little bit of it.
The ultra-heated air makes the surface of the food dry while preserving the moist inside. Hence, you get a crispy, golden exterior layer and soft, tender center. You get very close results as you would get with a deep fryer and tons of oil.
Besides frying, this multifunctional appliance can grill, bake, and roast, meaning It’s perfect for making not only french fries but also kebabs, rotisserie chicken, pizzas, chicken wings, nuggets, meat steaks, cakes, and even popcorn.
Breaded foods are the most successful meals to cook in an air fryer. Chicken nuggets, breaded zucchini sticks, onion rings, and other breaded fried snacks will be cooked up to a crunchy finish in less than 15 minutes.
An air fryer is also superior in its ability to reheat foods that have already been baked. You’ll be able to breathe new life into homemade chicken cutlets, french fries, or even hot dogs. Of course, the reheating process won’t be as quick as microwaving, but you’ll be able to re-crisp the coating to perfection.
Using the same mechanism as convection ovens, an air fryer can be called their mini version. But here, the air moves a bit more rapidly, while the confined inner chamber speeds up cooking times and positively affects the evenness of food.
Do all air fryers work the same? Yes and no. While the operation principle is the same, we can report that some fryers are more functional and convenient to use. While some cookers can only fry, others have numerous pre-sets to diversify your menu. Moreover, some air fryers boast built-in Wi-Fi modules and can be controlled via smartphones or tablets by using special Android or iOS apps.
They are by far easier to use as they give you the total control in the palm of your hands. Simply put, you get an opportunity to cook, schedule, and adjust a Wi-Fi enabled air fryer remotely. Also, you can monitor the progress of your meals right on-the-go.
The Benefits of Air Frying
Healthier Food
There are many benefits of using an air fryer, but the main one is that it allows a healthy way of cooking. When it comes to deep-frying, you actually have to submerge food in oil. As a result, dishes like French fries or fried chicken surely come out very tasty but with extra calories and oils. Not to mention, hot oil ruins almost everything it touches - you get minimum nutrients and vitamins in your food. Moreover, deep-fried meals are soaked in the oxidized oil, so they are one of the major triggers of heart diseases and cancer.
And a health-wise air fryer can deliver you those delectable, crunchy foods with just a fraction of oil and calories. Equipped with a removable basket (just like a deep fryer), an air fryer blows heated air from all the sides to ensure evenly baked foods. You can cook delicious French fries, onion rings, breaded zucchini wedges, chicken wings, and more crispy snacks without the extra oil and cholesterol.
Quicker Results
If you're on a tight schedule, you’ll definitely benefit from using an air fryer. Since it’s much smaller and portable unlike a convection oven, it can circulate the air more intensively and cook foods in a jiffy. Whereas an oven takes up to 20 minutes for pre-heating, a fryer comes to the needed temperature in a matter of minutes. As it’s often the case with air fryers, frozen French fries can be cooked within 10-15 minutes compared to 45 minutes in the oven. That significantly decreases the time you spend in the kitchen. So, if you live a busy life and are often forced to make meals in a hurry, this is a great time-saver for you.
Versatility of Use
An air fryer can do that all. It's a miraculous appliance that can fry, bake, roast, broil, and even grill. You can do so much with one compact cooker. With that, you can cook either fresh or frozen foods, as well as reheat leftovers in an air fryer. That is to say, you can prepare tender meat, fish, casseroles, bake cakes, make sandwiches and a lot more.
On top of that, some fryers come with extras like an additional rotisserie rack, pizza pan, grill pan, kabob skewer, or a cooking rack. It’s amazing how many dishes a single appliance can cook.
Space-Saving Solution
As it goes from the previous passage, an air fryer is quite a space-saving solution as it can substitute several kitchen appliances. Despite being quite multifunctional, a typical air fryer has a small footprint and won’t take up much room on your countertop. So, if you have a small kitchen, often travel in RV, or live in a dorm, you will particularly appreciate this benefit.
Easy Maintenance
Cleanup is obviously not your favorite part. But with an air fryer, the cleaning process will be easier than ever. No oil, no greasy residue, no mess.
Air fryers have a non-stick coating to prevent food from sticking to the pan. With that, the pan, as well we the basket, is usually dishwasher-safe. So, all you have to do is put them into your dishwasher or wash under the tap. This easy maintenance inspires more users to cook at home healthier versions of normally fattening foods.
Ease of use is another thing that makes air fryers so appealing to customers worldwide. Modern fryers come with intuitive control panels, displays, pre-set menus, and various timers. Simply choose the program, temperature, cooking time, and add food. No need to fuss with a stovetop and constant stirring. And as WiFi-enabled appliances send realtime feedback to your phone, you can control the whole cooking process remotely.
Energy Efficiency
Lastly, air fryers are much more efficient than ovens. Additionally, they won’t heat up your kitchens like conventional ovens or oil-boiling deep fryers. So, if you’d like to keep your house cool and save some money on electricity bills, this efficient appliance is a worthy addition to your household.
Best For
Practically, anyone can benefit from using an air fryer. It’s a highly useful appliance for those starting a new diet, busy parents, businessmen with tight schedules, individuals that are always on the go, seniors, college students, singles, or simply people who hate cooking. It’s an ideal appliance for prepping quick and healthy meals, which requires minimum maintenance and countertop space.
In this air fryers review, we present some of the most popular models that are currently available on Amazon. However, if you seek a more sophisticated solution, keep on reading, as below you'll find one of the smartest air fryers introduced to the market.
The Innovative Fryer
The COSORI Smart Wi-Fi Air Fryer is one of the latest models that has entered the kitchen scene. It’s the next-generation fryer that can now be controlled with your mobile devices to take the food preparation to the whole new level. The appliance boasts the added benefit of wireless connectivity. By downloading the VeSync app (compatible with iOS or Android devices), you get an opportunity to control the fryer remotely. And you won’t be limited to the supervision of your meals as they cook. You’ll be able to plan ahead with the smart scheduling function allowing you to coordinate your dishes up to 4 hours in advance.
Another perk of the VeSync app is that it provides users with more than 100 original, pre-programmed recipes you can start cooking with your gadgets. With that, the recipe base is constantly upgrading and you get new weekly recipes and video tutorials to let your culinary creativity go wild.
Found something you really like? You can easily bookmark it or check your cooking history for quick access to your favorite recipes. Additionally, you can save your own recipes for future use. Just open the app and pick the needed recipe.
High-Quality Construction
The COSORI Smart Wi-Fi Air Fryer surely falls into the premium category. It’s smart, intuitive to use, sleek-looking, and extremely well-built. It’s designed with a durable 5.8-Quart square nonstick basket that is completely dishwasher safe, BPA-free, and PFOA-free. It can accommodate food for 3-5 people.
As for the exterior, the appliance has a thick plastic casing with a brushed finish that shows fingerprints and grease way less if compared with glossy plastic fryers. This model has digital controls with a touch screen that has no knobs to collect dust and grease. The touch screen display is angled a bit to face you and increase visibility.
A Wide Variety of Cooking Options
The aforementioned digital one-touch screen menu offers you as many as 11 presets to choose from. You can quickly navigate either the intuitive touchscreen or the VeSync app to select pre-programmed menus or adjust the time and temperature settings manually.
As you can see, the COSORI Smart Wi-Fi Air Fryer is a very decent performer. With the inclusion of WiFi and such a range of cooking options, it should be seriously considered by anyone who wants to get into air frying - with this appliance in your kitchen, you'll be able to cook your favorite dishes any way you want!