Air fryers are the latest fad in the kitchen. Their popularity has increased as they allow a guilt-free way to enjoy your favorite fried snacks such as French fries or chicken wings in a healthy fashion. It’s a small appliance that doesn’t actually fry food but cooks it by circulating hot air around the food. Though the time it takes to cook food is more compared to traditional frying, it is the healthiest option for you with no excess fat and oil. In this article, Mark Roemer briefs you on how to make the best use of your air fryer.

The Steps

1. Shake the food – This method is different from the traditional deep-frying method and there is no oil to mix the spices in the food. Here, hot air is not strong enough to separate the particles and mix them. So, the trick is to open the fryer in the midst of the cooking, mix the food, and then let the cooking process continue. To explain it further in simpler terms, if you need to cook something in the air fryer for ten minutes, pause it by the fifth minute, open the fryer, mix all the ingredients once again and close the fryer for further cooking. This ensures the uniform mixing of the spices and other ingredients while cooking.
2. Spray little oil – Air fryer is marketed on the basis that it does not require oil and is very healthy. In the actual scenario, this is just a marketing gimmick. You need to spray just a little amount of oil at the fryer surface before cooking, else the dry food may stick to it leading to the wastage of food and hassle in cleaning. Also, it is best recommended to add a little oil to retain a better taste.
3. Cook at room temperature – When you are cooking fresh food, it is best to take it out from the fridge beforehand. To get crispier and best results, start cooking when the food has come to room temperature. It also reduces the cooking time in the air fryer.
4. An adequate amount of food in the fryer – The most common mistake is to load the fryer with food more than its capacity. In such cases, people generally complain that the entire amount of food has not been cooked evenly. In traditional frying, you put food according to the quantity of the oil. Similarly, put an amount of food in the air fryer that can be handled by it. Do not overload it.
5. Proper cleaning – Though air fryers need low maintenance, it too needs some care like all appliances. Make it a point to clean the fryer at least once a week. Check if your fryer is dishwasher safe and has a removable basket as cleaning becomes much easier. It is important to keep it odor-free so that the food cooked comes out fresh and crispy.

Conclusion

Air fryers are a good option for those who want to eat less-oily food and have a healthier lifestyle. Mark Roemer feels that with these simple yet valuable tips you can make the best use of your air fryer for healthier fried food.