10 reasons why buying an Air fryer is a great idea

Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan
18
Why owning an Air Fryer is totally worth it

"Air fryer? What is that?"
Considering the product has been in the market for awhile, it is quite surprising that many are still unaware of the existence of the sleek kitchen gadget. Others who are aware of it talk of its high cost as a deterrent to buying it, even as they keenly ask those who have purchased it for more details. 

The simple fact is that the air fryer is indeed a bit of a game changer in the marketplace as far as cooking is concerned. Available at rates ranging from Rs 7500 - Rs 10,000, it is priced on the higher side. So it is worth the investment? Having used it for a bit at home, I would have to say a resounding YES to that.
Why? Allow me to elaborate. 




1. Fry, Grill, Roast, Bake
In a nutshell, those are the things that you can do with it. 
Or to give you a more visual image - chicken tandoori, chicken drumsticks or wings, roasted chicken, rack of lamb, fried fish, tempura prawns and other seafood, samosas, pakoras, koftas, kababs, brownies, lava cakes, cheesecakes, muffins, pizzas, crispy veg fries, french fries, calzones, quiches, garlic breads, parathas, meatloaf et al.


Chicken Tikki
Chicken Tikki 


2. No Oil!
No more debates on transfats and saturated fats. By using hot air as its single cooking medium, you have in a single shot eliminated one of the most common grouses that has plagued health conscious folk for decades - oil. As a cook too, you don't have to deal with greasy stains and dishes anymore.





3. Indulge without the guilt
No oil means you can actually have all those oily foods that you avoided earlier to maintain your figure, only now they aren't sinful anymore. French fries, spring rolls, fish fingers, cakes and muffins - all are now back on the menu without requiring any oil. It is not a small difference either - the food you get now contains up to 80% less fat than if it were fried with oil. 




Chicken and sausage filled spring rolls
Chicken and sausage filled spring rolls


4. Speed
Excellent if you are one of those people who are always in a hurry or are stuck preparing for a family get-together or party. Be it chicken dishes or cakes, the air fryer quicks faster than your regular fryer, delivering crunchy, crispy delights in minutes. For example, pizzas can be made in 7 minutes as opposed to 25 in a regular oven.

5. He can look after himself



This is something that will truly appeal to you. Once you have set the temperature and time, you can go about doing your own work while he cooks. You do not need to follow up or turn the pieces over at regular intervals to ensure all sides get fried evenly. Neither do you have to come back and turn it off to avoid over-frying the dish. Once the set time is over, the device turns off by itself. If you can't stop yourself from checking, that is okay too. You can easily pull the section open at any moment in between to check on the progress of your dish and the fryer automatically pauses while you inspect, restarting once you close it again.

6. Fits easily in any kitchen setting
Sleeker both in design and in dimensions than a microwave, it can settle in easily on a regular table top in your kitchen or any other room for that matter. 

7. Quantity
Well, I haven't really been able to use the Kenstar Oxyfryer I have to its full potential in this regard till date. It boasts a three litre capacity and that has been more than sufficient to make dishes for a family of four.
So much space... could have made 10 times the amount!


Spicy okra fry
Spicy okra fry


8. Easy to clean
The non-stick inner materials ensure that cleaning is not a hassle. Regular detergent will suffice. Also, you just have one dish to clean instead of endless grease stained pans and pots.

9. Taste
This is obviously the biggest question on your mind: Sure it is healthy but how does fried food taste without oil? Pretty darn good, actually. All the dishes we tried - vegetarian, non vegetarian and sweets - turned out lovely. When you add in the fact that you know the food is now healthy too, that grin on your face as you bite into the food only gets bigger!


Famous in the Malabar region of Kerala, the Unnakai is a  sweet dish made using plantains, coconuts, cardamom and sugar. It usually  needs to be fried well in oil. The Unnakai in these pics have been   made entirely oil-free! And trust me... even the picky eaters in  the family loved it.
Famous in the Malabar region of Kerala, the Unnakai is a
sweet dish made using plantains, coconuts, cardamom and sugar. It usually
needs to be fried well in oil. The Unnakai in these pics have been
 made entirely oil-free! And trust me... even the picky eaters in
the family loved it.


10. Converts you instantly into a health-conscious, modern cook
Almost all brands models come with their own cookbook to get you started on not just how to use the air fryer but also give you an idea of how much time particular dishes ( eg: cakes/fries/fritters ) need at what temperature. (Here are some online recipes to get you started courtesy Philips and KenStar.) So you don't need to go by the trial-and-error method by which you learned to cook dishes in the past. Here, in one shot, you are preparing dishes for the family which are 
a) healthy
b) oil free
c) quick
d) hassle-free

Why owning an Air Fryer is totally worth it


Yes, it is an investment but for those looking to bring more healthy alternatives to the table but struggling to give up on those yummy fried snacks and foods, here is your nirvana. These devices offer you the best of both worlds and having tried it out on many varieties of dishes, we are now air-fryer-believers and totally recommend it to those who ask us. 


Authors note:


I also advise you to check out this post of Jenny's from the popular site Organically Blissful about her take on everything you need to know about air fryers.

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18Comments

Let me know what you think.

  1. I always love the way air fryer can help me in my cooking, especially for any kinds of fried food. My french fries is one of the best dish which I can make. I often use 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil for chips but for others such as vegetables or chicken wings I will not add any extra oil.

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    Replies
    1. i know what u mean... we do much the same.. sometimes just for the sake of it, we add a bit of olive oil

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    2. I just bought the air fryer. Do you always have to blanch most of fresh food. I fixed french fries, but it called for blanching. I threw them in the microwave for blanching. Seasoning seems to be more of a problem for me. My chicken turned out okay but not enough flavor. How do you get more flavor?

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  2. Wow !
    Your air fryer different from other air fryer and also different your food type.I like your all things what you have shared with us . I like your post.Many many thanks for your post

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  3. I love my air fryers. I have had a couple over the years and I will not go back to cooking without. Theres so many awesome dishes I can prepare with it. Get one!

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  4. Wow! I agree all the 10 reasons. Air fryer is the best way to make the food without oil. Thanks for sharing this.

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  5. I wish I had read your post sooner, Roshan. Air fryer is very helpful in the kitchen. Must buy one!

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  6. Considering to purchase it in my first year of PG, when I have to cook food by myself, but some how didn't purchase it. Will mind your information for next time if I have to purchage this :)

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  7. Nice post.Air fryer definitely is a good cooking gadget.

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  8. Yes, buying an air fryer definitely worth the money and time.

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  9. I have had a couple over the years and i don't think without airfryer.

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  10. Thanks for sharing this amazing post.very delicious food and i would certainly like to eat it.It really unique food item.
    Go Now

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  11. Very nice and informative article. It will help me to buy an air fryer.

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  12. I was checking continuously this blog and I am impressed! Very helpful information specifically the last part I care for such info a lot. I was looking for this certain info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.

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  13. I am going to purchase an airfryer ,but before that i want to read more about it. Your article will help me to know more about this. Thanks for sharing.

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  14. So much more to know about Air Fryer.The best part of this post is the helping video that can make every task easy to understand about fryers.Keep sharing the great tips!!

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  15. Personally I love air fryer because of oil less frying as well as I like the taste
    which is cooked with airfryer.

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  16. I love that everything cooked in an air fryer is delicious without oil or with a little bit of oil and the most important - the food is healthy!

    ReplyDelete
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