Air fryer is, undoubtedly, one of the most popular kitchen appliances and is loved by tons of homeowners these days. It’s because the air fryer can provide a lot of functions that help to ease your daily cooks (if you buy the right one).
As the name suggests, an air fryer will significantly reduce the amount of oil that you use for your food. It means that it can help you to have a much healthier lifestyle. AIr fryer works by circulating hot air throughout its cooking station until the food is well cooked according to the chosen preset.
Just like buying other electronic kitchen appliances, you need to keep some considerations in mind so you can get the one that offers excellent features. You can’t waste your money on an air fryer that doesn’t really suit your needs.
Below, we have some steps that you can refer to when you are planning on buying an air fryer.
How to Choose the Best Air Fryer
Choose the types
In general, there are two types of air fryers that you can find on the market. The most popular option is the one that comes in the basket-like design which you can pull out and put in the pan conveniently. You will also see the one which looks similar to an oven.
Each of the types has its own plus and minus points and here’s what you can consider:
Basket Air Fryers
This model is actually the one when the air fryers were first introduced to the market. You can simply add the food to the basket, lock it, and operate the fryers which makes it so convenient to use. Besides its convenient use, basket air fryers also provide even cooking so you can get the best result.
In terms of the operating system, you will find digital and manual basket air fryers.
- Digital models – It provides great convenience since you can control the temperature and time by simply pressing a button. They are also equipped with some presets to cook popular foods like fresh, nuggets, and vegetables. You can see how the cooking process is going from the digital indicators.
- Manual models – As classic as it sounds, the controls of this model come in analog design which, of course, is less convenient than the digital one. You need to manually set the temperature and time of cooking for each food. Manual basket fryers are often picked due to their more affordable price tags.
Oven Air Fryers
As the name suggests, this type of air fryer comes in a square shape with flat trays inside to place your food. You can find the one which comes with one or multiple racks which totally depends on your needs. They also come in manual and digital control options.
The main difference between the oven with the basket air fryers is that you can actually monitor the process of the cooking from its clear window (you know, just like an oven).
If you choose an oven air fryer with multiple racks, of course, you can cook a lot of foods at once. It allows you to cook the meats, sides, and veggies all at once so you can save a lot of time preparing your meals.
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Find the price
You will find various price tags for air fryers which will surely confuse you more. However, at the same time, you can also easily find the one that suits you best within your suitable price range.
The lowest price that you can find is as low as $40 which you may need to sacrifice some sophisticated designs or features while the one with high tech features and amazing design can cost up to $400. Perhaps, an air fryer that costs around $200 is considered a great choice since you can find a model which provides good convenience.
Check the capacities
First thing first, an air fryer is designed to prioritize compacity, so you can’t expect to use it to cook for a big crowd (unless you are willing enough to cook in several batches). The capacities of air fryers are mainly between 2 to 9 quarts. They can fit the narrow space on your tiny kitchen cabinet.
Learn the additional features
Some air fryers also come with additional features which even provide more convenience. It’s surely an important consideration for you to check what additional features are equipped for the model before you buy one.
Here are some popular options:
- Safety feature – When it comes to safety features, an air fryer should have auto-shutoff and a cool exterior. These are important features to keep in mind since air fryers can get extremely hot.
- Multi-functions – Besides its main function, some air fryers can also offer you other cooking functions like grilling, baking, dehydration, and rotisserie cooking. Those functions turn an air fryer into a five-in-one machine.
- Warmer – There are several air fryer models which can also work to keep your food warm all day long. It can make your food stay crispy and hot.
- Customizable presets – To ease your cooking process, find air fryers that come with customizable presets so you can reuse the controls for your daily cooks.
Check the warranties
Of course, the warranty of the air fryer should be an important point that you think about. The shortest warranty of air fryers can be as short as 60 days which is not a good deal at all. Some brands can offer a longer warranty from one year to even three years. This long warranty is generally offered by well-known brands like Cuisinart.
Air fryer is definitely a recommended appliance that you can consider to complete the feature of your kitchen, You can have crispy fried food without any use of oil with a single touch. It’s a very convenient kitchen appliance that can provide you with a lot of useful features.
With some points that we share with you above, hopefully, you can get the best air fryers that can fulfill your daily needs!
(Image source: depositphotos.com)
