Figure-conscious, low-fat and deep-fryer? That probably doesn’t add up for most people. Only an air fryer, which fries food using hot air and with significantly less fat, gives you healthy fast food at the push of a button.
Today I would like to tell you how an air fryer or hot air fryer works and what the advantages of this cooking method are. Look forward to lots of exciting insider tips and the best recipes!
Hot air fryer – is it all just hot air?
The sales figures show it: more and more people are buying a hot air fryer. Not surprising when you look at the diverse advertising promises. Depending on the manufacturer, air fryers are said to offer various advantages over conventional kitchen appliances. In addition to the good old oven, the multifunctional Thermomix is probably the biggest competitor. But what can the hot air fryer really do?
Hot air fryer advantages at a glance:
Whether you love fast food or not, an air fryer in the home can definitely do more than hot air! These are the advantages at a glance:
- saves fat and calories
- cooks very quickly
- produces healthy fast food
- no frying oil necessary
- no need for baking paper
- uncomplicated cleaning
- intuitive operation
- large selection of devices and brands
Hot air fryer – when it’s really worth it:
The biggest advantage of a hot air fryer is probably that it saves fat and therefore calories during preparation. Here’s an exciting comparison: 100 g of fries from the deep fryer have around 320 calories. The same amount of fries from the air fryer, on the other hand, only weighs around 150 calories! So if you want to look after your figure or even lose a few kilos, a hot air fryer may be worth it.
It is also practical that air fryers take up very little space in the kitchen and can be stored in the cupboard depending on use. However, the dimensions inside are also manageable: the cooking basket on most brands is small, so it actually only holds 1-2 portions of food at a time. But it’s definitely enough for a romantic (and calorie-conscious) candlelight dinner!
I like the air fryer because it makes really healthy snacks – for example homemade chips made from potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini or kale. Just a few drops of oil, a few minutes and the push of a button are enough to make crispy vegetable chips. You definitely have to try this.
Hot air fryer – this is how it works:
Normal deep fryers have been around for over 100 years. The technology behind it is simple: all kinds of food, today especially fast food, are cooked in hot fat. This gives them a lot of flavor and a pretty delicious crunch, but also a lot of calories. Hot air fryers, on the other hand, require significantly less fat or no fat at all because they fry food using hot air. They work like small convection ovens with a radiator and a fan.
My tips for preparation in the air fryer:
The operation is very simple and intuitive, but there are still a few tricks. If you follow these tips, your air fryer dishes will be even more delicious:
- Don’t overfill the cooking basket so that everything cooks evenly and doesn’t become mushy.
- Shake the cooking basket halfway through the cooking time or turn the ingredients. Then they become particularly crispy.
- Pay attention to the cooking time, this varies depending on the ingredient and the amount of ingredients.
- Only preheat the device for long cooking times – this saves energy.
- Don’t burn yourself because the food from the air fryer is really hot.
The best recipes from the hot air fryer:
Of course, fries and chips are just two of the many culinary highlights that you can prepare in your air fryer. Here are my best recipes:
Sounds delicious? Then I hope you have fun trying it out and enjoying it!
