Air Fryers have gained in popularity over the years. They were even the IT gift of 2018. I confess, the first time I used an air fryer, I was disappointed. The food was good but it made such small portions it didn’t seem like it was worth the effort. I’ve heard that from a lot of friends and family, along with statements like, “I don’t know how to use it.” Or “I don’t know if it can cook the dishes my family wants.” Well, buckle up buttercup. I’ve got the skinny on how to choose an air fryer in the first of my new series on All About Air Fryers & Air Fryer Recipes.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of the tools you’ll want to purchase to get the most out of your air fryer. I’ll have tips to show you how simple using an air fryer can be, along with recipes you might not expect, including bread and soup. But, first, let’s ask the basic question.
Yes! You can make bread in the air fryer!
What is an Air Fryer?
It’s basically a small convection oven that sits on the countertop. Manufacturers claim it can prepare your favorite fried foods with less fat and calories. It works by circulating hot air around the food, allowing it to cook more evenly and become crispier than foods baked in a traditional oven. Does it live up to the hype? In our experience, yes. We’ve cooked everything from fried green tomatoes to fried chicken. They’ve all met our strict (meaning our friends, family, and neighbors would eat it) taste tests. There’s a trick to getting the food to stay crispier and we’ll be explaining that in a later post. Now, let’s get down to basics.
You can make cookies too!
How to Choose an Air Fryer
Check out these 6 factors before you purchase.
*Size- Air Fryers range in size from small (2-3 quart), medium (3-5 quarts), large (5-6 quarts), to extra-large. The large size is designed to make enough food-usually without leftovers- for a family of 3-5. I recommend this size for everyone because smaller sizes require more work. You have to stop, shake the basket and stir things more often to get food to cook evenly. We use an Instant Pot 6-quart (which we purchased ourselves and once I started using it I never looked back.) In the end, it will depend on the amount of counter or storage space you have available.
*Price– Air fryers can range from around $80 to $300, depending on all the functions included. You can find a good basic model, like our Instant Pot 6-quart or the Instant Pot Vortex, in the $100-$125 range.
*Dependability—Check out ratings before you purchase. Consumer Reports has tested a wide variety of air fryers and offers detailed facts about all of them. Read reviews from Amazon or other sites.
And for vegetables!
*Warranty—There’s a big difference in warranties among air fryers. Most last around one year, but a good warranty should cover defects on the fryer basket, the base, and the electrical components.
*Wattage—Air fryers use anywhere from 800 to 1500 watts when cooking. Be sure to see if your kitchen outlets can handle the amount used before purchasing.
*Noise Level- Air fryers are noisy little machines. The noise from the fan that powers the machine comes in at around 65 decibels, about the sound of a vacuum cleaner. Some units are louder than others so check the decibel level before purchasing.
*Ease of Cleaning—One thing (most?) no one wants is to spend hours soaking and cleaning their air fryer. Make sure the basket and tray are easy to remove and are dishwasher safe.
So, there you have it. Six things to consider before purchasing an air fryer. Now let’s get out there and fry, fry, fry!
Here’s a video we made of Air Fryer basics, including some of the tools we use.
Air Fryer Basics
Want to get some good recipes for your air fryer? You can pre-order our cookbook, The Southern Air Fryer Cookbook, coming on kindle on July 7th, and in print on July 21st. It has over 75 Southern-style recipes, along with tips on how to adjust the recipes to your own flavor preference. Here’s the *affiliate <link if you’d like a peak.
Do you have an air fryer? If so, how do you like it? Do you use it often?
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Just bought one that is also a toaster oven. So far so good. Look forward to following your posts on Air frying!
My husband and I are thinking about getting an air fryer, so this will be a great resource if we decide to purchase one!
I use my air fryer all the time. It is so easy to use and makes delicious food.
I have thought about getting an air fryer in the past, but I wasn’t for sure what would be the best one for my family. I’ll definitely purchase the large air fryer in the future!
We have an air fryer and love it. It is so handy and practical for quick weeknight meals.
Air fryers are such a great cooking tool. You gave people some good points to ponder before they purchase their air fryer.
I really would like to try an air fryer! It sounds like a convenient appliance to have.
I don’t have an air fryer, but I’ve been wanting to get one. So thank you for the tips and tricks.
I LOVE my air fryer! I cook in it every single day! I can’t imagine life without it. I say bigger is better! 🙂 Will check out the cookbook.
I love my air fryer. I started with just chicken nuggets and fries and now i make real dinner!
This is really helpful! Will definitely share this with my friend planning to buy one.
Thanks for these info. It explains me a lot of details. And now I know what to look for in an Air Fryer!
I would love to have an air fryer and see how things will cook using it. Once I save enough I will purchase one.
I purchased an air fryer last year, during Black Friday. We’ve only used it a handful of times.
I have often wondered about getting an air-fryer as it sounds like you can do so much with them. I will definitely keep these things in mind if I do.
It is amazing all the things that you can make in an air fryer. I love using mine for fish
It sounds like it would be fun to experiment with an air fryer LOL. I’ve honestly never used one.