How to use an air fryer

LUTHO PASIYA lutho.pasiya@inl.co.za

Top tips

ARE you wondering how to use an air fryer? We have got you covered. This informative guide will help you learn how to use air fryers.

Add a little oil

Unless a food is inherently fatty, always add at least a little oil, which encourages browning. Otherwise, the fan could dry out the food before it browns.

Preheat it

Like the full-sized oven in your kitchen, the air fryer only starts cooking once its chamber has heated properly. Save cooking time – and get better results – by running the air fryer for three to four minutes while you are preparing your food.

Airflow is king

Whatever you are doing in an air fryer, you must always have the subject of airflow in the back of your mind. An air fryer uses hot air to cook the food inside. But in order to cook evenly, this hot air needs to be able to circulate all around the food. If you block that airflow, your cooking performance in your air fryer will drop a lot, and may even be unusable.

Use foil or parchment paper

To make cleaning easier for super-messy things (such as wings covered in a sticky sauce) lay them on a sheet of foil or parchment paper on top of the air fryer basket. The power of the hot air moving can cause the sheets to fly, so make sure the food is heavy enough to keep it from flying away

Avoid overcrowding the basket

Even if it fits into the basket, chances are a whole chicken will not cook evenly, so you are better off with chicken parts when it comes to this appliance.

Read your owner’s manual to find out how to wash your air fryer.

You might be surprised to find that some parts or accessories can go in the dishwasher. Never submerge the device.

Save the drippings from the drawer for your next meal

The fat that collects in the pan does not have to go to waste; you can save it for future cooking, even if it is mixed with a bit of water. It is packed with flavour and can be put away in a container to later use for gravies and stir-fry sauces.

Reheating your food in the air fryer tastes so much better

In just a few moments you can reheat French fries or other “crunchy” foods and bring that delightful crunch back to life, instead of settling for soggy leftovers.

Remember to shake

To help your food cook evenly and have great colour, shake the basket a few times during the cooking process. This is especially helpful when you’re making smaller items.

ADD a little oil. | Pexels/Ron Lach

To make cleaning easier for super-messy things (such as wings covered in a sticky sauce) lay them on a sheet of foil or parchment paper on top of the air fryer basket. | Pexels