Put the KFC down and your hands in the air if deep fried food is one of your guiltiest pleasures? Woah, woah, woah, that’s a lot of rather greasy looking paws…
Obviously, we’re not alone in our love for the alchemy that occurs when hot oil and raw ingredients collide. Oh, the sizzle. The crackle. The aroma. The shatter…
But this deep dive into a bubbling vat of fat doesn’t come without risk. Firstly, the physical; deep fat frying consistently ranks as one of the most likely cooking methods to cause injury.
But perhaps more well publicised and pertinent are the health implications of succumbing to a life spent swimming in vegetable oil. Whilst we’re not here to scare you, a 2019 report published by the British Medical Journal via WebMD suggested that ‘’too much fried food may shorten your life’’.
Everything in moderation, of course, but if you’re looking to enjoy the pleasure of fried food without some of those associated feelings of guilt and the health implications we mentioned, then have you considered an air fryer oven?
Yep, this kitchen accessory, which only launched in September 2010, has risen hugely in popularity in the following decade, gaining acclaim for its ability to cook food quickly and crisply, and in a healthier way than traditional frying.
If you’re keen to learn more, here are 5 benefits of an air fryer oven over deep fat frying and ovens.
Firstly, Is There Any Difference Between An Air Fryer & An Air Fryer Oven?
We’re confident you’ve all heard of air fryers by now. In fact, in September of last year, the BBC reported that ”everyone” was buying them. But after reading the title of this piece, we’re sure you’ve only got one thing on your mind. No, not fried chicken, silly, but rather, an existential question; is there any difference between an air fryer and an air fryer oven?
Firstly, a little linguistic distinction. Often, the distinguishing term regards an air fryer ‘basket’ versus an air fryer oven. That should tell you everything you need to know about the difference; chiefly, that whilst both air fryers and air fryer ovens are countertop versions of convection ovens that work by circulating hot air around food until it’s cooked, the vessel in which they hold that food is different.
Air fryers use a mesh basket whilst air fryer ovens use a tray. The latter is usually a little larger, making it ideal for cooking full meals in its unique, (relatively) healthy, oil-free way. Because of that tray, air fryer ovens are also better for cooking cakes, biscuits, bread, and any other food product that is fairly wet when in its raw state. For keen bakers, an air fryer oven is a without doubt the smarter option.
Finally, due to an air fryer oven’s size, they usually come with more presets than an air fryer, allowing for a little more flexibility and scope in your cooking. Result!
A Vast Reduction In Harmful Fats
The most publicised benefit of using an air fryer (sometimes referred to as an ‘air fryer baskest’ as we previously mentioned) or an air fryer oven is that you can cook your favourite fried food to a crisp finish without the necessity for that excessive amount of oil which both deep fat and even shallow frying demand.
It is important to note here that air frying isn’t usually completely oil free, and air frying is still classed as ‘fried’ food. To cook in one without any fats would result in a dry, unpalatable meal, particularly if you’re cooking relatively lean meats such as chicken breast or a fillet of fish.
That said, air frying is nothing like the bath in oil that deep fat frying requires; misting your ingredients and the cooking basket with a little oil prior to cooking is generally sufficient. According to the BBC, ‘’Air fryers do use a lot less oil than deep fat fryers, and a 2015 study demonstrated that food cooked using an air fryer were substantially lower in fat. Less fat also means fewer calories’’.
The same principles, of course, apply to air fryer ovens.
On average, an air fryer oven reduces the amount of oil in food by almost 80%, instead relying on convection and advanced hot air circulation to make food crisp, quickly.
Fast, Efficient Cooking
So what’s the difference between an air fryer oven and a conventional oven, we hear you ask? And why shouldn’t I just use my oven?
Well, an air fryer oven cooks your food as quickly as possible by circulating extremely hot air around it, with the air mimicking the immersive, high temperature-led cooking of the hot oil in deep fat frying. Only, it’s air (to the tune of Gorillaz’ ‘Dare’).
It is this ultra-rapid cooking that gives the texture of fried food in the final product. An oven, on the other hand, disperses heat more gradually, using an element for heating rather than the rapid air technology of an air fryer oven.
This, in turn, makes the air fryer oven the perfect device to cook food in when you are in a hurry. You can cook chicken wings, for instance, in as little as 10 minutes using one, and get crisp-skinned results which an oven could only dream of.
In fact, as the air fryer connoisseurs over at HYSapientia tell us, most of your favourite dishes can be prepared in just as little time as it would take to deep fry them.
No Need For Supervision
If you’re lucky (crazy) enough to have a counter-top, deep fat fryer at home, then you’ll know that using one in the domestic space feels incredibly cavalier. Courageous, even. But of a more practical concern, deep fat frying requires constant supervision, lest something go wrong and you end up burning your house down.
On the flip side (incidentally, no flipping required here), cooking with an air fryer oven requires little to no supervision. All that you need to do is put the food you wish to cook in the fryer basket and set the settings, which include the temperature and cooking duration.
Once you start the air fryer oven, it works almost autonomously, leaving you free to focus on other tasks that require your attention. You may have to shake the frying basket once every 5-6 minutes, but that’s about it. Since it uses a timer, once the food is prepared, it shuts off on its own, so you don’t need to worry about your dinner getting burnt. To paraphrase John Torode, ‘’Cooking doesn’t get simpler than this’’.
Versatility
Some air fryers (both basket and oven versions) also come with preset options for your favourite dishes. In fact, air fryers are so versatile that they can be used to prepare not just your daily meals but also your desserts! Yep, you heard us right; you can satisfy your churros cravings without having to head to the food truck stationed outside your city’s main shopping centre.
In fact, it’s not only traditional fried desserts which can be cooked in an air fryer or air fryer oven. Baker Chris Tucker, via Insider, suggests that apple crumbles can be made on turbo charge in your new favourite appliance. You can even bake a cake in there, and even more interestingly, the convection nature of the heating system means an air fryer oven produces absurdly crisp meringues.
Effortless Cleaning
The relatively low levels of oil needed makes cleaning your air fryer oven a breeze, too, with the ‘frying’ baskets in an air fryer oven removable and dishwasher friendly. All you have to do is unplug the appliance and allow it to cool, then clean the basket and drawer in warm soapy water or simply pop it in the dishwasher.
Safe To Use
Since an air fryer oven turns itself off once your food is cooked, you needn’t worry about any gas leakages or overcooking and burning of food, as well as those times when you’ve forgotten to turn off the stove for the day’s entirety (don’t deny it, we’ve all been there). What’s more, you don’t have to worry about burning yourself or spilling oil during frying, as the cooking process is contained within the appliance, lid shut safely.
Is there anything this thing can’t do?!
The Bottom Line
Of course, air fryer baskets and air fryer ovens aren’t the total, all encompassing solution to your nutritional needs; they should be used in combination with other methods of cooking which use no oil – boiled, steamed, poached…you know the drill – and prioritise fruit and vegetables, both fresh and cooked. But when compared to deep fat frying and even, at times, oven roasting, air fryer ovens provide many benefits to the keen home cook. Bon appetite!
Speaking of which; Spring isn’t too far away and we’re so excited about the seasonal produce to come. Check out our guide to these 5 IDEAL spring vegetables and how to cook them for inspiration on healthy eating in the months ahead.