And they buy newfangled devices that, according to the statement, can make them easier homework. But over time the kitchen becomes full various devices which are used once a year. This problem is especially relevant for small spaces. It would be a pity to throw away the device, and there is no point in using it, since the next new product has replaced half of the technical devices in the kitchen. A similar situation occurred with the advent of air grills, which include steam cooking in their functionality. But can air fryers seriously compete with a double boiler? Let's figure out together what it is, what is better to spend money on, Which is better: a steamer or a convection oven??
An air fryer, unlike a double boiler, has only one bowl, which is characterized by a large volume. It is made of impact-resistant glass. In the kitchen, a steamer will definitely come in handy less space than an air fryer. The compact bowls of steamers can be folded and the device can be placed in a cabinet if it is not really needed at the moment. A large volume air fryer is difficult to hide anywhere. The glass bowl takes up a significant amount of space, in fact, it can take the place of your old one microwave oven. In terms of functions, it is far ahead of it, so it can easily take a place in the kitchen.
... noticeable even from the external design. One air fryer bowl allows you to cook one dish. can process different products at the same time. At the same time, the volumes of the bowls are different for convection ovens and steamers. The large bowl of the air fryer allows you to cook a meal for a family of 5 people.
The control method of devices may vary depending on the model. You can choose mechanical or electronic control of the machine. At the same time, the convection oven and steamer have built-in programs. Naturally, there are more of them in an air fryer, since the capabilities of the device are wider.
If we consider an air fryer as a convection oven, then difference between a steamer and an air fryer consists in the presence of a heating element and a fan in the latest device. Food is cooked in vortex air currents, the intensity of which can vary.
No matter what ends up in your kitchen, air fryer or steamer, but cooking can take place without fat and oil. Compared to cooking in a frying pan, which can produce carcinogens, processing food in an air fryer and steamer allows you to serve healthy food. dietary dish. But some foods take longer to cook in an air fryer than on a traditional stovetop.
It depends on what you are going to cook in the kitchen. Food for small children, people with gastrointestinal disorders, and adherents of a healthy diet can be prepared in both devices. But the main difference between a double boiler and an air fryer is that the air fryer is capable of baking, drying vegetables and fruits, frying, sterilizing preparations, grilling, heating, and also smoking at home.
Owners of kitchen ovens claim that the air fryer will become a backup oven In most cases. Therefore, you can choose as an option a double boiler and a good oven, which the vast majority of housewives in our country have not yet abandoned. At the same time, steaming in an air fryer differs from cooking in a double boiler. place the main emphasis on the steam cooking function, so no device can compare with a double boiler in processing food using steam. If you are attracted to multifunctional devices, then of course you need an air fryer or a multicooker.
Not every housewife can afford to fork out for an air fryer. Although, when it comes to your own peace of mind and saving time for your loved one, then women have no equal in this matter. In terms of price, an air fryer will cost the same as an expensive double boiler. Lovers of healthy and wholesome steamed food can purchase and
Today it is difficult to surprise modern people with any miracle of technology. Scientific and technological progress has accelerated hundreds of times over the past decades, so the next invention of scientists that will make human life easier is no longer surprising. By the way, its results are quite actively used not only in research institutes or large production workshops, but also in ordinary kitchens the simplest housewives. Another miracle of technology was the air fryer.
Nowadays it is very difficult to imagine that just a few years ago the oven was an indispensable item in the kitchen. Any baking or frying became impossible without this important detail kitchen equipment. An air grill is what allows modern housewives to diversify their dishes, make them even tastier and healthier.
An air fryer is a transparent container with a lid, made of thermal glass, the diameter of which is 30-45 cm. A baking sheet or wire rack is inserted into this container, as in a conventional oven, and food is placed on top, which can be pre-wrapped in foil or placed on a plate. The air fryer lid is separate element, which is equipped with a fan inside and heating device. The fan serves to evenly blow air according to the convection principle, which is heated inside the pan to 60-260 degrees, using a heating element in the lid. There is also a control panel for the air fryer on the lid. Typically, the kit, along with the main container and lid, includes a nozzle for cooking chicken, additional racks, skewers, a grip for hot parts, a multi-level baking tray for cooking several dishes at the same time and, of course, a brochure with recipes for dishes that can be cooked in an air fryer.
Disagreements about the impact on human body microwave ovens, since their harm has been unconditionally proven. But, oddly enough, there are very few people left who have not yet acquired them. This is how man is designed that the modern rhythm of life forces him to look for an alternative to a conventional stove. So, it was gradually replaced by electric ovens, deep fryers, egg cookers, toasters, etc. The only inconvenient thing is that it’s difficult to place all these Appliances The kitchen is quite difficult, and cleaning after each use is labor-intensive. As a result, a new Appliances, which seems to have been purchased to make life easier and save time, is put away in the closet after three uses. Air fryer – universal device for cooking, which combines the functions of many units of household appliances.
Another undeniable dignity convection oven is absolutely safe for human health. Cooking in an air fryer does not require the use of vegetable or butter, as a result of which the finished food is completely devoid of carcinogens. In addition, the air fryer has a special compartment into which the fat contained in the products flows.
The list of dishes that can be prepared using an air fryer is much more extensive than what any other household appliance can handle. These include first courses, various pastries, porridge, smoked products, berries or mushrooms, and even yoghurts and preparations for the winter.
As you can see, the convection oven has all the qualities to soon displace conventional stoves from everyday use.
Diversity kitchen appliances allows you to prepare dishes that suit healthy eating. In this article we will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the air fryer and find out how the device helps housewives.
A container made of heat-resistant glass (top and bottom) is a convection oven.
The capacity of the container can range from six to 17 liters. The kit includes a lid with a diameter of 300-450 millimeters.
A grate or baking tray is inserted inside for food, which, depending on the cooking method, can be placed on a plate or wrapped in foil.
Dishes cooked in an air fryer
The cover of the structure is a separate and very important element, equipped with a built-in fan and heating device. Depending on the set mode, food can be processed at temperatures from +60 to +260 degrees.
The purpose of the fan is to ensure uniform distribution of hot air flow. The principle of convection is involved here. The covers are usually equipped with a readable control panel.
The device cooks in several ways:
In an air fryer you can quickly and without using oil prepare hot sandwiches, homemade barbecues, and baked goods.
The device has a function of heating cooked food for a certain (programmed) time.
Fans of preservation will appreciate the ability to cook jam in jars, as well as sterilize the preserves.
You can prepare dough and yoghurts in the air fryer.
Regardless of the cooking method, food in the air fryer does not burn or stick to the bottom of the bowl.
The advantages of the device also include the following characteristics:
This is not a complete list of the capabilities and advantages of a home assistant, which fully preserves beneficial features products.
Air fryers also have disadvantages, such as:
Using the control system on the lid, you can adjust the cooking speed
An electric grill is considered an environmentally friendly device that does not contain technologies harmful to humans.
According to experts, cooking food in an air fryer is completely harmless.
Nutritionists and chefs speak only positively about the device, paying Special attention possibility of cooking without the use of fats and vegetable oil.
Air fryer dishes are suitable for allergy sufferers.
When purchasing you need to pay attention:
There can be two types: mechanical principle of operation or electrical.
A mechanically controlled device is cheaper, but has only one fan speed.
IN electronic devices the fan operates at several speeds with big amount required operating modes and times.
It is better to choose an extended volume that can be changed. There are models in which this is provided by the manufacturer.
There are two options on sale with different lid fastenings:
Many owners advise purchasing a grill with a lid on brackets. It's more convenient and safer.
Although the grill electrical principle action is not an essential tool, but is in certain demand.
The main advantages of the device are the ability to simultaneously cook several dishes without the use of fats and oils. Food prepared this way is much healthier.
There are designs on sale with different set features at different prices.
How do air fryers of different models differ from each other?
Before moving on to the main topic of the article, let’s say a few words about what parameters air fryers differ in and comment on them:
Advantages of an air fryer
The air fryer has firmly won the love of those who care about their health, but at the same time love dishes with an appetizing golden brown crust and tender, melt-in-the-mouth pulp. In this device, all the fat is rendered from meat and poultry, and at the same time, what unscrupulous manufacturers pump them with. All this does not accumulate on the baking sheet (in a frying pan, saucepan, etc.), being absorbed back, but flows into the bowl. Provided, of course, that you cook on a wire rack and not in baking dishes or in closed containers.
Let us outline other obvious advantages of the air fryer.
The air grill quite successfully replaces an oven with grill and convection, a toaster and roaster, a frying pan, a double boiler, a kebab maker, a smokehouse, a dryer for vegetables and fruits, a can sterilizer, a yogurt maker and a microwave oven. It bakes and fries, cooks soups, has the effect of a Russian oven, defrosts and heats food. And at the same time, it takes up much less space than almost each of the above-mentioned units, and if you consider that one convection oven is able to cope with the tasks facing several appliances, then with its presence you significantly save kitchen space.
You can cook in an air fryer in any container except wood and plastic. Dishes in clay pots turn out especially well - if you simmer porridge, soups or roasts in them, you get the impression that they were taken out of a real oven. By the way, for frying and baking meat, poultry and fish, separate utensils are not needed at all - the racks, skewers and tripod that are already included in the kit are enough.
You don’t need oil to cook food in an air fryer, and if you want to add it, for example, to create a very crispy crust or to flavor it with an oil-herb mixture, you can simply lightly grease the chicken, fish or chop using a silicone brush. This way you get 100% healthy and nutritious food.
When cooking in an air fryer, food practically does not burn (the main thing is to set the temperature and time correctly), and the cooking process itself does not require constant presence in the kitchen. In addition, due to the presence of a fan, all dishes are cooked evenly, so there are no uncooked or undercooked spots.
For example, those who often make cutlets in breadcrumbs (or buy similar semi-finished products) know how difficult it is to fry them in a frying pan - the breading quickly burns, and the minced meat remains raw in the middle, and more oil is required than usual. The air fryer copes with this task perfectly; you just need to grease the cutlets and the tray or grate a small amount oil and bake for 10 minutes on each side. This way you will get fully fried minced meat and an appetizing, not burnt crust. The same goes for barbecue wings, which never turn out as tasty and crispy in a frying pan as they do on the grill.
If there is a double grid in the air fryer, you can cook two dishes at once, for example, bake chicken pieces on the upper surface, and potatoes on the lower surface. The juice from the bird will soak the tubers, so all you need to do is sprinkle them with herbs and you have a luxurious side dish. If you don’t want fat to get on your potatoes or other vegetables, just swap the ingredients.
Disadvantages of an air fryer
Disadvantages of this kitchen assistant not so much. The main problem area of the air fryer can be considered the size and weight of the glass bowl. A small container is simply non-functional - too few products fit into a compact device with a 2-4 liter bowl. The huge one is inconvenient to use due to difficulties with pouring out the melted fat and subsequent washing (and although some models have a self-cleaning function, you still need to drain the waste).
If you usually cook for two or three people, then when purchasing it is better to choose a bowl of no more than seven liters, since a standard twelve-liter (and even ten-liter) “tumbling” is very difficult. And, by the way, if desired, you can put eight medium chicken thighs or a chicken weighing up to 1.8 kg in a seven-liter container, so feeding five or six people at the same time is also not a problem. In addition, it is worth considering that with a magnifying ring, 7 liters can easily turn into 10-12.
Another controversial drawback of the air fryer is the time required to cook some dishes. So, for example, if you fry sausages in a frying pan for 3-4 minutes, then in this unit they will cook until golden brown for 10-12 minutes. But potatoes in foil are baked not in an hour or twenty hours, like in the oven, but in just 40 minutes.
For some reason, some people consider the disadvantages of a convection oven to be its energy intensity, that is, its high consumption of electricity. Don't believe it. In fact, this unit consumes much less energy than many household appliances; its use has virtually no effect on the electric meter.
The disadvantages often include the strong heating of the bowl, but the frying pan and saucepan are also hot at the time of cooking, and for some reason this does not surprise anyone. However, there is something that you need to pay special attention to - under no circumstances should water be dripped onto the hot convection oven container, otherwise the glass will simply crack.
Nowadays, there are many special cookbooks that contain recipes for the air fryer, but we invite you to try the dishes that we got as a result of home experiments with this device.
Let’s say right away that in describing the cooking process we use the phrase “high speed” exclusively for those convection ovens in which the blowing speed can be set manually, and in simple models it is initially high (and the only one).
In addition, in almost all of our recipes, contrary to what we said above, oil is present, but this is the specificity of these dishes, which, without adding an oil component, significantly lose in taste.
Baked potatoes with cilantro
Ingredients (for 2 servings):
Preparation:
Wash the potatoes thoroughly (no need to peel them), use a sharp knife to make 10-12 pricks on each tuber. Mix in a deep bowl sunflower oil, garlic, dried cilantro, salt and ground black pepper passed through a press. Tear off 4 squares of foil.
Thoroughly “bathe” the potatoes in the sauce and place each one on a separate sheet of foil, pour the remaining garlic-butter dressing on top and carefully wrap, forming balls. Place in the air fryer on the top rack so that the oil does not leak out, and bake at high speed and a temperature of 200 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve directly in foil. As a side dish, this dish goes great with any meat, and during Lent it will become a complete lunch or dinner.
Pork belly in mustard
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Wash the pork belly and pat dry with a paper towel. Lightly scrape the skin. Cut the garlic into medium slices and stuff the meat with them, then rub it with salt and ground black pepper and spread with mustard, rubbing in the seasonings (it is advisable to do this with gloves). Wrap the pork tightly in 2 layers of foil so that the juices do not escape during cooking.
Place the meat on a plate and refrigerate for several hours, or best of all, for a day. Then bake on the top rack of the air fryer at high speed and 200 degrees for 1 hour 20 minutes. Serve the brisket hot, garnished with fresh vegetables (or potatoes, rice, wheat porridge), or let the meat cool in foil, cut into thin slices and use as a savory appetizer.
Air fryer- this is a transparent container made of heat-resistant glass with a volume of 6-15 liters with a lid with a diameter of 30 to 45 cm. Inside, like in a familiar oven, a baking sheet or wire rack is inserted, and food is placed on top. They can be placed on a plate or pre-wrapped in foil.
The lid is a separate element of the air fryer. It has a built-in fan and heating element. The inside is heated to temperatures from +60 to +260 degrees. The fan ensures uniform blowing of hot air according to the principle of convection. The lid also contains the device control panel.
The debate about the negative effects of microwave ovens on the body has long subsided, because their harm has been scientifically proven. Still, many people still use such devices. It's clear - modern man lives at a frantic pace, so we have to look for ways to quickly prepare food or heat up semi-finished products. As a result, many alternatives to a conventional stove have emerged - electric ovens, egg cookers, toasters, bread makers, deep fryers. A significant disadvantage of these devices is that it is difficult to place them all on standard kitchen, which is small in size. Yes, and washing devices after each use is quite labor-intensive process time-consuming. Therefore, soon the new equipment is put away in the closet and just gathers dust there.
The convenience of an air fryer lies in its versatility. It combines the functions of different kitchen appliances, therefore significantly saving storage space. Its installation is possible on any dry surface - the main thing is that the wire is long enough. There are even models with automatic self-cleaning, which makes cleaning your equipment easier. What’s important is that an air fryer consumes several times less electricity than a kettle or iron.
With this technique it is possible to cook food using any method. Cooking, frying without oil, smoking, stewing, baking, drying are available. In an air fryer you can also cook grilled meat, make hot sandwiches, homemade barbecue, steam cutlets, and pies. The device also replaces a microwave, allowing you to quickly and easily heat up dinner at the right time (there is a timer for this) or defrost food from the freezer. You can use it to sterilize jars for home canning and raise dough. Models with electronic control allow you to prepare even natural yoghurts.
Initially, the air fryer was conceived as a device for cooking grilled meat at home. Now its functionality has expanded significantly:
Housewives will love the ease of use of the air fryer. All you need to do is put the food in the container and set the desired mode and cooking time. Typically, a dish cooks faster in an air fryer than on the stove. And there is no need to stir or make sure that nothing burns. While lunch or dinner is being prepared, you can go about your business.
In an air fryer, food is cooked using the convection principle. Hot air rotates around the product, as a result of which it warms up slowly and evenly. Cooking grilled chicken, which is popular in our country, takes about 40 minutes. The fish is baked at a temperature of 180 degrees for half an hour.
Before turning on the air fryer, do not forget to make sure that the loaded products are 1 cm away from the walls of the container. This is necessary to ensure free circulation of hot air inside the bowl.
The air fryer is often used as home smokehouse. In this case, you should pour liquid smoke or fall asleep sawdust. Cherry and alder are best suited. Then the products need to be placed on the grill - it is usually included in the basic kit.
The air fryer is included in the list of the healthiest cooking appliances. This is due to the fact that the air used to process the products is clean and hot. You can cook food in an air fryer without using oil or fat - this method is the most useful. This is the most suitable option for people who lead healthy image life, take care of their figure, health, and also for patients with cardiovascular diseases who need to control the level of cholesterol in the blood. Since the device is environmentally friendly, people prone to allergic reactions can safely use it.
An undeniable advantage of using an air fryer is its safety for health. Food cooked in it turns out healthy, wholesome and nutritious. It preserves vitamins and minerals to the maximum. Also, such food has a reduced calorie content, because it is not necessary to use oil and fat for cooking. Even in this case, the dish will still not burn. The main thing is that it will not contain carcinogens hazardous to health, which are formed when heating creamy and vegetable oils. All the fat released from the food flows into a special compartment, so the dish turns out to be dietary. Many people claim that air fryer food has an amazing taste that cannot be achieved with the standard cooking method.
There are practically no negative qualities of the air fryer and the food that is cooked in it. However, it must be taken into account that some products may initially have negative properties that appear when heated, regardless of the cooking method. The research results also confirm that the design of the air fryer does not use technologies that pose a danger to human health.
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