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If you’re considering buying an air fryer – or if you’ve already bought one – it’s a good idea to know how it works. Not only does this mean you get a better understanding of how to achieve the best results so you don’t accidentally frazzle or undercook the food, it also helps you decide when air frying is best or if another cooking method might be better . suitable. Knowing how an air fryer works can also be useful when you’re adapting your favorite recipes.
If you’re looking for air fryer purchasing advice, you can check out our top recommendations by type in our reviews of the best dual-drawer air fryers and the best air fryer ovens, check out our best Ninja air fryers and ranges, or check out the best air fryers in general.
How does an air fryer cook food?
An air fryer is best thought of as a mini convection oven because it uses convection heat to cook. Instead of having a fan and element at the back (as in a convection oven), these are usually placed at the top so that they sit above the food.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
There are exceptions. Thanks to its double-decker design, the Ninja Double Stack has two heating coils on the back – one behind each drawer.
An air fryer’s fan runs at high speed, with typical air frying temperatures ranging from 160°C/320°F to 240°C/460°F.
Below the coil and fan is a sharper plate where your food sits. It is perforated so that heat can reach the bottom. The fan blows hot air around the oven cavity to cook the food quickly. Because the oven space of an air fryer is smaller than that of an average oven, it reaches a high temperature more quickly and can maintain it with less energy consumption. Coat your food with a small amount of oil and the hot air ‘fries’ the surface for a crispy, browned finish.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
This can be enhanced by shaking the food in the tray and roughening the outside to create more surface area for a crispier result.
Is an air fryer more economical than my oven?
Air fryers have a reputation for being good at saving energy, and this is true, albeit only to a point. This is mainly due to the small oven space in the air fryer, which heats up faster and stays warm.
Although the temperatures an air fryer uses are similar to those of your oven, because you don’t have to wait time for a large oven cavity to preheat and the food cooks quickly, air frying is more economical for many, if not most, everyday meals.
The situation changes if you cook large quantities at once, such as a roast dinner for the whole family. Running a standard oven for a large batch of baked potatoes, plus a side of meat or poultry, roasted vegetables and other side dishes is usually more economical than cooking them separately in a single-tray air fryer.
However, a two-drawer air fryer has the capacity to cook an entire meal in one go and can be cheaper depending on how many people you are cooking for. Check out our review of the best dual tray air fryers for our top recommendations.
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
Alex Greenwood / Foundry
To find out which is better for cooking a large meal or batch cooking, look at the wattage of the appliance so you can calculate approximate kWh power consumption. You can use an online electricity cost calculator to help you.
Is cooking in an air fryer healthier?
Air frying is a misnomer because the food is not fried in the conventional sense. When you fry or shallow fry in oil, you use the oil to seal the outside so that the water in the food cannot escape and is heated, steaming the inside. To do this, oil penetrates the surface layer of the food.
Air frying, on the other hand, uses air to heat the food, with just a small amount of oil and movement creating the crispy exterior. Not only does less oil result in food that contains less fat, making it healthier, but when you cook foods with a high fat content such as bacon or sausages, the perforated crisper plate allows excess fat to drain away, unlike a pan where the fat can’t go anywhere.
However, because air-fried foods lose moisture during cooking, they can become dry if heated for too long or at too high a temperature.
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Rachel Ogden / Foundry
Do I always have to use the programs of an air fryer?
Most air fryers have default presets for time and temperature – usually for food types or cooking methods – but it’s not necessary to strictly adhere to them.
You may need to experiment to find the right temperature and cooking time for your favorite dishes. Some recipes provide better results with a lower temperature and longer cooking time, while others may just require a quick burst of heat.
Check out our article on five new things to cook in an air fryer for some inspiration and cooking temperature guidelines.