You might have been wondering how do air fryers actually work. These little kitchen devices are not only extremely useful and convenient but also really simple when it comes to the way they are built. Let’s take a closer look at the air fryer inner workings. The new generation of cooking equipment is already here! Stay tuned!
- What is an air fryer?
- So how do air fryers actually work?
- The heater element
- The fan and vertical air flow
- Air circulation – air guides
- What makes an air fryer this good?
What is an air fryer?
An air fryer is essentially a mini countertop convection oven that is meant to let you achieve results similar to frying, without actually using any cooking oil at all!
Essential pros of an air fryer:
- No cooking oil required
- In many cases faster than deep frying in oil (for example with french fries).
- Much safer than deep frying – no risk of oil fires in your kitchen.
- Healthy alternative to cooking oil overuse connected with eating lots of deep fried food.
Air fryers are really handy and fast, they let you cook delicious meat, vegetable dishes, defrost and cook frozen foods, help you prepare french fries, fish sticks, cheese sticks, quick snacks such as garlic bread, crispy pickle chips, reheat food in minutes, and much much more.
Moreover, air fryers give your meals characteristics of fried food without the health and safety risks that can be associated with cooking using large amounts of oil.
So how do air fryers actually work?
The basics of air fryer inner workings are quite simple:
- The food product is put inside the main air fryer compartment.
- After temperature and time parameters setup, the air fryer is ready to be turned on.
- The air fryer begins heating up and the built-in fan starts to circulate the hot air around your food in the tight container space.
- Air guides or specific interior design of the particular air fryer will make the air go around the food in such a way that your food is going to be cooked evenly provided its optimal placement inside of the air fryer’s compartment.
Convection Oven vs. An Air Fryer (What’s The Difference?)
The only settings you have to care about when using an air fryer are:
- Cooking time (typically 5-20 minutes)
- Temperature (usually you can set the temperature up to 400°F / 200°C)
Instead of being submerged in oil, the food is cooked under a strong stream of hot air that is circulating inside of the air fryer compartment with the help of an in-built internal fan.
An air fryer works exactly as a mini convection oven in which the food is being cooked in a specially designed compartment with adjusted air flow small enough to ensure that the food is heated and cooked evenly.
The heater element
The heater is one of two main parts of an air fryer. It consists of a heating element (usually a coil) that is located at the top of the air fryer internal compartment. It’s purpose is heating up the air to the desired temperature (usually up to 400F / 200°C at maximum setting, but it depends on the particular air fryer).
The second crucial part of an air fryer is the fan.
The fan and vertical air flow
A fan in an air fryer is the key to the air fryer’s correct operation. It’s task is to circulate the hot air inside the fryer in such a way that it constantly goes around the food products in the metal basket and evenly heats up and cooks your food.
The convection effect paired with the quick and efficient circulation of air inside the air fryer’s basket work to emulate the deep frying effect without the use of cooking oil. Hot air blows around the basket and browns the food, producing a tasty crispy result overtime with most food products.
Air circulation – air guides
The fan often isn’t enough to ensure the even heat distribution. Both the interior of the air fryer and the basket itself have to be designed in such a way that the air will be able to freely go around the food placed inside.
Some air fryers in their design may feature additional air guides for better internal airflow. In most designs the excessive air will be pushed out of the exhausts that will in most cases be placed on the back side of your air fryer and the rest of the hot air will keep circulating inside of your air fryer until the cooking process is done.
Its important to mention that the transfer rate in an air fryer can be much higher than in a typical convection oven because of the smaller cooking compartment size and even heat distribution.
What makes an air fryer this good?
Air frying lets you achieve effects similar to deep frying but actually without using any oil whatsoever! You can of course use some oil if you’d like (for example by using a special spray bottle to gently spray your food with oil).
Air Fryer Buyer’s Guide – How To Choose Your First Air Fryer (Quick & Easy)
Air fryers are also surprisingly durable, and can serve you for long years untill they will have to be replaced. There are also many optional accessories available that can make your air frying experience even more enjoyable and efficient.
If you’re already set on getting your new air fryer, check out our guide on choosing your first air fryer. We promise you won’t regret your new purchase!
Main article photo + article photos of the KICHEN air fryer: HS You
