General overview
An air fryer is a useful kitchen appliance that can cook food by circulating hot air just around the food, along with the help of the convection mechanism. It can be said that Air Fryer is a rather small version of the standard convection oven. A mechanical fan of Airt Fryer circulates the hot air at high speed around the food. As a result, it cooks the food that would otherwise be then submerged in oil. Meanwhile, Air Fryer produces a crispy layer through the Maillard reaction along with browning responses of caramelization. The Maillard reaction generally requires high temperatures of around 280 up to 330 °F (140-165 °C). However, the warmth of caramelization depends very much on the sugar, which is being caramelized and ranges from about 230 maximum up to 360 °F (110-180°C).
History of Air Fryer
In 2005, the original patent version for the air fryer was first filed by Turbochef Technologies and was targeted mainly at eating outlets and in large hotel chains. Later, in 2010, Philips introduced the new kitchen appliance called Airfryer, at the Internationale Funkausstellung (shortly referred to as IFA), which is one of the largest consumer electronics fair based in Berlin. The first Airfryer was developed by using the patented technology of Rapid Air. In the earliest days of air frying, the shapes of air fryers resembled pods. However, in more recent years, the air fryer has developed and added several functions combined with pressure cookers and toaster ovens. Besides, the air fryers have started to look more like these two appliances (stove and toaster). In 2019, some of the companies began to host and sell air fryers. According to the Consumer Reports in 2019, the five top brands of the air fryers were revealed as following Elite, GoWISE, Farberware, Ninja, and NuWave. The prices of the air fryers range and vary from as low as approximately 39 dollars up to a maximum of 119 dollars or even more.
Cooking via Air Fryer
The cooking chamber radiates heat directly from a heating element, which is near the food, which overall makes the cooking process more efficient. A fan of the air fryer is used in order to circulate the hot air around the food. The opening part, which is attached at the top of the air fryer, is generally used to take air inside where there is an exhaust at the backside that controls the levels of temperature by releasing out any undesired hot air.
Besides, the exhaust is also used to determine any increases in internal pressure. Concerning the temperatures inside the ai fryer, it can generally vary and go up to a maximum of 230 °C (around 445 °F) depending on the model of the fryer. For safety, users of air fryer should be aware that it is crucial not to put oil right inside the air fryer. Also, it is not recommended to have any flammable items and materials near the air fryer. As a general rule, the cooking time in the air fryer is reduced by 20% if compared with other traditional ovens, and it also varies on each brand and type of fryer as well as by its quality and quantity of the food that has been cooked in the air fryer.
The work of Air Fryer
Most of the air fryers have various equipment applied. For instance, the temperature is applied along with timer adjustments that can allow and provide more precise and particular cooking. The air fryer has a special cooking basket in which the food is placed and cooked; the basket sits in atop a drip tray. Note that the contents of the basket must be shaken periodically in order to ensure if the oil covers the food. The most type of high-end models of air fryer accomplishes these procedures by incorporating an agitator that shakes the food continuously during the cooking process. However, it must be noted that most air fryers usually require the user to perform the task by hand at periodic intervals. If compared, the air fryers and convention overs are very similar in the way that they can cook food, but in contrast, the air fryers are smaller in terms of capacity and give off less heat, rather than convection ovens.