The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
INTRODUCTION:
We all find ourselves guilty of eating fried food but do you know deep-fried food is higher in calories and makes you more vulnerable to heart diseases and other health complications. Scary right? but there is a way you can enjoy fried food but healthily. How? By using an air fryer.
Air fryers work by circulating hot air on the food at high speed that gives your food a texture and taste just like fried food but healthier. A study showed that air fryers turn down the calories by around 80% and contain fewer fats than fried food. Air frying your food might also reduce the harmful effects of deep-frying.
There is a wide variety of air fryers available on the market but we want the best for you therefore, we have selected some of the best air fryers that serve all of your needs within a low budget. So, let’s go and dive deep into the world of crispness:
Best Affordable Air Fryers
5. The Ninja Air Fryer AF101
Want to eat scrumptious crispy food but with up to 75% less fat than your normal fried food? Then the Ninja air fryer AF101 might be the best choice for you. It is cost-efficient and falls under the budget of $100, and has a ton of notable features to offer. An amazing feature of the ninja air fryer is that it emits warm air from the sides that prevent your surface from getting defaced.
The Ninja air fryer is one of the best air fryers available in the market today, as it offers a fast airflow to cook your food in no time. Due to its convection heat, you can cook crunchy food, be it crispy chicken fillets, fries, shrimps, roast vegetables, or anything your heart desires in about 10 minutes.
It offers temperature accuracy control with its temperature ranging from 105 degrees Fahrenheit to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can set the temperature depending on the food you are cooking without burning it. It uses a 1550 Watts power supply to operate.
Crisper Plate and Ceramic Basket
The ninja air fryer comes with a non-stick, heat-protected ceramic coated basket with a capacity of about 3.8 liters (4 quarts) to cook a large amount of food for your family. A large crisper plate that allows you to cook about 900 grams (2 pounds) of fries. You can easily cook for a family of 4 with these ample-sized non-stick trays.
Four-Way Cooking Methods
The ninja air fryer offers four different cooking modes including roast, reheat, dehydrate and of course air frying, so you can roast your chicken, turkey, beef or vegetables and with its reheat mode you can reheat your pizza to get that extra crunchy crust. The dehydrate cooking mode allows you to extract the moisture from food and preserve it for as long as you want.
Pros
- The crisp plate and ceramic basket are dishwasher safe.
- Cooks your food 40 times faster than other air fryers.
- Easy-to-use touchscreen display with a programmable console.
- It can cook a variety of foods and comes with a recipe book.
- Lightweight and portable.
Cons
- No extra adjuncts for baking and searing.
Preheat: This air fryer needs preheating to get to the preferred temperature. This may be considered a downside, but the preheating takes only about 3 to 5 minutes, so it is nothing too bad.
4. Innsky Air Fryer
The Innsky Air fryer is too good to be true with its remarkable features and stainless steel frame. This air fryer uses 80% less oil therefore, offers healthier fried food but with the same crisp and taste as you get from deep frying. It gives your food a perfect crunch by circulating about 360 degrees of hot air. It is the best affordable air fryer with a capacity of about 5.8 quarts (5 liters) and is ample enough to cook large meals easily.
The Innsky air fryer works 4 times faster than a convection oven. You can modify cooking temperature depending on the food, the temperature ranges from 180 degrees Fahrenheit to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The stainless steel body makes it more durable and prevents the unpleasant smell of cooking. It uses around 1700 watts of power supply to operate.
It is versatile and allows baking, grilling, roasting, and frying. It has an automatic turn-off option, so when your unit is not in use it will automatically shut down to prevent any unfortunate incident. It offers a keep warm function that keeps your food warm and pleasant up until it is served. It also has a delay start option that allows you to pre-arrange the cooking process, so you can prepare your food on time.
Programmable One-Touch Menu
One of the best features about this air fryer is the programmable menu that allows you to cook seven food items with just one click. The digital menu includes steak, french fries, vegetables, bread, seafood, shrimp, and chicken. There are little food symbols printed on the unit, so when you want to cook them all you have to do is press it and let the air fryer do its magic.
Pros
- User-friendly interface with LED touchscreen.
- A cookbook with up to 32 recipes.
- It can cook a variety of foods.
Cons
- Difficulty in removing a fry basket.
- A little too noisy.
- No additional accessories.
Non-Stick Square Basket: The Innsky air fryer offers a square-shaped non-stick basket which provides more capacity than rounded baskets. This basket is ample to fit 5 to 6 pounds of a whole chicken. It is detachable and dishwasher-friendly.
3. The Ultrean Air Fryer
The ultrean air fryer is multi-functional and the best air fryer for a family of 5. It is a high-quality air fryer that allows you to cook in four different modes including grill, bake, roast, and air fry. It cooks your food faster than a convection oven. It is ETL (Electrical Testing Labs) and UL (Underwriter Laboratories) verified.
It offers an ample capacity of 4.2 quarts (4 liters), so you can cook a scrumptious meal for your whole family in just one sitting. It comes at a cost-friendly price and offers an excellent deal. It is compact and has an ultra-modern design. It has a temperature adjusting system ranging from 180 degrees to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
The ultrean air fryer has an automatic turn-off option and allows you to set a timer for up to 30 minutes, so when your food is ready it automatically turns off to avoid burning or overcooking it. It comes with a heat-repellent handle, so it is convenient and safer to handle. It uses about 1500W of power supply.
Rapid Air Technology
The Ultrean air fryer has a rapid air technology that requires little to no oil and allows you to grill, bake, fry, and roast in a restaurant-quality but healthier. You can cook restaurant-style crispy chicken in no time. It cooks your meals perfectly with 80% less fat.
Pros
- Simple-to-use with Intuitive interface and LCD display.
- Dishwasher-friendly baking tray and pan.
- Perfectly cooks food with its balanced heating feature.
- Long-lasting.
Cons
- The sides of the cooking tray emit grease when clogged with food which causes difficulty in cleaning.
- After some time the non-stick coating may start flaking off.
Baking Tray and Pan: This air fryer comes with a detachable baking tray that makes it convenient for you to bake cookies, cakes, patties, etc. A non-stick pan allows you to cook anything that your heart desires without requiring much oil and makes it easier to clean.
2. The GoWISE USA GW44800-O Deluxe Air Fryer
The GoWISE GW44800-O Deluxe is one of the best air fryers you can get for your family. It is an air fryer oven and provides other cooking facilities too which makes it one of a kind. It has 3 levels that allow you to manage the crispness and doneness and cook large meals without breaking a sweat.
It comes with a programmable digital menu that allows you to perfectly cook your meals with just a press that includes frozen food, pizza, vegetables, fish, baked potatoes, and many more. It also has a dehydrate function to dry your vegetables or fruits and preserve them for an indefinite time.
The keep-warm function keeps your food pleasant and fresh till you present it. It has a large glass door that allows you to keep an eye on the cooking process. As it is an air fryer oven, it makes it easier for you to cook a range of food with perfect crispness on the outside and tenderness on the inside.
The inner part is made of stainless steel which makes it new-looking and durable. A detachable non-stick drip tray is a breeze to clean. This air fryer oven allows you to set the temperature ranging from 120 degrees Fahrenheit to 430 degrees Fahrenheit, based on the food you are cooking.
Inbuilt Rotisserie
The GoWISE GW44800-O Deluxe has an inbuilt rotisserie that makes it easier to cook joints of meat such as chicken, turkey, etc. You can roast meat, vegetables, make tenderloins and kebabs. The rotisserie is big enough that you can cook a whole chicken with ease.
Pros
- Wide capacity of 12.7 quarts (12 liters).
- It is Multi-functional and cooks faster.
- User-friendly and simple to control display.
- Cookbook with 50 recipes and cooking tips.
- It is compact, hence does not take much space.
Cons
- Buttons make a loud beeping sound when pressed.
- Undercooked bottom side because the heating source is at the top.
Additional attachments: The GW44800-O Deluxe comes with a number of additional accessories including an oven rack, rotisserie steak cage, skewer rotisserie, two netting trays, rotisserie tong, drip pan, shallow netting basket, rotisserie rod, and rotisserie cage. All of these add-ons make it easier for you to cook a variety of food for your whole family.
1. The Cosori Air Fryer Max XL 5.8 Quarts
If you’re looking for an ideal air fryer that is ample enough to cook meals for your whole family then The Cosori air fryer might be the best option for you as it not only makes delicious food but also reduces the fat up to 85%, so you can enjoy your favorite meals in a healthy way.
The cooking process is hassle-free. It usually does not require oil to cook but a little oil is recommended if you need that extra crisp. It has a 9 x 9 interior basket that allows you to cook whole chicken, and other food items with ease. The basket is non-stick, therefore does not burn your food, and is extremely easy to clean.
It has a preheating option that allows you to preheat your air fryer to prepare food on time and evenly. This option is most beneficial for baking a cake, and cookies, etc. The keep-warm function keeps your meal warm without burning it. It has a large capacity of 5.8 quarts and is capable of cooking meals for a large family.
It offers 6 pieces of additional attachment kit that includes a pizza tray, metal holder, a baking pan, a multi-purpose skewer rack with skewers, a silicone mat, and an egg bites mold with lid to make your cooking experience even more convenient and versatile.
It has an automatic turn-off function, so when your air fryer sits idle for 30 or so minutes it will automatically turn off. The temperature ranges from 170 degrees to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. It uses a 1700W power supply and is ETL approved.
Shake Reminder
A shake reminder is a unique addition to the air fryer and comes extremely handy when using the preset menu. It reminds you to turn or shake your food midway, so you can cook it evenly without overcooking it.
Pros
- 11 presets with an easy-to-use interface.
- Quickly cooks delicious and crispy food.
- Dishwasher-friendly cooking pan.
- A detachable basket is easy to slide in and out.
- A cookbook with over 100 unique recipes.
Cons
- On a pricier side.
- Gives off a smell of plastic.
Spacious: This one may be considered a downside as the Cosori air fryer is large and takes up a lot of space. Another thing to keep in mind is the hot air it vents out from the back, so you have to place it away from the wall to avoid damaging the surface.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why Do I Need An Air Fryer?
If you’re someone who wants to eat healthily but can’t stop devouring fried food or someone who is usually busy and can’t cook proper meals because of time-consuming then an air fryer is all you need.
Air fryers allow you to cook your food in no time due to the hot air circulation and provides a perfect restaurant style crispness to your food. Most Air fryers are cost-friendly too, so that’s a plus.
2. How Do Air Fryers Work?
The air fryers work by circulating hot air on the food to make it perfectly cooked and crispy. The air fryer does not actually fry the food but as the name suggests blow hot air heated up to the temperature of about 400 degrees Fahrenheit to make it crispy from the outside and juicy on the inside.
3. What Should I Look For Before Purchasing An Air Fryer?
There are a few things that you should look for before purchasing an air fryer including capacity/size, watts consumption, protection and temperature adjustments.
Size/Capacity
The capacity of an air fryer really matters depending on how big your family is or the amount of food you cook. The capacity of air fryers usually ranges from 2 quarts to 5 quarts and can even go up to 12 quarts.
If you cook a medium amount of food then 2 to 2.5 quarts air fryers will work for you but if you have a large family of 4 to 6 members then an air fryer with a capacity of 5 to 5.8 quarts is recommended for you.
Watts Consumption
The air fryers usually use the watts consumption ranging from 800 watts to 1500 but sometimes can go up to 1700/1800 watts to quickly heat up and cook your food, so one thing you need to make sure is that your kitchen receptacle is capable enough to bear a load of such watts consumption in order to prevent any inconvenience.
The Heat Adjustment
The heat adjustment is very important because it allows you to cook your food at a preferred temperature. The air fryers have temperature ranging from 105 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so it is necessary to have a temperature control system and an automatic turn off option to prevent overcooking.
Protection
The air fryers cook food at a high temperature, therefore sometimes the exterior part and handle get too hot which may burn your hand. To ensure your safety purchase an air fryer with a heat-resistant handle.
4. Are Air Fryers Worth The Money?
The Air Fryers are really unique and multi-functional. You can do multiple things with just a single unit including baking, roasting, toasting, and of course frying. It depends on the model you purchase but air fryers are usually compact. The cooking time is a lot lesser with the air fryers. So, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that they indeed are worth the money.
5. What Can You Cook In An Air Fryer?
One of the best things about air fryers is the freedom to cook innumerable recipes. The Air fryers mostly support multiple cooking modes like baking, roasting, grilling, etc. So, that allows you to cook a variety of foods such as, chicken tenders, crispy fried chicken or turkey, french fries, baked potatoes, cake, steak, fish fillets, grilled meat, roasted vegetables, and so much more.
6. Are Air Fryers Better Than Ovens?
An air fryer allows a faster cooking process than a large convection oven. It is more versatile and allows you to cook in multiple ways. An air fryer allows you to cook, bake, roast, grill, reheat, and air fry, whereas a convection oven is mostly used for baking, cooking, reheating, and roasting only.
There is no doubt that an air fryer can perform every task like a convection oven or even better. But if you are not a big fan of fried food and own a decent sized convection oven then air fryers might not be the one for you.
7. Are Air Fryers Healthy?
The answer is yes, air frying by far is the healthier way to cook and eat mouth-watering fried food. As the air fryers require little to no oil, therefore it reduces the calories by 75 to 85% and contains less fat than your traditionally fried food.
The air fryers are also said to reduce the cancerous and harmful chemical acrylamide by 90% which is usually found in potatoes and other starchy foods. To sum it up, air fryers are without a doubt healthy.
Conclusion
Air frying by most measures is a healthy way to enjoy your favorite meals with a restaurant-style crisp and perfection, it not only saves a lot of time but is convenient to use too. Air fryers have a high capacity and are capable of performing multiple tasks.
The best thing about air fryers is the endless variety of recipes you can cook. It mostly depends on the model but most air fryers are compact, so would not take a lot of space. Due to their little to no oil requirement, air fryers help you to lose that flab and live a healthier life. All in All, air fryers offer a number of remarkable features at a cost-friendly price.
