Convection oven... Probably, when reading this word, many people associate with something cosmic, high-tech. And at the same time familiar and attractive, like that structure in a Soviet-era cafe, where ruddy-footed hens rotated on spits. In general, there is nothing particularly wrong in these associations - these are high technologies in the service of man, allowing him to feel like a conqueror of space and at the same time a calm master in his cozy kitchen.
Created about 20 years ago, the airfryer was planned as an ideological replacement for microwave ovens, plus the word "grill" in its name reflects the traditional commitment of North Americans to meat cooked in the same way. Thus, it became possible to grill at home, at any time of the year.
Nevertheless, despite the presence of the word "grill" in the name of the device, do not expect this function exclusively from it - its potential is much greater! Modern airfryers have a wide range of functions that will allow you to cook many dishes, and all these dishes will not only be tasty, but also healthy.
Device and principle of operation
The airfryer consists of a round, as a rule, glass flask (pan) and a lid, into which a powerful heating element and fans are mounted. Simple, like everything ingenious. The airfryer consists of a round, usually glass flask (saucepan) and a lid, into which a powerful heating element and fans are mounted. The heating element heats the air to the set temperature, and the fan ensures air circulation and uniform blowing of the products located on the grates. As a result, the products are cooked evenly, regardless of the method (baking, boiling, frying). Often they say about the airfryer that it is like a Russian stove. In modern airfryers, you can set both the temperature of the air flows from 60 to 260 degrees, and their speed, so you can not be afraid to overdry the food, as it could happen with the old models that did not have such functions.
Advantages and disadvantages
Often the main advantage of this airfryer is called the fact that it can replace a variety of different and varied appliances in your kitchen. Let's try to figure out how true this statement is.
Among the undoubted advantages of the airfryer is that you can cook in it without oil and other fats, i.e., cooking dietary food, which is important for people following a certain diet or adhering to a healthy lifestyle.
Secondly, the airfryer allows you to do everything that the microwave oven can do: reheat and defrost, stew vegetables; you can bake pies and cook porridge in it; it can be used to dry herbs, berries, mushrooms; for sterilizing cans and more. Thus, many more useful functions have been added to the original idea of grilling.
Thirdly, the airfryer allows you to significantly save time, for example, using several different pots or small pots, you can prepare a three-course meal (first, second and dessert) in 30-40 minutes, in one go. At the same time, the smells do not mix with each other, and human participation in the process is reduced exclusively to cleaning, cutting and laying products. Yes, and when preparing a separate dish, you will not feel food odors, and this is another advantage for those who have a kitchen combined with a room, or are completely absent.
Fourthly, the airfryer is able to smoke and simmer, that is, to withstand the product at a relatively high temperature.
The disadvantages include the fact that advertising, to put it mildly, is deceiving us, and the airfryer will not fully replace all the rest of the equipment in your kitchen. For example, steaming (even this function is stated in booklets) is still weak. It is still more convenient to reheat food in portions in the microwave. If you already have an oven or a wonderful frying pan for pies, you will hardly want to give them up, since the airfryer is inferior to them in cooking speed.
Another important drawback is the strong heating of the flask, which can be unsafe for small children.
In addition, despite the fact that the manufacturer guarantees stable operation with voltage drops, which makes the airfryer very attractive for rural areas, in the country, etc., if the voltage in the outlet drops, the performance of the device itself will most likely decrease. In any case, there are precedents. Therefore, this moment should be borne in mind, as well as the fact that the power consumed by the device is large enough, and the device has been operating for a rather long time, and, therefore, this cannot but be reflected in the electricity bills.
Functions
So, you need to decide which parameters to focus on when choosing this unit.
First, answer yourself the question - what do you plan to cook in the airfryer? If the limit of desires is barbecue and sterilization of homemade preparations, then a simple model will suit you. Have you decided?
Go ahead, look at the capacity of the pan (flask). There is a slight subtlety here, the volume is indicated by two numbers, for example, 10-14 liters. The fact is that in the kit with the airfryer there is a ring to increase its volume, if necessary, it is simply superimposed on top of the flask, so in the above example, the ring gives an increase in volume by 1.4 times. Thus, a compact family solution allows you to cook more for the company. There are also mini-grills (with a bowl volume of 7-11 liters). After we have decided on the goals of purchasing the device and its volume, we pay attention to other important tactical and technical characteristics.
* The power of the airfryer is on average 600-1500 W (these are figures for one device, but consumption is indicated for different modes of blowing speed and temperature).
* Fan speed. On simple models, it is not adjustable and the fan works in only one mode. This is not always enough, therefore, more advanced models of airfryer have 3 speeds.
* Not all airfryer has automatic heating mode, but this, in principle, is not a determining factor here.
* The cover can be removable or located on a special bracket. Both solutions have their advantages and disadvantages. For example, if the lid is attached to a bracket, you don't have to look for a place where it, hot and rather heavy, should be put. On the other hand, this design increases the overall dimensions of the airfryer. With this point, you need to figure it out and decide for yourself what is better and more convenient, right in the store, comparing those and other models.
* Control block. On simpler models, a mechanical one is installed, they usually have one fan speed, the settings are elementary. More "sophisticated" models of airfryer are equipped with an electronic control unit, providing a wider choice of modes.
* All models are equipped with a timer, the only difference is for how long this timer is designed for (varies from 1 to 24 hours). Some models, usually more expensive, also have a delayed cooking timer, which is very convenient, for example, to warm up lunch or dinner by the time you come home.
* The self-cleaning function is present in both inexpensive models and more expensive options. If it is not there, then this is a great rarity. Although, according to the reviews of users of airfryer, you still have to wash the pan by hand sometimes, so pay attention to the following characteristic.
* Weight. As already mentioned - sometimes the flask needs to be washed by hand, so think about whether it will be possible to "drag" a heavy glass container, for example, into a bath. But it's also scary to drop it!
Airfryer prices
In terms of cost, airfryer is easiest to divide into two large categories: simple and more complex.
The former have mechanical control, a removable cover, the fan usually has only one rotation speed. The cost of such aero grills ranges from $ 70-140 (HOTTER is somewhat out of this range, offering the same set of functions for $ 180).
More sophisticated models (touch and electronic control, a hinged lid on the bracket, several fan modes, automatic cooking programs) open up more cooking options and, accordingly, cost more - from $ 160.
And finally, before buying, make sure that the airfryer is assembled and made neatly, check if everything is from the standard equipment for this model (various grates, tongs for removing food).
It makes sense to purchase dishes made of thin glass for the airfryer - it is better to make casseroles, pots from the same thin glass for soups, etc. in it, and modern silicone baking dishes are also useful.
Food, according to the reviews of the lucky ones who already have an airfryer, can turn out to be very tasty. Or it may not work at all. In a word, you will still need to adapt to the airfryer, get used to it, experiment with different cooking modes, since the cooking mechanism is still significantly different from the ovens, saucepans and a set of favorite pans that are familiar to us.
