(This web page contains affiliate links.)

When I first started hearing about air fryers, I didn’t really understand what they were – I figured they involved fried food so I wasn’t very interested and didn’t pay much attention to them, since I rarely eat fried food. However, after having an opportunity to try out an air fryer, I fell in love with it and decided that I needed to have one of these! I knew my air fryer was going to quickly become one of my favorite cooking appliances and it definitely has! I have a toaster oven that I used to cook just about everything in that would normally go in an oven, but since getting an air fryer, I rarely use my toaster oven anymore.

Air fryers are so versatile and can be used to cook so many types of food, including food from scratch (such as French fries, vegetables, and grilled cheese sandwiches), prepared foods (I love heating up veggie patties and egg rolls), and you can even make hard-boiled eggs in air fryers.

Here are a few more reasons why I think everyone should consider getting an air fryer, and why I love my air fryer so much:

• Air fryers require much less oil than deep fryers for cooking food. You typically only need 1 tbsp. or a few spritzes of oil (I use olive oil) when preparing food in an air fryer vs. a deep fryer, where you are submerging food in a large amount of oil (most deep fryers require you to use several cups of oil). This is not only a health benefit but could be a financial savings as well, since you’re not having to spend as much money on oil.
• Because less oil is being used with an air fryer, air fried food typically contains less fat than deep fried food. Consuming deep fried food could lead to a greater risk of heart failure, diabetes, and high blood pressure because of the high amount of oil that is used, even though deep fried food does not soak up all the oil it is cooked in. Plus, deep fried foods tend to be higher in calories and could therefore contribute to weight gain.
• Air fryers tend to cook food faster than other similar cooking methods. For instance, ovens usually need several minutes just to warm up, but air fryers can get to the desired temperature in just a few minutes. Therefore, you don’t need as much time to prepare snacks or meals (super important if you have a busy schedule).

You’re probably wondering how an air fryer works and how do you use it – how could “fried food” actually be prepared so it is healthy? I am asked these questions all the time when I talk about air fryers! Air fryers cook food using hot air –hot air circulates around the food using fans, which causes the food to cook quickly. The taste and texture of air fried food is similar to deep fried food – the food gets browned but stays moist without being greasy.

Using an air fryer is super simple – just place your food in the air fryer basket, place the basket in the air fryer, set the desired temperature and time, and that’s it! Depending on what you’re cooking, you will want to shake the basket halfway through the cooking time (such as making fries or vegetables) or turn the food over (if it’s something thick like veggie patties or egg rolls) – this helps ensure the food cooks evenly.

Here are some additional helpful tips that I want to share with you about using an air fryer (especially if you’re new to air frying):

• Mist food using olive oil and a sprayer (I use an EVO mister). If you choose to place food in a bowl and coat it with oil instead of misting, do not pour the excess oil from the bowl into the air fryer basket.
• Do not use products such as Pam in your air fryer – aerosol products could damage the non-stick coating in your air fryer.
• The first time you use your air fryer, you might notice a slight odor. This is from the test material on parts of the air fryer that heat up and is a normal reaction. Therefore, it is recommended that before using the air fryer for the first time, you should run the air fryer with no food in the basket or pan. To do this, place the fryer basket with the fryer pan in the air fryer, turn the temperature control knob to 400°F, then set the timer for 30 minutes. Allow the air fryer to run through this cycle.

There are a lot of air fryers on the market – the biggest difference between the various air fryers is the size of the basket that you cook your food in. I have the Krups air fryer – it’s 4.4 quarts so it allows me to make larger quantities of food and have leftovers for a snack or another meal later on. One thing I really love about the Krups air fryer is the basket system – most air fryers have a double basket system (the basket that you place the food in sits inside another basket, all of which goes inside the air fryer); however, the Krups air fryer has a single basket and a non-stick grid (for placing the food on) that goes inside the basket (this type of basket system is very easy to clean and work with).

A couple more reasons why I think air fryers are so great! First, if you don’t cook, this is the perfect kitchen appliance for you – you don’t have to spend a lot of time prepping your meals, cutting up ingredients, or even defrosting food – you can buy pre-cut veggies, frozen pizza, and lots of other healthy pre-packaged food and just pop it into the air fryer. Air fryers are also great for small spaces because they do not take up a lot of space on your counter. I use my air fryer so much that it has earned a permanent spot on my kitchen counter!