Kitchen storage space is a precious commodity. It’s one of my top concerns when considering adding a gadget or appliance to my arsenal, along with utility and price. For instance, I don’t own a toaster (I don’t eat toast that often, and there are other ways to prepare it when I do), nor have I invested in a pressure cooker or multicooker (I like being able to take a peek at my food while it’s cooking).
So when the air fryer entered the market and started gaining traction, I was skeptical. After all, “it’s just a small convection oven!” I proclaimed. And the hordes of devotees shouting from the rooftops how much they loved it and telling others, “You have to get an air fryer!” felt like a cult, which only made me resist it more.
We have Fred van der Weij to thank for the invention of the air fryer; the Dutch inventor was on a quest for crispy french fries without much oil or hassle. “The first attempt was rustic, nothing more than a box of pale wood with a metal cooking bowl that he handcrafted himself around 2006,” food writer Cynthia Greenlee wrote for The Post. He later patented his technology and pitched it to electronics maker Philips, which introduced it to the public in 2010. Much of the initial marketing, I remember, focused on fat — how the air fryer needed little to no additional fat to cook up crisp foods — which shoved the appliance into the diet fad section of my brain and closed the door behind it. But a pandemic sales boom, caused by masses of people needing to learn how to cook for themselves, made the appliance harder to ignore.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts With Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette
Thanks to the prodding of readers and the internet at large asking for more air fryer recipes — and accepting that the new appliance is here to stay — I finally caved to the pressure and bought one for myself at the end of 2022.
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And now, dear reader, after months of experimenting and developing recipes, I am ready to eat my words and admit that I, too, am an air fryer fan.
While it is “just a small convection oven,” size matters. Its reduced size makes it more efficient at cooking compared with the convection function of a regular oven. This means browner, crisper food in a shorter amount of time. Speaking my love language, people raved about how good air fryer chicken wings are, and now I don’t know if I will ever make them another way.
With the air fryer, I can also quickly revive leftovers to almost the same texture as when they were freshly made; use it as the toaster I refuse to purchase; and cook crispy, golden tater tots and other frozen prepared foods in a matter of minutes. (My air fryer has gotten lots of use after nights out on the town.)
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Its small capacity makes it more energy-efficient than standard-size ovens when cooking meals for only one or two. And as we enter summer in the Northern Hemisphere, air fryers — and countertop appliances in general — won’t heat up your kitchen as much as a standard oven. Now I’m freer to roast vegetables and make hand pies all year round.
If you, too, are new to the world of air frying or are looking for more helpful ideas, here are some rules and tips I’ve learned along the way to get the most out of the appliance. And check out my recipes for Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts With Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette, Air Fryer Old Bay Chicken Wings and Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Old Bay Chicken Wings
Do not use nonstick cooking spray
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Consider this your regular reminder that you should not use aerosol cans of cooking spray on nonstick cookware, which includes air fryer baskets. “Manufacturers warn that cooking oil spray can not only burn but also leave a sticky residue that can affect the release of food from the pan,” my colleague Becky Krystal wrote. However, spray bottles filled with oil are okay to use.
Cooking oil spray can do more than you think. Here’s how to get the most out of it.
Preheating is not always necessary
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As I’ve mentioned before, you do not always need to preheat your oven. One of the main reasons I skip this step with my regular-size oven is that it can take 20 to 30 minutes, which can feel like forever when preheating stands between me and dinner. Air fryers preheat quickly, and the model I own doesn’t start the timer until it reaches the set temperature, so I typically just let it preheat before I start cooking. But if you decide to put food in the air fryer right away, it may take a few minutes longer for items to cook.
Cook food in a single layer, in batches
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The air fryer is all about — well — air. Meaning, you need to allow for good airflow to create all the browning and crisping the appliance was designed for. As such, you don’t want to crowd the food in the basket too much, leaving space for the air to circulate. Depending on the size of your air fryer and the quantity of food you wish to cook, you may need to air fry in batches to achieve the best results.
Get the recipe: Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies
Move the food for even cooking
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While convection is more efficient than a standard oven, it’s still a good idea to shake or flip most items for more even cooking, as the heat source comes from above. I typically do this once about halfway through the cooking time. There’s no need to turn off the machine, as it automatically stops as soon as you pull out the basket and will restart when it’s returned.
Convection cooking: How and when to use this oven setting
Not all air fryers are created equal
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In addition to size, strength among models can vary. Even in testing recipes at home and at the office, I noticed that the model at the office produced slightly browner food than the one at home. As such, you may need to adjust time or temperature from published recipes to achieve your desired results.
Any other tips that air fryer users need to know? Share them in the comments below.
