Have you heard that the manufacturer of an air fryer is claiming that this little kitchen appliance can cook food faster than an oven? Not only that, we know that the food cooked by an air fryer is healthier than cooking the food in other conventional ways. The question is, how does an air fryer work without oil? In this article, I am going to explain to you the working principle of an air fryer. I am also going to mention the kind of foods that are best to prepare with this appliance. Finally, I will discuss the health benefits of an air fryer overcooking in other methods.
Dissection of an air fryer
We all know that an air fryer is a compact kitchen appliance. It is smaller than other similar cookers such as the convection oven. Before we discuss the working principle, let’s find what are the small parts that make an air fryer.
- Heater element – An electric metallic coil is set just above the heating chamber. This is the only heat generating source of an air fryer. This element produces heat just like an electric heater.
Working principle With a little Oil
- The working principle of an air fryer is similar to a traditional convection oven. The heating chamber is like the heart of an air fryer. The food tray needs to be placed inside that chamber when we start cooking. Heat is generated by the heater that is situated at the top of the chamber.
- The heater circulates the heat in two ways – 1) heat radiation that circulates the heat downward and 2) heat convection that circulates the hot air from down to upward.
- Now the question is, how does the hot air come at the bottom of the heating chamber and go upward? Here comes the function of the blower fan which is situated just above the heater and sucks the air and flows it through the wall of the heating chamber. Therefore, hot air flows at the bottom of the chamber where the air guard directs the hot air in the right direction.
- A downward heat from the radiation of the heater and an upward heat from the hot air that is blown by the fan cooks the food quicker. It also ensures uniformity of heat which mimics the deep-frying process.
- Finally, the exhaust system releases excess pressure that is generated by the hot air.
How does an air fryer make the food crispy without oil?
In a deep-frying process, the heat is circulated throughout the food by convection of the hot oil. When this process requires about ½ cup of oil, air fryers do the same job with only half a tablespoon of oil. Here, the hot air does the heat convection instead of the oil. Air flows rapidly and thoroughly. Therefore, it alienates the need for a lot of oil and makes the food crispy and crunchy similar to deep frying.
Is the food healthier?
As already mentioned, in deep frying, you need a lot of oil to circulate the heat throughout the food. The oil acts as a medium of heat circulation through the convection process. Air fryers also circulate heat through convection, but instead of oil, it uses hot air as a medium. Using more oil increases the calorie of your food. A study on chicken thigh has found that it contains 85% more calories when cooked in deep frying rather than in an air fryer. That’s not the end. At high temperature, cooking oils get oxidized and change the property of the oil which is harmful to human health. Although in the air fryer a little amount of oil can also get oxidized, the amount is so much less than the deep-frying process.
Related articles
- What are the best oils for air fryers?
- Beginner’s guide to cooking with an air fryer.
- What size air fryer do I need?
- How much electricity does an air fryer consume?
Final Words
An air fryer cooks crispy french fries and chicken fries. It is also best for reheating an already fried food where a microwave oven will make the food soggy. Isn’t it enough reason to get the small kitchen appliance? If you find the article helpful, you can share it with others. Please share with us if you have any experience in your kitchen that is mention-worthy. Happy cooking!