Stainless steel is a durable metal alloy. Nowadays, premium kitchen appliances are made of this metal. The air fryers get exposed to extreme heat and organic chemicals from the food. Therefore, the food basket of an air fryer has to be strong enough to withstand these adversities. In this article, I will discuss the importance of a stainless-steel basket for an air fryer. After the read, you will understand why you should prefer stainless steel over other metal alloys when choosing the best air fryer.
What is stainless steel?
Stainless steel is a kind of steel that can resist stain and corrosion. Steel is an alloy of iron that is produced from the addition of a small amount of carbon in iron. Stainless steel is produced from steel adding 10% or more chromium to it. The grade of stainless steel depends on the composition. Apart from chromium, nickel and molybdenum can also be added to stainless steel to make it more durable and corrosion-resistant. Nowadays, we use this magic metal in the production of so many different kinds of appliances and equipment. Because of the demand for varying purposes, there are different types of stainless steel available. There are 60 different grades of stainless steel out there that have varying structural composition.
Advantages of Stainless Steel
It resists corrosion – Stainless steel will resist corrosion. When a metal comes in contact with the environment, it reacts with oxygen and water. The reaction between these elements creates an outer layer. This layer made of metallic oxide that is easily detached from the surface. Therefore, the surface of the metal gets decayed. The advantage of stainless steel is that it is a less reactive alloy. The environment can not react with the surface of the alloy easily.
Easy to clean – Stainless steel is considered to be the most hygienic metal alloy. Pathogens such as bacteria can not grow on the surface of this metal alloy. On the other hand, appliances and equipment made of S/S are easy to clean. You need a wet cloth to wipe the surface and it will be sufficient.
Dishwasher Safe – A common problem with kitchen appliances is that many of these are not dishwasher safe. Because the metals are usually highly reactive, these react with the cleaning liquids. As a result, the surface of the appliances peels off. As stainless steel is a less reactive metal alloy, dishwasher safe kitchen appliances are usually made of it.
Aesthetics and appearance – Stainless steel look great. That’s the reason why modern kitchen appliances are made of this alloy. The appearance is not only the reason why the manufacturers love it. It has so many other positives that they choose it for manufacturing high-end appliances.
Self-healing – You already know that chromium is an important element of stainless steel. Because of this element, stainless steel achieve an excellent self-healing property. If the metal is exposed to any kind of chemical or mechanical damage, environmental oxygen reacts with chromium. Thus, it produces chromium oxide that heals the damage automatically.
Importance of stainless steel for an air fryer
From the discussion above, it is clear that stainless steel is a premium alloy for kitchen appliances. If we talk about the air fryer basket, it gets exposed to high temperatures. Therefore, the built metal has to be strong enough to withstand high temperatures. Therefore, stainless steel can be a great solution because of the high-temperature resistivity.
Another important aspect that the basket of an air fryer should have is durability. You will cook different kinds of foods in it. The basket will be exposed to moisture and other organic chemical coming from the food. Therefore, if it is not chemically non-reactive, it will form a metal oxide that is called rusting. When the metal corrodes, we know what the ultimate result is. Stainless steel is a non-reactive metal alloy that saves the air fryer from corrosion. Therefore, the longevity of the basket increases.
An air fryer is a kitchen appliance. Therefore, you have to maintain hygiene without any compromise. There is no other alloy that is as safe as stainless steel. This is the reason, why stainless steel is the most popular alloy for the manufacture of the basket of air fryers.
Another reason why S/S made basket is popular is the aesthetic. The color and finishing of stainless steel are excellent. If we compare it with aluminum alloy then we can see the difference. S/S is far better than its nearest competitor aluminum.
If you want the basket of your air fryer to be dishwasher safe and easy to clean, then it must have to be made of stainless steel. For moderate cleaning, you can use a wet cloth and simple wiping will do the job. For extensive cleaning, you can put the basket into the dishwasher. The surface of the food basket made of the mediocre alloy will be peeled off if you put it into the dishwasher.
Final Words
From the discussion above, it is clear why you should choose a stainless-steel basket for your air fryer. Therefore, when you make your decision you must choose the best quality air fryer with stainless steel basket. I think this article was helpful to you. You can share it with others so that everyone gets benefited. You can also share with us your experience regarding air fryers through the comments. Happy cooking!