January 12, 2021 
8 Comments 
Air fryers are all the rage as people look to healthier options for cooking their food, but are they as good as they claim?
Air fryers can cook, bake and roast a huge variety of foods from hot chips to banana bread, using a lot less oil than a deep fryer.
They’re similar to convection ovens, relying on air and heating instead of oil to cook your food.
Dietitian Ariana Cucuzza told the Cleveland Clinic that there were more advantages to air frying than drawbacks, but there were still some things to consider other than the extra bench space required in your kitchen.
Air frying significantly reduces the number of calories people eat, with Ms Cucuzza explaining that most people reduce their intake by 70 to 80 per cent, while also being more time efficient.
“You can bake a chicken breast faster in an air fryer than you can in your oven, and clean-up is typically easier,” she explained.
Air frying also avoids the aroma of deep-fried foods permeating the whole house and can be a great way to make vegetables crispier and tastier.
The trap with air fryers, however, is that it can lead people towards thinking they can eat more fried food.
“Although a low-fat, air-fried diet sounds enticing, you’d end up missing out on the wonderful benefits of plant-based fats such as avocado oil and olive oil,” Ms Cucuzza explained.
She said that in moderation, high-quality fats were critical for brain and hormone health.
Another problem with air fryers is that they cook food at high temperatures, at great speed, making it easy to burn food, which can result in the charred food becoming carcinogenic.
Do you have an air fryer in your house? How often do you use it? Do you think it is more of a fad? Or is it a genuinely healthier way to cook for your household?
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Will Brodie
YourLifeChoices Writers
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Ben Hocking
I have an air fryer with a rotating basket. I bought it as a replacement for my deep fryer when it gave up the ghost. I’ve cooked sausages, pork and various other meats in it but now pretty much just use it for it’s original purpose. It is a big heavy clunky thing that looks like a space ship but it does do delicious crispy chips, just as good as a deep fryer, if not better and without any added oil at all. Frozen chips work best.
The reason that FROZEN chips work best is that the chips have been BLANCHED before being snap-frozen & packed. The blanching can be achieved in either water or vegetable oil.
I have an Air fryer and my kids use it the most. Fast and efficient. Big and clunky but I wouldn’t be without it now.
I tried an air fryer a couple of years ago and wouldn’t give it kitchen space. It was a $200+ waste of money. I love chips and I bought it as an alternative to deep frying but the chips from the air fryer tasted just like oven chips. If you love the taste of deep fried food then simply deep fry your food.
I love my air fryer and use it most days. I was surprised to see the dietitian actually support using the air fryer. I had expected them to say that steaming everything was healthier – like the dietitians who abhor diet drinks and say drink water – do they then recommended sugary drinks instead? Moderation in fats and sugars is the go.
If you have a CONVECTION oven you will most likely get the same results as an air fryer.
I use to have a large air fryer but gave it away. I now have a beat little one suitable for 1or2 persons. Cost $99 online only. Innobela compact 1.6lt. takes up just 8cm( circle)bench space,light and easy to use. reheats food in 10minutes 150c. cooks fish and chips no oil. Saves my oven use.
I have had an air fryer for a few years now. Great for anything that can be cooked in an oven. Frozen things like chips, hash browns, chicken nuggets, etc can come out a bit dry but you quickly get used to it or you can use a sauce. I have saved a lot of oils getting into my system.