Is it just wind? Of course, that’s the point: an air fryer allows us to prepare all kinds of delicious dishes in no time. Hot air technology is much healthier than the oil bath of conventional fryers, requires less work and saves money – for starters, you don’t need to constantly buy air. new oil. It’s no wonder that these appliances are becoming increasingly popular and have found a regular place in many kitchens.
But what many people don’t realize is that with a few clever tricks, you can get a lot more performance and features out of these devices. We present to you the 5 best tips and tricks for your air fryer.
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A little preparation is worth it
One of the great advantages of air fryers is of course the rapid preparation of food with very little effort. However, some preparation works wonders. Before cooking, you should, if possible, cut all foods into pieces of similar size. This ensures that the meat or vegetables are cooked at the same time and remain juicy. This also gives the (handmade) fries an even crispiness.
Extra tip: Halfway through cooking, briefly shake the frying basket to loosen stuck foods. This ensures that all sides are evenly crispy.
Maximum crispiness comes with a spray bottle
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To get the perfect deep fryer flavor, use an oil spray. You can coat foods such as chips, fish sticks, squid or spring rolls with a thin layer of oil in no time. These delicacies then go as usual into the air fryer, where they become crispy and acquire flavor.
Without this extra help, air fryers sometimes can’t keep up with their oil-filled sibling models in terms of flavor. Since only a small amount of oil is sprayed on the food, this is still a relatively healthy way to create the perfect crunch.
Advice: Always use oils with a high smoke point, such as sunflower oil or canola oil, not cold-pressed oils.
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Your air fryer is more flexible than you think
If you have an air fryer, you don’t need to start the oven to cook buns: it’s faster and more energy efficient in a compact air fryer. Without the need for tedious preheating, simply place rolls or croissants in the fryer and enjoy perfect results minutes later. It works perfectly at temperatures of 160°C to 180°C.
An air fryer can also prepare eggs perfectly, and you don’t even need to pierce them. However, the cooking time (7-10 minutes) is slightly longer than in boiling water – but this also depends on the size of the eggs and whether they have just come out of the fridge.
Other great air fryer recipe ideas include
- Baked apple slices (sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar)
- Stuffed peppers or zucchini
- Pumpkin or kohlrabi fries
- brownies
- Falafel or simply roasted chickpeas
- All kinds of pancakes (be sure to use baking paper, see next tip)
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Use parchment paper correctly
If you use parchment paper in the air fryer, you must accept that the hot air can no longer circulate unhindered around the food. However, this poses no problem for certain dishes and opens up many culinary possibilities.
Sticky, creamy or very soft foods such as donuts, meatballs, muffins or small cakes can also be perfectly prepared in the air fryer on parchment paper. Cleaning the air fryer is also often easier.
Advice: When preparing dishes, cut a few holes in the parchment paper so that the air inside can circulate well without the food sticking to the basket.
You should pay attention to the following points when using parchment paper:
- The baking paper must not come into contact with the heating element inside (risk of fire). Always cut the paper to the desired dimensions.
- The more parchment paper you use, the more air circulation will be hampered and the food may become less crispy.
- Do not add the parchment paper before preheating.
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Less is more
…At least when it comes to the fry basket. If you fill the fryer to the maximum, you can forget about crispy foods. Even cooking is also less likely if you overload the unit. Always leave space inside for air to circulate as freely as possible and be careful that food does not collapse into a compact lump.
This is why it is worth purchasing a slightly larger model – such as an air fryer oven – when purchasing an air fryer. Dishes will be ready faster and will arrive crispy on the plate.
This article was first published on our sister title PCWelt and has been translated to appear here.
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