Air Fryer, Oil-Less Cooker or Air Cooker
Though the names are used interchangeably, we think “Air Cooker” is the most descriptive term because these oil-less cookers don’t only “fry” foods… nor are they only “oil less”. They also cook foods similar to a roaster depending on the recipe and the settings you use.
Whatever name you prefer, these are all the rage in today’s kitchen.
Do Air Cookers Work
But do they really work to make foods taste like your favorite fried foods, while making it a whole lot healthier…? That’s what we wanted to know, so we’ve done some deep research to share with you here.
We can’t yet buy and test them all, though so if you have one you love—or hate and anything in between—please let us know and we’ll add your review to the list below.
The bottom line? Yes, they work. Are they better than your oven…? Well that depends. After scouring hundreds of reviews, we’ve come to our own conclusion at the end. There’s no one answer, because it depends on your circumstance and interests.
If you love kitchen gadgets and appliances, you’ll want to scroll through these top rated air cookers below, including the pros and cons. If you want to cut to the chase to see if an air cooker is for you, you can scroll to our conclusion at the end.
What is an Air Cooker
An air cooker is an innovative kitchen appliance which uses superheated air to cook food. It’s a relatively new innovation first launched to the world by Philips, a Dutch technology company well established in high efficiency electronics. For more on that, you may enjoy this article.[1]
If you love fried foods but also care about your health and want to eat healthier, you’re in luck! Oil-less deep fryers” are changing the way we fry, and consequently improving our health! However, the air cooker may—or may not be—your best solution, depending on several factors which we cover here.
If you want to lose weight or just improve your health and lifestyle but love fried foods, this revolutionary technology offers healthier, tasty, “fried foods” with little to no oil. However, there are other ways to achieve the same goal. Bottom line: avoid deep fried foods however you can![2]
Air cookers are the next popular kitchen appliance to follow the popularity of the “Instant Pot”.
How an Air Cooker Works
These air fryers make use of Rapid Air Technology to prepare your favorite foods safely. Air cookers basically circulate hot air generated by a heating element. Air fryer temperatures can reach up to 390 ℉, and it is this evenly circulating hot air that essentially “fries” foods such as turkey breasts, French fries, chicken, fish and more.
Imagine enjoying your finger-licking good dish, perfectly browned, crunchy and with up to 80% less fat! You can enjoy every bite without the guilt of consuming considerably large amounts of unhealthy fats. Now we’re all for that!
Air fryers are significantly healthier and easier to use that deep fryers. Since the air cooker requires little to no oil, it’s a lot less messy as well.
Air Cooker Issues
Now even the best air cookers have some significant “complaints” in terms of machine quality and cooked results. Our take is that some manufacturing runs can be better than others and hopefully companies will take heed to the reviews and work to improve all issues.
We think some of the disappointments in the recipe outcomes are about equally user error, with people not following directions exactly. But it’s always best to also check the reviews yourself before you buy, and to make the decision based on what makes sense to you. That’s what we’ve done here to share our best picks in air cookers.
When you read the reviews, be sure to sort the by most current dates as well to get a sense of how that company’s products are currently doing. There are a number of occasions where the manufacturer has improved upon the issues reported in earlier reviews.
Manufacturing Issues
The other major issue in manufacturing today in general, is that as the majority of manufacturing has been outsourced overseas, we’re all seeing a decline in the quality of goods overall. We have a foreign made refrigerator that’s giving out that’s just 12 years old. It’s Whirlpool but made in China. We have an old second refrigerator in our pantry that’s over 30 years old, made in the USA. While our old Kenmore is on its last leg, it is still working better than the “newer” foreign made model that’s less than half the age.
Whirlpool… Kenmore… Maytag… according to our various appliance service reps, no matter the brand label they’re all sourced overseas. We’d be very much in favor of a return to American made products! But that’s another topic, however the issue is the same: foreign manufacturing, especially from China has become the main source of all American goods because labor is so much cheaper and Americans demand cheaper prices.
So… getting back to air cookers, this means finding the better of the options available. But first, a caution.
Beware of Fake Amazon Reviews!
Over the past couple years, Amazon has been working very hard to clean up the product reviews scams that have plagued the reliability and accuracy of reviews there. However, there are still many fake reviews to be found.
Buying a brand new air fryer can be challenging as they are relatively new and just a few people know much about them. It can be difficult to evaluate and determine which air fryer is the best without extensive testing over a long period of time using many recipes.There are many companies out there now churning out air fryers. Some are adequate while others could be letdowns. So we’ve taken the time to research the pros and cons of each which we’ve summarized here to save you time. We’ve even included the analysis of the fake review detector sites to help get closer to the truth.
If you have personal experience with any of these and would like to share your experience to help others, we’d be glad to add it here if you’ll send us a note about your purchase experience.
Are oil less fryers any good?
Evidently, the company that makes the units has been working on them for a very long time. NOW they have developed an oil less air fryer which gives you real crispy fried foods without the oil. In general, if you are looking for a healthier way to prepare your favorite foods then this is a good way. It can be an expensive investment because there aren’t many out there yet but it is the future of oil less cooking.
Will I have to change the recipe?
When cooking with this model you don’t have to change any of your recipes. This air fryer uses hot dry air to cook your food very quickly. The nature of this kind of cooking is that it does use a little bit of oil (just enough to coat the food before you put it in the basket) and the hot air cooks the food and crispiness that you would find in an oil deep fried product. You will be amazed at how good your favorite foods will taste and with 80% less fat content than deep fried foods that’s a very big plus!
Are there air fryers that use no oil?
Absolutely. This model does use a little bit of oil but this amount is not necessary for cooking the food that you want to cook. It uses hot dry air to cook the food very quickly so it is as healthy as an oil free product but just with a little bit of oil on it for a quick coating before you put it in the basket.
Are there air fryers that have no oil?
There are air fryers that have no oil at all. These are called induction cookers and they use magnets, not hot air, to heat up and produce some delicious meals.
Can I put frozen foods in an air fryer?
Yes. An air fryer can be used to cook frozen foods however to keep the food from becoming too soft you must set it on a lower temperature and cook it for a longer time than you would if you were cooking fresh food.
How much does an air fryer cost?
As of this writing the FryDaddy Pro costs about $50.00 and the Philips Avance XL AirFryer costs just under $100.00. This model is only available online but I’ve seen prices as low as $75.00 and as high as $125.00. However, keep in mind that these prices are for the FryDaddy and Philips Avance XL only. If you decide to buy from Amazon you will have to pay a little more for shipping.
What is the best air fryer on the market right now?
That depends on what all you want in an air fryer. You’ll want to find one that is easy to use, produces excellent results, and comes with plenty of reviews that give you a good idea of the unit’s performance.
How do I use my big easy oil-less turkey fryer?
The fryer uses very little oil to cook your food. It has a patented design that you cannot use your hand in when cooking. This is a safety feature to make sure that the basket does not get contaminated with any oil residue from your hands. It is very easy to use. Just place the wings in the basket, close it and set the timer for frying. Once it’s done, open the lid and remove the cooked wings by pulling them out with tongs or a fork and let them sit while you prepare more chicken wings then place those into the basket, replace cover and start again until all of your chicken wings are cooked.
Eating healthy has never been more delicious than it is with an air fryer. You will be able to prepare meals that are low in fat and calories and high in taste, which is a winning combination.
So there you have it, our best air fryer reviews from experts. We hope that this helps you select the best air fryer for your needs and budget. All of these units are highly rated and competitively priced to help you achieve the full flavor of any meal without all of the pesky fat burning process.
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