We all love deep fryers, don’t we? They have become one of the fastest growing pieces of kitchen technology, with many households in the United States and the United Kingdom joining the fun of low-fat frying.
Only Currys (in the UK) reported a 133% jump in fryer sales earlier this year as we all look for faster and healthier ways to bake and cook our favorite foods. But what if you’re about to jump into air frying?
Since I recently moved to the TechRadar team to monitor the contents of our home appliances, I am ashamed to say that I do not own a deep fryer. In fact; I’ve never even tried one – and I’m getting a serious FOMO (fear of missing out) after reading some of our best deep fryers.
As with anything, when trying to choose the best deep fryer, it can be difficult to know where to start. This appliance is not for everyone, so despite the noise to find a fryer for your household, there are a few things you will want to consider first – some of which may surprise you more than others.
Then, once you’ve decided that the fryer is for you, there are a few criteria you should also consider to narrow your search before you find “this” – and this guide is here to help you get through all the key factors to keep in mind before moving on to healthier frying. From price to function, we cover you.
The best offers for deep fryers
Do not worry; we cover you. Here’s where you can buy a deep fryer right now, if you want, or if you prefer to buy later, that’s also fair enough.
6 things to look for when choosing a deep fryer
Some of these may seem like obvious factors to consider when choosing a deep fryer, but among the madness there is a method, especially when combining these key considerations. So, if you make your way through this relatively common sense approach, you will have a deep fryer in your life in no time.
Price
It goes without saying that this is where your search should start, so be sure to set a budget and (try) to stick to it. Prices start at around $ 122 / £ 100 and you could spend up to several hundred on a top-class option. There are usually some great deals to win, but if you’re holding on to a sales event like Amazon Prime Day, then it’s best to get rid of the target because deep fryers don’t last long – even if I’ve only been noted a little.
Capacity
This is something you need to think about because it will determine how much you can cook and what you can cook. As a rule, you should aim for a 3 quart / 5 liter (minimum) air fryer if you are cooking for a family of two and a 5 quart / 4.73 liter (minimum) if you are cooking for a family of four. Some fryers have only one large drawer, while others have several levels built-in – when I buy online, I find that the images of the products are enough to judge this. Specifications and descriptions are also good gifts, so reading them will avoid disappointment.
size
The larger the capacity, the larger the size in general, and fryers are not the smallest or lightest countertop device. Imagine that it is sitting on your desktop, imagine that you are using it to feed your children, and most importantly, imagine moving it if you do not have real estate. If it doesn’t bother you and it will be easy to get to it during dinner, then you are getting closer to finding your deep fryer.
Special features
There are design features like viewing windows and pre-programmed settings that will grab your attention as your search progresses, and they can really make a difference in your deep fryer experience. The observation window is useful for checking the cooking process, which will save you from opening the fryer and releasing heat. Pre-programmed settings are useful for trouble-free cooking, and some models have beeps to let you know when it’s time to shake the pan or the time in the fryer is over (convenient!).
Removable inserts
All air fryers will make chips and frozen food, but if you want to bake, bake, dehydrate and cook slowly (yes, you can do this in an air fryer), then look for removable inserts. A grill is one such example that would be ideal for cooking chicken or other meat. Because the inserts are removable, you can cut and change what you cook in the deep fryer every day, which will add flexibility to your kitchen.
Design
How it looks on my kitchen counter is right there as a key criterion for me, because it shows how easy it is to use (the fewer dials, the easier), but also whether it complements the microwave and toaster. There are some with a retro style like Swan Retro 6L manual air fryer (opens in a new tab) and others with one-touch buttons and elegant design such as Tower Xpress Pro Combo 2000W 11 liter 10-in-1 digital air fryer with grill (opens in a new tab).
Choosing a deep fryer should not be a difficult task – it should be exciting. I’m definitely looking forward to trying some recipes in mine, and although it probably won’t replace our cooker any time soon, the deep fryer will be a good technology to have on hand.
Is the fryer worth it?
If you want to change your eating habits for the better, the deep fryer can help you make it happen. It cooks quickly and with less oil – or none at all – simply by circulating hot air around the food and drying the moisture on the surface to form a delicious crispy crust. This is ideal for couples, but families who need to prepare more food may be hungry if they want to rely solely on a deep fryer to sort their meal times.
By circulating this hot air around the food, you can prepare foods that you would have previously fried, such as chips, in a healthier way – in addition, you can even bake a meat joystick or even bake a cake in a deep fryer. There aren’t many things he can’t cook. We found that you can grill cheese in a deep fryer, for example. Yes.
There are, of course, considerations to consider, such as the thickness of the bread and the type of cheese, but the trick is to nail down the method and settings of the fryer – we found it anyway. There are many other good tips and tricks that the TechRadar team has learned since we started working with deep fryers.
Other recipes you can try include cooking ice cream and perfecting crispy skin when cooking pork belly every time.
In addition to preparing a variety of snacks and dishes, the fryer can save up to 50% of your energy bill compared to a conventional oven. It can do this because it simply uses less energy than the oven and can cook food faster.
What can’t be cooked in a deep fryer?
I did some research on this and the main lesson that comes to mind not to put in the fryer and try to cook is all with wet dough. This will just create a bit of a mess, because the dough won’t be able to be prepared before it slips off the coating – which makes sense, I guess.
All this is a bit of experience and a mistake in terms of things – Team TechRadar has learned some valuable lessons in our time with deep fryers so far. As you have read, we have tried (successfully) to make ice cream. Others on the internet report frying eggs, cooking meat, baking cakes and bread … the list goes on.
Are there any reasons not to buy a deep fryer?
They can cook food at a speed that is great, but it can cost the price of your food and burn it to crispiness if you either don’t watch it or the timer is set incorrectly. Most of our own home tests haven’t experienced this, although I’ve read and heard that it can happen, so it’s something you should consider.
The devices themselves can also be bulky, and obviously, the larger the air fryer you choose, the more space they will eventually take up.
Some fryers have multiple layers and components that may not be dishwasher safe, so keeping them clean can be a little difficult – but no more than a challenge than cleaning and wiping the microwave, if you have one. is.
https://www.techradar.com/news/6-things-to-look-out-for-when-choosing-an-air-fryer/