Is it worth buying an Air Fryer?
I truly cannot say that buying an Air Fryer is 100% worth it. There are many reasons why I agree and disagree. I am an avid cook and enjoy cooking using pots and pans. Using an oven or a barbecue grill to cook food is very normal for me. I do not believe that I will get tired of using these appliances.
It is interesting to notice how Air Fryers are very popular with people in America. Less time in the kitchen and more time to do other things. This article reflects my personal experience and opinion on air fryers. It is not meant to persuade you to buy or not to buy an air fryer.
Before I proceed, YES, I did finally buy an air fryer. Let’s find out why I made the purchase and the reasons being this buying impulse.
Are air fryers and healthful alternative?
This belief that this is a healthful alternative is a bit confusing for me. In Haitian Creole, we have this saying “manje bouilli vider” which might translate to quick-cooking with no taste. maybe my perception of quick-cooking is old fashion. Cooking takes time I get it. But with good planning, you don’t need to spend a long time in the kitchen unless you are cooking for several people.
Many people suggest that buying an air fryer has allowed them to cook dinner faster. But what about your electric bills. I could not find any real information or complaints about electric bills going up.
There is more information about cooking frozen foods in “a jiffy” and how delicious the food is. This prompted me to ask myself that question: what were people doing before, and how were they preparing their food?
I do buy frozen vegetables such as beans and peas. But I will not use an air fryer to cook them. I usually add them to rice or poultry.
Let’s review 3 of my personal ideas:
Fried foods:
This part is confusing to me because many people swear by the healthy options of eating fried foods. Fried foods are still fried foods, in my opinion. And from what I gather, you still have to add a little bit of oil to the food for moisture. So why call it fried foods when it has not been drenched and fried in a lot of oil?
Speed cooking:
I am all for cooking food at the right temperature and making sure that the food is fully cooked. There are no guarantees that other appliances cannot deliver the same delicious and healthy foods. If you cook chicken wings, for example, in the oven, the grill, or the air fryer, the result for me is very similar in texture, but the taste might be slightly different. The huge difference is the amount of oil and how you prepare the wings. Now with frying, it is totally not comparable.
Unfortunately, there are many appliances that will not give your food the crispy texture you want when compared to an air fryer. I agree with this concept.
Can you convince a Caribbean person that air fryers are perfect for Caribbean food?
That is an easy question for me to answer. I am not convinced, and I am certain that same goes for many other Caribbean Islanders. Most of our recipes are not meant for air fryers. We mostly use a wet marinade to season our meat. We also believe in pre-cooking certain meat, such as goat. Goat meat must be boiled or pre-cook before adding to a stew or frying. The meat texture is tougher than chicken.
There is some limitation with our food, and this requires a lot of research and development.
Why did I decide to buy an air fryer?
It may seem that I have lots of complaints; on the contrary, it is all about making the right decision. New tools or appliances usually cost a lot of money. This type of appliance has created a foodie trend that will be here for a very long time. Are we ready for the next trend or the next new tool?
I thought about this for a long time. Buying a tool that only has one function was not appealing. Erika was the first person to buy an Oster Air Fryer Countertop Toaster Oven, French Door, and Digital Controls. This new kitchen toy, although has many functions, had one less star rating from me. The Oster multi-function oven heat-ups very fast and is very, very hot. You must use mittens to open the doors and retrieve your food at all times. It does not look like there are enough vents to keep the appliance cool.
After doing a little bit more research, I decided to go with the Ninja brand. I purchased the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill with Air Fry, Roast, Bake & Dehydrate. I bought this particular model because of its features. This particular one works for me.
I receive tons of emails asking for air fryer recipes, that is another reason. I have to please my followers. ☺️I will continue to try out recipes and share the successful ones. It is going to be a bumpy trip with this new tool, but I am ready.
Feel free to share your adventures and misaventures. I also welcome any advice and recipe ideas.
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