Air Fryer Recipes that are both quick & nutritious the Whole Family will love - Cathy Richards, RD (2024)

FAQs

Why are people getting rid of air fryers? ›

Summary. In conclusion, while air fryers offer certain benefits such as reduced calorie intake and faster cooking times, they are not without their limitations. Size constraints, limited cooking options, and concerns about crispiness are driving some people to look for alternatives.

'From a chef's perspective, air fryers can be a great gift option. They have become popular due to their ability to provide a healthier cooking alternative to deep frying. Air fryers use hot air circulation to cook food, requiring little to no oil, which can result in crispy and delicious results.

Some say it's too good to be true, that you can't effectively “fry” something with a few tablespoons of oil and hot circulating air. Some say yeah, it works but it takes up too much countertop space for what it's worth.

In one study, air frying of fish raised the amount of a substance called "cholesterol oxidation products" (COPs). COPs form when the cholesterol in meat or fish breaks down during cooking. Studies connect these substances to coronary heart disease, hardening of the arteries, cancer, and other diseases.

Hearty dishes including stew, chilli con carne or bolognese are midweek favourites, but Good Food's food copy editor Samuel Goldsmith advises against using an air fryer to cook them. As the hot circulates inside the air fryer, this can cause hot liquids to splatter, which can be dangerous and messy.

While an air fryer can technically take a burger patty from raw to cooked, the exterior won't brown as quickly as it would on, say, a grill, which means medium-rare (and even medium) burgers are out of the question. You also won't get that irresistible char.

Here's why: Bacon doesn't require any excess oil or butter to cook because it's so full of fat. So when hot air is circulated around the bacon, your air fryer will fill up with rendered bacon fat, which will then burn and maybe even release smoke from your machine.

Therefore, there may be exposure to much more than the average amount of acrylamide detected in potatoes cooked in the air fryer in the present study. In order to reduce the adverse effects of acrylamide on health, it is recommended to apply pre-treatments such as soaking potatoes before frying (19).

What are the cons of the Ninja air fryer? ›

Most of the downsides of Ninja air fryers can be said of any air fryer: They have a limited cooking capacity, you can burn food easily, and they are quite bulky, taking up a good amount of counter space.

Households are shelving their air fryers in favour of another kitchen appliance that is cheaper to run, and just as healthy.

Sales are still steady, but nothing like the astronomical levels reached last year. And according to a recent report by retailer Currys, microwaves are rising fast on the air fryer's tail, with sales up by 50 per cent since last year.

Limited Cooking Applications

At their core, air fryers are essentially smaller-sized convection ovens. For this reason, commercial businesses don't benefit from them. Convection ovens may find uses in the food industry for certain items but have many limitations for broader service menus.

Air-frying equipment is not known to cause cancer, but the process of air frying does result in the formation of certain compounds, like acrylamide, that are linked to cancer development. Acrylamide is classified as a probable human carcinogen.

Issue: One of the most common problems with air fryers is the unit not heating up as it should, which results in undercooked or unevenly cooked food. Solution: Ensure that the air fryer is placed on a flat, stable surface. Also, make sure the basket is securely inserted and that the food is not overcrowded.