Are you looking for an air fryer?
If so, you would, of course, have the question, how does the air fried food taste like?
If so, worry not!
I will today answer all your questions related to air fryers. After going through this article, you will understand what air fried food tastes like and whether you should buy one. I will 1st start with the most pressing question, which is what does air fried food taste like?. After that, I will answer all your associated questions, as well.
What does air fried food taste like?
The truth is that air fried food does not taste like normal fried food. It takes like extra crispy food right from the oven. That is because the working of the air fryer is similar to a small convection oven. It is not similar to the normal frying technique.
Air fryer circulates hot air all around your food. The food will be in a perforated basket. Due to the same, it will be entirely exposed to the hot air.
Since the food edges are exposed to a high quantum of hot air, they actually turn crispy. If you like crisp edges, the air fryer can undoubtedly help you out.
However, if you like the fried foods’ melt in mouth taste, you will not find that in air fried food.
There is, however, an exception to the same. If you are using an air fryer for frozen food, you can get a pretty close taste to normal fried food. That is because most frozen food is already fried once. You are essentially just reheating it. Due to the same, it will taste crispy on the outer side, but it will have that melt in mouth texture on the inside. That is why frozen food tastes almost the same in an air fryer as well.
Now that you are aware of the taste of air fried food, I will answer some of the other questions you might have regarding air fryers and air fried food.
Is air fried food better for you?
Yes, air fried food is undoubtedly better for you. The reason is that the calorific value of these foods is less by almost 80% in some cases. Since air fried food calories consist of mostly oil, any oil content reduction can be beneficial for your health.
Many consumers also do not know that when oil reacts at high temperatures with the food, it can result in byproducts as well. These byproducts are not beneficial for you.
The byproducts often include the chemical acrylamide. It is produced when the hot oil reacts with starch in potatoes and other such food items. However, since the amount of oil you need in an air fryer is on the lower side, this byproduct will not be produced. In that case, you will not have to worry about the side effects of this byproduct either.
Thus, the food cooked in an air fryer is healthy directly as well as indirectly.
Do air fryers really make food crispy?
Yes, as I highlighted above, the air fryer can certainly make the food crispy. That is because the edges of the foodstuffs are exposed to hot air the most. Due to the same, they turn extra crispy. The hot air coats not only them but also the most the moisture from the edges. While the moisture is removed from the interior of the foodstuffs, the edges are completely devoid of moisture. That is why the edges are extra crispy.
If you were to compare the crispness of foodstuffs of cook the using normal frying technique and in air fryer, they are fryer one will be extra crispy. Couple that with the low oil requirement, and you have a winner.
If you like extra crispy food, you have no other alternative but to go with an air fryer.
In one case, however, you can simulate the normal frying food pretty accurately. That is when you’re dealing with frozen food. That is because you are just frying it the 2nd time and not the 1st time around. In that case, the crispiness might be similar to the normal frying technique. You will not be able to make it as extra crispy in that case.
If you fry frozen food a lot, you need to keep in mind this point before going with a near fryer.
Is an air fryer worth the money?
The answer is definitely yes. However, it can vary from one consumer to another.
I will highlight both the cases below.
The air fryer is primarily worth it if you want to eat healthy. Many consumers are not able to keep away from fried food. However, with an air fryer’s help, you can have a similar taste by cutting the oil use by up to 80%.
Cutting the oil usage by that much amount is sure to cut down on calories as well. In a nutshell, you can lead a healthier lifestyle. However, the lifestyle will still not be fully healthy since you will still be using some oil in your food.
If you’re buying an air fryer just for the taste, you will be surprised. The taste of the air fryer and the taste of the normal frying technique is entirely different. Unless you need extra crispy food, you should not buy the air fryer merely for the taste.
In most cases, buying any fryer is certainly worth it. That is because it can help you lead a healthier lifestyle. Not only that, air fryers are becoming more and more versatile. You can easily program them in multiple ways to cook differently. That provides more value.
Final thoughts:
So, air fried food does taste extra crispy. However, it is not exactly the same as normal fried food. When you look at the holistic picture, you will realize that buying an air fryer is definitely worth it. Not just for the extra crispy food that you will be able to cut the calories as well. If you’re in two minds regarding the air fryer, you should definitely buy it.