One of the latest and most popular products to hit the market is the air fryer and it can help to cook food in a much healthier way than ever possible before this technology. Using little to no oil, an air fryer can cook the food as if it was deep fried but absent of all the negative health attributes. While you might think you want one and you can’t wait to buy one, it’s important to consider if it’s actually worth the money to buy one.
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How Much Is An Air Fryer?
Much like everything else you buy, you will find that the price range of air fryers is pretty large and it really depends on what you are looking to get out of the air fryer. You can find one for around $100 with minimal features such as NuWave 36001 Brio Air Fryer and GoWise USA GW22621 4th Generation Air Fryer. You can also spend $200-$300 on one of the fancier and high tech ones on the market. For example, Philips Viva HD9230 Digital Airfryer and Philips Avance HD9240 Airfryer XL. It’s completely up to you. My recommendation is to figure out what you would like to spend and be sure to stay close to that budget to avoid spending more money than you planned.
Check out our best air fryer reviews and all product reviews here.
Important Considerations That Factor Price
Price is strictly dictated by the features of the product and you will typically find that the better the features you have in the air fryer, the more expensive the product is going to be but the better it is going to perform. Some of the the big factors of the price is going to include the capacity of the air fryer, the controls and the design.
Capacity
As you might have figured, the smaller capacity air fryer is going to be the cheapest option and there’s nothing wrong with that! If you are the only one in your home or you are planning on cooking for just one person, you don’t need to find a large basket to cook food and the small one will do just fine. Click here to check out our top air fryers with a regular size and air fryer XL.
Control
When it comes to the controls, there are two options to choose from: analog or digital. The analog controls on the air fryer are the most common option and usually found on the cheaper models. The digital display can be great if you want to find something that offers precise temperature and time controls, but having a digital display means there is another thing that could possibly break on the air fryer.
Some air fryers such as GoWise 4th Generation Air Fryer or SimpleTaste Multi-function Electric Air Fryer come with pre-set functions. These functions usually include chips, meat, chicken, steak, shrimp and fish. NuWave Brio Digital Air Fryer even comes with a preheat and reheat buttons, making it more convenient for your cooking process.
Check out top air fryer comparison to see what is best for you.
Related:
- GoWise USA GW22621 4th Generation Air Fryer Review
- SimpleTaste Multi-function Air Fryer Review
- NuWave Brio Air Fryer Review
What Can An Air Fryer Do?
An air fryer is one of the most versatile things you can have in your kitchen because it really gives you the option to cook just about anything you want in it and it can also help to cook food as if it was fried without all of the unhealthy side effects. While you will most likely experiment with a lot of different food options in the beginning, it won’t take long for you to realize how great some foods turn out before they become your favorite to make.
What Are The Benefits?
Health Benefits
The biggest benefit when it comes to an air fryer is the health factor that you don’t get from any other appliance in your kitchen. While a deep fryer submerges the food in oil, an air fryer uses very little to no oil in order to cook which means the food is considerably healthier. Additionally, it uses hot air to circulate around the food which helps to remove some of the bad stuff from the food to considerably reduce the fat content of the food you are making. Learn more about why an air fryer is good for your health.
No Smell and Less Mess
Because air fryers cook use hot air circulation to cook food instead of hot oil, you simply don’t end up with a big oily mess when you’re done. In addition, it is easier for you to clean an air fryer than a traditional fryer. Most air fryers also come with dishwasher safe parts. Another benefit of using hot air to cook is that it does not cause unpleasant smell as cooking food with hot oil.
More on benefits of an air fryer.
What Are The Disadvantages?
While there are quite a few benefits to an air fryer, there are a few drawbacks to keep in mind before you officially make your decision to buy one. First of all, when you compare the air fryer to normal frying, you will find that it will take basically twice as long, which can be a little annoying if you find yourself in a hurry to cook your meal.
The second disadvantage to the air fryer is that many of them have a really small capacity that can make it difficult to feed several people at a time using just the air fryer. If you want to cook for several people at once, you might need to cook several batches in the air fryer so be sure to keep that in mind. You can find some fryers that have larger capacity, so if you will constantly be cooking for multiple people, look for one of those such as Philips XL airfryer which is the best large air fryer available. Check out the review here.
Some people also question whether an air fryer is safe for health because it cooks food at a high temperature. It turns out that the ability to control the right temperature will prevent overcooked food which can increase cancer risks.
Final Verdict
As with just about any big purchase you are going to make, you have to question the benefits and weight the pros and cons to figure out if it is worth the expense. Luckily, it is safe to say that the air fryer is worth the price for all of the benefits you get. You will be able to cook much healthier meals and they will still taste just as good despite the fact that little to no oil was used in the process.