Holford - Air Fryer Cookbook for Beginners: 800 Quick and Delicious Air Fryer Recipes with Only 5 Ingredients Or Less for the Smart People 2022 Edition

Still wondering if you made the right decision when you purchased an air fryer? Wonder no more.

1. Air frying is better for your health. In fact, most recipes cook without any added fat. The recipes that do use oil use only a very small amount for flavor, usually just a few teaspoons. If there is too much oil on the food, it will melt off, and the appliance may emit smoke.
2. Its very safe, even for beginning cooks. The system is completely closed, unlike deep-frying in a pan on the stovetop. Theres no danger of a pan full of hot oil falling off the stove. Because the machine is closed while its cooking, you wont burn your fingers or be splattered with hot liquid as the food cooks.
3. Most air fryers have automatic cooking functions, so theres no guesswork. Depending on the model you choose, you can cook French fries, chicken fingers, tater tots, and other foods with just a press of a button. The machine controls the cooking times and cooking temperatures of these foods for you.
4. Cleanup is a breeze. Air fryers are made with nonstick material, so, to clean, you simply wash the basket and pan in the sink with soap and water, using a sponge that wont scratch. If any food is burned onto the basket, a quick soak will loosen it. The appliance itself can be cleaned with a damp paper towel or sponge. You dont have to worry about safely disposing of cups of oil.
5. Using only one appliance to prepare your food is extremely convenient. The cooking method is hands-free, so you can prepare a salad while your food cooks. If you have a small kitchen, this may be the only appliance you need.

When cooking certain foods at high temperatures, charring can occur. That charring produces a chemical called acrylamide. And acrylamide might be linked to an increased risk of cancer. Its important to note that, according to the American Cancer Society, Its not yet clear if the levels of acrylamide in foods raise cancer risk.... Still, you can take some steps to avoid frying foods to a crisp. Heres what we recommend:

1. Cook at lower temperatures for longer periods of time (instead of high temperatures for shorter periods). Turning the temperature knob down to 300 to 325 degrees and increasing the time to 10 or 20 minutes may prevent charred coffee cake and blackened fries.
2. Cover foods with foil. The air fryer works to cook your foods by circulating air throughout the basket, so you dont want to prevent that air flow. However, you can use foil to cover a chicken breast, for example, and place it in the basket to cook (low and slow). We also suggest using foil to cover cakes and egg dishes to prevent the top from cooking too quickly. Just be sure there is enough room between the foil and the top of the air fryer.
3. Dont overfill the basket. You may be tempted to throw the entire batch of beet chips or broccoli florets into the basket at once to save time, but that will result in uneven cooking and a few pieces getting burned to a crisp. Either invest in a larger fryer or cook in smaller batches to produce the perfect air-fried foods every time.
4. Use air-fryer-safe equipment. The key to producing bakery-perfect muffins or quick breads lies in making sure youre using the right equipment. Using the right equipment helps allow the air to circulate properly, leaving your air-fried foods crisp, crunchy, and evenly cooked.
5. Set timers and reminders. We all need to set alarms to remember important things, and air frying your foods is no different. Set timers not only on your air fryer but on your phone so you dont leave the foods cooking any longer than required.