New research from Which? suggests air fryers are up
to three times cheaper to run than traditional ovens.
If you’ve never used an air fryer, you could be
forgiven for thinking it just fries food, but in a healthier way.
But the truth is, you can fry, bake or roast most
things with these gadgets – from roasting a whole chicken to baking a cake.
“Cooking is one of the everyday costs that really
mount up over time,” says Emily Seymour, Which? energy editor. “There has been
a surge of interest in air fryers and smaller cooking appliances in recent
months, and our research shows the hype could be justified in some cases, as
we’ve found these products cost less to cook certain foods than conventional
ovens.”
She points out that it can be more economical to
cook large quantities of food in a conventional oven, and adds: “But for quick,
small meals, we’ve found it’s worth trying out the alternatives.”
Air fryers generally circulate air at a temperature
of between 150-200˚C, and either need a little oil sprayed on food, or none at
all.
Ocado’s in-house food expert Laura Rowe says air
fryers are “incredibly versatile – depending on the model, you can reheat,
roast, bake, grill and even dehydrate – and often you need far less oil or fat
than other cooking methods”.
Here are some delicious ways to cook in an air
fryer…
1. French toast
Rowe suggests coating sliced bread in a custard
mixture of beaten egg, milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon, then shaking off any
excess liquid before placing the slices in your air fryer and cooking them for
around three minutes on each side.
“It’s also a good idea to use a liner in the basket
to catch any residual liquid,” advises Rowe.
2. Cheese croquettes
Danilo Cortellini, former head chef at the Italian
Embassy in London, suggests making (or buying) a tomato, chilli and garlic
sauce, and mixing 200g of small white bread cubes with 300g of grated Grana
Padano cheese, four eggs, garlic, parsley and seasoning, and kneading it into
small balls.
Lightly spray the balls with oil and place in
batches in the air fryer. Cook at 180˚C for two minutes, turn and cook for
another two minutes until golden, then serve on top of the tomato sauce.
3. Speedy pizza
Rowe suggests using pita bread or tortilla wraps as
an alternative pizza base, spreading them with tomato sauce before air frying
for around eight minutes until crisp at the edges.
Add grated cheese and toppings of your choice,
press them firmly into the base, and cook for a further three minutes until the
cheese is melted.
4. Roast Brussels sprouts
If you coat Brussels sprouts with a little oil,
seasoning and your favourite flavourings – including garlic, chilli flakes,
balsamic vinegar or lemon juice – they’ll take just 12 minutes to cook in an
air fryer at 180˚C.
5. Cookies
It’s not just savoury dishes that work in an air
fryer – it makes great sweet treats too. “For a quick fix dessert, whip up your
favourite choc chip cookie recipe, and enjoy them warm with a glass of cold
milk,” suggests Rowe.
Rowe recommends refrigerating the dough for an
hour, before lining the air fryer with baking paper and rolling the dough into
golf-sized balls. Put them in the basket and cook for six to seven minutes,
until the edges crisp up but the centre remains gooey. Leave in the fryer for
five minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Fruit and veg crisps
Rowe suggests thinly slicing fruit and veg like
apple, parsnip, sweet potato and beetroot, seasoning them with salt and pepper
– or maybe even cinnamon and nutmeg for something sweeter – and cooking them in
a single layer for four to five minutes, or until crisp.
“These are all great options for a healthier take
on your usual bag of crisps,” Rowe points out.
7. Mozzarella sticks
“DIY mozzarella sticks are the perfect fast food
alternative,” says Rowe, who suggests they’re a little healthier if cooked in
an air fryer.
She says you need to slice mozzarella into sticks
and coat them in flour seasoned with dried oregano, salt and pepper, beaten egg
and then breadcrumbs, and repeat the process twice. Cook in the air fryer for
six to seven minutes until golden-brown, and serve with dips.