Crispy Salmon prepared in under 10 minutes
After abstaining from adding to my kitchen appliance collection, I caved when I saw a favorite air fryer brand on sale for pre-Black Friday shopping. While I’d heard excellent reviews about air friers, I was a little skeptical about the idea myself. I’ve always pan-fried most of my recipes, with the occasional deep-frying to satisfy the craving for perfectly crispy proteins. So far, my experience with the air fryer has been deeply satisfying and I wanted to share some cooking tips for it
I purchased the Ninja Airfryer from Costco Canada. Having eyed it for nearly half a year, I was finally motivated by the special deal that was available. This air fryer has many features including programmable cooking settings that include both a roast and an air fry option.
How does it work?
Air frying works by coating the food with a thin layer of oil. Like a convection oven, it circulates the air inside a small, contained space which helps keep temperatures even and also enables more controlled cooking as opposed to on a stove top–where the food can be cooked at uneven temperatures.
Convenience:
★★★★☆
One of the big factors I look for when purchasing a new kitchen appliance is the time-saving factor. Particularly as a busy AU student, I have very little time during the day to prepare for meals and I want it to be as efficient as possible without resorting to unhealthy frozen dinners. I learned quickly that the air fryer prepares food very quickly. For example, after throwing some bread-crumb-coated chicken drumsticks into the air fryer, it was perfectly cooked within 20 minutes.
Cleaning:
Detachable cooking cup makes it easy to clean and reuse.
★★★★☆
Cleaning is another important factor I consider when purchasing a new appliance. If the cleaning is difficult, I will be discouraged from using the appliance again. For this air fryer, there is a simple attachment that can be removed from the rest of the appliance. The cup holder is the only item that requires washing after each meal.
Taste:
★★★★★
If you’re obsessed with the texture of food like me, you’ll fall in love with the air fryer because of its ability to turn any boring recipe into an exciting one. Having been used to pan-frying my food in the past, using the air fryer has dramatically changed the taste and texture of many traditional recipes like breadcrumb-crusted salmon. The air fryer functions much like a miniature convection oven that heats and cooks food evenly as opposed to pan frying where the heat is distributed unevenly between the top and bottom sides. The temperature is also more uniform, creating better tasting dinners. I also enjoy experimenting with different baking techniques using an air fryer.
Perfectly golden and crispy fried pastry dough makes for a delicious snack
