3 Reasons You Should Cook with an Air Fryer

A chicken or turkey cooked in an air fryer is healthier and tastes just as good (if not better) than a meal prepared in boiling oil. (Emeril Lagasse/)

For decades now, the standard method for frying a turkey involved a cauldron of boiling oil and alerting the fire department to remain on stand-by in case of an accident. Crisping up the holiday bird or any other traditional fried food doesn’t have to be such an adventure. Modern fryers use convection heating to achieve the same results without the mess or concern of what to do with a couple gallons of used oil after the feast. Here are a few reasons to consider an air fryer.

Frying or Dehydrating

You can also use an air fryer to dehydrate vegetables, fruit, and meats. (Ninja/)

Adjustable temperature ranges from around 100 up to more than 400 degrees allows you to control the rate of cooking. That means you can slowly dehydrate foods to produce snack chips from vegetables, wild game jerky, or dried fruit, as well as impart that deep fried crispness to fries, seafood, poultry, or other meats.

Use Less Oil

Rather than rely on hot oil to cook, and air fryer uses air convection to cook food. (Omorc/)

An air fryer relies on forced-air convection currents to circulate heat evenly around the food. That means you can use just a sprinkle of oil in many preparations, such as French fires, and still get the same crunch and taste as deep-frying.

Rotisserie

A rotisserie attachment helps keep foods moist and evenly cooked. (Emeril Lagasse/)

Not all air fryers are upright cannister cookers. Some look and operate more like a traditional toaster oven, but with the technology and power usually found in professional appliances. A rotisserie attachment ensures even cooking and allows you to achieve the perfect combination of crispness and moistness every time.