Tag: air
The best air fryers for 2023
Are you tempted by an air fryer, but fear you might just get another ill-fated kitchen gadget that takes up space in your tiny kitchen? We’re here to help you out. The air fryer, which comes in several different shapes and sizes, can be a versatile addition to many kitchens, once you know what it’s capable of. In the last year, shapes and sizes of air fryers have settled, and like the Instant Pot that came before, its a kitchen gadget that often appears at major online sales like Black Friday or Prime Week.
The function has even proved so popular that several all-in-one kitchen appliances now include an air fryer setting, which is useful for smaller kitchens with less space. Many air fryers offer two different cooking areas meaning you can synchronize cooking two different items without letting anything cool.
First of all, let’s clear one thing up: it’s not frying. Not really. Air fryers are more like smaller convection ovens, ones that are often pod-shaped. Most work by combining a heating element and fan, which means the hot air can usually better crisp the outside of food than other methods. They often reach higher top temperatures than toaster ovens – which is part of the appeal.
For most recipes, a thin layer of oil (usually sprayed) helps to replicate that fried look and feel better. However, it will rarely taste precisely like the deep-fried version. Don’t let that put you off, though, because the air fryer, in its many forms, combines some of the best parts of other cooking processes and brings them together into an energy-efficient way of cooking dinner. Or breakfast. Or lunch.
What to look for in an air fryer
Convection ovens
You can separate most air fryers into two types and each has different pros and cons. Convection ovens are usually ovens with air fryer settings and features. They might have higher temperature settings to ensure that food crisps and cooks more like actually fried food. Most convection ovens are larger than dedicated air fryers, defeating some of the purpose of those looking to shrink cooking appliance surface area. Still, they are often more versatile with multiple cooking functions, and most have finer controls for temperatures, timings and even fan speed.
You may never need a built-in oven if you have a decent convection oven. They often have the volume to handle roasts, entire chickens or tray bakes, and simply cook more, capacity-wise, making them more versatile than the pod-shaped competition.
The flip side of that is that you’ll need counter space in the kitchen to house them. It also means you can use traditional oven accessories, like baking trays or cake tins, that you might already own.
Pod-shaped air fryers
Pod-shaped air fryers are what you imagine when you think “air fryer.” They look like a cool, space-age kitchen gadget, bigger than a kettle but smaller than a toaster oven. Many use a drawer to hold ingredients while cooking, usually a mesh sheet or a more solid, non-stick tray with holes to allow the hot air to circulate. With a few exceptions, most require you to open the drawer while things cook and flip or shake half-cooked items to ensure the even distribution of heat and airflow to everything.
That’s one of a few caveats. Most pod-shaped air fryers – there are a few exceptions – don’t have a window to see how things are cooking, so you’ll need to closely scrutinize things as they cook, opening the device to check progress. These machines also generally use less energy – there’s less space to heat – and many have parts that can be put directly into a dishwasher.
Some of the larger pod-shaped air fryers offer two separate compartments, which is especially useful for anyone planning to cook an entire meal with the appliance. You could cook a couple of tasty chicken wings or tenders while simultaneously rustling up enough frozen fries for everyone. Naturally, those options take up more space, and they’re usually heavy enough to stop you from storing them in cupboards or shelves elsewhere.
As mentioned earlier, you might have to buy extra things to make these pod fryers work the way you want them to. Some of the bigger manufacturers, like Philips and Ninja, offer convenient additions, but you’ll have to pay for them.
Air fryer pros and cons
Beyond the strengths and weaknesses of individual models, air fryers are pretty easy to use from the outset. Most models come with a convenient cooking time booklet covering most of the major foods you’ll be air frying.
One of the early selling points is the ability to cook fries, wings and other delights with less fat than other methods like deep frying. As air fryers work by circulating heated air, the trays and cooking plates have holes that can also let oil and fat drain out of meats, meaning less fat and crisper food when you finally plate things up. For most cooking situations, you will likely need to lightly spray food with vegetable oil. If you don’t, there’s the chance that things will burn or char. The oil will keep things moist on the surface, and we advise refreshing things with a bit of oil spray when you turn items during cooking.
Most air fryers are easy to clean – especially in comparison to a shallow or deep fryer. We’ll get into cleaning guidance a little later.
With a smaller space to heat, air fryers are generally more energy-efficient than using larger appliances like ovens. And if you don’t have an oven, air fryers are much more affordable – especially the pod options.
There are, however, some drawbacks. While air fryers are easy enough to use, they take time to master. You will adjust cooking times for even the simplest types of food – like frozen fries or brussels sprouts. If you’re the kind of person that loves to find inspiration from the internet, in our experience, you can pretty much throw their timings out of the window. There are a lot of air fryer options, and factors like how fast they heat and how well distributed that heat is can – and will – affect cooking.
There’s also a space limitation to air fryers. This is not a TARDIS – there’s simply less space than most traditional ovens and many deep fat fryers. If you have a bigger family, you’ll probably want to go for a large capacity air fryer – possibly one that has multiple cooking areas.
You may also struggle to cook many items through as the heat settings will cook the surface of dishes long before it’s cooked right through. If you’re planning to cook a whole chicken or a roast, please get a meat thermometer!
The best accessories for your air fryer
Beyond official accessories from the manufacturer, try to pick up silicone-tipped tools. Tongs are ideal, as is a silicon spatula to gently loosen food that might get stuck on the sides of the air fryer. These silicone mats will also help stop things from sticking to the wire racks on some air fryers. They have holes to ensure the heated air is still able to circulate around the food.
Silicone trivets are also useful for resting any cooked food on while you sort out the rest of the meal. And if you find yourself needing oil spray, but don’t feel like repeatedly buying tiny bottles, you can decant your favorite vegetable oil into a permanent mister like this.
The best way to clean an air fryer
We’re keeping things simple here. Yes, you could use power cleaners from the grocery store, they could damage the surface of your air fryer. Likewise, metal scourers or brushes could strip away non-stick protection. Remember to unplug the device and let it cool completely.
Remove the trays, baskets and everything else from inside. If the manufacturer says the parts are dishwasher safe – and you have a dishwasher – the job is pretty much done.
Otherwise, wash each part in a mixture of warm water, with a splash of Dawn or another strong dish soap. Use a soft-bristled brush to pull away any greasy deposits or bits of food stuck to any surfaces. Remember to rinse everything. Otherwise, your next batch of wings could have a mild Dawn aftertaste. Trust us.
Take a microfiber cloth and tackle the outer parts and handles that might also get a little messy after repeated uses. This is especially useful for oven-style air fryers – use the cloth to wipe down the inner sides.
If Dawn isn’t shifting oily stains, try mixing a small amount of baking soda with enough water to make a paste, and apply that so that it doesn’t seep into any electrical parts or the heating element. Leave it to work for a few seconds before using a damp cloth to pull any greasy spots away. Rinse out the cloth and wipe everything down again, and you should be ready for the next time you need to air fry.
How to find air fryer recipes
Beyond fries, nuggets and – a revelation – frozen gyoza, there are a few ways to find recipes for your new air fryer. First, we found that the air fryer instruction manuals often have cooking guides and recipe suggestions for you to test out in your new kitchen gadget. The good thing with these is that they were made for your air fryer model, meaning success should be all but guaranteed. They are often a little unimaginative, however.
Many of the top recipe sites and portals have no shortage of air fryer recipes, and there’s no harm in googling your favorite cuisine and adding the words “air fryer” on the end of the search string. We’ve picked up some reliable options from Delish, which also has a handy air fryer time converter for changing oven and traditional fryer recipes.
BBC Good Food is also worth browsing for some simple ideas, as is NYT Cooking, with the ability to directly search for air fryer suggestions.
And if you have a killer recipe or unique use for your air fryer, let us know in the comments. What’s the air fryer equivalent of the Instant Pot cheesecake? We’re ready to try it.
Best overall: Instant Vortex Plus
You probably know the “Instant” brand from the line of very popular Instant Pot multi-cookers, but did you know that the company makes great air fryers too? We’re especially impressed by the Instant Vortex Plus with ClearCook and OdorErase, which features a clear viewing window so you can see your food while it’s cooking, plus an odor-removing filter. In our testing, we found that it didn’t completely eliminate smells, but it seemed significantly less smoky when compared to our Breville Smart Oven Air. We love the intuitive controls, the easy-to-clean nonstick drawer basket, plus the roomy interior – it’s big enough to fit four chicken thighs. Plus, it heats up very quickly with virtually no preheating time.
A slightly more affordable option is its predecessor, the Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart. It lacks the viewing window and the odor-removing filters, but it still has the same intuitive control panel and roomy nonstick interior. If you want an even bigger option, Instant also offers Instant Vortex Plus in a 10-quart model that has a viewing window and a rotisserie feature.
Best dual-zone: Ninja Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer
Most air fryers can make one thing at a time, but Ninja’s Dual Zone machine can handle two totally different foods simultaneously. Available in 8- and 10-quart capacities, the machine isn’t compact, so it won’t be a good option for those with small kitchens. However, if you have the counter space, it could be the best air fryer to invest in especially if you cook for a large family. You can prep two totally different foods, like fried okra and brownies, at the same time with totally different cooking modes, or use Match Cook to prepare foods in both chambers the same way. The heating zones are independent, so if you only want to fill up one side with french fries and leave the other empty, you can do that as well.
We appreciate how quickly the Ninja air fryer heats up (there’s little to no preheating time at all) and how it runs relatively quietly. It also has a feature called Smart Finish that will automatically adjust cooking times so that your fried chicken thighs in the first chamber and asparagus in the second will finish at the same time, so you don’t have to wait for one part of your meal to be ready while the other gets cold. In general, dual-zone air fryers aren’t necessary for most people, but those who cook often will get a lot of use out of machines like this Ninja.
Best budget: Instant Vortex Mini
Not only is the Instant Vortex Mini budget-friendly with a $60 price tag (and you can often find it on sale for less), but it’s also quite compact. Most air fryers will take up a lot of precious countertop space, but this two-quart model is great for those who don’t have a lot to spare. The Vortex Mini can air fry, bake, roast and reheat, and you can control the temperature and cook time using the dial sitting in the middle of its touchscreen. Unlike some of the other, more expensive air fryers we tested, which have a variety of modes and settings, the Vortex Mini is dead simple to use. Just plug it in, press the preset cooking method of your choice, customize the temperature and cook time and press Start. The machine will beep about halfway through the cycle to let you know when to flip your food, and it’ll chime again once it’s finished.
Arguably the biggest caveat to the Vortex Mini is also its biggest strength. It’s so compact that cooking more than one thing, or a lot of one thing, won’t be easy. But I was able to cook a whole block of tofu cut into cubes (with a bit of overlap) and reheat (and re-crisp) leftovers in it for myself and my fiancé with no problems. Overall, this compact air fryer will be hard to beat for those with tight budgets and tiny kitchens.
Best multi-purpose air fryer: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro
Listen, most people don’t need the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. But if you love to cook, have a large family or throw a bunch of parties, you’ll likely get a ton of use out of this machine. It’s a beast, measuring one cubic foot, so be prepared to carve out some space on your counter. But its size allows it to cook an entire 14-pound turkey and fit things like a five-quart dutch oven and a 9 x 13 pan inside of it. It can basically act like a second oven, or even a primary one if your main oven is out of commission.
As an air fryer, it’s quite capable and its size helps since you can spread your food out to ensure things are as crispy as possible. It also helps that you can cook a lot of food at once, which will make it easier if you’re preparing appetizers for a party or a side dish for a family dinner. In addition to air frying, it has a number of other cooking modes including toast, broil, bake, pizza, dehydrate and proof. Despite the “smart” moniker, this model doesn’t have app connectivity – but you can get that feature if you upgrade to the Joule. That’ll allow you to get push notifications when your food’s ready, and the companion app also has guided recipes which you can follow along with. Unsurprisingly, like most Breville gadgets, both the Joule and the standard Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro are quite expensive, coming in at $500 and $400, respectively. But if you’re looking to add a multi-use machine to your kitchen that will let you air fry to your heart’s content, Breville has you covered.
Nicole Lee and Valentina Palladino contributed to this guide.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-air-fryers-133047180.html?src=rss
The Aya Neo Air Plus Is A Powerful, Smaller, And Pricier Steam Deck Alternative
If you follow the portable gaming PC scene at all, you’ve probably heard of Aya Neo. The Chinese manufacturer has quietly made a name for itself since 2021 with high-performing handheld Windows PCs. In that short window, Aya Neo has released a bunch of different handhelds (with several more on the way), which could be considered both a good and bad thing. On the negative side, it means that customers who buy an Aya Neo may feel like their handheld is outdated in a few months. But on the positive side, Aya Neo’s handhelds just keep getting better. The latest example of this is the Aya Neo Air Plus, which takes the impressive internals of the flagship Aya Neo 2 and squeezes them into a compact form factor. The Aya Neo Air Plus is a superb machine with great performance and a premium build that feels and looks fantastic.
As with all other Aya Neo models, the Air Plus comes in several configurations that vary widely in price and specs. Prices range from $600 to $1,400, and there are three different colors to choose from: Glacier Blue, Starlight Black, and Classic Gray. On the low end of the scale, you’re getting an AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processor or an Intel Alder Lake i3 1215U. To get the type of performance you’re probably looking for, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U configuration is the marquee Air Plus. Though I didn’t test the lower-end models, their specs suggest they wouldn’t perform favorably compared to the Steam Deck despite costing more. The Ryzen 7 6800U units start at $980 and can outperform the Steam Deck. I tested the model with the 6800U, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. If you really want to go all out, the Air Plus tops out at 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. That said, the Air Plus has a microSD card slot to expand your storage, which I found to be a convenient way to increase the storage space while maintaining solid performance.
The Air Plus falls between the Aya Neo 2 and last year’s Air/Air Pro with its size and form factor. It’s larger than the original Air models and has a 6-inch touchscreen display instead of the 5.5-inch, but it’s noticeably smaller than Aya Neo’s 7-inch handhelds. And placing the Air Plus next to the Steam Deck makes the latter appear comically large and clunky. Fortunately, the compact size doesn’t stop the Air Plus from being ergonomically friendly: It feels natural to hold, and the rounded back handles keep the experience comfy for hours.
15-Inch MacBook Air Stockpiled by Suppliers Ahead of Rumored WWDC Launch
Despite the upcoming 15-inch MacBook Air launch, the sources believe that overall MacBook shipments will likely face a single-digit decrease in 2023 due to a “disappointing” first half of the year. The sources also said “pull-in momentum” for the 15-inch MacBook Air “has not been as strong compared with previous new products.”
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman expects the 15-inch MacBook Air to debut at WWDC. Like the 13-inch MacBook Air, the 15-inch model will be powered by the M2 chip with multiple GPU configurations, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
No design changes have been rumored for the 15-inch MacBook Air beyond its larger display size. The 13-inch model is equipped with a notch housing a 1080p camera, a MagSafe 3 charging port, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a scissor switch keyboard with a Touch ID button, and a Force Touch trackpad.
The sources believe MacBook shipments could recover in the second half of 2023 if new MacBooks with 3nm chips are released, but Apple’s chipmaker TSMC has reportedly faced 3nm yield issues, so it’s unclear when Apple’s M3 chip will debut.
This article, “15-Inch MacBook Air Stockpiled by Suppliers Ahead of Rumored WWDC Launch” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Apple Adding Thunderbolt Display and Original iPad Air to Obsolete Products List
Introduced in 2011, the Thunderbolt Display featured a 27-inch screen, a 1440p resolution, a 720p camera, three USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a Thunderbolt port. The monitor was priced at $999 in the U.S. and was discontinued in 2016, resulting in years without an Apple-branded external display. Its modern day successor is the Studio Display, released alongside the Mac Studio last year.
The original iPad Air launched in 2013 and was also discontinued in 2016. The device was equipped with a 9.7-inch display and the A7 chip, and it was advertised as being 20% thinner, 28% lighter, and having 43% narrower display bezels compared to the previous iPad. Pricing started at $499 in the U.S. for the Wi-Fi-only model.
Apple classifies a product as technologically obsolete once more than seven years have passed since the company stopped distributing it for sale.
This article, “Apple Adding Thunderbolt Display and Original iPad Air to Obsolete Products List” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Gurman: Apple to Announce 15-Inch MacBook Air at WWDC
Gurman revealed the plans in his newsletter on Sunday:
As part of watchOS 10, the company is planning to bring back widgets and make them a central part of the interface. This new strategy will debut at WWDC in June, alongside the unveiling of iOS 17, macOS 14, the 15-inch MacBook Air, and, of course, the much-anticipated mixed-reality headset.
The well-connected Apple reporter previously said new MacBooks were coming at WWDC, but this is the first time he explicitly confirmed the 15-inch MacBook Air will be unveiled at the conference, which will begin with Apple’s keynote on June 5.
15-inch MacBook Air rumors began in early 2021, and production of display panels for the laptop reportedly ramped up in recent months as its launch nears. Like the 13-inch MacBook Air, the initial 15-inch model will be powered by the standard M2 chip with multiple GPU configurations, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
No design changes have been rumored for the 15-inch MacBook Air beyond its larger display size. The 13-inch model has a notch in the display, a 1080p camera, a MagSafe 3 charging port, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a scissor switch Magic Keyboard with a Touch ID button, and a Force Touch trackpad, with available color options including Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver.
Apple announced the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip at WWDC last year.
This article, “Gurman: Apple to Announce 15-Inch MacBook Air at WWDC” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Breathe easy with a Bissell air purifier for under $40
SAVE $55.99: As of April 27, the Bissell MyAir air purifier with a HEPA filter is now available at Wayfair for $39. That’s a discount of 59%.
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Bissell MyAir air purifier with a HEPA filter
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Folks who have allergies and pets know that air filters can go a long way in purifying air, reducing allergens, and increasing comfort levels. Using one of these handy gadgets at home or in the office can go a long way in increasing productivity and decreasing invisible stressors. If you’re curious about what an air filter can do for you, now is a great time to add one to your shopping cart.
As of April 27, the Bissell MyAir air purifier with a HEPA filter is on sale at Wayfair for only $39. This air filter usually goes for $94.95 on a regular day, which means you’re getting a discount of $55.99, or 59%.
This hefty discount is all thanks to this year’s Way Day, a Wayfair seasonal sale where you can find select products for up to 80% off. Way Day ends today at 11:59 p.m. PST. Until then, you’ll find select products at greatly reduced prices and receive free shipping on all items as long as the address is in the contiguous United States.
The Bissell MyAir air purifier includes a 3-in-1 efficiency air filter that collects particles up to 99.7% of particles measuring 0.3 microns or more. This means it purifies the air of pollen, dust, dander, and smoke in rooms up to 88 square feet. Activated charcoal cleans odors from your home so you can get rid of unsavory scents.
Its 360-degree filtration system takes in air from all directions. The filter works approximately every 12 minutes so you can breathe easily. Note that filters are sold separately and need to be replaced approximately every three months.
The 59% discount ends today. Consider this deal before it’s gone.