There’s nothing new to talk about air fryers, almost everyone knows how this kitchen appliance is bringing a revolutionary change to the food industry. Still, a lot of people are skeptical about this appliance. They think an air fryer isn’t healthy for us at all, and this idea leaves the other people in confusion.
If you’re also one of them, you’re probably reading this post to find out the truth. To answer this question, we will be presenting every detail and fact to clear out the confusion of “Are air fryers safe?”.
So let’s dig in—
Table of Contents
Are Air Fryers Safe
In order to determine the fact if an air fryer is really safe, we should know the parts & mechanism of an air fryer. That way, you can easily detect any potentially harmful effect that an air fryer may cause. So first, let’s start by having a look at the parts of an air fryer—
Parts Of An Air Fryer
The structure and parts of an air fryer are pretty simple. There are a few types of air fryers, among which an air fryer with a basket is most common. The basket style air fryer obviously has a basket, in which you keep the food that you’re going to fry. Other than the basket, an air fryer also has a container or basket base to catch the residue or drips of the food.
The main body is often made of plastic, as well as the basket & basket base. This plastic is highly heat-stable & BPA free. So you won’t have to worry about any harmful components in your food.
Another important part of any air fryer is the control panel or LED panel. This has nothing to do with the safety of using the air fryer, we use this panel to give a command to our air fryer for certain preparation.
Some air fryers also offer an additional frying rack with the basket. This frying rack is also plastic-made or in some cases, stainless steel. It helps to circulate the air more evenly to the bottom.
Now that you know the parts of an air fryer, let’s get into the mechanism—
Mechanism Of An Air Fryer
The mechanism of an air fryer is pretty straightforward. When you keep the food in the basket and start the fryer for cooking or warming purposes, a whiff of heated air flows over the food. The food continues to heat up & cook, up to your desired doneness.
Apparently, this mechanism is quite harmless. Because the hot air flow ensures an even cooking on the food. And hot air doesn’t develop any harmful compounds in the food.
The Positives
Almost everyone knows how an air fryer makes the healthiest fried food using a minimum amount of oil. An air fryer also promotes healthy cooking by helping to render the fat from the food. Plus, even heat distribution ensures a tasty & delicious meal ruling out the possibility of the food staying raw.
Other than ensuring a healthy version of fried foods, an air fryer is also useful for reducing the incidence of toxin formation in food. Bbq grills or some other cooking types tend to form some chemical substances in the food. Considering that, air frying food is a much healthier option.
The Drawbacks
As you can see, neither the parts nor the mechanism is harmful to your body in any way. But still, you should keep some certain things in mind—
- Since most of the parts are made of plastic, it may create a catastrophe if it has a low quality. For example, the plastic may melt or contaminate the food by releasing harmful components. If you want to skip this problem, just purchase a stainless steel air fryer. Or you can also choose to purchase a high end air fryer too.
- Some users complain of getting a plastic smell from their air fryers. This creates some sense of nausea in some cases. It’s quite uncommon, still, it is a serious issue if any air fryer really produces that.
- In case your food gets burnt, it develops some chemicals that can be seriously injurious to your health. For example, if you cook your food to a very high temperature, it may produce a substance called Acrylamide. It’s not essentially a toxic or carcinogenic agent. But the industrial form of this substance is a potentially toxic element. So you must be careful before burning your food.
- Air fried food is apparently healthy. Because it has less use of oil and helps to render the fat from the food. But that doesn’t mean that you can consume a lot of air fried food, it will still be bad for your health. Consuming a lot of fried food will boost multiple problems like obesity, heart diseases, etc. So, make sure to hold back yourself if you’re thinking of consuming a giant plate of fried food.
The Verdict
You are probably confused by seeing all these drawbacks of air fryers. But all of them are pretty negligible if you’re careful while cooking.
Just make sure you get a good quality product to rule out all these drawbacks. For example, getting a stainless steel air fryer may solve the problem of getting a plastic smell from your unit. Plus, there will be no possibility of affixing harmful substances from plastic.
Make sure you don’t burn or overcook the food to ensure the best cooking result. Choose appropriate timing and keep an eye on the food to prevent burning or overlooking. That way, you can eat healthy, just like you wanted to do.
Final Words
So that’s the answer to your most asked question “Are air fryers healthy”. I hope this article has provided you with enough information to show how an air fryer ensures the best health benefits instead of harming your body. So what are you waiting for? Get yourself an air fryer and start your journey with air fried foods. Happy eating!