Food experts have issued a warning about an unexpected snag that air fryer enthusiasts might run into with their appliance. The air fryer craze has swept the globe, finding a home in countless kitchens where it’s become a go-to over conventional cooking means.
Not only do air fryers offer foodies a chance to whip up their go-to dishes in a far healthier way, but they could also be kinder to your wallet when it comes to energy costs. Yet, experts have noted some easily overlooked blunders you might be making with your air fryer.
An air fryer is equipped with a cooking chamber, a heating element, and a fan that distributes the heat across the chamber, ensuring food is cooked thoroughly and uniformly. When frying, a bit of oil is essential. Still, it’s absolutely key to use the correct kind of oil for your air fryer, according to Chowhound.
Oils with lower smoke points can break down under the intense heat of an air fryer, potentially releasing harmful chemicals which can char your food or taint it with a nasty flavour. Oils to avoid due to their low smoke points include walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, flaxseed oil, unrefined olive oil, and coconut oil.
Cooking experts suggest opting for oils with a “higher smoke point”, such as canola, sunflower, or regular vegetable oil. You can brush oil onto your food before placing it in the air fryer. Another common method is to use a cooking spray.
However, experts at Chowhound caution against this as it could damage the air fryer. They point out that some oils contain additives like soy lecithin.
These additives can stick to the inside of the air fryer, leading to a grimy build-up that’s hard to clean and could ultimately shorten the lifespan of your air fryer.