I finally bought my first air fryer — 5 ways it’s changed how I cook

Despite my reluctance to jump on the air-frying bandwagon, I finally made the leap. Now I look back and wonder why I didn’t try one sooner because I’ve been missing out.

I was concerned about adding yet another appliance to my countertop and sacrificing preparation space. Apart from having one of the best air fryers it would need to sit alongside my much-loved Breville Custom Loaf Breadmaker and KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer . And with a few other countertop appliances to boot, I was concerned that I’d have no room left for food prep.

But, as soon as I tried Corsori’s TurboBlaze 6-liter air fryer, I was convinced. An air fryer makes an excellent add-on to a kitchen. My initial worries over a cluttered countertop are far outweighed by the benefits an air fryer brings to everyday cooking.

If you still need convincing that an air fryer is right for you, my first five impressions might help persuade you.

1. An air fryer is compact

If you’re like me and concerned about the size of another appliance sitting on your countertop, think again. The footprint of the air fryer I reviewed is compact, and although it has a large drawer capacity of up to 6 liters, it measures 12 (H) x 10.4 (W) x 16 (D) inches. What adds to the footprint is the hidden cable tidy at the back, although it does help to keep the lead neat when not in use. In comparison, the surface area is similar to that of my bread maker, measuring 16 (W) x 9 (D) inches.

Apart from being more compact than I had imagined, it is also relatively easy to lift and move around. Weighing 12 lbs, I didn’t find it a problem to carry, so if you didn’t want an air fryer to be on display while not in use, it wouldn’t be an issue to keep it within a kitchen cupboard.

There are also much smaller versions available, such as the Dash Compact Air fryer , which weighs 2.7 lbs, although its capacity is reduced to 2 quarts.

Corsori Air Fryer 9-in-1, 6 quart: was $119 now $89 @ Amazon
Offering TurboBlaze technology, this air fryer provides five fan speeds for extra crispy results. Plus, with nine cooking modes — air fry, roast, bake, broil, dehydrate, frozen, proof, reheat and keep warm, give you nine cooking experiences in one. It's no wonder this Corsori air fryer is abest seller on Amazon. View Deal

2. An air fryer is super fast

Fancy a baked potato for lunch? No problem. Instead of waiting an hour for a perfectly cooked baked potato in one of the best gas or electric ranges , you’ll be removing your crispy-skinned spud after 30-40 minutes. The same is true for all other foods.

How does an air fryer work?
An air fryer uses convection heat, just like a convection oven, to cook your food. But, unlike a convection oven, an air fryer is considerably smaller and heats up much quicker.

According to Science Focus , “A heating element near the top of the fryer emits heat into the air in the cooking chamber (radiation), while a fan circulates the heated air rapidly around it (convection)! This combination creates a very intense heat transform, resulting in a cooking method that’s closer to frying than baking.”

3. An air fryer is easy to clean

Does anyone enjoy cleaning up the mess after cooking, especially if you’ve been using a frying pan, skillet or broiler? There’s certainly nothing worse than being left to clean a grill once you’ve been hosting family and friends for a summer BBQ.

Fat splatters get everywhere and burn onto surfaces. Clearing up the mess can be tough. I know from experience how long it takes to clean up my boiler after cooking sausages — it often puts me off cooking them in the first place.

Cleaning an air fryer is a cinch in comparison. The grill plate can be cleaned with hot, soapy water without scrubbing or the need to pre-soak, while the cooking chamber can again be cleaned in the same way. Even when cooking a whole chicken, I was impressed with how easy it was to clean — in fact, I'd go as far as saying it was a joy compared to cleaning out the mess that a roast chicken leaves behind in a range.

4. You can leave food unattended and get on with another task

When frying food and using a broiler, you need to be on hand to ensure the food doesn’t burn, and to turn it over to ensure an even cook. However, with an air fryer, you can set the temperature and time and leave the food until it's finished, or pause it half-way through and turn the food.

Convection-style cooking, with the aid of the fan, ensures that the food is evenly cooked, while turning the food will help it brown. I found cooking bacon and sausages far easier in an air fryer. Apart from taking less time to cook, I only needed to turn the food once, and I was able to get on with other tasks, such as preparing a salad.

5. An air fryer reduces cooking smells

Air frying doesn’t reduce all cooking smells, but I noticed a big difference when cooking high-fat foods. Instead of leaving a lasting odor of fat throughout my house, the smell was not nearly as strong. Although cooking high-fat foods, such as bacon, sausages, and whole chicken, still left a smell, it was not nearly as potent as when frying, broiling, or using a range.

Air-fry cooking also requires less oil than other methods, which reduces nasty fatty smells. However, if you are still concerned about the smell generated by an air fryer, consider using oil with a higher smoke point. For instance, refined sunflower oil has a higher smoke point than refined extra virgin oil and vegetable oil.

Why your air fryer  might smoke and what to do about it
Air fryers cook food inside their food chamber by blowing hot air around. When food particles and grease land on the heating element, they can begin to burn and smoke, just like within your range. Regularly wiping over the heating element will help eliminate any nasty smells.

More from Tom's Guide

• Discover how to use an air fryer
• And 5 pros and cons of cooking with an air fryer
• Plus, read this Cosori Smart WiFiAir Fryer review