Yummy crispy French fries are an all-time favorite dish of all. But calorie conscious people avoid this due to their fat content. Well, if I tell you that you can get the French fries with half the fat and with the lowest-calories? You won’t believe it, will you? But it’s true. An appliance called Air Fryer can perform this magic with the utmost ease.

Yes, Air Fryer provides you a low fat and low calories food within no time and without compromising with the original taste. Additionally, you can add herbs, spices, and other ingredients of your choice.

[rating:148c5012-160b-420f-8422-e81c7251b2cc]

But which recipes can you prepare using an Air fryer? How does Air Fryer work so efficiently? How long it takes to prepare food in the Air Fryer? Is the food prepared in the Air Fryer completely oil-free?

In today’s article, we will discuss every detail of the best cheap air fryer.

Which Recipes Can You Prepare Using an Air Fryer?

You can prepare thousands of recipes using an Air Fryer. You can bake a pizza or you can grill kebabs. The air fryer works both as a deep fryer and an oven. You can put the frozen food directly in the air fryer without waiting for them to come down to normal temperature and thaw. You can fry, bake, or grill almost everything in the Air Fryer. Some of the brands also offer big size Air fryers. So, you can cook a large amount of food in these Air fryers at a time.

What Is an Air Fryer and How Does It Work?

A good cheap air fryer is a very useful kitchen appliance that works the same way as an oven. It can bake and roast. The main difference between an oven and an air fryer is the heating element. In an Air Fryer, a heating element is placed at the top with a big powerful fan that helps to cook the food and make it crispy within no time and that too using very little oil. It can cook regular deep-fried food such as French fries, potato chips, meat, and so many other dishes, quickly and evenly.

Basically, the Air fryer cooks by circulating hot air all over the food, and as a result, you get crispy and crunchy food. The air fryer uses the same principle that is used in the convection method where the food is surrounded by hot air instead of deep-fried in the oil. The same procedure is used in the best low-cost air fryer to make the food crispy while retaining its original taste. Besides, the food thus prepared has very low calories, ideal for calorie-conscious people.

Can You Put Oil in An Air Fryer?

The first thing that should be remembered while working with an air fryer is that the oil (if required) should be used in the ingredients before they are kept in the air fryer for frying.

Putting oil in the recipes depends upon the type of recipe you are preparing in the air fryer. Some recipes require oil while others don’t. In the air fryer, you need a maximum of 1 or 2 teaspoon(s) oil for most of the recipes. In the case of breaded recipes like chicken fingers or fish sticks where breadcrumbs are also added, 1-2 tablespoon oil will work perfectly well.

Basically, adding oil during the preparation helps to make food crunchy from the inside and crispy outside and that is what your taste buds relish the most.

Generally, oil is required in the dishes prepared with fresh ingredients that are not marinated like fresh chicken or potatoes. Adding oil to these ingredients creates a crunchy, crispy layer on it and makes the dish delicious. You can avoid using oil completely by marinating the chicken, meat, or anything before putting it into the air fryer.

While adding oil to the recipe, remember not to use too much oil as the excessive oil may fall on the bottom tray and may lead to burn and smoke. This will ruin the fun of the air fryer dish.

How Long to Cook Things in An Air Fryer?

This is the toughest question to answer. Air Fryer can prepare a variety of tasty things. Cooking time is dependent upon the type of recipe you are going to prepare. Below is the cooking chart of some general recipes that can definitely help you figure out the cooking time of a particular ingredient.

Food	Air-Fryer Time/Temperature
Bacon	5-10 minutes/400°F
Burgers	8-10 minutes/350°F
Chicken Breast	22-23 minutes/375°F
Meatballs	7-10 minutes/400°F
Chicken Wings	10-12 minutes/375°F
Chicken Thighs	25 minutes/400°F
Chicken Tenders	14-16 minutes/400°F
Steak	7-14 minutes/400°F
Salmon	5-7 minutes/400°F
Pork Chops	12-15 minutes/375°F
Cauliflower	10-12 minutes/400°F
Potato Chips	15-17 minutes/360°F
Potato Fries	10-20 minutes/400°F
Pasta (Tortellini, Ravioli)	8 minutes/350°F
Brussels Sprouts	14-20 minutes/350°F

The temperatures may vary from one air fryer to another. So, in the above chart time range is also given for clarity. Keep trying different recipes in the air fryer. This will give you the exact idea about the cooking time.

Final Words

So, now you would have realized that an affordable air fryer not only makes your food fat free but also makes it tasty, crunchy, and crispy. There is a wide variety of inexpensive air fryers available online. You can compare the prices and buy the one that best fits your budget and suits your requirements.

cheapair