What Is An Air Fryer, And Should You Buy One?

Everyone loves fried food, right? Anyone who says they don't is simply lying through their teeth. As humans, we are programmed to love the salty, fatty, crispy union that is fried food. French fries, crispy chicken tenders, delicious calamari, struffoli, onion rings, spring rolls, falafel, arancini, beignets... The list of the numerous tasty things that can emerge from a vat of hot oil goes on and on.

As delicious as fried foods can be, we all know that overindulging in deep-fried foods isn't really the best thing to do in terms of one's health. But totally excluding an array of food simply because it's deemed "bad for you" is also not the way to go — because the best approach is moderation, right?

Luckily there is a great way to cut down on the negative effects of fried food without feeling deprived — and all from the comfort of your own kitchen. Many home cooks rely on a trusty deep-fryer to get restaurant-quality French fries at home, but why not save that for a night out and instead turn to an air fryer for all your home frying needs?

If you haven't heard of an air fryer, it might sound like yet another piece of single use kitchen equipment that you don't need. But while there's absolutely no need to rush out and buy another kitchen gadget, air fryers do offer a healthier alternative to deep fat frying.

Rather than using a massive amount of oil, air fryers only use a fraction of the amount, sometimes even a few spritzes from a can of spray-oil are all it takes to deliver crispy fried food that is comparable to one's favorite fast food fries. To get the food "fried" without oil, a vortex of hot air circulates around the food rather than blowing directly on it, which heats the food inside a little more gently, keeping things crispy on the outside without making them dry on the inside — a great way of mimicking the much-loved texture of fried food!

If you're thinking of adding an air fryer to your kitchen, you'll find quite a few on the market. Our sister site BestReviews has done all the hard work of buying and testing an array of different models and brands to select their top five recommended air fryers.

Though it has been around for a couple of years, the Philips XL AirFryer is still among the hottest of kitchen appliances, and it nabbed the top spot on BestReviews' list. With a near-perfect Amazon rating (as well as an Amazon's Choice label), it's easy to see why. This high-quality model from Philips has a larger-than-usual cooking capacity, meaning it can easily cook enough food for a group of four people. It also features durable, non-stick parts that are easy to clean. Though it might take up a bit more space than some of the other models, Amazon reviews seriously rave about this product, so it looks like it's worth the investment and is worth adding to your list of kitchen gadgets that you probably don't need—but might want anyway.