By: Kurtis | Last updated February 13, 2019 
Air fryers are the best compromise: they are a healthier alternative to your favorite meals, without altering the taste.
Whether you’re craving for some delicious French fries, something baked or grilled, an air fryer can deliver it all. Best part? It will reduce the fat calories in your dishes. For instance, your fries will have up to 80% less fats in them. What’s more appealing than being able to enjoy your favorite meals, without putting your health at risk?
There are lots of choices out there when it comes to air fryers. They come in multiple shapes, sizes, price ranges and features. What they all have in common though is the fact that they use a minimum quantity of oil, because the hot oil is substituted by hot air.
There are some important factors you should take into consideration when shopping for an air fryer:
Its size and capacity. These appliances can be quite bulky and you have to know exactly where the air fryer is going to stay and whether it will fit or not. The air fryer’s capacity is also a major factor you should pay attention to. The most common air fryers can cook up to 1.8 pounds of food, but there are models that can cook 3.7 lbs. Do a little math based on your household members and make the best decision. You should also know that air fryers need somewhere between 800 – 2,100 watts to function, so make sure your kitchen outlet can handle it.
Its cost. You budget is always an important factor when you want to make any kind of purchase. Although there are fryers on the market that go for just $20 on websites like Amazon, the more complex and multi-featured ones will go for a few hundreds. The more features and the bigger the capacity, the pricier they will be. While you shouldn’t break the bank for a kitchen appliance, you shouldn’t get the cheaper one either, because you might get something crappy and end up paying more in the long run.
User friendliness. This applies to both ease of use and ease of cleaning. Look for a model that has clear settings and functions, regardless if it’s manual or digital. The air fryer should also have easy removable components (removable drawer), non-stick pans and to be dishwasher safe, so that it won’t be a hassle to clean it after use.
Its warranty. It would be advised to have a warranty service unit close to your home. Also check the return policy and warranty period before buying it.
Its features. There are a lot of features when it comes to air fryers and you know best what’s more important to you and deserves an extra buck. The most important features to look for are: digital timer that allows you to set the cooking time, temperature control that lets you set the temperature from 80 to 200 degrees Celsius, stirring paddle that stirs the ingredients while the food is cooking, alerting feature, grill mode, the ability to cook more dishes at once and more. Choose an air fryer that is equipped with the features that best meet your needs.
