So many people are using air fryers nowadays, as you can simply cook food without oil. But how do air fryers actually work?
Air fryers cook by circulating hot air around the food, and a fan distributes that hot air at high speed producing a crispy layer via what is called “The Maillard” effect. Compared to traditional frying methods that also induce this Maillard effect by frying food in hot oil. The air fryer heats up the air to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, initiating this reaction of frying foods like French fries, potato chips, steak, chicken and fish without oil or butter.
As per airfryermarket, all air fryers cook exactly the same food, functionality between different air fryers models will vary. The majority of the devices have this boxy shaped design, with a sliding basket that you can pull out to put your food in.
Another common air fryer design is shaped more like a toaster, and it has a set of extra functions for toasting and roasting.
Point is, almost all air fryers share the same functionality whether you buy costly one or budget air fryer under $100, but designs are slightly different. Where you can find a specific model that opens by sliding a basket out from the side or the front, while other models open from the top by lifting a lid off. There might not be a significant difference to the average consumer between designs and how you put food in the air fryer, but when it comes to asking the question “Can you open the air fryer while coking”, you can rest assured that there is a difference.
As we mentioned earlier, the whole concept behind the air fryer is circulating heated air to cook food. So one might ask how I can check if the food is ready and cooked. Would all the heat escape if I open my air fryer while cooking? Especially that air fryers cook food a little faster than other cooking appliances.
To answer, we have to shift our focus on how that heat rises, if you have an air fryer with a frontal sliding basket or even sliding from the side, and then there should be no problem opening up the air fryer to check on your food for a short period of time. However, if your air fryer opens from the top by lifting a lid, all the heated air would escape. Hence, it is highly not recommended to open the air fryer while cooking is still in progress.
In short, if it is absolutely essential for you to check on your food while cooking, it is advised to get an air fryer with a sliding basket that opens up from the side or the front. And if you can’t find a suitable air fryer with this specific feature, there is a lot of other options with lids that open up from the top such as see-through lids. A see-through lid could be the best solution for you since you are going to see your food while cooking without opening the air fryer and without wasting all the heated air.
