Hot air fryers, better known as hot air fryers, arrived on the counters of Quebec kitchens a few years ago and quickly conquered Quebecers for their ease of use, the speed of their cooking and above all for the fact that they manage to make the food very crispy. This on-trend baby full of benefits is the new culinary obsession.
• Also read: 4 Air Fryer Recipes to Try
Manon Lapierre, aka La petite bette, discovered air fryers five years ago through her work as a food blogger. Skeptical, she didn’t really believe in her supposed powers. Her first air fryer, a Philips, has nevertheless become a must-have, so much so that she bought a second one with a larger capacity. “We noticed that we use it a lot, that it optimizes cooking time, that it’s easy to clean, easy to preheat, easy to cook and that it’s not just for frying,” she summarizes.
Since then she has been an enthusiastic user and has also dedicated a cookbook to the device, Airfryer – 107 perfect recipes from starters to desserts.
Hot air fryer: 107 perfect recipes from starter to dessert, Manon Lapierre, Saint-Jean Éditeur, 216 pages
Ultra strong
An air fryer is more like a convection oven, explains Manon Lapierre. “Thanks to the improved ventilation, it is an extremely powerful mini convection oven. »
This makes it possible to sear food on the outside very quickly and efficiently, just like frying, while the inside remains moist and soft. “Compact designs with hyper-heated air allow you to cook your food quickly and evenly, giving you that crispy, golden appearance,” describes Kaitlyn Hebert, Ninja’s vice president of marketing.
Photo courtesy of Ninja
Chicken wings and fries are often the first foods people cook in their brand new air fryer.
Oil-free… or almost
This gives you the magic of frying without all of its downsides. And all with little or no added oil. “For generous portions of fries for four people, I use 1 to 2 tablespoons of fat,” describes the blogger from La petite bette. I just toss my fries, either in a bowl or on a plate, and put them in the basket. »
The device’s tenfold ventilation and convection allows food to be cooked in record time, sometimes twice as fast as in an oven, explains Manon Lapierre. In addition, preheating is rarely required.
Not just fries
Chicken wings, French fries or onion rings, foods that we imagine fried are often the first thing people cook in their new purchase. “They buy frozen meals and then cook them in the air fryer. This is great work! says Manon Lapierre. There are people who say you can make anything in an air fryer, even stews. I assume that’s true. Today it is fashionable to put a whole chicken inside! »
“Consumers use air fryers in more ways than you can imagine — from meatballs to boiled eggs to whole banana desserts with toppings,” notes Kaitlyn Hebert, who likes to quickly prepare homemade chicken nuggets or sweet potatoes for her kids when she’s in a hurry . “It’s fast, easy, and it has the textures you’re looking for!” »
Perfect Vegetable
Manon Lapierre cooks almost all of her vegetables in the air fryer. “For mushrooms, it’s the best piece of equipment I’ve worked with, period. However, she advises to keep an eye on the veggies as they can burn quickly. “If you like veggies, broccoli for example, a little al dente, it’ll be perfect, they’ll be a little grilled. If you like the same veggies more cooked, I recommend adding water to the bottom of the container for a half-steamed, half-grilled effect. »
Photo courtesy of Philips
Nothing beats the air fryer to cook veggies in no time!
The blogger with 170,000 subscribers on YouTube and 350,000 page views per month on her blog recommends opening the basket of all food and stirring it if necessary. “It gets hot so fast. You have to be careful, because there are significant temperature and cooking time differences from device to device. You need to be wary and use your judgment for the first few uses! »
Will the Airfryer trend fade over time? “I continue to use it all the time!” laughs Manon Lapierre. If one of my young people were to move to a place that didn’t have an oven, I would definitely put an air fryer there, I wouldn’t even ask myself the question! »
4 TIPS FROM MANON LAPIERRE
3 air fryers, according to your needs
NinjaTM Foodi with 2 baskets and DualZone technology
Since launching its first air fryer in 2018, Ninja has developed popular dual-basket models that cook two foods at once. The DualZone technology includes a smart finish function to finish cooking two dishes at the same time in two ways. This way you can cook salmon in one basket and vegetables in the other and have everything ready for dinner at the same time. Comfortable.
Instant Vortex Mini 2 liters
Photo courtesy of Instant Brands
Instant Brands has made a name for itself with its famous Instant Pot, but not only. We love the Vortex Mini’s super-compact 2-litre format, which comes in a variety of bright colors. No, this format is not recommended for a family or a couple, but a student who has just left the family nest will be happy to prepare quick meals or snacks!
Philips Premium XXL with fat removal technology
Photo courtesy of Philips
Philips was the first company to market air fryers. Manon Lapierre has been using the same model for five years. Longevity therefore, but also efficiency and popularity as the brand has sold more than 8 million units to date. This XXL model with a capacity of 7 liters can cook for a group of up to 6 people. Fat burning technology extracts and binds excess fat for even healthier meals.