There is always a debate. Some folks like lots of kitchen equipment and others say they don’t want one more thing on their kitchen counter. One of these pieces of equipment that’s frequently under consideration is the air fryer.

In his recent “Cooking at Home” series, County Extension Agent, Avery Ashley discussed various cooking methods and related equipment including the air fryer. Ashley said that “aside from the size and shape difference, air fryer and convection ovens are fundamentally the same thing.” Convection ovens have been around for a long time. Both are essentially ovens with fans that circulate the air to even out the heat distribution. In recent years convection ovens have been given this new name and have become popular.

Despite the name, they don’t really fry the food. The movement of the air within the oven speeds up the drying and browning of the surface of the food. This results in foods coming out crispy on the outside while moist and tender on the inside.

Air fryers are often used to cook food that are typically fried. Air fried foods can be healthier than deep frying because they use little or no oil during the cooking process. Using an air fryer can give you that crispy texture you want without the oil. It may cut up to 80% of the calories you’d normally get if deep fried.

Food that work well in the air fryer are: French fries, fish, breaded appetizers, breaded meats and plant proteins, steak, chicken, potatoes and vegetables. Air fryers are great for reheating leftovers that you want crispy.

Foods that don’t do well: raw vegetables, fresh greens, fresh cheese and foods with wet/liquid batters.

There are essentially two types of air fryers available: a basket air fryer and rack or oven model. Some have digital controls while others have dials and knobs. Each works a little differently, so you’ll need to read the manual to learn specifics.

The basket-style are usually less expensive. The basket is removable and allows for shaking as a way to flip food during cooking. They come in various sizes and should be purchased based on the size of the family. Because you don’t want to overfill the basket, you may need to cook food in batches.

The rack model look like toaster ovens and have a wire tray that its atop a sheet pan. With a rack model you’ll need to flip foods manually. These rack models usually have windows so you can see the food cook.

There are now some multi-function air fryers that can bake, roast, toast and broil in addition to air frying. There multi-function air fryers are more expensive, but if you’re looking for just one counter top appliance this may be a good choice.

When you’re new to air frying use recipes and instructions designed for them. After you become more familiar with the appliance, you can begin to experiment and convert recipes from regular (conventional) oven to an air fryer. In general, you need to decrease the cooking temperature by 25 to 50 degrees F and decrease the cook times by 20-50%.

Don’t forget food safety basics when cooking in an air fryer. Always use a thermometer to make sure the food has reached a safe internal temperature. It’s important to properly clean the air fryer to avoid food cross contamination especially if some of your family members have food allergies.

I found a great quote from Julia Zumpano, a registered dietitian from the Cleveland Clinic that offers good advice related to using this appliance. Zumpano says “air fryers may be healthier for you than deep fryers, but they’re only as healthy as the food you put inside. They won’t magically remove saturated fat from bacon or the trans fats from a bag of processed chicken wings.” Think of air fryers as a way to make healthier foods more tempting.

Syracuse is a Family and Consumer Science team member and can be reached at NC Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center 910-253-2610 or by email at clsyracu@ncsu.edu