An air fryer is a piece of cooking equipment that is mainly used to make crispy food items. An air fryer does not make use of oil or grease, but the food prepared with the help of an air fryer has a texture that is quite similar to the food prepared by the deep-frying process. Air fryers are advantageous in a number of ways. For instance, the heat energy supplied by an air fryer is evenly distributed inside the chamber that helps in the proper heating and cooking of food. Air fryers eliminate the need to turn the food while cooking because a uniform amount of heat is supplied to the food from the top as well as from the bottom of the device. Also, the heat transfer rate of an air fryer is quite high. This means that the time required to cook food with the help of an air fryer is significantly less as compared to a traditional cooking mechanism. The amount of heat energy lost during the cooking process is minimum in the case of air fryers. Various limitations of an air fryer include difficulty to clean the equipment, high cost, expensive maintenance, and bulky nature. Also, some of the air fryers are loud and susceptible to making noise.
Working Principle of Air Fryer
An air fryer typically makes use of the principle of radiation, circulation of hot air, and convection to heat and cook food. The heater attached above the cooking chamber of the air fryer is responsible for the production of heat energy in form of radiations, while the circulation of air through the base of the air fryer in the vertical direction causes convection.
Working of Air Fryer
An air fryer consists of a heating element that is situated right above the cooking chamber. The heat radiated by the heating element is directed towards the food item. These radiations tend to penetrate deep inside the surface of the food items. A fan is connected a few inches above the heater and is fixed to the roof of the chamber. The main purpose of the fan is to pull the air present in the chamber in the upward direction, thereby creating a strong airflow along the vertical direction. The heat energy from the heater gets transferred to the air molecules present inside the chamber. The thick wall present around the cooking chamber pushes the hot air in the downward direction. A starfish-shaped pattern that is fixed to the base of the air fryer helps in the even distribution of heat and to maintain a constant flow of air in the vertical direction. Throughout the cooking process, the heat generated by the heating element of the air fryer is retained inside the chamber. The rise in temperature leads to the development of a considerable amount of pressure inside the chamber. To resolve this problem an exhaust system is attached to the inside of the device. The exhaust system causes a portion of the air present inside the chamber to escape and leave the cooking chamber in the form of steam. A filter is further attached to the steam outlet pipe. The main purpose of the filter is to remove the contaminants before the steam is released into the environment.