How to use the air fryer: turn on, cook, wash

Characteristics and capabilities of the air fryer

Air fryer models differ in their set of functions, technical characteristics, and appearance. The price of devices depends on the combination of all these parameters, especially on the number of additional options.

Keeping warm: the appliance runs at a minimum heat level after the end of the program, just to keep the food hot for a while.
The presence of a temperature sensor that monitors overheating of equipment.
Adjusting the speed of air circulation during cooking.
Delayed start. A very convenient function, loved by many housewives. In electric convection ovens, depending on the model, you can set the temperature from 9 to 24 hours. This function allows you to load food into the bowl and go about your business. The device will turn on itself at the appointed hour in the specified mode and prepare food.
Self-cleaning. After working out this mode, you simply need to wipe the device.
Smoking. A great opportunity to prepare delicious smoked delicacies right at home. Meat or fish are pre-marinated. Wood chips or aromatic mixtures for smoking (usually sawdust from fruit trees) are placed in the wood chips section, then a container is installed where the fat will go. A grate for food is placed on this container. The taste and quality of the food is the same as from a full-fledged smokehouse.
Double boiler. Yes, the air fryer can steam. But it's better not to do this. Since the device is not sealed inside, hot wet steam damages the working elements of the device.
Some models are equipped with mechanical stirrers. Products are stirred automatically during cooking, without the participation of the cook.

How to use

Important! The glass of the appliance may become very hot during cooking. Install it in a safe place, away from children.

The convection oven is a large glass flask with a volume of 7–15 liters (if necessary, it can be increased by adding new designs), with a heating element and fan built into the lid. It works on the principle of convection ovens, when warm air (heating temperature 60–260 °C) is evenly distributed inside the container, constantly circulating (along the walls to the center, from bottom to top). A grill with interchangeable positions is installed inside, the lower one produces stronger heating, the dish cooks faster, the upper one is more suitable for baking and drying.

Important! Before use, turn on the device for 10 minutes. to maximum temperature without food to warm it up.

Depending on the selected temperature mode and fan speed, which are regulated using a panel built into the lid, you can get different variations of ready-made dishes. Advantages of the air fryer:

Compact sizes. The device takes up little space in the kitchen, has a clear control panel and the ability to select different cooking modes.
The dish does not burn or boil over.
No fat is needed for cooking. Thanks to the warm air, food is cooked evenly and there is no raw food left inside. Dishes do not stick to the walls of the molds, maximizing the nutritional value of the products.
Multifunctionality. Suitable for preparing first and second courses, smoking, drying fruits, seeds, grilled vegetables, and sterilizing dishes.

Important: you can use any utensils in the device, glass, metal, wood, clay. There are no restrictions in terms of material and coating of molds.

Preparing the air fryer for use

Before turning on the device for the first time, you need to carry out some procedures.

Remove shipping and other auxiliary equipment from the flask.
Wipe the inside with a soft, loose cloth or sponge.
Plug the plug into the socket.
Close the flask with a lid.

Before cooking food in an air fryer, it must be warmed up.

First you need to adjust the timer for 6 minutes and set the temperature to 260 degrees. The device itself will run this mini-program, heat up and automatically stop. For the first time, a burning smell may appear - this is the remains of lubricants and dust burning. This is normal, there is no need to be scared.
Cool the device.
Wipe the flask again.

That's it, the air fryer can be used for its intended purpose, it is ready.

Overview of the air fryer control panel

Touch control panel

All controls of the air fryer, all its adjustments and programs are displayed on its front side, often in a single control panel. It can be sensory or mechanical (rotary controls). Also here there is usually a display in more advanced models or a strip of indicators that show the elapsed and remaining cooking time, work program, speed and air temperature inside.

All modes, including preheating, defrosting, and self-cleaning, are activated from this panel. It contains:

timer;
indicators of temperature and air flow speed;
buttons to add or decrease time;
buttons for adding or decreasing parameters (speed, temperature, etc.);
data reset key;
buttons to activate modes: heating, fan speed, self-cleaning, defrosting and start.

By monitoring the timer readings, the cooking time is set using the increase/decrease keys. This value can range from 1 minute to 24 hours. If you press a key not discretely, but for a long time, the speed of “winding up” time increases.

Mechanical control panel

Cooking in an air fryer

An air grill is a multifunctional household appliance for cooking, very simple and easy to use. He performs all types of culinary processing of products - boils, simmers, stews, fries, bakes, dries. The principle of operation of the device is to use a stream of hot air, which at a given temperature evenly blows on the prepared dish. Using an enlarger ring, you can cook three dishes at the same time in an air fryer, placing them on different levels, and you can use any heat-resistant cookware.

In an air fryer you can prepare dietary dishes - fry meat, chicken, fish, shashlik, cutlets completely without oil, and the excess fats contained in these products will melt and flow into the flask of the device. You can also bake bread, pies and pies, prepare soups, vegetables, cereals, casseroles, make jam, sterilize jars and homemade preparations, defrost food, dry herbs, mushrooms, vegetables and fruits.

On the modern market there are both inexpensive convection ovens with mechanical control and one convection speed, as well as expensive, but also more convenient to use devices with electronic control and three convection speeds.

The main part of the air fryer is its lid, since the lid houses the control panel, heating element and fan. The control panel contains information about all cooking programs - time, temperature and hot air supply speed. On the electronic timer you can set the operating time of the device from 1 minute to 24 hours. When you open the lid of a running device, its operation is immediately suspended. Only the fan can continue to operate. As soon as the lid is lowered, the device continues the set program.

Rice. 1. Air fryer (model HX 1057 Elide): 1 - glass flask; 2 — cover in closed position; 3 — control panel on the lid (microprocessor); 4 — cover in open position; 5 — lid lifting mechanism; 6 — bracket; 7 — plastic body of the air fryer; 8 — power cord connection socket; 9 - power cord

Air grills can have either a removable lid or a non-removable lid - a lid on a bracket. The bracket ensures the opening of the lid and its lifting when installing an enlarger ring on the flask.

The next main part of the device is a glass cylindrical flask made of special glass. Streams of hot air, reflected from the cylindrical walls of the flask, ensure uniform heating of the products.

The flask is inserted into a plastic housing, which prevents the hot flask from coming into contact with the table surface.

The upper grill is used for cooking eggs, hot sandwiches, and croutons.

Rice. 2. Air fryer control panel: 1 — start button; 2 — turn on the fan; 3 — decrease in fan speed; 4 — increase in fan speed; 5 - optimal hot air supply mode; 6 — temperature control button; 7 — program reset button; 8 — preheating button; 9 — electronic timer (time); 10 — temperature reduction button; A, B, C, D, D, E, G, H, I - indicators of hot air temperature readings in modes: A - defrosting; B - washing; B - drying; G - languor; D - sterilization; E - baking; F - baking; Z - frying; And - grill

Baked goods, meat and fish dishes are prepared on the middle rack. Moreover, if possible, it is recommended to place food directly on the grill. The distance between the food and the walls of the flask must be at least 1.5 cm, then the hot air will circulate freely and heat the dish evenly. There is no need to turn food over. Fish and meat cooked directly on the grill will have dietary properties, since excess fat will be rendered and the amount of cholesterol in such products will decrease.

Rice. 3. Air fryer accessories: 1 - upper grill; 2 - middle grill; 3 - lower grille; 4 — enlarger ring; 5 - mesh baking sheet; 6 — tongs grips; 7 - skewers

Before cooking on the grill, to prevent the product from sticking to the grill, it must be greased with oil or fat.

Dishes in pots, saucepans, as well as large pieces of meat, fish and poultry are cooked on the lower grill. Do not place dishes or food at the bottom of the flask, otherwise the circulation of hot air will be disrupted and the food will remain raw. You can pour liquid into the bottom of the flask. Typically, when cooking meat, poultry or fish, a glass of beer or wine is poured into the bottom of the flask. A dish cooked in the hot vapors of beer or wine will be soft, airy, aromatic and especially tasty.

The enlarger ring is used for preparing large products, sterilizing jars and homemade preparations, while simultaneously preparing a set meal.

When using the extender ring, the cooking time increases by 15 minutes.

A steamer or mesh tray is convenient for drying herbs, grated vegetables, berries, roasting coffee and seeds.

The device also includes small skewers, which are convenient for preparing kebabs of meat, fish and mushrooms.

Parameters for cooking modes in an air fryer are usually indicated in cookbooks. But the cooking time will not be constant. It depends not only on the weight of the product, but also on its quality. In addition, the quality of the product also affects the choice of temperature conditions. Therefore, these two parameters - time and temperature - can be slightly adjusted in each specific case. The air fryer makes it possible to make such adjustments, since depending on the degree of readiness of the dish, you can change not only the cooking time, but also the entire specified program at any time during operation of the device.

Depending on the type of culinary processing of products, the temperature scale of the device is divided into 8 modes

:
defrosting food - 65 degrees;
drying - 95 degrees; simmering - 120 degrees; sterilization - 150 degrees; baking - 180 degrees; baking - 205 degrees; frying - 235 degrees; grill - 260 degrees. At a temperature of 80 degrees and high ventilation speed for 10 minutes, the air fryer can clean itself. In this case, you need to pour hot water into the flask, but no more than 1/2 of its volume and add a little dishwashing detergent.

The choice of hot air supply speed also depends on the type of food preparation.

Low speed - for drying herbs, some types of baked goods, making omelettes.

Medium speed - for baking, stewing, simmering, drying vegetables and fruits.

High speed - for frying, grilling, sterilizing, cooking in pots, drying mushrooms.

The operating instructions for the air fryer usually contain tables of approximate parameters for preparing various dishes. For example:

The soft-boiled egg is cooked on the top rack for 10 minutes at a temperature of 205 degrees and medium ventilation.

Hard-boiled egg - on the top rack for 15 minutes at a temperature of 205 degrees and medium ventilation speed.

Scrambled eggs - on the top rack for 12-15 minutes at the same parameters.

Baked apples - on any wire rack for 15 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees and medium ventilation speed.

Roasted nuts - on the top rack for 10 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees and medium ventilation speed.

Sterilization of empty cans with a capacity of up to 1 liter - on the bottom grill for 15 minutes at a temperature of 150 degrees and high ventilation speed.

Sterilization of jars with a capacity of more than 1 liter - within 20 minutes at the same parameters.

Drying carrots - in a steamer on the top rack for 13 minutes at a temperature of 150 degrees and medium ventilation speed.

Drying greens - in a steamer on the top rack for 10 minutes at a temperature of 150 degrees and low ventilation speed.

General rules of use

An instruction manual is included with the device itself. Cooking in an air fryer is very simple - just follow the instructions for use:

Connect the device to the network.
Place all the original ingredients into the container and close the lid tightly.
Set the necessary parameters on the built-in panel. Their set is small - speed, time and temperature.
When the temperature reaches the set point, the fan turns on and begins to circulate hot air inside the convection oven.

Upon completion of the cooking process, the unit itself will signal this with a sound. But there is no need to rush to pull its plug from the network. This can only be done when the convection oven has cooled down and the fan has finally stopped.

The dish is ready. Now is the time to think about how to wash your “helper”. This can be done by turning on self-cleaning or using a dishwasher. In the first option, you must follow the following steps.

Pour in dishwashing detergent and fill the container with very hot water (stop halfway).
Close the lid for 10 minutes at 250 degrees.
The process is completed - the inside of the flask is rinsed, and the lid is simply wiped with a towel.
During this process, you can leave dirty grates, baking sheets, and skewers inside.

You can only wash the flask itself in the dishwasher, after first removing it from the body. But it is strictly forbidden to treat the lid itself in this way.

Tips for use

In order for the equipment to serve for a long time, the following working conditions are observed:

After completing the cooking process, disconnect the convection oven from the network by unplugging the cord from the outlet, but not earlier than after 15 minutes.
If water gets inside the control panel, unplug the equipment and dry the cover in a dry room for at least 2.5 hours.
Do not use the glass flask body for cooking on a gas, electric stove or oven.
Do not use the device without a stand under the glass flask body.
Do not use abrasive detergents to wash plastic parts.
Grilles should not be cleaned with metal brushes.
Protect the flask from shock and sudden temperature changes.

This is interesting:
How to use a microwave oven with grill and convection.
How to choose electric grills for home use.
Grill mode in the oven - what it is and what it is for.

Air fryer dishes

The air grill in operating mode can heat the contents to a temperature of 260 degrees. At the same time, the heat source is open. Therefore, only heat-resistant dishes are suitable for the air fryer. Plastic and wooden ones are not suitable, even if they are marked “microwave safe”.

Buying a universal container for all dishes will not work. True, you won’t have to completely change the utensils in the kitchen either. Many items will fit in the air fryer. Suitable for different dishes:

roasting meat, roasting, soups - ceramic pan;
frying meat, potatoes, vegetables - glass container;
baking - metal molds, non-stick baking sheets, silicone molds.

In the air fryer you can use aluminum dishes and foil, metal, ceramic and silicone utensils, which cannot be done in the microwave.

In general terms, the process of choosing dishes for an air fryer can be based on the following points.

The cookware must be heat-resistant and heat-resistant. Usually there is a corresponding marking on the bottom or on the packaging.
The thermal conductivity of the cookware is also important. If it's good, the heat will penetrate quickly and the food will cook faster. So, in a glass or aluminum container the dish will cook faster than in a ceramic pot.
Wall thickness. For a golden brown crust on the dish, it is better to use thin dishes. For slow simmering - thick.
The size of the container should not be larger than 25 cm. This diameter allows heat flows to calmly walk around and cook food evenly.

Recommendations for safe use

These useful tips will help you always prepare the most delicious and healthy dishes using this device.

The device should be warmed up before use.
Products are placed not on the bottom, but on the grid inside the device.
Be sure to check how tightly the lid fits to the device.
To avoid getting burns (both steam and thermal), you should be careful.
After completing the process, the lid should only be placed on a special stand - it is hot and can damage the surface of the table.
Clean the device only after it has completely cooled down.

In order for the device to serve for a long time, cook as it should and not require unnecessary attention, you must follow these recommendations.

15 minutes after the end of the cooking cycle and stopping all programs, turn off the device from the network.
If water accidentally gets into the device (panel), it must be completely disconnected from the network and the panel must be dried for at least 2.5 hours in a dry place.
The air fryer flask cannot be used for any other purposes, for example, on a gas or electric stove.
You cannot turn on the air fryer without a stand under the flask.
Care for plastic only with soft products and sponges without abrasive.
You cannot wash the grates with a steel wool, much less a brush. They will ruin the coating.
The flask is afraid of temperature shock, i.e. sudden changes in temperature. For example, you cannot put a hot flask under cold water, it will burst.

The air fryer flask is dishwasher safe

Master classes

Among the many culinary delights, there is a certain segment of dishes that can be prepared especially tasty using an air fryer.

Shish kebab on the air grill

Cooking shish kebab occurs in several stages:

the meat should be cut into medium pieces;
marinate with all the spices;
leave to infuse for about three hours;
then a grill is placed in the air fryer, and the meat strung on skewers is placed on top of it;
the lid must be tightly closed;
turn on the “Meat” function and wait until the dish is cooked.

You can use marinades at your own discretion and taste. The entire process is presented in detail in the video below.

French fries and sausages with bacon

Another popular recipe is sausages + fries, which can also be made quickly without oil. The process goes like this:

First you need to prepare the food by cutting potatoes and bacon;
It is recommended to first load the potatoes onto the lower tier and connect the air fryer;
While the potatoes are simmering, you should prepare the sausages, which will need to be placed on the grill later;
after the sausages are loaded, frying of all products occurs simultaneously.

All the nuances of the recipe are presented in the video below.

Pizza in a convection oven

You can use an air fryer to make baked goods, and pizza is no exception. You only need a set of products:

sausages or meat;
mushrooms;
vegetables;
cheese;
greenery.

The filling is prepared in slices. The cheese is grated and the greens are finely chopped. You can place the filling on a prepared base or on a self-kneaded dough. Placement occurs on the wire rack, and the baking mode is set. After 15 minutes, the delicious pizza is ready and sprinkled with herbs. The entire process is presented in detail in the following video.

How to properly cook in an air fryer

One of the features of this device is its transparent walls. The user can observe for himself what stage the cooking process is currently at.

Regardless of the model, you must follow the general rules for the interaction of products and such equipment.

To obtain a more crispy dish, the cooking process should be extended a little.
Food placed on the upper racks will cook faster.
When steaming, the food is poured with boiling water and covered with a lid.
The pots must be covered with foil or a special lid.
When preparing porridge, the cereal is poured with cold milk - the container itself is not covered with a lid.

Bake the meat

Any baked food turns out incredibly tasty in an air fryer. The user must place the product on the grill and select the following settings: first 15 minutes at 250 degrees, then this indicator is reduced to 200 degrees.

The question of whether it is possible to bake using foil can be answered positively. This material will protect the dish from drying out and protect it from burning.

Meat can be baked in a convection oven as a whole piece. Here are some useful tips on this matter.

A piece of meat is wrapped in foil. It is better to make it in several layers - this way the juice will not leak out.
The future dish is placed on the grill. After this, you can close the device with a lid and set the settings (they are the same as in the case of regular baking).
After the readiness bell, the air fryer will turn off on its own. All that remains is to remove the meat in foil and let it cool to room temperature without unwrapping it.
Then the cooled dish must be placed in the refrigerator without removing it from the foil.

Cooking recommendations

You can cook first courses in the air fryer. To do this, the components of the recipe must first be placed in special portioned pots. After this, it will be enough to pour boiling water over all the ingredients. As for seasonings, soup cubes can be added at the beginning of cooking. But the dish is salted at the very end.

Secrets of smoking

An air grill with a unique smoking function allows you to get the appropriate products without leaving your home. To do this, you need to prepare wood (sawdust from fruit trees or black currant branches will do), which we will place on the bottom of the bowl. A tray is placed on top to drain the fat, and the product itself will lie on the grill.

Each dish has its own cooking recommendations. Fish takes the leading position in smoking. First, it must be cleaned both inside and outside. To express the taste more clearly, the fish is processed through marinade, salt and spices. The end result will be rubbing with liquid smoke, after which the product must be left to marinate for forty minutes.

If you plan to work with chicken meat, then you should soak it briefly in any marinade of your choice, rubbing it first with salt, and then with spices and liquid smoke. It can be prepared either whole or in pieces - in any case, it will turn out very tasty. To smoke another type of meat (for example, pork), the product is cut into pieces - this is necessary so that it can subsequently fit on the grill. Before air frying, it is best to soak it in a tomato marinade for a day.

The cooking time is determined by the size of the selected piece, but on average two hours (an hour on each side).

The smoking function should be used subject to certain nuances.

Placing a rack on the lowest rack will help the dish soak up the meat better.
Adding water to the pan will make the result especially juicy.
You can lay out all the food before plugging it in or wait until the equipment warms up.
And, of course, it is recommended to constantly experiment with marinade, cooking time and temperature settings.

What and how to cook?

Favorite dishes in the air fryer
You can cook many different dishes in the air fryer, as it is an excellent alternative to a wide range of household electrical appliances.

Let's look at the most popular recipes:

Instructions for cooking baked chicken. Fresh chicken carcass is marinated and seasoned with the necessary spices. The next step is to place it on the grill inside the container of the device and cook it at maximum temperature and speed settings within an hour.
Instructions for meat in French. This dish requires special utensils – ceramic pots. A small amount of pork is cut into pieces and placed on the bottom of the pots. The next layer is potatoes, then onion rings and cheese. Each layer is smeared with mayonnaise. The dishes are placed on the grille of the air fryer and the dish is cooked at maximum mode for half an hour.
Baking instructions. The variety of recipes for possible baking in an air fryer is especially wide - pies, biscuits, casseroles and much more. To achieve an excellent result, it is recommended to cover the dish with foil for the first third of an hour, and bake uncovered for the remaining 20-30 minutes.

Interesting master classes for air frying

The final touch will be several recipes for dishes prepared in this unit. They will find worthy appreciation and use among people who love to cook.

Baked chicken

The first stage in this dish is marinating a fresh chicken carcass and seasoning it with various spices. Next, the bird is placed on the grill inside the air fryer - all that remains is to select the maximum temperature settings and focus on the cooking time of about an hour. More details in this video:

Meat in French

It is best to cook this dish in special pots. A small amount of pork meat is taken, cut into pieces and placed in a layer on the bottom of such a pot. Lubricated with mayonnaise. The next layer will be sliced potatoes, topped with onion rings and cheese. The dishes are placed on a wire rack, and the dish is cooked for half an hour at maximum speed. Video instructions here:

Main conclusions

Using an air fryer is not particularly difficult, but it does require skill and experience. Each model has its own characteristics. When using it is necessary:

be careful - the temperature in the flask is high, there is a risk of burns;
Do not try to turn off the device yourself. You have to wait for the automatic stop;
Use only standard dishes, racks and other additional elements.

Before starting use, you must carefully study the instructions and follow all the rules. Share your options for using an air fryer in the comments.