Air fryers have been the main revolution in the kitchen appliance market since everyone is now using air fryers as the best mode of cooking instead of the conventional convection oven. Everybody loves the taste of fried foods, but since the excess oil is unhealthy for you, an air fryer will let you cook healthier meals, reducing at least 80% cooking fat from your meals.
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a compact unit that can cook fried food using little to no oil, however; it is not a fryer, rather it works like a convection oven, where hot air circulates around the food with the help of a fan. Depending on the direction of the air allowing it hit the food from different sides, the type of food you are baking would give you the crispy feeling that you enjoy with fried foods. Not only that, an air fryer can grill, bake and roast foods since it operates in a similar way as convection ovens.
Notably, only the best air fryer will produce the best results and since the current market is flooded with so many kitchen technologies, it would be such a plus for you to do your research well enough before purchasing that gadget. We shall assist you to know more about the best air fryers under $100, their advantages and disadvantages and also a buyers guide to assist in the selection process.
1. Chefman 2 Qt Mini Air Fryer
- FAST AND EASY: This small air fryer comes prepared for any...
- HEALTHY COOKING: Say goodbye to excess oil and fat, and hello to...
- SUPREME SPACE-SAVER: The square basket maximizes its 2-quart...
- SHAKE NOTIFICATIONS: Halfway through cooking, the TurboFry Air...
- COMPACT STORAGE: This 2-quart air fryer is perfectly sized for...
Chefman 2Qt Mini Air Fryer can be recommended for small households, students’ accommodation, or kitchens because of its size. Despite its small size it offers the important functions such as the digital timer and the shake reminder for uniform cooking. The nonstick basket enables easy cleaning through dishwasher while quick to prepare meals can be done in few minutes.
For those people who live alone, the Chefman 2 Qt Mini Air Fryer will adequately satisfy your needs of preparing quick, healthy meals. Although it is not as loaded with better features as some other equipment, it is easy to carry, easy to use, and portable for kitchen purposes.
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2. Chefman TurboFry® Touch Air Fryer XL 8-Qt
- CRISPY & HEALTHY: Dive into the world of our Digital Air Fryer...
- ONE-TOUCH MAGIC: Large Air Fryer Presets for fries, chicken,...
- LED SHAKE REMINDER: Achieve perfection with our Stainless Steel...
- PRECISE TEMPERATURES: Air Fryer XL Range from 200-400°F caters...
- EFFORTLESS CLEANING: Our Air Fryer 8qt ensures cleaning is a...
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3. Ninja Air Fryer with 4-Quart Capacity
- Now enjoy guilt free food; Air fry with up to 75 percent less fat...
- Wide temperature range: 105 degree Fahrenheit to 400 degrees...
- 4 quart ceramic coated nonstick basket and crisper plate fit 2...
- The unit will need time to preheat before coming up to...
- Dehydrate: Create flat, chip like dehydrated foods for fun,...
Ninja air-fryer is an all rounded air fryer under $100 which functions well giving one a vast temperature range. It can fry with heat levels of up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit; it can fry without up to 75% of frying fat. The Air fry unit is capable of holding 4 quarts that is enough for frying foods for a few people, for instance, 2 pounds of French fries for a small family.
Although compact in size, it has a 2.6 feet cord length, which should suffice in most homes, and besides, it can be used to reheat food if a microwave is unavailable. This AF101 air fryer has a multi layer rack which helps to cook different types of dishes at different levels of heat, a crisper plate which is also ceramic coated, a small booklet containing recipes and a small recipe book that comes together with the air fryer and contains about twenty recipes at most.
The basket provides you better heating while cooking and food will get heat easily and will remain warm for longer period of time. Besides, the parts are dishwasher safe and consequently, all that you need to do is to wash these parts in the dishwasher although some parts and pieces may need to be removed and bits stuck at the plate or the rack.
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4. COSORI Air Fryer
- CUT DOWN 85% OIL :With 360° rapid heat circulation technology,...
- ENJOY MEALS IN MINUTES: This air fryer cooks with...
- 9 EASY FUNCTIONS: 9 one-touch cooking functions on a tempered...
- COMPACT BUT SUITABLE CAPACITY : It can hold 5-quarts of cooking...
- DISHWASHER SAFE: With a nonstick basket, made without BPA and...
COSORI Air Fryer is an electric air fryer with 3.7-quart capacity to cook and keep warm your food in one appliance along with an auto shut off function to ensure that your food does not get overcooked. It has a digital display with a blinking button on top with temperature setting, it heats up faster very suitable for about 3 people.
COSORI 3.7-quart Air Fryer comes with a recipe book of 100 recipes and to add with the quick-cooking facility, the unit will air-fry even more quickly than convection ovens and are 85% less fat supplied by COSORI; this fits the health conscious health friends perfectly. Also, some fast air technologies to bake, steam and air fring incorporate a dishwasher safe and easy to clean non-stick PFOA and BPA-free basket.
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5. Nuwave Brio 10-in-1 Air Fryer 7.25Qt
- MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ON-THE-FLY – Want hotter temperature or need...
- HEALTHY FRIED FOOD & EASY CLEANUP - Brio uses super-heated air...
- 100 PRE-PROGRAMMED MENU PRESETS AND CONVENIENCES BUILT-IN –...
- LINEAR THERMAL (LINEAR T) TECHNOLOGY – Fine tune your own...
- CHEF INSPIRED FEATURES, FUNCTIONS & RECIPES – Every feature and...
The Nuwave Brio 10-in-1 Air Fryer has a large 7.25 Qt, making it perfect for a large family and has the ability to fry, roast, dehydrate and reheat. Its unique selling point is the Patented Linear T Thermal Technology, it provides efficient heat distribution for even cooking. It is dishwasher safe, makes it convenient to use the non-stick basket and the appliance comes with an app that offers over 100 recipes for cooking.
Nuwave Brio 7.25Qt Air Fryer is for big families or a busy modern kitchen since it offers more features and easier control than other air fryers. Due to its versatility, and because it can maintain temperatures with much accuracy, it is perfect for use as a multi-purpose appliance, but it is quite large and may be a little too intricate for some kitchens, or people who are not so experienced.
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What are the Health Benefits of an Air Fryer?
From a proven scientific research, air frying is more healthy than deep frying; it has the potential of reducing fat by approximately 70%-90%. In addition, the cooking method can also help in removing other harmful effects of oil such as burnt fat or grease, and they have some health benefits too, including:
a). Promote Weight Loss
A high obesity rate has been directly associated with greasy foods because of the calorie and hence the high fat content after they soak in oil. This might actually transform your eating habits to air-fried food and since they mimic the taste of deep-fried food, you can eat them without expanding the carbs.
b). Reduces Disease Risk
Some severe health conditions such as physical tiredness or heart diseases have been experienced due to consumption of greasy deep-fried food. But you begin a healthier diet using an air fryer and you lower your chances of having those diseases by a wide margin.
c). Safer Than Deep Fryers
If you wish to deep fry your foods, it would only mean placing your foods into a tub of boiling hot oil and this is very dangerous for the cook. On the other hand, air fryers will be used in cooking internally. Thus, there is no chance of getting an unexpected touch to oil, but for maximum safety, keep the tips of the document in mind and carefully study them in the instruction manual.
Factors to Consider Before Purchasing Air Fryer Under $100
1. Cooking Capacity
The capacity may be a non-issue for some people but may not be an issue, but it may be relevant. The size of cooking capability you need is proportional to the size of the appliance because the capacity is how much food an air fryer can cook simultaneously.
2. Cooking Speed
The cooking speed of your air fryer will depend on the strength of the heating core and therefore you are likely to have a faster cooking speed with an air fryer of a higher wattage heating core.
3. Control System
There are two systems in the market, one is a digital system and the other one which comes with manual buttons. The one with digital features enable you to control your cooking temperature and time with an LED Digital touchscreen. But the manual fryers only have the knobs to turn to adjust the heat levels. Digital air fryers on the other hand are relatively costly but can save so much of your time, hard work and energy or have several programs to ensure that you fry your preferred food.
4. Watts
Air fryers are available with different power wattage and normally varied between 800W and 1800W; the more the wattage means the more it has the ability to go higher heat and is capable of reaching high heat level. But as for high level watts you pay a lot of money.
5. Temperature Range
Whether the air fryer is for home or commercial use, it's important to consider the broad temperature spectrum that can be generated to fry the food. Temperature spans may be between 180 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit, however the expensive models may generate elevated temperatures.
6. Cleaning Ease
Cooking basket for the air fryer and other cooking racks are not a challenge to clean since you need to remove the basket from the handle then wash with hot water and soap. On the other hand, some fryers come with a non stick basket that can be washed on a dishwasher however hand washing offers better results in washing a basket.
7. Safety feature
A safety feature like an auto shut-off feature in your air fryer is something that will be of great help to you because while you are busy doing other things your meal might end up burnt or overdone. Furthermore, there are various units with a cool touch handle, thus avoiding the user getting burnt, the handle is also easily detachable when washing the basket.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Best Air Fryers under $100
1. What Can You Cook In the Best Air Fryer?
An air fryer will fry all foods so long as they are written in the instruction manuals as requiring only a few drops of oil. The best way you could use an air fryer that is under $100 is by reheating your frozen foods since there is no need for oil and the final results are crispy. Some fryers can also grill, bake, roast and fry similar to the professional kitchen ovens and with unbounded capabilities of preparing tastefully delicious food from appetizers to delicious desserts.
2. Are Air Fryers Healthier Than Fryers?
In general fryers are healthier for deep frying as air frying reduces the quantity of oil in your food and the chances of grease burns. Nevertheless, it is crucial to remember that food cooked with an air fryer remains a fried food product, and therefore while may contribute to weight loss as much as they can lead to adding weight and chronic disease, such as cancer, heart failure, or severe diabetes.
3. Can Aluminum Foil Be Used In An Air Fryer?
Yes, you can use some foil in the frying basket and we recommend placing the foil before you fry the foods so that some food crumbs won’t stick between the air holes. But you should use a little foil at the bottom of the basket so that much of it will cover the basket, the heat will not be able to circulate, and your food may come out still raw.
