Food experts have warned of a surprising issue home cooks may find themselves with if they have an air fryer.
The kitchen gadget has become a worldwide phenomenon, with many people rustling up food in their air fryers over traditional cooking methods.
Air fryers present home chefs with the opportunity to create their favourite dishes but significantly healthier.
The gadget could also save you precious pennies on your energy bill.
However, experts pointed out some surprising mistakes you could be making with yours without even realising it.
An air fryer comes with a cooking chamber, a heating element and a fan.
The heating element generates the heat and the fan circulates the hot air around the cooking chamber, making sure the hot air reaches all sides of the food, cooking it thoroughly and evenly.
If you’re going to fry food, you’ll need some oil.
However, it’s incredibly important that you use the correct type of oil when using your air fryer.
Although you don’t have to use a liberal amount of oil, it’s still crucial you choose the right one.
This is because extreme heat inside an air fryer can break down oils with a lower smoke point, in turn releasing chemicals that can burn your food or give it a bitter taste, according to Chowhound.
Oils with low smoke points include walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil, flaxseed oil, unrefined olive oil, and coconut oil.
The experts advised cooking with oils with a “higher smoke point”, such as canola, sunflower, or normal vegetable oil.
You can apply the oil to your food with a brush before putting it in the air fryer.
Another popular way of adding oil is using a cooking spray.
However, the experts at Chowhound warned against this as it could ruin the air fryer.
They note that some oils contain additives like soy lecithin.
These additives can bind to the interior of the air fryer causing a grimy residue to build up which is difficult to clean and can ultimately harm the longevity of your air fryer.
