Air Fryer Parts Fully Explained: 8 Core Components
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The air fryer is a portable kitchen appliance that can be used in your home or on the go.
This article will teach you all about the different parts of an air fryer, how to care for them, and what things are most important when deciding which model you should buy.
1. The inner basket for the air fryer
What does it do?
The Air Fryer Basket is the main part of your air fryer. It holds food while it’s being cooked. The basket has slots in it so that the hot air can circulate around the food.
Why do you need it?
The best air fryer baskets have holes in the bottom to allow excess heat to escape. Some models also have vents near the top of the basket to help with this problem.
This allows the food to cook evenly without burning.
The inner basket also how to draw with the dripping a fats. Not only that the holes allow are to make contact with the parts of the food that’s hard to get to, but it also allows the drip out and down to the bottom of the outer basket.
Where is it located?
It goes into the outer basket of the air fryer. It should fit snugly in place.
2. The outer basket for the air fryer
What does it do?
The outer basket is the part that holds all the liquids and crumbs that fall to the floor from the inner basket where the food lies. This outer basket does not have any holes in it. It’s leak-proof.
Why do you need it?
Because the inner basket has holes that allow for food to seep out, you need an outer basket that doesn’t have any holes or permeations to capture the stuff that you’re going to throw away.
The basket is a vital part of the air fryer because if it is not placed securely in, your air fryer will not turn on. It is a safety measure so that your air fryer doesn’t simply turn on without the basket inside.
Where is it located?
The outer basket can be found and placed inside the belly of the air fryer. It should slide in smoothly and click whenever it’s in properly.
3. The Cake pan for the air fryer
What does it do?
The cake pan is actually an alternative to the inner basket. This is kitchenware usually used for baking.
Sometimes it will come included with your air fryer.
Why do you need it?
Cake pans can help with a variety of other types of cooking when you don’t necessarily plan on excess food to drip out.
Maybe the food that you’re cooking is more of a batter or wet variety.
Cake pans for air fryers can help you make delicious foods like a casserole, cake, bread, pizzas.
They usually have an outer layer that has a non-stick coating allowing you to easily clean it once you’re done.
Most cake pans and baking pans are made of either Metals such as aluminum, stainless steel, or either non-metals like silicone.
Where is it located?
The cake pan also fits right into the outer basket. Again it replaces the inner basket so you won’t be able to use both at the same time.
4. The heating element of the air fryer
What does it do?
This is also one of the most important parts of an air fryer. It’s a core part of how an air fryer functions.
A heating element turns energy into heat. This results in the cooking of your food. Without it, your food would never cook.
There are a variety of different types of ways air fryers cook. But the majority of them actually use just a heating element which has the benefit of lasting a really long time. Some use halogen bulbs which don’t often last as long as heating elements but they do lighten up the food and brown it better.
Why do you need it?
The heating element actually does all the cooking. It produces extremely hot air within the chamber.
These elements can get up to as high as 500 degrees Fahrenheit. One particular brand I’ve found to reach these levels is the Ninja Foodi Dual Heat Air Fryer. It can reach temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit which can literally sear a steak to the perfect texture.
- The Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven is an all-in-one powerful, 1800-watt appliance
- Dual Heat Technology delivers a one-of-a-kind consumer-level cast-iron-like 500°F sear on proteins and faster crisp on pizza crust edge to edge
- The 13 functions include Air Fry, Sear Crisp, Rapid Bake, Frozen Pizza, Fresh Pizza, Griddle, Air Roast, Bake, Broil, Toast, Bagel, Dehydrate, and Reheat
- It's also improved up to 65% faster cooking vs. a full-size electric oven, with Air Oven functions ready for cooking in 60 seconds.
Some commercial brands go even further.
Where is it located?
In most air fryers, you’ll almost always find them on the top inside of the chamber.
5. The fan inside the air fryer
What does it do?
The fan circulates the hot air throughout the entire chamber of the air fryer.
Why do you need it?
This is actually the staple of how air fryers work. It’s how it’s distinguished from a traditional oven.
The fan will push the hot air produced by the heating element, and let the air circulation around the entire chamber, and ultimately cook the food evenly throughout.
The alternative approach when it comes to a traditional oven would be for us to keep turning our Foods around more than once if we were going to cook it that way.
It provides us with a more automated approach so that we can set it in there and only have to monitor it.
Where is it located?
The fan usually rests right underneath the heating element.
This has been found to provide the best, optimal distribution of heat because the heat comes straight from the element, and the fan pushes it rapidly around the basket.
6. The temperature setting built into an air fryer
What does it do?
This is where you get to control the temperature of your air fryer. You can set this in the settings on the front display.
Why do you need it?
Controlling the temperature settings allows you to create a variety of meals.
Not all meals should be cooked at the same temperature. Some require more, and some require less.
It really depends on what type of food you are cooking. You can look at the manual that your air fryer normally comes with for further instructions on how to cook specific types of food.
Where is it located?
The temperature settings are usually located right on the outside of the air fryer. It’s usually front and center where the display is.
7. The timer on the display of an air fryer
What does it do?
The timer allows you to determine how long the heating element and fan stay on. This doesn’t have anything to do with the temperature. It just controls the length of time that the air fryer, which includes the heating element and fan, will stay active.
Why do you need it?
A lot of recipes require a different length of time to cook. You can’t cook a steak for longer than you have to or it will turn out like rubber. You can’t shorten the time that you bake in the air fryer because it will come out too moist.
With the timer, it allows you to set the air fryer to when it will turn off. This is also a very good safety precaution because you don’t want your air fryer to stay on forever.
Where is it located?
The timer is most often located right next to the temperature settings.
8. The electrical plug of an air fryer
What does it do?
This is what the air fryer uses to draw its electricity from.
Why do you need it?
Like all electronic devices, air fryers require electricity to turn on and use. The fan uses electricity. The heating element uses electricity. Even the display uses electricity.
Simply plug it into an outlet and you’re good to go.
Where is it located?
The electrical plug is usually located on the back of the device somewhere at the bottom.
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