空气炸锅的流行

空气炸锅是一种越来越受人欢迎的小家电。这种电器不仅能加快烹饪速度，还有多种功能，但它能取代传统的烤箱吗？

For many time-poor, health-conscious people, the must-have kitchen gadget at the moment is an air fryer. From top chefs to humble students, many are singing the praises of the device that seems to be flying off the shelves at shops and online. One British department store reported sales increased by 400% in 2021. But are they really the best thing since sliced bread, or is the hype all just hot air?!

If you got one as a present, or bagged one in the sales, you'll already know the benefits. An air fryer avoids the need to deep-fry food in hot and often unhealthy oil. Instead, the food is cooked by having very hot air blown on it at high speed – it doesn't actually fry but bakes the food.

The technology sounds simple, and Dr Jakub Radzikowski, Culinary Education Designer at Imperial College London, told the BBC: "You could compare it to drying your hair with a hairdryer." The combination of a powerful fan and a smaller compartment makes the air fryer more efficient and reduces the time needed to pre-heat it. In addition, because the food is cooked in a basket, excess fat will drip to the bottom, so you don't have to eat it. And it's good to know air fryers use less energy than a conventional oven because of the shorter cooking times needed.

Some people may question how versatile they are and whether they can be used for cooking whole meals. But experts have prepared crispy sweet potato fries, chips, and chicken and fish, quickly and with good flavoursome results – cooked to perfection. Dr Jakub Radzikowski's favourite is chicken legs or thighs, which he says after 20 minutes gives you something that's "perfectly juicy inside" with a skin that is so crispy it "shatters like glass".

If this whets your appetite, remember that, because of the air fryer's size, there is a limit to the amount that can be cooked in them at one time. So your oven may still come in handy. But if you're on a budget or in a rush, it might be worth giving one a try and seeing what amazing meals you can serve up.