Difference between: air fryers and deep fryers

Difference Between, Fooding,

This is a guest blog post by Joe Legault.

Did you know sea levels are rising and eventually octopods will take over and inherit the Earth? I learned this at a comedy show a few weeks ago, and if there’s anyone you can 100% trust, it’s a stand-up comedian.

Since I was sitting near the front, the comedian asked me how I would handle the threat of thousands of octopods writhing their way toward world domination. In the heat of the moment, I said we should all deep fry them (there’s a reason I’M not a comedian).

Looking back, I realize I should’ve said, “Well, we could try turning all those octopods into octo-pie.” But instead I sat there wondering if it would be easier to deep fry or air fry all those dang octopods, and what is the difference between those two cooking methods anyway?

Definitions

  • Deep fryer: a deep pan or pot with a basket, usually of mesh, inside, for deep-frying (Dictionary.com)
  • Deep fry: to fry in a quantity of fat sufficient to cover the food being cooked (Dictionary.com)
  • Air fryer: a type of kitchen appliance that cooks food by circulating hot air around it, while using less fat (MacmillanDictionary.com)

Air Fryers: Less Mess & Stress

Right off the bat, I was surprised to not see air fryer listed on Dictionary.com, our usual go-to website for these Difference Between articles. Although this kitchen appliance has risen in popularity since its development in the mid-2000s, it’s still relatively new.

Luckily for all us air fryer novices out there, MacmillanDictionary.com offers a crowdsourced definition that clearly explains the main difference between a deep fryer and air fryer. While a deep fryer cooks food quickly with hot oil, an air fryer cooks food with high-speed, hot air circulation.

Both cooking techniques result in a crispy crust around your food, but air fryers require very little to no oil, so it’s much easier to clean up everything after you’re done.

Should You Join the Air Frying Craze?

Are air fryers here to stay like Keurigs, or are they just a fad? That’s hard to determine right now, but I do know there are some benefits to using an air fryer. For example your air fried foods won’t fill up your diet with lots of fat, at least not as much as deep fried foods. Plus, you can even use your air fryer for grilling and roasting with the right accessories!

On the other hand, you may discover that your air fried foods don’t have the exact same flavor as the deep fried ones you know and love. And if you like to use a wet batter on your food, you won’t be able to with an air fryer.

In Conclusion

To wrap up my initial thought, I think it’s okay if some people want to air fry the octopods, and others want to deep fry them. Either way, we’ll be saving the planet from these tentacled monstrosities in the near future.

Sources: