Air grill in your kitchen: what is it for, what is better to choose and how to use?

Many housewives to facilitate cooking choose new appliances and devices that allow you to make dishes tastier and healthier. One of these devices is air grill.

With it, cooking has become much easier and more enjoyable, while it does not take so much time. But in order to make the right choice of an air grill, you need to carefully study the features and characteristics of the equipment.

Aerogrill: what is it

This is a compact device that can fit in a small kitchen area. The appliance can easily replace a toaster, yogurt maker, grill and a double boiler. The main advantage of the device is that due to the processing of hot air during cooking, all useful vitamins are stored in the products.

Device device

An air grill consists of a transparent bowl or flask, which has a stand or lid covering the entire structure. A heater (tubular electric heater) and a fan are installed inside the cover, and a control panel is located outside.

Budget models of these devices instead of heating elements are equipped with halogen heating elements. The main advantage of such elements is that when heated, the glass of the bowl is not subjected to oxidation and corrosion.

But halogen-type heaters have low working capabilities, and their service life is short. Typically, the operating period for models with heaters of this type is no more than three years. In metal heating elements it is much more - 8-10 years.

Halogen heating element

In addition to the main elements, in the device of air grills there are additional components:

• gratings that are used to cook various types of meat - beef, veal, pork, lamb, poultry. There are usually three, and they may vary in height;
• often in the kit is a grid-shaped baking sheet. It may be required for cooking steamed and deep-fried foods, you can also dry food on it;
• budget models of air grills are often equipped with a metal ring. It is installed on top of the bowl and is required to increase and regulate its volume.

Standard device

Aerogrill: what is it for?

To choose the right grill, we’ll figure out what it is for and what you can cook with the grill.

The appliance cooks using streams of hot air, which circulates freely in a special container for cooking. During the cooking process, the user does not need to constantly turn the food over. Also, cooking does not require oil, while the food is juicy and aromatic, the dishes are soaked in their own juices and become tender and very soft.

That is, first of all, air grill is needed for cooking. He cooks soups, stews vegetables, meat, fish, and can also work as a smokehouse.

Three-tier device

A modern hot air grill with a wide range of functions can easily replace a whole list of different kitchen appliances:

• ordinary gas stove;
• oven;
• a double boiler;
• toaster;
• a microwave;
• a drying device, which is used for fruits and vegetables;
• electric barbecue, barbecue;
• yogurt maker;
• air grill can be used as a pan for cooking first courses - soups, broths;
• as a sterilizer of cans for conservation.

Features of work

In each model of the air grill, there is always a container in the form of a round transparent bulb. Its volume can be different - from six to 12 liters.

Consider the principle of the device:

• Heated air fan accelerates in different directions;
• first it blows from top to bottom, then from bottom to top. This ensures even cooking. It does not burn during baking, toasting, stewing;
• Depending on the model of the device, the vortex flow index may be constant, or it may have several modes. The option with several modes is the most universal and convenient;
• in some models, instead of conventional heating elements, glass halogen heating elements. They are safer, but weaker;
• temperature indicators of the device - from 60 to 260 degrees.

Functions

Different models of air grills have distinctive features. In more modern devices, it is possible to adjust the temperature and airflow rate.

The main functions of air grills include the following:

• the ability to regulate the temperature regime. This feature is considered mandatory. It should be in all modern models;
• maintaining the temperature is an additional function by which you can warm the dish after its preparation;
• control convection speed - the function is not mandatory, but very useful, it allows you to adjust the level of airflow during cooking, which affects the final result (you can get a delicious crust) and cooking time;
• some models have a delayed inclusion. The function provides maximum convenience when using the device: you can set the timer for the right time, and the device turns on when it is needed, and the food is prepared for lunch or breakfast;
• the cooking program is a smart function, presented in many models. It is convenient for those who, during cooking, do not want to monitor the temperature conditions or time: you can put the products in the device, select the desired cooking mode and wait for the result.

Also, some manufacturers equip the device with additional convenient features:

• thawing products - vegetables, meat, dough, fruits, berries and others;
• drying;
• grill;
• frying;
• bakery products;
• smoking.

What can I cook

The air grill is a universal device and is suitable for cooking almost any treat.

Potato with meat and seasonings is especially tasty.

Consider what you can do on an air grill:

• soups, borscht and other first courses;
• cereals from different cereals, you can also bake potatoes or pizza;
• defrost various products, heat ready-made dishes;
• bake, stew, steam, fry vegetables;
• to cook natural yoghurts with preservation of all useful components; you can also cook cottage cheese;
• sterilize cans for preservation and pickling, as well as dry mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, berries;
• smoke fish and meat;
• cook deep-fried vegetables;
• bake pies, rolls, flavored bread, you can bake products from almost any type of dough;
  

  Flavored tea biscuits can be baked in the air grill

• fry meat or fish without vegetable oil or fat. Dishes are saturated with their own juice and aromas, they are tasty and healthy;
• cook any fish fillet, fry cutlets. In the air grill also obtained barbecue, which must first be marinated;
  

  The meatballs in the grill are saturated with juices, they can be supplemented with vegetables

• cook jam from any fruit, berries, make mulled wine.

How to use the air grill

Instructions on how to use the air grill are included with the device. If all the rules are followed, cooking in the appliance will be simple and easy, the main thing is to strictly follow the recommendations.

Cooking process

When using the device, the following actions should be performed:

• First you need to connect the device to the electrical network;
• the necessary products are laid out in a transparent container;
• on top, the air grill is tightly covered with a lid;
• on the built-in panel you need to set the necessary parameters.There are usually few of them, only three: temperature, cooking time and speed;
• after the temperature reaches the set level, the fan turns on, which starts the process of distillation of hot air flows inside the device;
• when cooking is complete, the appliance will emit a beep;
• do not immediately pull the plug out of the socket. Do this when the appliance has completely cooled down and the fan stops completely.

How to choose an air grill: expert advice

Before buying an aerogrill, you should carefully study its technical characteristics.

Air Grill Model

It is useful to consider important recommendations for choosing this device:

• tank size. The best option is a device with a flask volume of 8-9 liters. You can easily make any treat in it, and you can not use dishes in the air grill, it will be superfluous;
• view of the heating element. It can be the spirit of the species - a metal heater and a glass halogen lamp. The first has high wear resistance, but slow heating. The second is fragile, its service life is only two to three years, but at the same time it does not undergo oxidation and cooks food much faster;
• kind of cover. The quality of the work process and the preparation of food depends on how securely the appliance closes. Covers can be on mounts and without them;
• control. It can be mechanical and electronic. In devices with mechanical control, it is possible to set the temperature and time. In electronic versions, the functionality is much wider - you can set the temperature, time, airflow rate, various cooking modes, delayed cooking in them;
• power. Electricity consumption depends on this indicator. Small models with a minimum number of functions usually have a small power indicator - 1000 watts. Large devices with a large volume bowl and a wide range of functions have a power rating of up to 1700 W;
• you should pay attention to additional accessories that may affect the cost of the device, but at the same time make the cooking process much more convenient.

The air grill is a convenient technique for the kitchen, with its purchase you will no longer have to put the pan on gas.