What is Air Frying? Ins and Outs of Air Fry Tech in Ranges

When you hear the words “air fry” your brain may wander off to hot dogs, chicken wings, french fries, and a large list of fair food that probably gives you indigestion just thinking about it. But let us be clear, when we talk about air frying food, we couldn’t be farther away from the notion of greasy carnival bites that are concocted through deep frying. You may be imagining a basket submerged in scalding oil containing your food, but air frying works a bit differently than that. In fact, it’s even considered a healthier method of cooking your meals in some cases. 

But, before we get too deep into the health factors of air frying, it’s a good idea to first get acquainted with the basics of this appliance feature so that you may understand how it works better. So, whether you’re a fan of fried foods and are looking for a healthier way to snack, or you’re just interested in owning a range with extra cooking styles, a range with an Air Fry option would be a great fit for anyone wanting more options in the kitchen. Learn all about Air Frying technology from this quick guide our experts put together to walk you through the ins and outs of this appliance feature. 

What is an Air Fryer? 

Air frying is a method of cooking that takes only a little bit of oil and the circulation of hot air in a closed-in space to create an even-browning and fried layer to your food. Unlike a conventional oven which has a heating element on the bottom and on the roof of the oven to warm the food, an oven with Air Frying technology has the ability to blow hot air around with convection fans, which means food gets cooked evenly at a much faster pace. 

When you cook this way, you can look forward to a perfectly crisped exterior layer while the inside retains a tender, juicy flavor – and you may not even have to use any oil either! Because this method of frying food requires little to no oil, you can enjoy your favorite kind of chicken wings guilt-free. Of course, depending on what your tastebuds are craving, you can even air fry something nutritious like a medley of vegetables to even something as sweet as a S’mores -- you don’t need to feel limited with the Air Frying feature. 

The Difference Between Convection Cooking and Air Frying 

Let’s recap: The Air Frying option uses convection fans to circulate hot air around the oven in order to cook food more evenly. Funny enough, convection ovens work the exact same way, so what makes them different? For one thing, the Air Frying feature circulates extremely hot heat to give your food that crispy, golden result while the convection oven does basically the same thing, but at lower heat levels and slower air flows. Fortunately, there are range appliances out there that use both convection and air frying methods, like this Frigidaire Gallery Induction Range , so you have more versatility while cooking. 

Our Favorite Range + Air Fry Combos 

In the past, air frying meant you had to buy a small appliance made for that one method of cooking. Luckily, there are oven ranges these days that come with the air fryer built-in as a feature so you can cook everything the proper way in one place. Here some of our favorite air fry ranges that we carry: