Air fryers are without a doubt one of the greatest inventions in the last two decades when it comes to kitchen appliances. Invented in 2010, it is one of the most rapidly rising kitchen gadgets you can get your hands on.
There is no dearth of recipes that you can make in an Air Fryer.
- Jalapeño Poppers in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Eggplant Fries Recipe
- Extra Crispy Popcorn Shrimp in Air Fryer
- Healthy Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Blueberry Donuts in Air Fryer (without Yeast)
- Orange Tofu (in Air Fryer)
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It is also one of the most relevant, thanks to its quick cooking time, easy prepping, and simple maintenance. It's no wonder that the current-gen who is always on the run finds so much value in owning an air fryer!
But despite so many of us already owning this hyper-tech piece of kitchen gadget, many are not aware of its wide range of functions.
If you think, that you can just have fries and crispy chicken wings in your air fryer, then we have a surprise coming for you!
You can actually also reheat your leftover foods! That's right, with an air fryer around, you can forget to use your oven or microwave which will only give subpar heated leftovers to eat!
But with an air fryer, you'll actually get leftovers that don't taste like leftovers!
But first: take a look at these amazing Air Fryer Fries:
- Air Fryer Eggplant Fries Recipe
- Crispy Carrot Fries in Air Fryer
- Parmesan Zucchini Fries in Air Fryer
- Crispy Cajun Air-Fryer Sweet Potato Fries (Zero Oil)
- Crispy Cajun Air-Fryer Sweet Potato Fries (Zero Oil)
What is an Air Fryer
Air fryers are essentially compact conventional ovens in simple words. But unlike a normal convection oven, they can sit on a countertop and make food far better than any convection oven. And how does it do that! By the magic of hot air!
You see, an air fryer basically consists of an internal basket that carries food and an inner fan. The air fryer heats up this basket, and the fan circulates the hot air generated at high speed all around the cooking basket, ensuring that food gets evenly cooked and crispy on all sides. Something a convection oven can never do.
The air fryer will cook your food with almost Zero Oil, as it uses minimal oil in its cooking process. And still managed to make it absolutely delicious!
Try:
Cauliflower Wings in Air-Fryer (ZERO OIL) with Panko & Parmesan
Crispiest Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan (ZERO OIL)
Air Fryer Chicken Breasts - How to Cook Chicken Breasts in Air Fryer
Oh but wait, the air fryer has even more to give! If you compare how much electricity an air fryer uses in comparison to your oven or microwave,
The air fryer will win hands down! So if you are looking to save your gas/electricity/health bills, you should definitely consider investing in an air fryer immediately!
How to Reheat food using an Air Fryer
Alright, so now that you know how an air fryer works, it's time to use it for reheating your leftovers.
If you are thinking that a small thing like an air fryer cannot restore your last night's Chinese take out to its original deliciousness, then we suggest you read the following steps, apply them yourself, and get wowed with the results!
- Since every food is different, there is no one single set of instructions you can apply on air fryers. You'd have to see what food you are working with and then adjust your time and heat settings on the air fryer accordingly! But don't worry, as the following instructions should work generally on all kinds of leftovers you want to heat!
- If your food is in a frozen, then the first order of the business is to thaw it. So, refrigerate overnight, or leave it on the countertop to thaw naturally over a couple of hours.
- Once you're all prepped and ready to go, plug in your air fryer and preheat it to around 400 F degrees for five minutes. Once this is done you can add your food carefully into the air fryer basket.
- Slot the basket in and set the air fryer to 350 F degrees for three minutes. Let the food cook for that duration and when it's done pull the basket out carefully. Check if your food looks warm and crispy. If not, then slot it back into the air fryer and cook until it's adequately warm and crispy. Make sure to check every 1-2 minutes to ensure your food doesn't get burned!
- Once you're sure your food is heated enough, remove the basket from the air fryer and carefully take out your food from it. Don't forget to place your basket back into the air fryer and switch it off! Also don't clean your air fryer immediately as it's still hot and you can actually burn your fingers. Instead wait until it cools down to clean it! Until that time just sit back and enjoy your reheated food like never before!
Some helpful tips when using an Air Fryer to reheat food
Using an air fryer to reheat your leftover food is super easy, as you must have already seen from the five simple steps we gave you! But there are always some great tips you can apply when using an air fryer! This will not only ensure that you make the best out of your air fryer, but that you also keep it safe from any potential harm!
- Not every food will have the same cooking time. Which means that some leftover food might take just a minute or two to heat up, while others can take upto five minutes or even more! This is why cooking guides and a cooking chart can come really handy! Or you can just use our way of reheating, which we have already described above!
- Always preheat your air fryer. Not just when you are making recipes with it, but also when you're using it to reheat your leftover food! Otherwise, your air fryer will not just do it's function properly and you'll end up with poorly heated food.
- You should keep in mind that air fryers do not work like pressure cookers. That is, they do not use steam to cook! This is why if you are thinking of heating up your dumplings in a fry fryer, you should consider using an actual steamer instead.
- If you have a lot of food to reheat, don't cram it all in at once in the basket of your air fryer. Instead, heat them in small batches. Yes, it will be time-consuming but you will end up with perfectly heated food. And not with half-heated food and potentially damaged air fryer!
Why use an air fryer to reheat food? What are the advantages?
Don't get us wrong, microwave ovens can work great! But air fryers are just so much better!
Not only will you get food that is evenly heated, but it will be more crispy! People who have used a microwave to heat fried chicken will know what we are talking about! Try heating that chicken in an air fryer and you'll wonder if that leftover chicken was not freshly fried!
And this is not the end of advantages when it comes to using an air fryer! Your air fryer will take up far less space compared to a microwave oven. It will also not cost you a fortune in electricity bills thanks to its energy-saving capabilities! With so many advantages, why wouldn't you want to switch to an air fryer?
What kind of foods is okay to heat in an Air Fryer
Avoid anything that has too much liquid in it. This means soups, stews and the like should not be heated with an air fryer. Foods that are fried, baked or any food with not much liquid content and smoking capability are perfectly good to go!
Air fryers are definitely one of the wonders in kitchen appliances, and if you still have not bought them yet, you're seriously missing out! Not only will an air fryer make delicious recipes even better for you, but it can also heat your leftover food better! So what are you waiting for? After getting to know the many advantages of an air fryer, you should be rushing to buy one!
Cheryl N Buchhop says
Can I reheat a casserole? If it is in a small aluminum pan, can that pan be placed in the air fryer
Anjali says
Yes of course! But the size of the Pan should be compatible to your air fryer!
Ken T says
Good information. Thank you. But you’re doing your readers a disservice by accepting a scammy ad like that $75 Taco Bell gift card survey. That’s a set up for identity theft.
I understand the desire to monetize your blog. I have no problem with that. But you should be a little more discerning about what ads you accept so as not to put your readers in harms way.
Cheers!
Anjali says
Thanks for the input. I have blocked the advertiser displaying $75 gift card creative for Taco Bell. Moreover,Spammy or malicious ads are automatically blocked by our partner, Confiant.