Do Air Fryers Use Radiation to Cook like Microwaves Do?

Air fryers are a small handy kitchen appliance that are used to add crispness to the fried food without adding extra greasiness. Air fryers save time, energy and cost since it makes the processes much more convenient and seamless. Even when it comes to fried dishes, the traditional ccoking methods are being replaced by modern methods, which make the processes much more healthier. They cook food faster and make it crispy by using less oil and are also more convenient to use. 

Air  fryer is a cooking appliance that makes use of very little oil to cook and fry food and it has a top-mounted heating system and has a fan which distributes the heat evenly throughout the appliance. It makes use of a convection heating process to heat the food. An air fryer covers the food slowly with a little oil as the air surrounds it, and therefore does not drown the food in oil like a deep fryer, thereby making it a healthier alternative. 

Does an Air Fryer Use Radiation?  

While air fryers are being increasingly marketed as a healthier alternative, there are still concerns about their safety. Do air fryers use radiation? This is the most widely asked question regarding the safety of air fryers, and the answer to it is no. Air fryers do not make use of infrared radiation or microwave radiation during their cooking process. 

The cooking or heating process is carried out in air fryers by making use of radiated heat which is not the same as radiation. Maillard reaction is the process through which outside of the food is sealed, which then starts the frying process. The maillard reaction is the process which gives food the browned, crispy crunch. It is a desirable cooking appliance since it can cook a variety of fried foods and that too with lesser oil content. Predominantly used for making fried snacks, air fryers are also sometimes used as dehydrators or baking small batches.

How Do Air Fryers work? 

The air fryer makes use of a natural convection process through which the molecules closer to the heating element become hot and are then replaced by cooler air, and a circulating process is formed which then distributes the heat throughout the appliance. 

Are Air Fryers Like Microwaves?

Is an air fryer like a microwave? This is the concern of a majority of users of air fryers and its answer is no, since microwaves make use of electromotive force radiations while the air fryers do not use any such radiations. Air fryers make use of convection heating processes while microwaves make use of microwaves. Microwaves usually heat and reheat the food while air fryers alter the entire cooking method. Reheating is a common use of microwaves, while it is rarely heard for an air fryer to be used for reheating.

Air fryers and microwaves are thus considerably different in their heating processes and the time taken by them also differs greatly. Their power consumption also differs in a way that microwaves use much more power than air fryers. They also differ in their health benefits and can be treated as two appliances carrying out the same processes using different methods. 

Are Air Fryers Safer Than Microwaves? 

Microwaves when compared to air fryers are a less safer option. Air fryers make use of hot air for cooking their food while the microwaves expose the food to electromagnetic radiation. In microwaves, molecules inside the food get direct heat energy by radiation. Radiation makes use of electromagnetic waves which can be harmful to our bodies in the long run. 

For anybody who is worried about radiation from a microwave, can choose an air fryer which is the healthier alternative. Air fryers also make use of radiated heat which quickly flows around the food. They also make use of little to no heating oil to provide the food its taste and crunch. In the longer run, air fryers are a safer and healthier option than microwaves. However, as with anything, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine with air fryer cooking too. Air fryers have their own set of disadvantages too, that you should consider for a fair comparison.

Can Air Fryers Cause Cancer? 

With the growing surge in popularity there have also been concerns around the safety of air fryers. Air fryers are heavily advertised for making food with a lower fat content, and for helping us enjoy fried foods without the adverse effects of deep-fried food. Increasingly, people are concerned about the health risks posed by air fryers and the possibility of it causing cancer. 

While cooking or heating air fryers may produce some harmful compounds such as acrylamides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines which pose the risk of causing cancer. Air fryers run the risk of producing such cancer causing chemicals when heating starches or meat at high temperatures. Acrylamides may be formed in the process of making french fries or other starch containing food products at high temperatures. High heat cooking of meat may also result in the release of some compounds that have association with cancer risk. 

Usually high temperatures are not reached when heating in an air fryer thus the risk is reduced considerably as when compared to a microwave or deep fryer. Since an air fryer is quick and has dry heat it can considerably reduce the risk of acrymalide formation. 

Which is a Better Option? Air fryer or Microwave? 

Air fryers and microwaves serve completely different purposes. While a microwave is efficient for quickly heating or reheating a food, air fryers are employed for cooking a meal from scratch. Convection heating process is used by air fryers making it a safer option as compared to microwaves which employ potentially hazardous electromagnetic radiation. 

Air fryers are smaller in comparison to microwaves and have much lower capacity. They are small and compact and are much suitable for a smaller number of people. Microwaves on other hand have a bigger capacity and thus can be used with a larger number of people. Air fryers can cook food with little or no oil and are thus the healthier alternative. Microwaves do require some amount of oil for the food and also need extra oil inorder to keep the food wet.  The reduction in users intake of trans fat by a considerable amount again adds to its health benefits as compared to microwaves. 

As for the price points, both, microwaves and air fryers pretty much fall in the same price range. Basic microwaves models can be bought for as less as $100 while air fryers with decent capacity and features are also available for less than $100! Not much to dissect here.

Air fryers can thus act as the cheaper and smaller alternative to microwaves, but they still can’t offer the extensive services like a microwave. While an air fryer can easily replace a microwave, it will not be a very healthier alternative. Thus the answer to the question of which is better depends on the quantity and quality of food being prepared, and the use to which a particular appliance may be put. We’ve put together a separate guide for you to compare air fryers and microwaves if you’re looking to narrow down on one. Both microwaves and air fryers are modern kitchen appliances developed to make cooking more convenient and time saving for you. The final decision between them will therefore depend on your cooking requirements.