Air fryers are the new fad and preferred mode of cooking over traditional convection ovens. Safer, more efficient and quicker, they are quickly catching up on the popularity scale.
“What is an Air fryer?” We’re here to tell you.
“And what if I want to buy an economical one in case I like what follows?” We’ve got your back with the five best air fryers on the market under INR 5000.
What is an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is an electronic kitchen appliance which employs hot air to cook food. The circulation of hot air around the food is facilitated with a mechanical fan. During this process, the food is cooked, and a uniform crispy layer is formed around the food. Instead of having to free (or deep fry) the food items, they can be coated with a thin layer of oil. This food item, under the influence of hot circulating air (with temperatures up to 200 °C or 400 °F) initiates the cooking. They’re also faster, cooking foods in even half the time it would take in a regular convection oven.
Why you need an Air Fryer? Air Fryers are very attractive due to the following factors:
1. Convenience: The food items need minimal monitoring. Once coated in the desired/required layer of oil, they can be left inside the air fryer with a timer set and can be left for cooking. Most fryers have a timer with the auto-turnoff facility.
In some cases, shaking of basket and contents might be needed for even oil coverage, but nevertheless, it’s far more convenient than traditional stovetop.
2. Safety: Safety is another important aspect of air fryer. It eliminates the risk of hot oil escaping splashing over the person who is cooking.
3. Health Benefits: The food items cooked require much lesser oil than traditional cooking (1 Kilogram of french fries or potatoes can be cooked with mere 1-2 tablespoons of oil). Some
dishes can even be cooked with least to none oil as well. Not only that, by eliminating fat/oil usage up to 80%, the cooked foods contain far lower calories and hence, are healthier and diet-friendly options.
Let’s look at the 5 best air fryers available under the price segment of $77.
Top 5 Best AIR FRYERS under $100
1) SIMPLE CHEF 3.5L Air Fryer:
A 3.5L (14 cups) capacity air fryer that comes from the manufacturer Simple Chef. The design emanates quality as the air fryer is made of 100% BPA free plastic, perfect for making munch-ready
snacks while not compromising on build quality at all. This air fryer features an adjustable cooking temperature range of 180 to 400 °F. It weighs 10.7 pounds (~4.85 Kgs), has a power rating of 1400-watt, and features a single-layered rack. A 30-minute standby timer facility is also available so that you can leave your electric-chef to its work for a specific amount of time, and it will turn off as soon as the time’s up. It also features display lights (Green and blue, indicating ‘connected’ and ‘heating’ respectively) for easier monitoring of the device.
Users that are new to air fryers need not worry as Simple Chef includes a 15-page recipe book with a few amazing recipes, and a 4-page owner’s pamphlet in-the- box, which can give you a head start to your cooking experience. On top of that, the air fryer comes with Dishwasher-safe non-stick basket and pan, and overheat protection. So make anything from vegetables to chicken breasts to french fries, or bake delicious cakes in this amazing air fryer from Simple Chef. Measuring 14 x 12.5 x 12.5 inches, it is currently priced at $59.99 and comes with a 2-year Manufacturer’s Limed Warranty.
For cleanup, there are really only two parts to wash and they are both dishwasher safe. My biggest issues were the price and capacity, which is not specific to this fryer. Almost every Air fryer has less capacity & is not meant for bulk cooking.
2) Avalon Bay 3.2L Air Fryer
The Avalon Bay air fryer is made of Non-BPA plastic and has a capacity of 3.2L. The design of the AB-Airfryer100B is sturdy and attractive, making sure it looks as good and delicious as the food it makes.Available in three colors, i.e., Black, Red and White, the air fryer sports a cooking temperature ranging from 180 to 400 °F, which can be adjusted as per requirements. Despite being made of BPA-free plastic, the heating element is made of 304 stainless steel. Noticeably, this 1400-watt air fryer is a tad bit heavier in weight, weighing at 14 pounds (~6.35 Kgs).
It also features a 30-minute standby timer with auto shut-off functionality. The fryer provides knob-style controls, something that users who prefer digital controls should be varied of. Heating and Power indicator lights are also present. It is based on non-slip feet to make sure accidental budges do not pose a threat. The detachable basket makes transferring and serving of food as easy as pie. Avalon includes a non-stick baking dish, a multi-use rack, coupled with a 52-page Avalon Bay cookbook for Air Fryers, encompassing recipes including over 20 appetizers, meals, desserts, and snacks.
Measuring 13.5 x 11 x 12.8 inches, it is currently priced at $72.99 and comes with a 1-year Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty.
3) GoWISE USA 2.75-Quart Air Fryer:
The GoWISE USA air fryer is a more compact and convenient option for those looking for space-efficiency and lesser capacity. With a 2.6L capacity, it comes in four exciting colors to suit your taste, the colors being Black, Chilli Red, Plum, and White. A standard temperature range of 175 to 400 °F is available for cooking, providing total control over the food being cooked. With a power rating of 1350-watt, the unit weighs at 11.6 pounds (~5.26 Kgs). A Timer ranging from 1 to 30 minutes can be set to specify the duration of cooking. The temperature and timer can be seen on the digital display on the front of the appliance. To ensure the safety and power efficiency, this air fryer is designed to automatically turn off upon the removal of the basket from the air fryer or when the timer finishes.
The GoWISE air fryer offers 8 presets which include Warm, Shrimp, Fish, Chips/Fries, Chicken, Steak, Pork and Cake that come in handy cooking these common delicacies. An owner’s guide comes in-the-box that gives a few good and tested recipes for foods like cakes, muffins, snacks, meat, poultry, fries, etc. The recipes and presets are here, what are you waiting for? Measuring 12 x 12 x 11 inches, it is currently priced at $69.95 and comes with a 1-year Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty.
(Tip: If you wish to save a couple of bucks, another variant of this air fryer without presets and knob- style controls is available, priced at $67.95)
4) Black+Decker PuriFry 2L Air Fryer:
The Black+Decker air fryer model HF100WD is a step further into portability, with the appliance featuring a 2L capacity, which is the lowest in our list of 5 best air fryers under $77. It comes in a sleek black and white design and offers knob-style controls to manipulate the temperature as well as the timer. The temperature can be set as high as up to 400 °F, which is sufficient to cook any dish you’ve been wanting to. So be it your frozen vegetables or juicy chicken wings, the perfect frying temperature is always at the ease of the turn of a knob. Being smaller in size and capacity, it has a lesser 1200-watt power rating. It weighs 12 pounds (~5.44 Kgs).
For longer cooking periods (if need be), the PuriFry 2L air fryer sports a timer function, which can be set up to a maximum of 60 minutes. That’s the highest on this list alongside Secura air fryer, and also includes the auto turn-off facility, which turns off the unit when the timer is up. So that you can relish the dishes with all the flavor, completely guilt-free. Another interesting capture is the dual convection fans inside the fryer, which leads to faster rotation of hot air inside. The faster rotation decreases the time needed for cooking and hence, provides you with quicker and crispier results. Unit comes up with heating and power indicator lights so that you can see at a glance what mode is functioning. The basket and separator are dishwasher safe.
Measuring 11.5 x 11.5 x 13 inches, it is currently priced at $73.99 and comes with a 2-year Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty.
5) Secura 4L Air Fryer:
With a capacity of 4.2Quarts (or 4L), Secura air fryer is one of the most popular air fryers available. The appliance features knob-style controls to manipulate timer duration as well as the temperature as per the operator’s needs. The temperature can be set between 180 to 400 °F, and the timer can be set up to 60 minutes as per requirements. The timer features auto turnoff facility that turns off the machine when the timer is up. The power rating of the appliance is 1500-watt, which is highest on this list. It also has Heating and Power-Indicator lights.
Along with the fryer, the accessories included are skewers, a toaster rack and a mini-book with a little guide and intro to some of the selected recipes that the user can follow and make with ease. Measuring 15 x 14 x 14 inches, it is currently priced at $99.99 and comes with a 2-year Manufacturer’s Limited Warranty.
So, these were the best air fryers under Rs.5000. They all are brilliant with an additional advantage of being budget friendly. Let us know which one you are opting for in the comment section. Happy cooking to you all!
