Best Air Fryer for Cooking Fish
Frying with vegetable oil has its benefits, but too much of it in your daily diet increases the risk of chronic degenerative diseases. Oil can clog your arteries, which can affect the function of your kidneys and liver and increase your weight.
Fortunately, there’s a healthier alternative to frying fish in a pan filled with vegetable oil, which is air fryers.
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Read on and find out about the ten highly-recommended air fryers and the answers to the frequently asked questions about them.
The Top 10 Air Fryers
Air fryers are kitchen appliances that give the desirable Maillard effect without using an excessive amount of oil. The Maillard effect refers to the crispy-on-the-outside, a juicy-on-the-inside effect that frying in oil imparts on fried food, especially in deep frying.
With an air fryer, only a thin layer of oil is necessary to achieve the Maillard effect, so it’s a healthier alternative to traditional frying.
Here are the top air fryers today in the market:
Elite Platinum EAF-1506D 3.5 Qt Digital
The Elite Platinum’s elegant shape complements its extra-large capacity of 3.5 quarts or 2.4 pounds of food, enough for cooking family-sized meals.
There’s no risk of oil splatters, too, since the small amount of oil used in frying fish remains inside the basket. The fish-based meals that can be cooked in it are healthier since only about a tablespoon of oil is needed to cook an entire batch.
It’s easy to use, as well. Just place the fish and its ingredients, such as vegetables and herbs, into the basket, add a little oil, and close the basket. Turn on the air fryer, set the time and temperature, and voila!
There are six menu functions to choose from, including baking, grilling, roasting, and frying. You can cook virtually anything with it, not just savory fish dishes. You can also use the recipes in the booklet for a start.
Yedi Total Package Air Fryer XL
If you’re looking for a more sophisticated air fryer with more features, then this Yedi air fryer may well be your best choice. It has nearly everything you will need in cooking fish and cooking chicken, beef, and pork dishes.
You can even make pizzas and cupcakes with it.
The air fryer comes with a divider for the basket, steaming papers, cake carrel, pizza pan, multi-purpose rack, stainless steel skewers, cupcake pan, and rubber mat.
You can cook two fish dishes simultaneously, thanks to the basket divider. You may also cook two complimentary dishes, such as fish and chips, in one go, so there’s less hassle.
The built-in preset programs make cooking easier, too, although you can also manually set the desired time and temperature.
COSORI Air Fryer, Max XL
With its 11 functions, this Cosori air fryer is a multipurpose kitchen appliance that can replace many of your existing kitchen appliances!
The possibilities for cooking fish-based dishes are nearly endless, but they are also useful in cooking steaks, seafood, and frozen foods. The removable 4-quart non-stick coated basket can fit in a meal sufficient for 4-5 persons, too, in one go.
Its slimmer footprint means that it can be placed on the countertop for fast and easy access, instead of being stored in a cupboard.
It’s also easy to use with its touchpad control panel and easy to clean, thanks to its dishwasher-safe removable basket.
Secura Air Fryer XL
Frying, grilling, and baking, even roasting fish, are easy with this Secura air fryer! There’s no need to utilize varying pots and pans since its basket serves multiple purposes.
The 5.3-quart fry basket can fit in enough food for an entire family, which means you have more time for other tasks.
The 180°F-400°F temperature range and 60-minute timer allow for cooking every fish dish you’ve ever known, too. Just set the temperature and timer, leave the food to cook, and serve it when it’s ready.
You will love the delicious flavors, too, but without the guilt of eating one too many fried foods.
Afterward, cleaning it is a breeze. Just remove the basket and place it in the dishwasher for fast cleaning and wipe the air fryer’s exterior with a clean cloth.
With its heavy-duty design, it should last for several years, too.
Ninja Air Fryer (AF101)
This Ninja air fryer can fit in about a kilo of fish and other ingredients with its reasonably large basket. You can cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner with just a single kitchen appliance, a welcome convenience in your busy everyday life.
Plus, cooking in an air fryer means 75% less oil used in frying, grilling, and roasting, so the dishes are healthier.
Frying every cut of fish, from thin fillets to thick chunks and whole fish, is easy-peasy with it, thanks to the wide temperature range between 105°F and 400°F.
The fish will be cooked quickly with its flesh juicy and tender and its skin crispy at these temperatures.
GoWISE USA GW22731
Be wiser in your food choices with this GoWise air fryer, especially when you want to enjoy the benefits of a healthier diet. It’s a great kitchen appliance for frying, baking, and grilling fish with little to no oil!
Nearly every type of fish that can be cut to fit into its non-stick basket can be cooked in it, from sardines to tuna.
Guesswork isn’t an issue with this air fryer, too, as it sounds an alarm when it’s time to shake or flip the food in the basket. You can set the alarm in 5, 10, and 15-minute increments depending on the fish’s type and thickness.
You may also stop the cooking time whenever necessary with the start/stop button.
COSORI Smart WiFi Air Fryer 5.8QT
The larger 5.8-quart basket of this Cosori air fryer means larger fish-based meals, whether fried fish with side dishes or baked fish with the works.
When used for frying fish, it uses about 85% less oil than in traditional frying in a pan, yet the fried fish still has crispy skin and juicy flesh. Even an entire fish fillet can be cooked in it, although we recommend cutting the fish into manageable slices when necessary.
Many users say that among its best features is its smartphone compatibility. You can set parameters like temperature and a timer and monitor its operation from your smartphone via Alexa or VeSync app.
You may even schedule cooking times by up to 4 hours, which means dinner can be served as soon as you get home.
Ultrean Air Fryer, 4.2 Quart
This Ultrean air fryer may have a simpler design than the other air fryers, but with its simplicity comes the ease of operation and cleaning! It’s also a multipurpose kitchen appliance since it can fry, roast, grill, and bake a wide range of fish dishes.
It’s reasonably large basket can accommodate both smaller fishes, such as sardines, and larger fishes like salmon and tuna in fillets and chunks.
It has several useful features, too, which means you’re getting more value for your money. These features include an auto switch-off timer (0-30 minutes), accessible buttons for ease of use, and adjustable temperature settings (between 180°F and 400°F).
T-fal FZ700251 Actifry
Another easy-to-use air fryer with the whole nine yards is this T-fal Actifry, which can fit in up to 2.2 pounds of ingredients. It has an on/off switch coupled with a digital countdown timer and buzzer that will alert when the time setting has been reached.
You can also see through the steam-free lid and viewing window so you can determine whether your food is cooked or not.
The removable ceramic-coated pan can be cleaned either under the tap or in the dishwasher, while the unit itself only needs a fast wiping with a clean cloth. There’s also a full-color recipe book detailing 38 recipes. The air fryer also includes an automatic rotating paddle.
GoWISE USA GW22956 7-Quart Electric Air Fryer
For an even larger cooking space, the GoWise air fryer meets the brief! Its 7-quart basket can easily cook several thick slices of tuna, salmon, or mackerel as well as veggies, herbs, and lemon slices.
You can feed at least seven people without breaking a sweat with it since it’s as easy as 1,2,3!
You can choose from eight cooking functions, so your dish repertoire isn’t limited to fried fish.
You can utilize it for baking, grilling, roasting, and broiling fish, even reheating dishes. It’s easy to use as well, not to mention easy to clean.
The touchscreen menu has an intuitive layout and responsive buttons, so setting the time and temperature isn’t complicated.
Frequently Asked Questions About Air Fryers
Air fryers look like rice cookers but work like convection ovens. These kitchen appliances use rapid air technology wherein the constant circulation of hot air inside the basket quickly cooks the food.
The results are similar, if not the same, when food is cooked in traditional ways. Such as over stoves and grills as well as in ovens and broilers.
Every air fryer has a heating element that generates and radiates the heat necessary for cooking food. The heating element is complemented by a mechanical fan that circulates the heat, thus, the hot air inside the basket.
The principles in a convection oven and an air fryer are then the same except that the latter is smaller than the former.
The temperature range in air fryers differ, but most of them generate heat between 100°F and 400°F. At these temperatures, safety precautions should always be practiced, especially in placing oil beyond the basket’s recommended amount.
Most air fryers have a digital touchpad control panel, while many others can be considered analog in their design. The more common classification for air fryers are as follows:
Paddle air fryers – Have detachable bowls, lids, and paddles. These can be used in cooking dishes with liquids, such as curries and risottos.
Basket air fryers – Are suitable for cooking food that has been coated with batter, such as fried fish with a flour-and-water batter. The basket typically comes with a divider, so two dishes can be cooked simultaneously.
Oven air fryers are the more versatile option because they can be used to broil, grill, steer, roast, and bake dishes aside from frying. Many of these appliances can even be used in dehydrating food, even for roasting coffee, toasting bread, and roasting chicken.
Infrared halogen air fryers – Utilizes halogen lights in creating infrared rays that cook the food, known for their faster cooking times and stable temperature regulation. However, these devices aren’t as popular as the other types due to their shorter lifespans.
You have to consider your unique needs and wants in an air fryer before buying one. Your budget, as well as the number of people you’re cooking for, the type of dishes you like to cook, and the features you want, are all factors in your choice.
We suggest looking at these three considerations when you’re choosing from among several air fryers.
Cooking Capacity
How many people are in your household? How many times do you plan on cooking meals with it? These are the questions you should ask when choosing an air fryer based on its cooking capacity, particularly its basket or cooking chamber size.
If you’re cooking for a family, an air fryer with a 4-pound capacity or above is your best choice. Please take note that the larger the air fryer, the higher its energy consumption will likely be.
Temperature Range
Too low and too high heat will likely result in less delicious food. As such, it’s important to check the temperature range for the air fryer, which should ideally be between 100°F and 400°F. Better yet, look for pre-set temperatures and a temperature guide.
Time Setting
Similarly, too long and too short cooking periods can result in less palatable food. The best air fryers have time settings, usually from 15 to 60 minutes, which prevent over- and under-cooking.
You should also consider the other features of an air fryer. These include a buzzing time, a temperature light, a removable basket and pan, a cooking tray with a grill pan insert, and an easy-to-use control panel.
Conclusion
While the best air fryer can be fairly expensive, particularly compared to other cooking equipment, its benefits make it a worthwhile investment.
It’s an excellent tool for decreasing your oil intake with regular and proper use and, thus, decreasing your risk for certain chronic degenerative diseases. You will still enjoy healthy and delicious dishes, of course, but with less oil in them.
