It is a fact that over the years we have come across several new kitchen appliances that have only made our lives easier. An air fryer is such an invention. With the increased awareness about health and people going on strict diets, an air fryer is the best thing to have. It literally lets you have all your favorite fried and junk foods without worrying about gaining a single pound.
A pressure cooker on the other hand is something that was discovered years ago, and people have been using it ever since. Over the years there are several features that have been added to the pressure cooker that only made our work easier.
The point of difference between an air fryer and a pressure cooker is that in a pressure cooker, the pressure builds up on the inner side which raises the boiling point and the air fryer has a heating coil and fan which circulates heated air. An air fryer is known for making the foods crispy and fried, while a pressure cooker makes the food softer.
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How Does A Pressure Cooker Work?
Pressure cooking is a cooking technique that is very old. It consists of a container and a lid that is very well sealed. Whichever meal or dish you are cooking inside the pressure cooker, should always contain water or stock. This is so because once the liquid starts to boil, the steam produced causes the pressure to build up.
Since the lid is shut, the steam is not able to escape, and the heated steam inside the pressure cooker is forced deeper into the food. This makes the food cook. There is an output hole too which releases the pressure inside the cooker before opening the lid.
Features Of Pressure Cooker
Pressure cookers are such an easy way of cooking, you just have to put all the ingredients in the container and turn the gas on. Your job is done there. It reduces the regular cooking times by almost 50% and the huge space lets you cook huge batches of food all at once.
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Multi-Functions
Pressure cookers are multi-functional. They are so versatile that you can cook anything, starting from rice to chicken. They can be used to cook bigger batches of food.
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Huge Capacity
Pressure cookers are very spacious so they can hold a large amount of food. It is an ideal thing to cook food in if one has a large family.
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High Efficiency
They are super efficient as well. They can cook the same food cooked in traditional cooking apparatus in a much lesser time. So if you are running short on time, a pressure cooker should be your go-to!
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Retain Nutrients
We know that cooking in the microwave can take away essential nutrients from your food like proteins. But cooking in a pressure cooker retains all the nutrients in your food and gives you a much healthier meal consisting of all the essentials.
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Save Energy
Since the cooking is cut down drastically when using a pressure cooker, the energy usage also decreases which lets you have a lower gas bill if you use a gas oven and a lower electricity bill if you use the induction.
How Does An Air Fryer Work?
Some might have a doubt that how does an Air Fryer actually work? How can it make the same fried foods with the same taste with just a few drops of oil? Well, the answer is that the top section of the air fryer holds a heating mechanism and also a fan.
There is a basket in which you put the food in, and put it inside. When you turn the device on, the hot air comes rushing down and it is this hot air that gives the food a fried taste without actually deep frying.
Now, some may also have the question of how to use an Air Fryer-
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There will be a food basket in which you are supposed to place your food. Depending on your Air Fryer’s size, it should be anywhere between 2 quarts to 10 quarts. Just put 1-2 teaspoons of oil to brush the food.
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Set a specific time. Air fryer cooking time generally ranges from about 10-30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Now, wait for the food to finish its cooking. Once the food is done, take out the basket and serve!
Advantage Of An Air Fryer
Air fryers are really very advantageous when you want to eat junk and stay healthy as well. I mean, everyone wants to hog as much as they want without gaining weight right? The air fryer uses only 1-2 teaspoons of oil to cook an entire meal! That is literally 1/10th of the oil needed in the traditional methods of cooking.
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User-Friendly
Air fryers are very user-friendly. They have automatic time and temperature for some specific foods so that you don’t have to have a headache. Also, they are safe because there is no involvement of the gas.
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Offers Healthy Food
It uses very little oil to cook the food so it is very healthy and you don’t have to worry about your calories while eating.
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Time And Cost Efficiency
They can prepare your food within a range of 5-25 minutes. So if you are someone who doesn’t really want to spend much time in the kitchen, an air fryer is the best option for you.
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Energy Saving
Since the cooking time is cut short, the energy consumption is automatically very low.
Similarities Between Air Fryer And A Pressure Cooker
There are some similarities between an air fryer and a pressure cooker:
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Liquid Requirement
As we mentioned above, A pressure cooker needs water or stock in order to cook the food. Though in an air fryer you don’t need that much oil, still if we consider the bare minimum requirement, both these cooking methods need liquid.
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Food Quality
Food cooked by an air fryer can make your food crunchy. In some pressure cookers these days, there is a saute function that can fry your food. But avoid deep frying in a pressure cooker as they are not designed for that.
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Healthy Eating
Both pressure cookers and air fryers offer you healthy food. Air fryers cook with less oil so that you won’t gain weight but eat your favorite foods. Pressure cookers also cook healthy food as they retain all the important nutrients within the food.
Which One Is Better – Air fryer Or Pressure Cooker?
Which one is better for you depends totally on your preferences and habits in food. If one is on a strict diet, an air fryer is the most preferred option since they make you worry less about calories and cholesterol. Air fryers can also make keto dishes as well.
A pressure cooker also is a healthy option to cook in since it retains all the essential nutrients like fats and cholesterol. So a pressure cooker is preferred when one wants to maintain their regular food habits or even gain weight.
Can I Combine An Air Fryer With A Pressure Cooker?
Air fryer pressure cooker combos are a mixture of air fryer and pressure cooker together. These appliances do the work of both so you can fry and boil together in a single utensil. These are a great option when you don’t have much kitchen space.
FAQs
Yes, you can use oil in your pressure cookers, but only small amounts of it. You can also stir fry or saute in a pressure cooker. But keep in mind that pressure cookers are not designed for deep frying so avoid too much oil.
No, pressure cookers cannot deep fry things. So deep frying your chicken is not a safe option for you. And also, pressure cookers are not designed to boil oil.
An instant pot is not an air fryer but it can be used as an air fryer. But you would need an additional attachment or utensil, like the air fryer lid or the crisping lid.
Yes, pressure cookers can surely explode. Pressure cookers can explode for various reasons like if you overfill them with liquid, or if you even use too much oil. If the vents are clogged then also there is a chance that your pressure cooker will explode.
Normal pressure cookers are not suitable for pressure frying. So the suggestion is to not try to pressure fry at home.
Conclusion
Both air fryers and pressure cookers have made cooking easier. Both have a bit of resemblance and they have their fair shares of pros and cons. What is better for you is totally dependent on what type of food you want to cook. In our suggestion, a pressure cooker is a must-have, and an air fryer is something one should have if they are on a diet or want to eat healthily
