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We all get a bit bored with the food we eat sometimes. Or, we may be looking to cook with less oil and try a different style of cooking. This is where an air fryer can come in very handy, and help you prepare a bunch of delicious meals for yourself and your family.
Air fryers were a proper fad at one point, and since they are relatively new to the market, we don’t know if we need to put oil in an air fryer, or if we can perhaps put some water in it.
Here’s how to ensure your air fried meals come out perfect every time:
Can You Put Water in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can put a few drops of water at the bottom of an air fryer below the basket. However, since an air fryer was not built to steam your food, it should only ever be a few drops.
Adding water to an air fryer will reduce smoking when you are cooking greasy or fatty foods, but even then, you only need a couple of drops at a time. Adding too much water to your air fryer can cause it to overheat, and you may even short out its motor, which can be a serious fire hazard.
When to Add Water to an Air Fryer
Add water to your air fryer when cooking fatty and greasy foods, like bacon or sausages, or even particularly fatty meat. A couple of drops of water under the basket will prevent the grease from smoking when it gets too hot.
Adding water to your air fryer will prevent the smoke from staining your walls and reduce the unpleasant smells in your kitchen. It will also make the air fryer easier to clean, as the grease won’t stick to the bottom of the air fryer as it melts and burns.
Don’t worry about the oil crackling when it touches the water. The air fryer will keep it contained, and it won’t cause any harm to the appliance itself.
Can I Put Water in the Bottom of My Air Fryer?
Yes, you can put a bit of water to the bottom of your air fryer, just below the basket. It will help reduce the smoking that comes with cooking greasy foods.
Air fryers have metal drawers below the frying basket that are meant to catch crumbs and drops of grease. When you add a bit of water here, it will both prevent said drops and crumbs from sticking, making the air fryer easier to clean. It will also reduce the amount of smoke your air fryer produces.
If your air fryer model has an uncovered heating coil at the bottom, never put more than two tablespoons of water inside this drawer at a time.
Don’t put any water into the basket itself, rather stick to the bottom, where it will achieve the desired effect.
How Much Water to Add to an Air Fryer
You only need to put a couple of tablespoons of water into the bottom of your air fryer to prevent excessive smoking and to make cleaning it easier.
Adding too much water can make a bit of a mess, and can even short circuit your air fryer if the heating coil at the bottom is not covered. Too much water in the basket is also a fire hazard. A few drops will do the trick, so don’t go overboard.
Don’t add the water to the food, as it can become limp and soggy. The hot air that is generated by the air fryer won’t expel any water from your food, so they will be squishy rather than moist.
How Does Adding Water Help in an Air Fryer?
Adding water to an air fryer will prevent any grease from fatty foods like bacon or burger patties smoking, by keeping it cool and helping it float.
Air fryers use circulating hot air to cook your food. This can produce a lot of smoke, especially if you are making something that contains a lot of grease. Adding water to the bottom of your air fryer will keep temperatures down and reduce the smoke that is produced as the grease drips.
The water can create a more moist environment and improve the texture of your food. It will also make it easier to clean your air fryer, as the food won’t stick to the bottom.
Can You Boil Water in an Air Fryer?
No, you can’t boil water in an air fryer. Instead, you will get hot and steamy water that has never boiled.
The temperatures in an air fryer are not high enough to make water boil. While you can try to make rice in an air fryer, even though it is typically made with boiling water, the result will never be as tasty. You can boil eggs in an air fryer though, as they require heat as opposed to water, unlike rice.
Can You Put Water in an Air Fryer to Steam?
While you can put a bit of water in your air fryer, it won’t actually steam your food. A lot more water is needed for steaming than is safe to put in an air fryer.
Steamers will heat water to create the kind of steam that is needed to cook food. Air fryers on the other hand create hot air to cook. Since the two principles aren’t the same, your air fryer can’t be used to steam.
Air fryers will produce crisp results, so if you want your food steamed, you will need to consider a different appliance.
Can You Put Any Liquid in an Air Fryer?
The only liquid you should put in your air fryer are a few drops of water to the bottom, below the basket. Any other liquids, such as soups or sauces, are not recommended.
Air fryers are not built to support liquids, and the drops of water you are adding to the bottom aim to reduce the amount of smoke the air fryer produces, not cook the food. You shouldn’t try to make soup or a stew in your air fryer, as that amount of liquid will likely spill and seriously damage your air fryer.
Does Water Evaporate in an Air Fryer?
Water will evaporate in an air fryer, provided that you add a very small amount to the bottom, below the basket.
Adding excessive amounts of water to an air fryer isn’t recommended, as it will take a long time to evaporate. It can ruin your food, damage your air fryer, or even cause a fire.
Wrapping It Up
While you are able to add a few drops of water to your air fryer when cooking greasy and fatty foods, know that you don’t need to do it to achieve a more moist or crispy effect. It will merely prevent the grease from smoking too much, and make cleaning your air fryer easier.