What limitations should I be aware of when using an air fryer for different cooking styles?

One of the benefits that Air fryers provide is that in one device it can provide many different cooking styles such as frying, grilling, defrosting, heating and baking, which would traditionally need to be done on many different appliances and devices. While an air fryer provides versatility there are still limitations.

The first limitation would be through the way that Air fryers cook with dry, circulating hot air meaning they’re not suitable for steaming, boiling, or poaching. Foods that require added moisture or liquid, like soups, stews, or rice dishes, are not suitable for air fryers.

Adding on to this the cook quality with an air fryer may not be as refined as that of an oven. The dry circulating air that an air fryer circulates can dry out food, especially, meats that cook quickly such as chicken. This is different to an oven that can cook food much more evenly due to its consistent heating element.