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    Should you use oil in your Air fryer?

    Isabella Forgione, small appliances expert, shared her advice on using cooking sprays in your air fryer.

    Air fryers offer a healthier way to cook, but should you use oil or cooking sprays with them? Small appliances expert Isabella Forgione shares her advice on improving crispiness, avoiding damage to the non-stick coating, and getting the best results from your air fryer.

    She explains:

    Do you need to use any oil in an Air fryer?

    “Because of the way air fryers work by circulating hot air around the appliance, this means that oil shouldn’t be needed to cook your food. But if you’re looking to crispen certain foods then sometimes adding a little oil or cooking spray can help. Ideally apply this to your food before it goes into your air fryer and be mindful to clean this thoroughly after every use.”  

    Are there any benefits to using cooking sprays?

    “Cooking spray is handy for food that you want to crispen well as it cooks. This makes it very useful if you’re looking to crisp your vegetables or breaded items and allows you to cook your foods without using oil. Yet be sure to check your spray’s added ingredients as there can cause damage to your air fryer over time.”

    How can we protect the non-stick elements of an Air fryer?

    “Protecting the non-stick elements of your air fryer can be tricky if you’re keen on using cooking sprays. These sprays often contact propellants and other additives than can degrade your air fryer’s coating over time. To avoid this, try to spray your food before putting it into the air fryer. This will help to reduce the amount of spray touching your appliance and protect the non-stick coating from being damaged.”

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