This past summer I made one of the most exciting purchases of my life: the air fryer. You may be thinking, "How great can the air fryer really be?". If you're a foodie like me or just an average Joe who enjoys crunchy cuisine from time to time, you'll love the air fryer. Some of my favorite foods to air fry are vegetables, fish, chicken, and french fries. But I want to expand my horizons. I'm curious what will happen when I put foods in the air fryer that would not typically be air fried. I am on a mission to discover how far the air fryer can really go.
I will be frying a few foods in the air fryer to see if their taste and texture are elevated. I will rate each food based on their taste and texture. I won't be adding anything to these foods– I'm simply putting them in the air fryer to see what happens
The Players
The foods I decided to try are: bananas, cereal, Oreos, Rice Krispies Treats, tomatoes and Pop-Tarts.
To keep the results consistent, I air fried each food at 370 degrees Fahrenheit with varying cook times depending on the type and size of the food. This took a lot of educated guessing and constant checking to make sure the food didn't overcook.
Bananas
Before:
Bananas can be delicious when heated and caramelized in a pan. Air fryers typically make foods crunchy, so I'm expecting the banana to crisp up like a plantain chip.
After:
I cut a banana in half and air fried it for 5 minutes. I decided to put half a banana because i wanted to see how the texture of the banana as a whole, rather than slices, held up in the air fryer.
I was dead wrong about the texture of the banana. The air fried banana was much sweeter than the original and was a little soggy. The side of the banana laying face down caramelized to the point where sugar bubbles formed on the surface. If you're looking to caramelize bananas, I would pan fry slices instead of air frying a large chunk of one. Pan frying will result in the same caramelized taste without compromising the texture.
Rating: 7/10
Cereal
Before:
Cereal is already crispy and crunchy, so I'm not sure what the air fryer can do to change the texture or taste. I chose Sugar Cookie Cinnamon Toast Crunch because I'm curious if the sugar will caramelize under the heat in the air fryer.
After:
The air fryer literally cooks the food with air, so when i first put them in, they started to fly around. I was worried they would burn quickly, so I put a handful in for only 2 minutes. The air fried cereal was extra crunchy, but not in a good way. It reminded me of the texture of stale cereal. The air fried version tasted less sweet than the original, which surprised me because usually caramelizing food makes them taste sweeter. In this case, the sugar from the Cinnamon Toast Crunch melted, so you could no longer taste each sugar particle with each bite. I didn't try them with milk, but I imagine that it would have the same affect.
Rating: 2/10
Oreo
Before:
I've only had Oreos right out of the package or frozen. I love warming up homemade cookies, so I'm curious to see if the air fryer has the same effect on Oreos. I'm also interested to see how the creme filling holds up in the air fryer. The best Oreo flavor in my opinion is Mint Creme, so I had to try this in the air fryer.
After:
I put one cookie in for 3 minutes until the cookie changed to a slightly darker color and the creme melted slightly. When i took a bite, the creme exploded into my mouth. It tasted as if air frying the Oreo enhanced every flavor in the best way possible. This reminded me of eating a chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven and having the chocolate chips melt in your mouth. I have been freezing my Oreos for a while now, but I will be air frying them from now on.
Rating: 10/10Rice Krispies Treat
Before:
Rice Krispies Treats are chewy and crispy. On one hand, the air fryer might make the marshmallow more gooey. Or, it could create a crunchier treat.
After:
I air fried one Rice Krispie Treat for 3 minutes, until the outside was a glorious golden brown. I had to carefully scoop the Rice Krispie Treat out of the air fryer because it was so gooey. Once I let it cool for a minute or two it, it was perfect. The outside was crunchy, while the marshmallow inside was ooey gooey. The air fried Rice Krispie treat was far superior to the room temperature original.
Rating: 8.5/10
Tomato
Before:
I have never eaten a tomato I have not loved. Sundried, roasted, cherry, roma–you name it, I love it. I'm expecting the tomato to crisp up a bit. Let's see how a plain tomato slice holds up in the air fryer.
After:
I put a single tomato slice in the air fryer for 5 minutes. Unfortunately, the tomato was underwhelming. It tasted like a warmer and wetter tomato. It was very soggy and fell apart in my hands. The tomato slice might have benefited from air frying longer, but I wouldn’t recommend this method for roasting tomatoes.
Rating: 1/10
Pop-Tart
Before:
I don't know about you, but I'm Team Toasted Pop-Tart. The warmth makes the Pop-Tart 10x better than eating it straight out of the package. I have high hopes for this air fried Pop-Tart.
After:
I picked a Splitz flavor for the most optimal flavor experience. The two flavors are sugar cookie and brownie batter. I placed the Pop-Tart in the air fryer for 4 minutes until the outside was golden brown. The Pop-Tart had a wonderfully crunchy exterior and when I split it in half, the filling began oozing out. I'm convinced every dessert tastes better toasted, but I don’t think there's much of a difference than toasting the Pop-Tart in a toaster oven. I would recommend using the method that is easier for you because the results are very similar.
Rating: 7/10
Conclusion
Winner: Oreo
The air fried Oreo takes the cake. Oreos with a crispy cookie and warm creme are a match made in heaven. I would love to try other Oreo flavors using this method.
Loser: Tomato
It's hard for a tomato to amaze me when it's competing against foods like Pop-Tarts and Oreos, but nonetheless it was disappointing. The air fryer didn't add any texture to the tomato; it just made it limp and warm.
The air fryer is a versatile appliance that I highly recommend adding it to your collection. I can't wait to continue trying new foods in the air fryer. What should i air fry next?