The best-selling product on Takealot
Takealot chief executive officer Mamongae Mahlare says air fryers are currently the online retail giant’s best-selling item.
Mahlare revealed this in an interview with Talk 702’s Bruce Whitfield on The Money Show.
An air fryer is a countertop convection oven that simulates deep frying without needing oil.
Air fryers have fans that circulate air heated by an electrical element near the food.
To get the browning characterised by deep frying food in oil, also called the Maillard reaction, an air fryer circulates hot air up to 200 degrees Celcius.
This makes the moisture on the surface of food instantly evaporate, leaving a crispy texture in its wake.
Therefore, an air fryer is a smaller convection oven with a significantly more powerful fan.
Brands use the term air fryer to differentiate it from traditional convection ovens that generally cook at lower temperatures.
For example, Samsung calls the convection setting on its traditional ovens the “air fryer” mode.
Mamongae Mahlare, Takealot Group CEO
The main benefit of air frying or convection baking is that there is no need for added oil, which WebMD says cuts calories by 80%.
On its air fryer product pages, Philips claims that french fries and chicken drum sticks have 90% less fat when cooked in an air fryer compared to a conventional oven.
Air fryers also take up less space and consume much less power than conventional ovens.
These devices are practical for two-person households, and users report saving money that would’ve been spent on oil.
However, some reviews and user reports suggest that some air fryers can be louder than standard or convection ovens.
Users have also expressed that air fryers’ limited capacities do not make them suitable for cooking whole family-sized meals.
Cramming the basket full of food will cause it to cook unevenly since the hot air cannot surround the contents.
However, several air fryer models are large enough to fit a whole chicken. Other dishes may then be cooked in a microwave, on the stove, or in a traditional or convection oven.
Below are some of the best air fryers from Takealot and Hirsch’s.
4.1L Philips Essential Airfryer HD9252/91 (Takealot) — R2,499
5.7L Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 Air Fryer with ClearCook (Hirsch’s) — R3,499
6.2L Philips HD9280 Essential XL Connected Airfryer (Takealot) — R2,899
6.3L Hisense Air Fryer with Digital Touch Control Panel (Takealot) — R1,699
7L Russell Hobbs Purifry Max 2.0 Air Fryer (Takealot) — R2,338
7.3L Philips XXL Premium Airfryer (Takealot) — R4,749
8L Kenwood – kHealthy Max Crisp Dual Air Fryer – HFM75.000MB (Takealot) — R2,999
9.5L Instant Vortex 7-in-1 Air Fryer Oven (Takealot) — R3,599
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