Okay. I’m here to bring a solution to one of the largest college struggles, cooking in your dorm room. We’ve all had that moment where we wanted to make food, but only had a microwave. Sure, we can make mac and cheese and instant noodles, but what about all the other things? And what to do when we can’t have toaster ovens or hot plates?
I recently realized the answer was an air fryer. When air fryers were first introduced, they marketed it as a “healthy fryer”. But honestly, it’s so so so much more. It fits all the requirements for a dorm, and you can make pretty much anything with it. There’s no open coils, fire hazards, and it runs on a timer. It’s basically the ultimate college cooking device.
So, how do they work? Well there are some scientific ways to explain it, but in simple terms, it’s a round baby oven. It uses a little bit of oil to coat your food, and then cooks it with hot air. Air fryers use way less oil, making it a healthier than a regular fryer. Hence the name air fryer. Pretty cool right? Unlike a microwave, an air fryer doesn’t produce soggy food. Microwaves use microwave radiation, which is used to heat food. That’s why you get steamy, and sometimes soggy food. Because air fryers use hot air, you get a waaayyy crispier result.
Air fryers can literally make anything ranging from roasted potatoes, to burgers, to your favorite breakfast toast. You can also make some of your favorite frozen foods. And all you have to do is put your food in and wait for it to cook! If that’s not amazing I don’t know what is. Some of my personal favorites are sweet potato fries and cookies. Air fryers can make anything that can be baked in an oven. So go ahead and pop in those chicken pot pies and savory roasts. If you’re craving something sweet, maybe try a cake. Fyi, you can use anything that’s oven/microwave safe in your air fryer! That’s a great excuse to buy some mini cupcake tins!
And just so you can leave fully knowledgeable, I’ll give you a few tips on what to do and what not to do. First, don’t overcrowd your air fryer’s basket. Doing so will cause some portions of the food to be underdone and others on the verge of burnt. RIP that side of fries you were gonna eat for dinner. And if you really have to fill it to the max, make sure to pull your basket out and shake / stir whatever you’re cooking. Some foods might dry out quickly. If your food needs a little bit more moisture, consider using a little bit of extra oil or add a tablespoon or so of water to the bottom of the basket. It’ll make the hot air a little “wetter” and prevent your food from drying out as much!
In addition to these tips, there’s a couple things you shouldn’t be making in an air fryer. Avoid cooking battered foods, such as fish and chips or other things that are normally deep fried. Sadly, air fryers don’t do everything a regular fryer does. If you try to cook battered foods, make a crispy, not so yummy batter pool at the bottom of your air fryer. Another thing to watch out for are foods that block the fryer’s airway. Most air fryers have a holed tray which sits near the bottom of the container. If you cover that completely, you might get undercooked food. No one wants to find their food half cooked after suffering severe hangriness for forty minutes.
To avoid a crisis, do yourself a solid and follow these tips while cooking in your air fryer! Don’t starve or settle for ramen and macaroni 24/7. Get yourself an air fryer. Ok you don’t HAVE to. But seriously, consider it if you have limited cooking options in your dorm. It could be a lifesaver.