I feel like a universal college experience is attempting to cook something in a microwave, and either failing or barely succeeding. This isn’t always a bad thing, as it can result in a very interesting story, but there is a better way. While searching on Prime day this year, I found an air fryer and decided that it was a decent purchase to try out. Arguably one of the best decisions I’ve made. Not only is it a great way to cook food, but it’s also slightly healthier than other ways. It’s also one of the few cooking elements allowed by colleges, as it isn’t an open heat source and doesn’t produce smoke or anything that could trigger an alarm. So for this article, I’ve decided to list some of my favorite things I’ve made in my air fryer.
- Canned pastries
Pilsbury is still top tier, because their cans are fun to open, and are capable of being cooked in a dorm. From cinnamon rolls, biscuits, and crescent rolls, they’re all bakeable in an air fryer. At first, I was a little hesitant because I wasn’t sure if they’d bake fully, but after a quick google search on how to properly cook them, they’ve quickly become a favorite of mine to make. They’re also cheaper and easy to find in most stores and can be kept in a fridge after baking.
- Bacon
This was honestly a saving grace for me, as bacon is one of my favorite breakfast foods ever. It took a minute because I didn’t really have a way to store raw bacon, resulting in me cooking a whole pound of bacon. Which is in all reality the exact opposite of a problem. I’ll be honest this one was kind of a pain to clean up, but after I dumped the grease and let it soak, all was well. If you like bacon in any way shape or form, an air fryer is a great way to cook without getting grease popped on you.
- Chicken
This was a big feat, as cooking chicken is always kind of stressful for me, and I’ve never fried chicken before. However, it worked really well and is arguably one of the easiest things I’ve made in the air fryer. Something you do have to keep in mind though is that you have to have seasons for your chicken, so as long as you’ve got those you’re good to go!
- Potatoes
This was something I jumped on the minute I could, as potatoes are a universal food. For snacks, dinner, breakfast, or any other time of the day- this would quickly become a go-to. What’s great about this is that you could get frozen potatoes in hashbrown form, or make potato wedges with whole potatoes, or even fry mashed potatoes! They’re incredibly versatile, and always delicious, and definitely an air fryer must-have.
While there is essentially no end to what you can cook in an air fryer, it’s also incredibly convenient because there is such a variety. School-provided food may not always be available, or may not line up with health needs, or just not be what students want. Overall, having the option to cook your own food in a safe and acceptable way in your dorm is incredibly helpful and can make students stress slightly less during these already stressful times. So, in my opinion, buy an air fryer! I haven’t regretted it yet, and doubt I will any time soon.