Air fryers are the latest and hottest kitchen appliance, and we're seeing them popup in FSU apartment kitchens all over Tallahassee. If you're not familiar them, air fryers are pretty much mini ovens. Within minutes, they take a small amount of space from room temperature to 400+ degrees. This is like "frying" the food because of the sharp temperature increase and the hardened texture it leaves on the food; reheating yesterday's chicken tenders will probably make them taste better. But like any groundbreaking kitchen appliance, a quality air fryer might fry your wallet. You'll want to assess what your FSU apartment lifestyle will be like before buying in.
Leftovers
Most Florida State freshman I meet barely use the mini-fridge in their dorm; on the rare occasion that they do, they just store leftovers from today's takeout. Are you the kind of person who usually asks for a to-go box after a restaurant meal? Personally, I always clean my plate. But I often order a large pizza to feed me for a couple days, so my air fryer comes in handy. The chamber inside has holes, so foods, even sandwiches, that are heavy in sauce are very problematic. However, smaller sandwiches or even fast food burgers (don't knock it till you try it!) get double as tasty after 4 minutes at 400 degrees. People who often reheat leftovers could use an upgrade from the microwave, but if you rarely have food to nuke, you might not want to pursue this purchase.
Frozen Foods
There's never an empty frozen foods aisle in a college town. In FSU's CollegeTown, many apartments include utilities, so adding another minifridge or leaving the air fryer plugged in isn't too big a deal. There also aren't instant microwaves. I decided to buy an air fryer because I was tired of waiting for what seemed like forever for my Hot Pockets to heat up. Now my FSU apartment kitchen can cook chicken nuggets as well as the takeout place down the street. If you are a person who is always on-the-go or who frequents the freezer, air fryers present an awesome opportunity. Specifically, when it comes to chicken nuggets and pizza rolls, the texture an air fryer provides is unmatched by any department store microwave. Putting a new spin on frozen favorites can add some flair to your college life and shave some minutes off your busy schedule.
Try Something New
Since the boom of air fryers, countless cookbooks and online articles have been written about all the new possibilities. With all of the time we spend in doors these days, it makes mindful and financial sense to branch out if you want to spice up your diet, especially if you live with a few roommates; not only will you get the most bang for your buck, but the more your roommates use the fryer, the more exciting combinations you'll discover. For instance, without an air fryer, I never would have known that frying a PB&J sandwich at 450 degrees for three minutes tastes like heaven. If you're tired of the same ol' same ol', you ought to give air fryers the old college try.
At some point in your college career, you will run into a situation where you'll need to nuke your chicken nuggets or leftover pizza; most college kids deal with this every week. For people who are on-the-go, often have leftovers, or like to experiment, an air fryer is a great investment; just remember your FSU apartment's smoke detector!