Modern kitchens are changing rapidly, giving way to smart gadgets that take on routine cooking tasks. Xiaomi aerogril has become a hit among health food lovers, offering an alternative to traditional frying in oil. Many users wonder whether this device is truly versatile or its functionality is limited to basic tasks? The answer lies in hot air circulation technology, which allows you to achieve a crispy crust without excess fat.
Xiaomi devices like the Mi Smart Air Fryer 3.5L or Pro version feature powerful heating elements and smart controls through the Mi Home app. This opens up opportunities not only for fast roasting, but also for complex heat treatment of products. In this article, we’ll take a look at what dishes work best, how to avoid typical mistakes, and what culinary experiments are worth doing with your new assistant.
The principle of operation and features of smart fryers
The basis of any aerogrill is a powerful convection flow. The heating element located at the top of the bowl heats the air that circulates around the products at a high speed. 360° technology ensures uniform heat distribution, which allows you to cook food from all sides at the same time. Unlike the oven, it does not require preheating, which saves time and electricity.
Xiaomi models are smart, and you can use the app to select the exact temperature and time, and you can track the process in real time, and you can start remotely, you can put food in the morning, and you can start cooking 15 minutes before you get home, which ensures that dinner is hot and fresh just when you get home.
It's important to understand the difference between regular frying and hot air cooking. Butter here is not a conductor of heat, it's only added in minimal amounts for flavor. Foods are cooked in their own juice, which preserves more vitamins and minerals. However, due to the lack of oil bath, the texture of some dishes may differ from the usual deep-fried potatoes.
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The main advantage of aerogril is a reduction in calorie content of dishes up to 80% due to the rejection of a large amount of oil while preserving the taste of the fried product.
Meat dishes and poultry: from steaks to wings
Meat and poultry are the category where aerogril performs best. High temperatures quickly seal juices inside the piece, preventing them from leaking out. Chicken Wing mode, which is usually preset on the menu, is ideal for chickens. Wings are made with golden, crispy skins that resemble the result of grilling.
When cooking steaks or chops, it's important to consider the thickness of the piece. Thin slices are cooked very quickly, so it's best not to overdry them. If you're using the Xiaomi Smart Air Fryer Pro model, pay attention to the visual control feature through a transparent window if you have one in your modification, or just check readiness more often. The meat doesn't burn to the bottom of the bowl thanks to non-stick coating, but it's better to use parchment or silicone mat.
- 🍗 Chicken wings: the perfect crisp crust for 15-20 minute 200°C.
- 🥩 Steaks: require pre-marination and temperature around 180-200°C for medium roasting.
- 🌭 Sausages and sausages: preparing for 8-10 minutes, giving a beautiful blush without a burst shell.
- 🍖 Ribs: require longer languish at moderate temperature for softness.
And remember stuffed dishes. Chicken legs stuffed with vegetables or cheese are cooked in an air grill perfectly. The flow of hot air penetrates even complex shapes, ensuring the readiness of the fillings. The main thing is not to overload the bowl so that air can circulate freely between the pieces.
Fish and seafood: delicate processing
Cooking fish in aerogril requires a special approach, because gentle fillets can dry quickly. However, the right temperature allows you to get a result comparable to the restaurant. Salmon, trout or dorada retain their structure and juiciness. It is important not to overdo it with time, because the fish cook faster than meat.
For seafood, like shrimp or squid, aerogril is perfect. It cooks in a matter of minutes. If you over-rear the squid, it becomes rubber, so the timer here is your best friend. Use Seafood mode or set the temperature around 160-180°C.
Secret of juicy fish
Whole fish can also be cooked in the device if its size corresponds to the volume of the bowl (usually up to 1-1.2 kg). For this, it is better to use foil or a special sleeve for baking, so that the fish steamed inside, and then open it to obtain a crust for the last 5 minutes.
Vegetables, side dishes and fries
Vegetables are a separate universe of flavors in aerogril. Baked vegetables acquire a caramelized flavor that is difficult to achieve when cooking or stewing. French fries without a liter of butter are classics of the genre. Bar-cut potatoes must be pre-soaked in cold water to remove excess starch, then dried and sprinkled with a spoonful of butter.
Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and eggplant are cooked very quickly. They become soft inside but retain a pleasant texture on the outside. The sweet potato in Xiaomi's aerogril is particularly tasty, resembling baked in coals.
| Product | Temperature (°C) | Time (min) | Council |
|---|---|---|---|
| French fries | 200 | 15-20 | Shake every 5 minutes |
| broccoli | 180 | 8-10 | Sprinkle with oil |
| Eggplant | 190 | 12-15 | Cube it with a diced |
| corn | 200 | 10-12 | In the cob or grain |
Don't be afraid to experiment with frozen vegetable blends. Aerogril does a great job of turning a watery bag from the store into a full-fledged side dish. Just increase the cooking time by 3-5 minutes compared to fresh ones.
Bakeries and desserts: amazing opportunities
Many people are surprised to learn that air grills can be baked, convection works even more efficiently than some ovens, muffins and small pies are airy and evenly baked, and you'll need silicone molds that fit easily into a bowl.
It's also possible to make pizza or an open pie. It's quick to grab the dough and the filling is ready. If you use a frozen dough, the air grill will warm it up and make it crisp in minutes. It's a great alter! nativity for a quick breakfast or snack.
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For baking in aerogril, lower the temperature by 10-15 degrees relative to the recipe for the oven, as the air flow here is more intense and can overdry the top.
Desserts like apples and cinnamon or baked bananas and chocolate are made in a rudimentary way. Fruits caramelize to become sweet and soft. It's a useful alternative to cakes when you want something sweet, but without harming your figure.
Warming and defrosting of products
Aerogril is not only a cooking tool from scratch, it's also a great tool to reanimate yesterday's dishes. Heating pizzas or pies in an aerogril gives them back a crunch that's not possible in a microwave oven. Microwave makes the dough soft and moist, and the flow of hot air restores texture.
The defrosting function (if available in the model) or simply low-temperature mode allows you to carefully defrost meat or berries. Air circulation prevents the products from suffocating or starting to cook in their own juice, as it happens when defrosting at room temperature.
⚠️ Warning: Never use an aerogrill to heat liquid dishes (soup, porridge) in open dishes unless you have a special sealed container designed for high temperatures.
What not to do: restrictions and prohibitions
Despite its versatility, the device has its limitations: Do not use ordinary glassware or ceramics that are not designed for high temperatures, as they can burst from a sharp drop.
Avoid using too much oil. A liter of oil will make an aerogril dangerous, as it can flare up or cause smoke. This appliance is not designed to deep-fry, it's designed to work with as little fat as possible.
☑️ Pre-launch checks
It is also not recommended to prepare products in paper packaging or polyethylene. A strong flow of air can lift light objects to the heating element, which will lead to fire. Always use only heat-resistant materials: metal, silicone, special parchment.