Crispy, delicious and completely oil free
Why professional kitchens are embracing air frying as a feel-good factor.
Air frying has been one of the biggest trends in home kitchens in recent years – and the cooking method is becoming increasingly popular with restaurateurs. As well as healthier results, air frying has many other benefits, including lower costs and reduced risk of injury and fire.
We spoke with Lilly-Marie Schmidt, Director Food & Packaging Supplier Management at RATIONAL, about air frying in professional kitchens.
Q: What are the advantages of Air Frying over conventional deep frying?
Lilly-Marie Schmidt: The main advantage of air frying is that no oil is needed, saving money and time on buying, storing, and disposing of frying fat. It also improves kitchen safety and well-being by reducing airborne fat particles, preventing health issues, greasy odors, and the risk of burns and fires. Air-fried food contains fewer calories, unhealthy trans fats, and acrylamide, oven resulting in better taste and texture compared to conventional deep frying.
Q: How is that possible?
Lilly-Marie Schmidt: With air frying, you are not dependent on frying fat quality, ensuring consistent taste and texture. Colors and flavours are more pronounced without the masking effect of fat. The iCombi Pro, in addition to classic air fryers, can be used for air frying. If you already have an iCombi Pro for other cooking methods, you just need the CombiFry container to ensure even hot air distribution, making your food crispy on all sides.
Q: For which hospitality establishments and for what number of meals is the process suitable?
Lilly-Marie Schmidt: Air frying with the iCombi Pro is highly flexible and suitable for any business. It allows for cooking large or small quantities, mixed loads, and keeping food warm or regenerating it with ease. Restaurants can cook falafel alongside other dishes, stadiums can produce large batches of chips quickly, and schools or nursing homes can offer healthy meals. The iCombi Pro is user-friendly, requiring no special training, and its intelligent system automatically adjusts cooking temperature and time for consistent results.
For more information on the iCombi Pro, CombiFry and recipe inspiration, visit rational-online.com.
17th July 2025
