Air fryers have come a long way in the past decade and today they’re sold in a vast range of sizes for a mix of budgets with a host of features beyond just frying.
What started out as a simple way to make fries with less oil has grown into one of the most versatile and popular countertop appliances you can buy. So much so, they’re used by economists when tracking inflation and sales jumped 140% last year even as other appliance sales struggled.
As someone who has been reviewing the best air fryers since they first rose to fame, I’ve cooked everything from fried chicken that rivals KFC to French Toast and even Krispy Kreme-style donuts in my air fryer. In that time, I’ve found some surprising foods you can make in the air fryer, as well as which foods to avoid, and I’ve made my fair share of air fryer mistakes. Plus, the bigger and more elaborate the models get, the more complicated and prone to errors they – and I – become.
With this in mind, here are some mistakes I wish I’d known when I first started.
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Read on to discover what we wish we’d known when we started air frying – or, if you’ve already decided you want to invest in this handy kitchen appliance, check out the best prices on the best air fryers we like right now:
1. Going by the book
Most air fryers come with a recipe booklet or app that offers inspiration about what to cook in an air fryer – but these don’t always include frozen foods or more complex recipes.
This means you will need to experiment. When it comes to frozen foods, I’ve found hotter temperatures are better, as the food needs to thaw and brown at the same time – go too far the other way, though, and the food will burn, so keep an eye on your dish.
When recreating your favorite dishes in an air fryer instead of an oven, experiment with the same temperature you’d usually use. If you find your food is overdone then next time reduce the temperature by 9-18F / 5-10C, or increase it by the same amount if it doesn’t look browned enough (but is cooked through).
The same is true for a dish you’d deep fry such as donuts: set the air fryer to the temperature you’d heat the oil to. However, if it’s a dish you’d usually cook on the stove, there are no hard and fast rules regarding temperature, so make sure to do some research and look for dedicated air fryer recipes for the dish you’re planning to cook.
During my year with an air fryer, I’ve found the appliance can speed up cooking by as much as 50%, providing it’s a dish you’d usually prepare in an oven. However, Air fryers rarely speed up food prepared on the stove – instead, they ensure the browning and crispness is more consistent, and safer if it’s a dish that’s usually deep-fried.
For food that takes around 20 to 25 minutes in an oven, reduce the cooking duration by around five to seven minutes, but be prepared to cook for a few additional minutes if it’s not quite to your liking. If it’s usually cooked on the stove, set the air fryer for a similar cooking duration.
2. Not pre-heating
Some air fryers have an automatic preheat function, which activates as soon as you switch on the appliance, while others require a manual preheat. Whichever model you have, don’t even think about skipping this step.
Preheating sees the hot air circulate in the air fryer’s cavity bringing it to the correct temperature. This means as soon as you add food to the frying basket or bowl, moisture on the surface will start evaporating immediately, which causes it to brown and crisp.
If you add food to a cold basket, this process will take longer and you’ll find it won’t be as crisp or appetizingly browned after the cooking duration you programmed in.
3. Not adjusting for the size or cut of ingredients
One of the easiest traps to fall into when using an air fryer is assuming that all versions of the same food will cook in the same way. Thin fries, chunky wedges, and potato halves all need different timings in an air fryer. The same goes for chicken: strips, drumsticks, and whole thighs won’t brown or cook through at the same rate. And even then, if you’re using the same food but you’ve cut the chips up in different sizes, or one chicken breast is much smaller than the other, the cooking times will vary.
If you don’t adjust the temperature and time accordingly, you’ll either end up with burnt outsides and raw middles, or food that never crisps.
Sadly, given just how many variations of food there are, and even the sheer number of air fryer models, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It comes down to trial and error, and this also harks back to the first mistake in this list: don’t take recipe times and temperatures as gospel.
That said, a good rule of thumb is the thicker the cut, the lower and slower you should cook it. Thinner pieces can handle hotter, shorter blasts. Splitting food into evenly sized portions before cooking makes it easier to get consistent results.
4. Overfilling the basket
All air fryers come with a maximum capacity the frying basket can hold, but over the past year I’ve learned that the closer you get to that figure, the less effective the air fryer is at evenly browning and crisping all of the food in the basket. This is because the hot air struggles to circulate around the food the fuller it is.
In my experience, an air fryer basket should be filled to no more than half its height to ensure food is evenly browned and fully cooked within the specified duration. For example, if you have a 6-quart / 5.7 liter air fryer, a 1lb / 454g batch of fries is the maximum amount you can cook to ensure optimum browning.
If you have a smaller capacity air fryer, or a model that has two frying baskets so you can cook different foods at the same time, such as the Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone air fryer, then you will need to reduce the quantity.
We found in the smaller Instant Vortex Mini, which has a 2-quart / 2-liter capacity, the basket was comfortably able to hold a 0.7 lb / 300g batch of fries without affecting the crisping or browning.
Also when it comes to large items such as bread, cakes or even a whole chicken, the closer the food sits to the heating element in the top of the air fryer, the more likely they are to burn at the point closest to the top, so make sure they are a reasonable distance away from the element. And, of course, be aware of the foods to avoid putting in the air fryer.
5. Not cleaning after every use
It’s tempting to leave the air fryer basket for ‘later,’ but skipping a clean can come back to haunt you. Oil, crumbs, and grease quickly build up and the next time you cook, they can start smoking or burning and that smell can cling to your food, not to mention grease left near a heating element can even become a fire hazard.
Regular cleaning helps your air fryer perform better because clear vents and baskets let the hot air circulate more freely. Most baskets are non-stick and dishwasher safe, so it rarely takes more than a few minutes to wash them out. If you make cleaning part of your routine after every cook, you’ll extend the life of your fryer and keep your meals tasting fresh.
6. Using the wrong oil – or none at all
Yes, they’re called air fryers, but technically speaking, frying by definition requires oil or fat in a pan. If you really want that fried feeling to your food, with crispy, golden, and flavorful coating, then you’re going to need oil to make it happen.
Most manufacturers will recommend using a small amount with some recipes, but I’ve found some meals need a little more. You sacrifice some of the health benefits, so experimenting and finding a level that feels right for your needs is key.
It’s important to note that you’ll want an oil with a high smoke point, though, to avoid food that tastes burnt. We made this mistake when we ran out of sunflower oil and tried olive oil, which pretty much ruined our meal.
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