Air fryers are one of the most popular kitchen appliances on the market today. Whether you're a seasoned user or a recent convert, these tips from CHOICE kitchen expert Fiona Mair will help you avoid the common problems that make cooking in your air fryer a disappointing experience.
Things our air fryer expert would never do
1. Forget to shake
If the foods you prepare in your air fryer aren't cooking evenly, you're probably not moving them around the basket as often as you should.
Turning larger items such as schnitzel and shaking smaller items like chips is necessary if you want to produce golden brown goodies.
"Some air fryers beep to remind you to shake the food," says Fiona. "If not, you'll need to set a timer to remind yourself to shake the basket every five minutes."
2. Crowd the basket
Trying to fit too much in your air fryer is a recipe for disappointment. An overfilled basket will stop the hot air that does the cooking from circulating properly, which can result in slower, uneven cooking and make foods soggy rather than crisp. Do you want limp, steamed chips? No, we didn't think so.
But how much food is too much? Unfortunately, our testing often finds that claimed capacity can be misleading. That's why our latest reviews include a measured usable capacity for the models we've tested, so be mindful of these findings when deciding how much to add to your air fryer. We also measure the capacity of a single layer of food (chicken nuggets) to give our members an idea of the size of the basket.
"We base this on the chicken nugget capacity," explains Fiona. "Extra large baskets can hold more than 30 nuggets, large baskets hold 25–29 nuggets, medium 15–24 nuggets, and a small basket holds less than 15 nuggets."
As mentioned above, for crispy, golden results you need to turn or shake your food as it cooks, but overcrowding stops this from being effective.
"If your basket is overfilled, then shaking the food becomes difficult," says Fiona. "Food that requires turning, such as crumbed chicken nuggets, should be placed on a grill rack in a single layer and turned at least once."
3. Put it in the dishwasher
We get it, air fryer baskets can be large and bulky, making them awkward to clean by hand in a domestic sink. While many manufacturers will claim their air fryer baskets can be cleaned in the dishwasher, Fiona urges caution.
"Putting them in the dishwasher can damage the non-stick surface quite quickly due to the harsh detergents and prolonged exposure to hot water," she says.
But that isn't the only problem. "Damage to the non-stick coating may also release flakes of coating into your food when your air fryer is overheated to very high temperatures," she says. "You should also avoid using metal tongs and utensils to prevent scratching the non-stick coating. If the coating is scratched you may want to replace the basket."
The non-stick coatings found on many air fryers are often made with PFAS ... you may recognise the name of the specific PFAS used in cookware: PTFE (also known as Teflon)
The non-stick coatings found on many air fryers are often made with PFAS – a group of widely used chemicals that are exceptionally resistant to oil, water, heat and stains and give many forms of cookware their non-stick properties. You may recognise the name of the specific PFAS used in cookware: PTFE (also known as Teflon).
It's currently unclear if migration of PFAS chemicals in non-stick cookware into food harms human health. But if you'd prefer to avoid these types of non-stick coatings, look for an air fryer with a glass or ceramic-coated basket or one coated with silicone instead.
Your air fryer should be cleaned after every use. Failing to do so can affect your food's flavour and can even pose a fire hazard.
4. Not cleaning it properly
Skipping the dishwasher doesn't mean you can ignore the need for cleaning.
While a conventional oven might only need to be cleaned every three to six months, depending on how much use it gets, an air fryer should be cleaned after every use. Failing to do so can leave residue and crumbs which can burn, and leftover oil which can smoke. This can affect your food's flavour and can even pose a fire hazard.
"After each use, clean around the fan and wipe inside the unit with warm soapy water and a microfibre cloth," advises Fiona. Doing this while it's still warm makes cleaning easier, too.
Some air fryers also have special steam-cleaning functions that can make the job easier.
Some people recommend silicone liners to help stop splatters, which will reduce the need for cleaning. However, they can prevent any oil from foods from draining away, and this can make your food less crispy.
Putting your air fryer in a cupboard can make you less likely to use them, making your investment a waste of money.
5. Put it away in the cupboard
Unlike a fancy stand mixer, most air fryers aren't very aesthetically pleasing, but putting them away in a cupboard can be a mistake.
Air fryers are often heavy and bulky, so moving them from a cupboard to a benchtop can be hard work. That means you may be less likely to use them, making your investment a waste of money.
"To get the most out of your air fryer, you might want to leave it out permanently," advises Fiona. "This, of course, depends on you having the space on your kitchen counter."
A lack of space might also be a barrier to storing your air fryer in a cupboard, so bear these points in mind before you buy.
Check out the pros and cons for each model in our reviews to read the tester's comments on how bulky different models are and how easily they may fit into your cupboard.
On the subject of space, make sure you position your air fryer so it isn't against a wall, which can be a fire hazard.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
