Here Are The 5 Most Common Air Fryer Mistakes You May Be Making

These air fryer mistakes can pose risk of damage to the machine itself, your food, your countertop, and even threaten your safety. So, we have compiled 5 of such mistakes that should be taken as warning notes as well as tips on how to avoid them.

1. You don't preheat your air fryer

Air fryers have a few similarities to ovens. One of them is that they work best if appropriately pre-heated before use. Placing your food in the machine without heating it beforehand may:

Cause you to lose the perfect crispness qs it'll need a longer cooking time.
Or, make the food to dry out because lower heat will draw moisture to the surface.

What to do: never forget to preheat your air fryer before use!

2. You overcrowd the basket

This mistake takes the top rank among the most common air fryer mistakes because well… patience is a hard thing to observe when you're hungry. But, before rushing all the food items into the basket of the air fryer, remember that the items will block the convection movement of the heated air that the machine creates.

Unfortunately, this will also prolong the cooking time as the food items will come out unevenly cooked.

What to do: make sure to give the food items enough space in the basket and make sure that the baskets are only filled to the recommended level.

3. You don't give your air fryer enough air space

An air fryer generates a lot of heat and it'll need to be elevated from the surface to prevent damage to the counters, causing them to crack, scorch, or warp with the heat from these units.

What to do: some air fryers come with feet that raise them from the surface. If yours doesn't, place it on a thick cutting board or on a rimmed baking sheet turned upside down to prevent intense heat from accumulating under the machine.

4. You allow dirt and grease buildup

Although you require little to no amount of oil when using an air fryer, dirt and grease can still build up in the machine. Combined with the tendency for the machine to get very hot, this can cause a fire hazard, contaminate meals, or make cleaning it later very difficult.

What to do: clean your air fryer after every use.

5. You don't use the needed amount of oil

Most air fryer recipes still require oil except that it is significantly lesser than normal frying requires. If you use too much oil, the product will be too greasy and if you use too little, you may end up with food that doesn’t crisp properly.

What to do: use the amount of oil that is just right. Not too little, not too much!