Are you new to air fryers? Then you might make some common air fryer mistakes while using it at the beginning.
Who doesn’t love hot and crispy food in just a few minutes made in an air fryer? But many of you might make some common mistakes. That usually results in uneven cooking, burnet food, and many more.
In this article, I’ll be explaining what kind of mistakes beginner or daily users might make while using an air fryer. Don’t miss out on the 7th point because that is the most common air fryer mistake.
What is an air fryer?
First, let’s know what an air fryer is.
The air fryer is similar to an oven. You can easily roast and bake using an air fryer.
The only difference between an oven and an air fryer is the heating elements. The air fryer heating elements are based on top with a large and powerful fan. That makes your food super crunchy in no time.
An air fryer usually heats up faster in comparison to an oven and cooks food evenly and quickly. Because of the heating element.
Plus, while cooking in an air fryer, you can cook food in less oil or no oil at all. Isn’t that amazing?
The attractive part of using an air fryer is the easy cleanup. Because most of the air fryer baskets and racks are dishwasher safe. And for the ones that are not dishwasher safe you can use a good dish brush for cleaning. Go through your air fryer manual to find out if your air fryer is dishwasher safe.
15 common air fryer mistakes you’re making when using your air fryer
1. Buying the wrong size air fryer
The air fryer comes in different sizes. If you fail to choose the right size for yourself, there’s nothing more annoying than that.
Instead of buying the wrong size. I would suggest you buy a small air fryer for 1-2 people, buy 4 quarts for 1-3 people, and a large family gets 5 quarts.
2. Buying a low-quality air fryer
Most of us end up buying a low-quality air fryer. A low-quality air fryer doesn’t last for a longer period of time. It’s just a waste of money to buy a new air fryer every 5-6 months.
Instead of doing that go for a good quality air fryer and check the reviews before buying an air fryer.
3. Overcrowded air fryer basket
Out of the common air fryer mistakes, overcrowding the air fryer basket is the most typical mistake most of us make.
We should leave enough space in between food for the best result. Most of us try to make a big batch at once to save time and energy.
But at last, you’ll end up with unevenly cooked food and just create a mess.
Instead of overcrowding your air fryer basket, cook your food in batches for the best result. This allows the air to circulate better and cook your food evenly.
4. Skipping pre-heating process
Most of us don’t think pre-heating the air fryer before cooking is necessary or usually forget to preheat. This leads to uncooked and soggy food.
For optimum cooking, preheating your air fryer is necessary because the airflow will be at the right level, resulting in perfectly crispy air-fried food.
Instead of skipping the preheating process and disappointing yourself, preheat your air fryer 5-10 minutes prior. While your air fryer is preheating you’ll have enough time to prepare your ingredients.
5. Cook without cleaning the air fryer
Cleaning an air fryer is simple and easy though we avoid cleaning it most of the time.
A dirty air fryer can be bad for your health and even can cause your air fryer to smoke (link).
Instead of using a dirty air fryer try to clean it after each use. Just use hot water with dishwashing liquid to clean the basket or just soak as long as it needs and clean so you don’t have to scrub the food off the basket.
Cleaning will keep your air fryer fresh and prevent your air fryer from smoking.
6. Cutting food too small
The air fryer has different heating elements compared to an oven. The hot air circulates in the air fryer for cooking the food. To circulate the hot air the air fryer is equipped with a basket with wider holes.
If you cut your food too small there is a chance for your food to fall through the basket and get burned.
Instead of cutting your food too small, cut them ½ inch wide to stop them from falling off the air fryer basket holes.
7. Not flipping/rotating while cooking
Another most common air fryer mistakes is not flipping your food halfway through the cooking process.
Though your cooking protein or veggies in the air fryer flipping is necessary to acquire evenly cooked food, nobody likes undercooked/uneven cooked food.
You can use a rotating air fryer instead of skipping the flipping process while cooking.
8. Using wet batter
As we know, air frying is different from traditional cooking. Few things don’t work in the air fryer.
Using wet batter in the air fryer is not appropriate due to dripping.
Instead of making wet/loose batter make a thick coating while cooking with the air fryer. Or you can follow the classic three-step breading procedure flour, egg dip, crisp coating.
9. Using too much/too little oil
Most of the recipes that are made in an air fryer use less oil or don’t use any oil. However, you need some oil to coat certain foods because oil helps to make food crispy.
Some of you might be thinking an air fryer is a healthier way to fry food without oil, and some of you might be thinking of using too much oil to coat your food. Both of the methods are not appropriate because less/no oil can result in dry food.
And using too much oil causes oil to drip and lead to burn and smoke.
Instead, use 1-2 tablespoons oil to coat for breaded recipes and 1-2 teaspoons oil for other recipes for the best result.
10. Not checking on food
Most of us don’t check on food while cooking in the air fryer. This is also one of the common air fryer mistakes because in most air fryers you can’t see through.
Checking on your food is important while cooking in the air fryer. You can analyze the cooking time and at the same time, you can flip the food halfway through for the best result.
11. Only use for frying food
Common air fryer mistakes a lot of us are making while using an air fryer is by only using to fry the foods.
The air fryer is a countertop convection oven, meaning you can cook and bake.
Instead of only frying the food you can also bake, reheat the leftovers using an air fryer.
12. Not using the air fryer for cooking veggies
Most of us think that an air fryer is just for cooking French fries or making fried chicken. You can make a lot more besides French fries and chicken.
You can cook crispy veggies such as air fryer Brussel sprouts and potatoes, air fryer mushrooms, air fryer hash browns, and many more.
Air fryers are great for making veggies without compromising on taste and nutrition.
Instead of just cooking fries and chicken go ahead, go crazy by experimenting with different recipes in your air fryer and enjoy.
13. Not using thermometer when air frying
Although an air fryer is a healthier way of cooking, you should always be double-checking to make sure the meal is cooked at the right temperature before serving.
You’ll need a thermometer, not in every recipe, but while making protein, you must use a meat thermometer. Because no one wants food poisoning coming along with the food.
Instead of just eyeballing your meat items in the air fryer use a meat thermometer to know if your food is done or not.
14. Not using the air fryer for reheating
You can use your air fryer for more than just cooking. The air fryer does a great job of reheating the leftovers.
For reheating you just need to set it at 350F and preheat for 2-3 minutes. Place the leftovers in the air fryer basket and cook for 5minutes.
15. Using an air fryer in an area with bad ventilation
The air fryer needs to have enough room on all sides for air to move in and out. The most common air fryer mistakes we make are by keeping it in a small space or a bad ventilated area. It might cause smoke while cooking or even stop functioning if you keep it in a bad ventilated space.
Instead of making this kind of mistake, keep it in an open space on the counter with proper ventilation.
Here are some of the frequently asked questions
Can I use a steel bowl in air fryer?
Yes, you can use a steel bowl in an air fryer if it’s oven-safe.
Where do you put the oil in an air fryer?
You can mix 1-2 tablespoons of oil in your food before cooking in the air fryer or simply spray the oil over the food before cooking.
Do not put the oil inside the air fryer basket or on the compartment below the air fryer basket. This causes your air fryer to smoke.
How long do air fryer last?
The air fryer lasts from 6 months to 3 years depending on the quality of the air fryer you buy.
Wrapping it up!
I hope this article helped you to identify the common air fryer mistakes you have been making. And you’ll try to avoid these kinds of mistakes in the upcoming days.
Don’t forget to check our mouth-watering air fryer recipes.
- Air fryer roasted tomatoes
- Air fryer orange chicken
- Frozen turkey burger
- Air fryer green bean casserole
- Air fryer brownies
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more easy & Tasty air fryer recipes.
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