The Actual Rules For Preheating Your Air Fryer

While some people have gotten pretty familiar with their air fryers over time, this trendy kitchen gadget should still be considered something of a modern marvel. The appliance can heat up all kinds of food in as little as 10 minutes, giving it a deliciously crispy, perfectly fried texture without any added fats or excess time. Still, because it's so new, there's probably a whole lot you still don't know about your air fryer. For instance, have you ever tried preheating it for better results? You might have to preheat an oven before you cook in it, but you might not know how to preheat an air fryer, or have even considered that the same logic could apply to the smaller appliance too?

This cooking tool is a relatively new invention, so it's possible that we've all been doing it wrong from the start. But do you really need to preheat an air fryer or is this an unnecessary step in the cooking process? Well, the answer depends on what you're cooking. While some foods might benefit from preheating, others will not. For example, some foods that usually benefit from some extra sear and charring, such as grilled foods like burgers, might taste even better after some preheating as that warm, circulated air will leave the outside extra crispy. Foods that you'd like to be extra crispy and fried too, such as chicken nuggets or french fries, could also do well with the added heat.

While some foods taste even better in the air fryer after a little preheating, other options will certainly not. For example, if you're simply reheating leftovers such as pizza or potatoes, skip the preheating step. Foods that are prone to drying out like fish or juicy chicken cutlets also don't need to be put into a preheated air fryer. And finally, any foods that would benefit from lower and slower cooking times, such as baked potatoes, should not experience the added heat either so that they can also retain their moisture — so don't make the big air fryer mistake of preheating here either.

Now, if you do want to give preheating your air fryer a try, the process is almost the same as with an oven. Simply set your air fryer to the temperature your recipe calls for and let the machine heat up. Make sure to leave the basket in the machine. After letting the fryer warm up for a few minutes — between three and five minutes is best — you're ready to get cooking. Every air fryer is different, and some models even have a preheating setting, so use this if it's available.

This simple process has the benefits of both cooking food faster and making the end results even crisper and crunchier. Still, if you do decide to preheat, make sure to take the added temperatures into account, as most air fryer recipes assume your machine is starting off at room temp.

Hidden among this  lie some potential preheating pitfalls. It is possible to preheat your air fryer for too long. Yes, a recipe might call for you to cook an item at 350 degrees, for example, but that recipe was developed under certain conditions. As mentioned above, plenty of preparations would have begun the cook time and temperature at zero. Others might have transferred the food directly from the freezer to the appliance every time. So, if you come in with coils blazing and a snack that's been unintentionally defrosting on the counter for a few minutes, you risk the chance of totally overcooking your food, or effecting a burnt exterior and a cold interior.

It might also seem sensible to start your air fryer with a parchment paper lining already inside, but this, too, has its own perils. Your air fryer harnesses the magic of whirling air to swirl around your food and crisp it to a deep-fried approximation. That same circulation can kick up the paper when it's not weighed down by food and possibly even send it careening to the heat source, which poses a fire hazard. You should also skip preheating for the rare treats that you aren't trying to get crunchy. If you're using your air fryer more like an Easy-Bake Oven, those cakes and cookies probably won't be improved by the extra blast of heat. It's always better to add on a little extra time at the end, if needed, than to pass the point of no return.

If you're a fan of how preheating your air fryer elevates your food, there are some other air fryer hacks you'll wish you knew sooner. For starters, let's talk quantity. Even if you can fit six potatoes in your air fryer at once, that doesn't mean you should cook them all at the same time. An overcrowded fryer basket can lead to unevenly cooked food, leaving your meals tasting limp and lifeless instead of extra crisp. So, to ensure the best meals possible, don't add so much food that it's all overlapping, and consider cooking food in batches or taking advantage of the space in your oven as well as the air fryer.

Another way to ensure even, crispy cooking is to clean your air fryer regularly. Built up oil and crumbs can prevent proper air circulation in the basket, again making for unevenly cooked food, so be diligent about cleaning it every time. Then hopefully, with a few of these tips in mind, your air fryer meals will just keep on getting better.