I’m an Air Fryer pro & there are 11 things you should NEVER cook in one, people always make a mistake with burgers
IT’S FAIR to say air fryers are having a moment.
If you haven’t got yours yet it’s likely you’re living under a rock with no access to mains electricity.
Many of us rely on our air fryers for a quick and cheap solution to cooking up chips, veg and the occasional chicken nugget.
But we also cram in some unconventional foods just to make our kitchen lives a little easier.
That’s all well and good, but there are some things you should never cook in the air fryer according to Lara Brittain, kitchen expert at Currys – who spoke to Good To Know about the dos and don’ts.
First off, don’t put any wet batter in your machine.
The expert said: “It won’t set the way it does when it’s submerged in oil, ultimately making a mess and the food won’t have that crunchy shell it is intended to have.”
In order to seal the batter, it needs to be fried in oil so it won’t crisp up as required.
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What’s more likely is that it’ll drip to the bottom of the machine and cause a right old mess.
Next up – don’t stick cheese in your air fryer. It melts quickly and will burn easily at high temperatures.
The melted cheese can then ooze into the machine and cause it to break.
The pro said: “Avoid placing too much cheese in an air fryer – it can affect the inner workings and cause damage to the appliance.”
Popcorn is also a no-no for the air fryer. The machine won’t get hot enough for it to pop so you’re far better off using the microwave.
Rice is a bad choice for the air fryer as it has to be cooked in water and you can’t add water to the tray.
Adding water to the appliance is a safety issue as it could get into the circuitry.
The same goes for popping pasta in the air fryer – but you can always reheat leftovers.
If you can fit a whole roast chicken in the air fryer, it’s not recommended that you cook it in there.
It’s unlikely that it’ll cook properly without room for the air to move around it so some parts may be undercooked and others could be dry.
Burgers are also a tricky one, especially if you don’t want them well done.
The air fryer works in such a way that they will cook the middle of the meat quicker than the outside.
This is also why it’s a bad idea to cook steaks in the counter-top ovens.
Next up, don’t try and cook your leafy greens in the air fryer.
Kitchen expert Lara said: “Although it is possible to cook spinach and leafy greens in an air fryer, it may cook unevenly and burn due to the air fryer’s high-speed air so be sure to check the air fryer temperature settings before using it to cook leafy greens.”
Toast is never a good idea in the air fryer as you’ll end up with a load crumbs blown around the chamber and potentially clogging it up.
Lara said: “Air fryers are not toasters, so be sure to place bread in the oven if you want it to be crispy as the air fryer will just dry out the bread and not necessarily make the toast crispy as it should be.”
Finally, don’t use your air fryer to make saucy dishes like a stew or soups.
The holes in the basket will mean the liquid seeps out and ruins both your machine and your dinner.