You’ve been using your air fryer all wrong – avoid nine common mistakes so your food doesn’t get soggy
AIR fryers are a great tool to whip up a delicious homecooked meal but it can be easy to make mistakes.
Here are some common errors that cooks are making in the kitchen and tips to make sure you're getting the most out of your appliance.
Overfilling the basket
A common mistake is to put too much in the air fryer and overloading it with too much food.
If there's too many items within the air fryer, it becomes difficult for the food to cook evenly.
Byron Puck, chef at Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, told : "Since it functions as a convection oven by rotating hot air around the basket, you want to give room for each ingredient to have this air hit it on all sides."
You're just using it for one food
Home cooks may be relying on air fryers for just one type of food.
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An air fryer can cook different types of meats, roast vegetables and also reheat food.
Puck said: "People often forget it's also a countertop convection oven, meaning you can cook and bake so much in it aside from just fried foods."
Proteins aren't dry
To avoid soggy food, it's important to pat dry proteins before you try to fry it.
A dry surface will cook more quickly than a wet one as moisture on the surface will steam.
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Air-fryer isn't properly cleaned
To take care of your appliance and ensure it lasts a long time, it's important to frequently clean out your air-fryer.
In between uses, you'll want to give all of the parts of the machine that are removable a decent wash.
According to Dan Zuccarello, executive food editor at America's Test Kitchen, the main body of your air fryer should also be regularly cleaned to remove grease and food splatters.
Not pre-heating your air-fryer
Air fryers need to be pre-heated to ensure food is cooked all the way through.
Before putting your food in the basket, turn the air-fryer on for a few minutes to make sure it's nice and hot.
Not rotating food
Forgetting to rotate food is an easy way for your food to come out not evenly cooked.
It's essential to turn proteins, like pork tenderloins, fish fillets or chicken wings, to get the best result.
Vegetable needs to be moved around
By moving vegetables around while they cook, they are more likely to become more browned.
To give them the best chance at cooking through, cut them into smaller cuts.
It can be handy to use a bowl to add seasonings to the dish once they've started cooking.
You're forgetting all the air fryer's functions
Air fryers aren't just handy for cooking meat and vegetables, you can also use them to bake to perfection.
Puck said: "If you are looking to make a beautiful homemade dessert, the air fryer is perfect for baking doughnuts, casseroles, and even cakes."
Just ensure the cooker is totally clean but before adding sweet treats if you've previously been using it for dinner.
Kenzie Swanhart, culinary director at Ninja and author, said: "A lot of folks think that because air fryers are a healthier way to fry food, they don't need to use any oil.
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"I always recommend using about a tablespoon of oil [to] evenly coating your food before air frying."