Possible Mistakes during Air Fries
Air fryers are becoming an increasingly popular gadget seen in millions of kitchens around the globe. This small device is probably popular because it has the potential to brown and crisp food without oil.
Oh, this gadget can do more than just cook it. A wide variety of foods can also be heated and baked. But if you want to achieve perfectly browned fries or crispy chicken wings, you’ll want to know how to use your air fryer properly.
Here are some common mistakes that you might make when you use your air fryer.
Mistake #1: Not preheating the air fryer.
Good-quality air fryer heats up so quickly that you might not think you’re going to have to preheat it. Yet still, I’m going to come across an air fryer recipe that makes no mention of preheating, and I’m always disappointed with the results.
Use it instead: Preheat the air fryer for 10 minutes before cooking. Please refer to the Air Fryer Manual for details, but most models suggest 10 to 15 minutes of preheating — a lot of time to prepare the ingredients. This will mean that the meal is fresh rather than steamed.
Mistake #2: Not providing enough space to the air fryer.
Small kitchens and small appliances sometimes run into this problem: you’ve got your air stove pushed deep into the counter underneath the fridge. But that’s a challenge, since air fryers depend on convection to get food crisp — and convection requires proper space and air flow.
Do this instead: set up an air fryer so that it has at least five inches of space on all sides. For convenience, go ahead and put the air fryer in the back counter or corner of the fridge, but when you’re in use — to get the most out of your machine — give the air fryer five inches of space on all sides. Be sure that your air fryer is on a stable, heat-proof surface while in use, too!
Mistake #3: Overcrowding of the air fryer bowl.
The basket on most of the air fryers is tiny. There’s enough room to comfortably cook two servings of meat or fish, or four servings of vegetables— but that’s it. It may be tempting to stack or squish food closely together to prepare as much food as possible at once, but the results are likely to be frustrating.
Alternatively, try the following: cook in batches for quicker, better air fryer. Air fryer cooking is usually faster than roasting or frying. So don’t think about cooking everything at once! Alternatively, cook better and faster— again, due to convection— by cooking small batches back-to-back. Get the Ninja Max air fryer as it has a bigger basket
Mistake #4: Use too little (or too much) oil.
The air fryer provides the comfort of deep-fried food without any deep-fried oil, but it can be difficult to measure how much oil basic food needs — especially frozen food prepared to imitate fried food on its own.
Consider this: use only 1/2 teaspoon of oil for most dishes. When frying frozen items— such as French fries or chicken nuggets— use a small amount of oil (or even a spritz of nonstick spray) to make the food crisp without becoming soggy
For fresh vegetables or large proteins such as chicken or beef, cover the food with at least 1/2 teaspoon of oil per batch to guarantee that the food is crisp and crispy when frying the skin.
Mistake #5: Cut veggies too low.
Air fryers are equipped with a basket that allows air flow around the food, but the basket holes are wide, which means that small pieces fall through the basket and can burn quickly.
Alternatively, consider this: hold veggies 1/4-inch long to prevent them from falling in. The thickness of a thick-cut French fries is just-about-perfect for food that does not break through a basket and still cooks easily. Hold the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and the like at least 1/4-inch long so that they remain in the bowl.
Mistake #6: The use of wet batteries.
Some of our favorite deep-fried foods have moist doughnuts that don’t work in the air fryer, because they don’t get the instant set that comes from a hot oil vat. Wet pounded foods (think: corn dogs or tempura) must be suited to the air fryer with thicker coatings.
Do this instead: use ingredients that create a thick coating, not a loose pastry. Having air fryer-specific recipes can help when you’re looking for products that usually have wet batteries but need a covering instead of operating in the air fryer. When in question, use the traditional three-step breading technique (meat, egg dip, crisp coating) for the air fryer.
Mistake #7: Not often enough to wash the air fryer.
If you just chuck frozen tots into the air fryer, you might not note that the fry basket gathers dirt and oil every time you use it.
Use this instead: if you want to cook fast, let the air fry cool and then clean after each use. Then wash the basket absolutely with hot soapy water after longer air frying sessions. Yeah, it’s an extra step, but it’s going to ensure a better end product.
#8: You’re not going to move your vegetables around while you’re frying them. You’re going to want to move your vegetables around occasionally when you’re cooking them in an air fryer. Vegetables will get more browned if you chuck them halfway through cooking.
“With smaller cuts, throwing them in a separate bowl can be more effective. Making use of a bucket ensures easy way to apply seasonings to your dish part-way through frying. Air fryers are also useful for baking desserts.” If you’re looking to make a beautiful baked pastry, the air fryer is ideal for baking doughnuts, casseroles, and even cakes.
Before using your air fryer to produce desserts, just make sure it’s as clean as possible so that you don’t add any unexpected spices to your treats.
#9: You’re never using any oil. Although you don’t need oil to use an air fryer, you shouldn’t be afraid to use a bit of oil to cover other foods, because it can help make them crisp.
Having you cook with no oil may be nice, but fat is what encourages browning and can help crisp food and just adding a small amount of oil to food will greatly improve your performance.
A lot of people think that because air fryers are a healthier way to fry food, they don’t need to use any grease, it’s always recommended to use about a tablespoon of oil to cover the food thinly before air fries.