Why does nobody talk about preheating the air fryer before putting food in?

I just had the saddest batch of chicken wings last night. They came out all soggy and uneven. I've had this air fryer for like 2 years and always just threw stuff in cold. My buddy came over and saw me do it and was like 'dude you gotta let it heat up first, thats why yours always comes out weird.' Tried it tonight and it was night and day difference. How long do you guys let yours preheat?

2 comments

2 Comments

mary7761mo ago

Honestly I just set mine to 400 and let it sit empty for like 3-4 minutes while I get the food ready. Ngl the first time I did it with frozen fries the difference was huge, way crispier and more even. Tbh now I'm mad at myself for wasting two years of subpar wings.

eva9081mo ago

Preheating seems obvious but the trick I learned is that it also depends on what you're cooking. For something like frozen fries or chicken wings, 3-4 minutes at the full temp is fine. But for something delicate like vegetables or fish, you want just a minute or two at a lower temp, maybe 350, so they don't burn on the outside before the inside is done. My biggest mistake was preheating too long for certain foods, ended up with blackened edges on asparagus once. So it's not just about doing it, it's about how long you let it go for the specific thing you're making.