Naturally Balanced > Education and ecology > Air Fryer Do’s and Don’ts

Air Fryer Do’s and Don’ts

Published: 25/04/2022
Naturally Balanced
The Naturally Balanced team includes experts in their field who create the best content for you, collaborating on their knowledge and experience.

Date of the last update: 25.04.2022

Let’s dive in and explore more about the simple rules to keep in mind when air frying. I know that when you begin to use new equipment, especially one in your kitchen, it can be intimidating. Therefore, we will go through the essential Do’s and Don’ts. This way you will be ready and prepared to start your Air Fryer Journey as soon as you are done reading.

Table of Contents:

  1. DO’s
  2. Distance is Key
  3. Prioritize Hygiene
  4. Kitchen aids
  5. DON’Ts
  6. Overcrowding
  7. Avoid using oil
  8. The Debate – to preheat or not to preheat
  9. Conclusion

You can read this article in 4 minutes.

DO’s – Air Fryer

Though it may seem intimidating in the beginning, you will find air frying is very easy to get used to. To prepare you for your first time air frying, I will list for you here some of the most important Do’s when using your newly purchased Air Fryer.

You may also be interested in: 5 Reasons – Why you Need to buy an Air Fryer today

Distance is Key

First and foremost, keep your air fryer away from the wall. The recommended distance between the appliance and a surface is 10-15 cm. Since the air fryer motor is at its back, the hot air that circulates and comes out may damage the wall. Hence, this first Do is a must when you start your air frying journey. 

Prioritize Hygiene

Second of all, hygiene when cooking is a main priority. I advise to always at least rinse or wipe with a wet cloth your air fryer after use. This would not only keep the appliance clean, but will also eliminate any leftover foods that can leave an odour. A simple soak in soap warm water works miracles.

Kitchen aids

My last advice is to use aluminum foil or parchment paper when air frying. These two very useful kitchen supplies will aid you to keep your air fryer clean. The downside is that with some foods when placing a parchment paper or aluminum foil under, it can uneven the air frying process. This happens as heat does not go through it. You can, for example, purchase some parchment papers with holes. However, when air frying chicken for instance, I find it better to air fry without the parchment paper and thoroughly wash the air fryer after. 

DON’Ts – Air Fryer

Once you start air frying more often, you will discover (hopefully not the hard way) that there are indeed some definite Don’ts when it comes to the Air Fryer. Here I will give you my top 3, which I would have loved to know when I first began air frying.

Overcrowding

To start with, it is very important not to overcrowd the basket or tray of your air fryer. I know that sometimes the size of it can be frustrating since you just want to add those two extra chicken wings. Trust me, it is not worth it. Similar to every cooking method, you need to respect the equipment you are using. Overcrowding the basket will slow down the cooking process and uneven the amount of heat that gets to each food item. Do yourself a favor and split whatever you are cooking into batches. The best way to ensure your items will air fry properly is to ensure they are not touching each other. 

Avoid using oil

Secondly, I would recommend avoiding the use of oil. I know that a lot of recipes mention spraying your tray or basket with oil. In my air frying experience, however, this step is unnecessary. I understand that the reasoning behind is to ensure that the food does not stick to the surface. I have very rarely experienced this issue when air frying. After all, the reason you are air frying is to avoid using any oils. Hence, spraying your basket or even food with oil kind of contradicts the point. If you are afraid, indeed, that the food will stick to the surface, I would recommend using a parchment paper or aluminum foil. Both are safe to air fry and will keep your tray cleaner.  

The Debate – to preheat or not to preheat

Last but not least, do not preheat your air fryer. Now again, I know that a lot of recipes call for this. I do find it irrelevant. In my first post we went through the mechanics behind air frying and how the hot air circulates very fast, cooking the food. Logically, the air fryer will heat up in no time. Therefore, there is no need for you to preheat it in order to start your cooking process. I have found, though, that if you air fry two batches of food, let’s say chicken, the second batch will be ready faster. This again brings us back to the extremely fast heat circulating inside the gadget. 

Explore more: 3 Nutritious Air Fried Breakfasts On the Go You can make in 20 minutes

Conclusion

You are now ready to start your Air Fryer journey with these simple and basic rules of Do’s and Don’ts when air frying. With time and more experiences, you will learn and find what works best for you. The most important part is to enjoy cooking with your sustainable Air fryer appliance and discover new dishes that you love!

Naturally Balanced
The Naturally Balanced team includes experts in their field who create the best content for you, collaborating on their knowledge and experience.