Top 12 Air Fryer MISTAKES → How to Use an Air Fryer

Summary

This video from Cathy at EmpoweredCooks.com highlights the top 12 common mistakes people make when using an air fryer and offers valuable tips to avoid them. Cathy covers important aspects like choosing a quality air fryer, avoiding overcrowding, proper oil use, and ensuring food rotation for even cooking. She also emphasizes cleaning, avoiding wet foods, adapting recipes, and using helpful tools like foil and parchment paper. The video is perfect for beginners and experienced users looking to improve their air frying results and learn from her experience.

Takeaways

• 💡 Investing in a high-quality air fryer is essential to avoid poor performance and potential damage to the non-stick coating.
• ⚠️ Avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket—fill it only halfway for optimal results. Consider getting a larger air fryer if needed.
• 🛢️ Use a small amount of oil (1-2 teaspoons) for most foods to get a crispy finish, and avoid pressurized spray oils that can damage the basket.
• 🔄 Rotate or shake food halfway through cooking to ensure even cooking. Use the air fryer’s reminder feature if available.
• 🌡️ Use a digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of meats for the best results and to avoid overcooking.
• 📏 Ensure there is at least 5 inches of space around the air fryer for proper air circulation, and place it on a heat-resistant surface.
• 💧 Add water to the bottom of the basket when cooking fatty foods to prevent smoke from forming.
• 🧼 Clean the air fryer after every use to prevent food residue buildup, which can cause smoke and affect the taste of future dishes.
• 🥦 Pat dry any wet or unbreaded foods before air frying to achieve a crispy finish and avoid steaming the food.
• ⏲️ Adjust traditional oven recipes by reducing the temperature and cooking time when using an air fryer, as it cooks faster and more efficiently.

Q & A

What is the first mistake people make when using an air fryer?

The first mistake is not investing in a good quality air fryer. Cheaper models often lead to subpar results, and their nonstick coatings can peel off within a few months, requiring replacement.

Why is it important not to overcrowd the air fryer basket?

Overcrowding the basket prevents proper air circulation, which results in uneven cooking. The food should not fill more than halfway up the basket for the best results.

How much oil should be used in an air fryer, and when is it necessary?

For most foods, a light coating of one to two teaspoons of oil is enough to achieve a crispy texture. Oil is not needed for fatty foods like bacon or chicken wings, and it helps seasonings stick to the food.

Why is rotating or shaking the food during cooking important?

Rotating or shaking the food halfway through cooking ensures even cooking and crispiness. Some air fryers have a reminder for this step, but it's a good practice to set a timer as a reminder.

What is the benefit of using a digital meat thermometer when cooking with an air fryer?

A digital meat thermometer helps ensure that the food, especially meat, is cooked to the right temperature without being overcooked or undercooked, leading to better results.

Why should you give your air fryer enough space while cooking?

Air fryers need proper air circulation to function effectively. Ensuring at least five inches of space around the air fryer and using a heat-resistant surface helps with airflow and protects surfaces.

How can you avoid smoking when cooking fatty foods in an air fryer?

Adding a little water to the drip basket can help prevent the fat from smoking when it drips down. This avoids unpleasant smoke and makes cleaning easier.

Why is it important to clean your air fryer between uses?

Cleaning the air fryer between uses prevents food residue from burning during the next use, which can lead to smoke, funky smells, and affect the taste of your food. It also helps maintain the nonstick coating.

What types of foods should be patted dry before cooking in an air fryer?

Unbreaded foods like proteins and vegetables should be patted dry to achieve a crispy finish without steaming the food.

How should you adjust oven recipes for air frying?

When converting oven recipes to air fryer recipes, reduce the temperature by 10-25 degrees and start with half the cooking time. The compact design of an air fryer cooks food faster.

Outlines

00:00

🍳 Common Air Fryer Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

This introduction sets the stage for the video, where Cathy from EmpoweredCooks.com welcomes viewers to her channel. She highlights the twelve most common air fryer mistakes people make and how understanding them can lead to better results. Cathy shares her personal experience with air fryer mistakes and encourages viewers to check out additional resources, such as her Air Fryer 101 video. The paragraph also emphasizes the importance of investing in a quality air fryer to avoid issues like peeling nonstick coatings.

05:01

🛒 Mistake #1: Investing in a Poor-Quality Air Fryer

Cathy explains that while it's tempting to buy a cheaper air fryer, the long-term consequences include subpar cooking results and peeling nonstick coatings. She advises users to read reviews and look for air fryers with a high average rating, preferably over 4 stars. Cathy recommends the Cosori Air Fryer for its balance of price, quality, and cooking performance over other more expensive models like the Philips XXL.

10:02

🍟 Mistake #2: Overcrowding the Basket

Overcrowding is a common air fryer mistake, as it prevents food from cooking evenly. Cathy recommends filling the air fryer basket no more than halfway, with an exception for frozen wings that shrink during cooking. She also suggests getting a larger air fryer if you frequently need more space and advises focusing on the basket’s horizontal dimensions for more efficient cooking.

🥔 Mistake #3: Misusing Oil in the Air Fryer

Though air fryers are marketed as a healthy cooking option, a small amount of oil is often needed for a crispy finish. Cathy explains how and when to use oil, noting that 1-2 teaspoons are typically enough for breaded foods. She advises against using pressurized sprays that can damage the air fryer’s coating and prefers using avocado oil due to its high smoke point.

🔄 Mistake #4: Not Rotating or Shaking Food

For optimal cooking results, Cathy advises rotating or shaking food halfway through the cooking process. Some air fryers have reminders for this step, but if yours doesn’t, she suggests setting a timer halfway through the cooking time to manually rotate the food.

🌡️ Mistake #5: Not Checking the Food's Temperature

To ensure that meat is cooked properly, Cathy recommends using an instant-read digital meat thermometer. These tools are affordable and help prevent overcooking or undercooking meat in the air fryer. She also directs viewers to more information in her video on cooking chicken in an air fryer.

💨 Mistake #6: Not Allowing Enough Airflow for the Air Fryer

Cathy explains the importance of air circulation for an air fryer to function properly. She recommends keeping at least five inches of space between the air fryer and walls, as well as ensuring adequate space beneath it to prevent overheating and allow air circulation.

🥓 Mistake #7: Cooking Fatty Foods Incorrectly

When cooking fatty foods, adding a little water to the drip tray can prevent smoking caused by fat dripping onto the metal. Cathy shares that this simple step improves results and reduces unpleasant smoke when air frying greasy foods like bacon or hamburgers.

🧼 Mistake #8: Not Cleaning the Air Fryer Between Uses

Cleaning the air fryer after each use is crucial, as leftover crumbs can burn and affect future cooking. Cathy advises a quick soak in soapy water and recommends air-drying the basket to maintain its nonstick coating. She warns that neglecting this step can lead to smoky, foul-smelling results and difficult clean-up.

💧 Mistake #9: Cooking Wet Food Without Proper Preparation

For crispy results, Cathy stresses the importance of patting dry any proteins or veggies before cooking them in the air fryer. Wet batters do not work well in air fryers, and excess moisture on unbreaded foods can prevent proper browning and crisping.

⏲️ Mistake #10: Not Adjusting Recipes for Air Frying

Cathy explains that air fryer recipes typically require adjustments from traditional oven recipes. She recommends reducing the cooking temperature by 10-25 degrees and cutting the cooking time in half to avoid overcooking due to the air fryer’s faster cooking times.

🍕 Mistake #11: Not Using the Air Fryer to Reheat Leftovers

The air fryer is an excellent tool for reheating leftovers, restoring their original crispness far better than a microwave. Cathy suggests using the air fryer at 350°F for 3-5 minutes to revive foods like pizza or fries, with additional time as needed.

🛠️ Mistake #12: Not Using Helpful Air Fryer Accessories

While you don’t need to buy extra accessories, Cathy suggests useful tools like foil slings or parchment paper with holes to make air frying easier. She advises against using wax paper or paper towels, which can cause fires. Additionally, oven-safe items like ramekins, silicone molds, or glass dishes can be used in the air fryer.

🍰 Get Creative with Air Fryer Accessories and Recipes

Cathy wraps up the video by encouraging viewers to get creative with air fryer accessories and tools. She provides examples like using ramekins and silicone molds and encourages viewers to subscribe for more air fryer tips and recipes. Cathy also invites viewers to leave comments and ask questions, keeping the channel interactive and engaging.

Keywords

💡Air Fryer

An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that cooks food by circulating hot air around it. In the video, it is the central focus, with tips provided on how to use it effectively and avoid common mistakes, such as overcrowding the basket or using too much oil. The speaker emphasizes the importance of investing in a high-quality air fryer to achieve the best cooking results.

💡Overcrowding the Basket

Overcrowding the basket refers to filling the air fryer basket with too much food, which can prevent proper air circulation. The video advises against this, as it leads to uneven cooking and subpar results. The recommendation is to fill the basket no more than halfway, with an exception for frozen foods like wings that shrink during cooking.

💡Oil Usage

Oil usage in air frying involves adding a small amount of oil to certain foods to achieve a crispy finish. The video explains that using the right amount of oil is key for foods like fries and chicken, while some foods like bacon don't require any oil. Additionally, using the correct type of oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado oil, is advised to prevent smoking.

💡Smoke Point

The smoke point is the temperature at which oil begins to smoke and break down, which can affect both the taste of food and the safety of cooking. The video stresses the importance of using oils with high smoke points, such as avocado oil, when air frying to avoid excess smoke and burnt flavors.

💡Rotating or Shaking Food

Rotating or shaking food is a method used to ensure even cooking in the air fryer. The video highlights that while air fryers are largely hands-off, flipping or shaking the food halfway through the cooking process helps ensure thorough and even cooking, particularly for items like fries or chicken.

💡Nonstick Coating

The nonstick coating in an air fryer is a layer that prevents food from sticking to the basket. The video warns that cheaper air fryers often have nonstick coatings that peel off after a few months, which can lead to the need for replacement. Maintaining the nonstick coating by avoiding harsh chemicals and cleaning regularly is also emphasized.

💡Cleaning the Air Fryer

Cleaning the air fryer after each use is essential to avoid buildup, which can lead to bad smells, smoke, and harder-to-clean residue. The video advises soaking the basket in hot soapy water to prevent these issues and ensure the air fryer is ready for the next cooking session.

💡Wet Food

Wet food refers to food that has not been properly dried or has a wet batter. The video advises against air frying wet foods, as they do not crisp properly in the air fryer and can result in soggy or improperly cooked food. For crispy results, proteins and vegetables should be patted dry before air frying.

💡Reheating Leftovers

Reheating leftovers in the air fryer is suggested as an effective way to restore the texture and taste of food. The video explains that using the air fryer to reheat items like pizza or french fries yields better results than a microwave, making leftovers crispy again rather than soggy.

💡Air Circulation

Air circulation is the process by which hot air moves around the food in an air fryer to cook it evenly. The video stresses the importance of ensuring proper air circulation by leaving space between the air fryer and the wall, as well as under the appliance, to prevent overheating and ensure optimal cooking results.

Highlights

Investing in a good-quality air fryer is crucial to avoid subpar results and nonstick coating issues.

Overcrowding the air fryer basket can lead to uneven cooking; fill it no more than halfway for best results.

For crispy finishes, use 1-2 teaspoons of oil for breaded foods, and avoid using pressurized spray cans.

Using the right oil type is key. Choose oils with higher smoke points, like avocado oil, to prevent smoke and bad tastes.

Shake or rotate food halfway through the cooking process to ensure even cooking and better texture.

Invest in a digital meat thermometer to avoid undercooking or overcooking, especially with meats.

Ensure at least five inches of space around the air fryer for proper ventilation and to protect walls and countertops.

For fatty foods, add water to the drip tray to reduce smoke and prevent unpleasant odors.

Clean the air fryer immediately after use to prevent food residues from becoming tough and causing smoke or bad tastes.

Avoid cooking wet-battered foods as they won’t crisp up well. Pat dry proteins and veggies before cooking for better results.

Adapt recipes by reducing temperature by 10-25 degrees and cutting cooking time by half when converting from oven instructions.

Reheating leftovers in an air fryer is a great alternative to microwaving, preserving texture and flavor.

Use accessories like parchment paper, foil slings, or silicone molds, but ensure there’s room for air circulation.

Avoid using wax paper or paper towels in an air fryer as they can melt or cause fires if they blow into the heating element.

If it’s oven-safe, it can go into the air fryer. Use small pans, ramekins, and silicone molds to expand cooking options.

Transcripts

Got an air fryer but you're a little nervous to use it.

Today I'm going to show you the top twelve mistakes people make when using an

air fryer.

Knowing these will prevent you from making mistakes so you can get the best

results from your air fryer rather than learning the hard way.

And if you're new here to my channel welcome.

My name is Cathy from EmpoweredCooks.

com and I'm sharing easy Air fryer recipes and air fryer tips and tricks just

like this one.

Now don't worry I made some of these mistakes myself so my loss is your gain.

And if you're new to the air fryer be sure to also check out my air fryer 101

video.

I will link to that and many other recipes down in the notes below.

You ready to learn these air fryer mistakes?

Let's go!

Mistake number one not investing in a good air fryer.

It's tempting to buy a cheap air fryer to save some extra dollars.

But in the long run it's a waste of money if you're not going to buy a good

one not only will you get subpar results from your food a common complaint from

cheap air fryers is that the nonstick coating starts peeling off within a few

months and then you're just going to have to replace it anyway.

If you haven't purchased your air fryer yet or if you haven't used it consider

returning it and doing some research.

Be sure to take some time to read through the reviews and make sure you're buying an

air fryer with excellent quality.

I recommend looking for products that have a few thousand reviews and an average

star rating of four to 4.

5 stars.

I personally use the Cosori Air Fryer and the Phillips XXL Air Fryer in my kitchen

and between the two I actually prefer the Cosori.

It's cheaper it's lighter weight and I feel like it cooks the food just as well

as the more expensive Philips.

Mistake number two is overcrowding the basket.

One of the most important rules of air frying is not to overcrowd the basket.

You'll see in the marketing pictures that they've got the baskets overflowing with

food and that's just not right.

Instead fill your basket no more than halfway full.

The only exception that I found with this rule is frozen air fryer wings.

I generally do load up the basket because they shrink and lose a lot of water as

they're cooking.

I've got a video down below I will link to that teaches you more about that.

Now if you don't want to cook your food in batches to avoid overcrowding consider

getting a larger air fryer.

In fact I advise that you get an air fryer that's a little bit larger than you

think you actually need.

I don't think you'll regret that purchase.

And instead of looking at the capacity size I recommend looking at the

dimensions of the basket and most importantly paying attention to that

horizontal space where you can lay food flat.

My 5.

8

Cosori basket is a nine by nine basket and it's a great size for me and it

doesn't take up a ton of counter space.

Also keep in mind when you're looking for an air fryer a square pan is going to

be able to fit more inside of it than a circular pan.

Mistake number three you're doing the oil all wrong.

Even though an air fryer is marketed as a healthier way to fry foods most of the

foods you cook will need a little oil if you're looking for that truly crispy

finish.

I'm going to help you know when you need oil how much oil to use and what the best

type of oil to use is.

Some people go crazy and use way too much oil and others aren't using enough or

they're not using any at all when they really should be.

Oil not only helps transfer the heat it's going to help make the food crispier.

As a general rule of thumb you only need one to two teaspoons of oil for breaded

foods like fries.

If you want a crispy finish just a light coating will do and you can always add

more oil at the end of the cooking cycle if you want more crispiness on your food.

Oil also works great for foods like these roasted potatoes

and rather than a spray you can just stir the food up in a mixture of oil and

seasonings.

Which leads me to another reason you might want some oil.

It helps the spices and seasonings adhere to the food like in these air fryer

chicken thighs or this air fryer pork.

If your food is already fatty like bacon or hamburger patties or chicken wings you

don't even need oil.

And of course if you're using your air fryer for baking like cookies and these

cakes you don't need any oil at all.

You also want to make sure you're using the right kind of oil.

First of all it's best to avoid pressurized and canned sprayers.

It's because they contain propellants and chemicals which have been shown to cause

problems with the coating inside the air fryer basket.

Plus they're chemicals that you don't want in your food anyway.

So instead

purchase a good oil sprayer and put your favorite oil in it.

I have a link for what I like to use down in the notes below.

In the meantime while you're waiting for that just pour a little oil on a paper

towel and you can wipe down the inside of your basket for cooking foods like chicken

or donuts and things like that.

Last note about the oil you need to know about smoke points when you cook food in

your air fryer you're going to want to use an oil that has a higher smoke point.

I have more details about that down in the notes below.

I personally like to use avocado oil.

It has a higher smoke point and it's healthier than vegetable oil and canola

oil.

Mistake number four not rotating or shaking your food halfway through cooking.

Air fryers are almost

completely hands off but not 100% for a perfectly cooked meal

you're going to want to take time to flip or rotate the food or shake it when it's

halfway through cooking.

Some air fryers have a reminder for you others don't.

So if you find yourself always forgetting to rotate the food what I suggest is just

setting the timer for the first half letting that go off rotating the food

and then setting the timer for the second half of the cooking time.

Mistake number five not checking the food's temperature.

If you want to get the best results from the meat that you cook in your air fryer

you're going to want to invest in a small instant read digital meat thermometer.

They're cheap under $20 and so helpful to make sure you don't undercook or

overcook your food.

I go into more detail about this in my video all about cooking chicken in the air

fryer so be sure to check the notes below for that one.

Mistake number six not giving your air fryer air.

What the heck am I talking about?

Air fryers need air to cook.

To make sure your air fryer is getting enough circulation ensure you've got at

least five inches of space between your air fryer and the wall.

That's going to allow it to have enough circulation and also protect your walls.

You also want to make sure that there's some space underneath your air fryer.

This is going to help with the air circulation and also protect the

countertops when you have it on a wood cutting board or something else that's a

heat resistant surface.

I have another cutting board that I use to set the hot basket on when I'm pulling

it out and rearranging food or serving the food.

Mistake number seven cooking fatty foods incorrectly.

Like I mentioned earlier you don't need oil for fatty foods since the fat is going

to be cooking off the food and landing in the drip basket you'll have better

results if you put a little water down there.

That way when that fatty oil lands down there it's going to hit the water instead

of metal and it's going to prevent all the yucky smoking that sometimes people

experience in their air fryers.

Mistake number eight cooking in the air fryer without cleaning at first.

Thinking about cleaning the air fryer in between cooking sessions can sound like a

pain in the neck right?

But it's actually super easy.

The longer you leave your food in the air fryer the harder it's going to be to

clean it off.

The crumbs that are left behind in the basket are going to burn to a crisp the

next time you use your air fryer and be even harder to clean.

Plus it could be changing the taste of your food and will likely lead to a lot of

smoke and funky smells.

So just take a few minutes put it in your sink fill it up with some hot soapy

water and let it soak.

It doesn't take long because most air fryers have that nonstick coating.

Some air fryer baskets are dishwasher safe but they take so much room in the

dishwasher and I want to be a little extra careful with it to protect that

coating.

So just washing it off in the sink is so quick and easy.

Then I set it out to air dry.

So just always plan on cleaning the basket right after you use it.

If you got grease in the bottom of the basket you can pour it out immediately if

you have a safe place to dispose of it or let it harden up a little bit.

And I just like to use paper towels to wipe that out.

Then I soak the pan in the hot soapy water.

And occasionally you're going to want to do a deeper clean in your air fryer.

Watch for that video coming soon and I'll put a link to that down below in the

notes.

Mistake number nine cooking wet food.

First of all you cannot air fry foods that have a wet batter.

But more importantly any unbreaded food that you want to get crispy and browned

you need to pat it dry first.

So this applies to all of your proteins and your veggies.

It'll get you a nice crispy finish without

drying out the food or steaming it.

Mistake number ten

not adapting recipes.

Air frying food is not a perfect one to one conversion from baking instructions to

air fryer instructions.

Since the air fryer is so compact it cooks foods faster.

So you will need to adjust the time and temperature

when you cook foods.

So a good rule of thumb is to decrease the temperature by ten to 25 degrees and

then start with half of the cooking time.

And that's the beauty of an air fryer.

You can easily adapt and adjust any sort of recipe.

Mistake number eleven not using your air fryer to reheat leftovers.

Yo!

Say goodbye to soggy leftovers.

Reheating leftovers in the air fryer is the best way to bring food back to life.

Yes it does take a little bit longer than the microwave but it's faster than

reheating in the oven and so worth it.

I love reheating leftovers from a restaurant or french fries or leftover

pizza.

So I usually just throw leftovers in the air fryer at 350 for three to five

minutes.

Sometimes that's perfect other times I just add a couple more minutes.

Easy peasy.

Mistake number twelve

not using helpful tools.

Now you don't need to go out and buy more accessories for your air fryer.

You can if you want but there's other things you can use.

For example I love using foil to make a foil sling which helps with lifting

delicate meats and cookies out of the air fryer.

Or I do buy the parchment paper with holes.

It's great for foods like chicken parmesan or coconut shrimp that are a

little bit messier in the air fryer.

Do note that you should never ever

put wax paper or paper towels in your air fryer.

They could melt or blow up into the heating element and start a fire.

So let's not do that.

If you're going to use foil make sure you don't go all the way to the sides.

You want to make sure you have room for the air to circulate since that's how it

cooks.

You could put some little slits in the foil to make some more room for air but

usually just the bottom grate of the air fryer basket works out great.

Did you catch that pun?

And remember if it's oven safe it's safe to go in your air fryer.

I've used ramekins cupcake liners silicone molds oven safe glass dishes and

even small cake pans in my air fryer.

Would you like more air fryer recipes and tips?

Be sure to hit subscribe right here and let me know if you have any questions down

in the comments below or tell me what kind of video you would like me to do

next.

I have more air fryer recipes for you right here and I think you're going to

like this one as well.

Thanks for watching.

I'll see you on the next video.