Just realized I've been preheating my air fryer wrong for 2 years

Was making chicken wings last night. Recipe said 400 for 20 minutes. Pulled them out, they were dry and sad. My buddy came over, watched me prep the second batch. He asked why I was preheating with the basket empty. Said it messes up the cook time. Never thought about it. Now I just toss food in cold and add 3 minutes. Way better texture. Anyone else skip the preheat?

3 comments

3 Comments

simonk983d ago

Bet preheating emptys the heat faster once food hits it.

grace_knight193d ago

Wait, hold on. You think the heat just... leaves? That's wild. So if I crank my oven to 450 and let it sit for 15 minutes, all that heat energy just vanishes the second I open the door with a cold pizza? That makes no sense to me. The whole point is the walls and air are already hot, so the food heats up faster instead of the oven wasting time catching up. Like with a cast iron skillet, you preheat the pan so the steak sears immediately. Same idea.

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angela_morgan3d ago

Remember that the air fryer itself has its own thermostat, so the heating element does cycle on and off to keep the temperature steady whether you preheat or not. Your buddy's advice actually makes sense for smaller batches because the food itself absorbs less excess heat from the empty basket. The main thing is to just watch your food and pull it when it looks right, not just when the timer goes off.