TIL the air fryer manual isn't lying about preheating with the basket empty

I skipped preheating for six weeks and my chicken thighs came out rubbery every single time. Then I checked the temp with a probe and found it was 40 degrees cooler than the display said at the start. Anyone else find that the basket needs a full 3 minutes before food goes in, or is my unit just weird?

2 comments

2 Comments

fionafoster5h ago

Same thing happened to me, the display lies until the basket really heats up. Give it the full 3 minutes empty and your chicken will come out right, most units just run slower than they claim.

blair704h ago

So you're saying even after the basket's been sitting there for a while, the first three minutes are still the problem? I've got a cheapo model and I'm wondering if the fancy ones with the bigger wattage actually skip that waiting period. @fionafoster mentioned the display lying, but mine reads the set temp right away, it's just the actual air that's cold. Do you both use the probe to time it, or do you just trust the three minutes and hope for the best? I'm about to run a test batch with a delayed start just to see if the basket holds heat differently when it's been idle for ten minutes.