Nowadays, almost every household has an air fryer, making it incredibly convenient to fry chicken wings or roast sweet potatoes. However, many people struggle with this question: Do I need to preheat it before use? Will not preheating affect the taste? The answer is clear: most of the time you need to preheat it, and there are only a few situations where you can skip this step. Today, we’ll explain in simple terms why you need to preheat, when you can skip this step, and the correct preheating method. After reading this, you’ll never make the same mistakes when using an air fryer again.What Can an Air Fryer Do That an Oven Can
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First, let’s talk about why you need to preheat most of the time. Simply put, preheating is about getting the inside of the air fryer “hot,” just like preheating a pan before cooking. Air fryers heat food using circulating hot air. If you don’t preheat it, and put food directly into a cold pan, the surface of the food won’t set quickly. For example, if you don’t preheat the air fryer before frying chicken wings, the skin won’t crisp up and it will easily become dry. Roasting root vegetables like sweet potatoes and potatoes can result in the outside being cooked but the inside remaining uncooked, making them tough and unappetizing.Which Air Fryer Basket Material is Best?
Preheating also shortens cooking time and saves electricity. A preheated air fryer quickly locks in moisture and flavor, saving 5-10 minutes compared to cooking directly in a cold pan. This is especially crucial for frying foods that require a crispy exterior, such as fried chicken cutlets and frozen fries. Without preheating, the finished product is likely to be soggy, lacking the crispy outside and tender inside texture, wasting the potential of the ingredients.Is an air fryer suitable for small apartments?
However, there are times when preheating isn’t necessary; you don’t always have to rigidly wait for it to preheat. The first type of food is already hot, such as leftovers or rice. Simply put them in and heat for a few minutes; preheating is unnecessary and a waste of time. The second type is small portions, such as baking 1-2 small egg tarts or a few slices of bread. These ingredients heat quickly and don’t require preheating to cook evenly. The third type is soft foods with high moisture content, such as baked egg custard or steamed sweet potatoes (using the air fryer’s steaming mode). These foods don’t suffer from uneven heating, and preheating won’t affect their texture.
Now let’s talk about the correct preheating method, which is actually very simple and even beginners can learn it on the first try. First, consider the air fryer’s capacity. For a small capacity of 2-3 liters, set the preheating temperature to 180℃ and the time to 3-5 minutes. For a larger capacity of 4-6 liters, keep the temperature at 180℃ but extend the time to 5-8 minutes. The larger the capacity, the longer the preheating time. When preheating, don’t put anything in the air fryer; simply set the temperature and time with an empty pot. When the time is up, you’ll hear a beep indicating that preheating is complete.
Here’s a small detail to note: After preheating, put the food in immediately. Don’t let the fryer heat up empty for too long, or it can damage the heating element. Also, when placing the food, spread it evenly in the basket; don’t pile it too high or too crowded, otherwise the hot air won’t circulate properly, and even if preheated, the food will cook unevenly. For example, when frying frozen fries, place them separately to prevent them from sticking together, so that each one will be crispy after baking.
Here are a few preheating tips to make using your air fryer easier. First, if you forget to preheat, don’t panic. Extend the cooking time by 5-10 minutes, remembering to flip them once halfway through; this will make up for it somewhat. Second, after preheating, you can brush a thin layer of oil into the basket before placing the food in; this will make the food crispier and less likely to stick to the basket. Third, avoid frequently opening the fryer lid to check; each time you open the lid, the internal temperature drops, essentially wasting preheating time and affecting the cooking results.
Some people might ask, “My air fryer has a ‘no preheating’ function, does that mean I don’t need to preheat?” This function is actually more suitable for small portions of easily cooked ingredients. For items like fried chicken wings or frozen fries that require a crispy texture, it’s better to preheat manually. After all, the machine’s “no preheating” function only simplifies the process; the taste is still slightly inferior to manual preheating. If you’re aiming for delicious results, don’t be lazy and skip those few minutes.