Overfilling the basket
Air fryers cook food by circulating hot air around the basket. Overfilling can cause the top layer to burn before the bottom layer has a chance to cook through.
Which?, a consumer protection organization in London, UK, states that the capacity listed in liters only indicates the basket's volume, not the ideal amount of food for each cooking session. Their tests reveal that the optimal food quantity is often significantly less than what manufacturers claim.
If dishes consistently cook unevenly, users should reduce portion sizes and allow space for hot air to circulate. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service advises that overfilling the cooking tray can obstruct airflow, preventing food from cooking properly.
Neglecting to shake or flip food
Food arranged in multiple layers requires shaking or flipping during cooking to ensure even heat distribution. Philips' guidelines recommend shaking items like french fries, chicken nuggets, and chicken wings. When cooking the maximum recommended amount of frozen fries, users should shake the basket at least 3-4 times. More food necessitates more frequent shaking.
Which?'s tests demonstrated that shaking fries multiple times helps them cook and brown more evenly than shaking only once. However, avoid opening the air fryer constantly, as this allows hot air to escape. Delicate items should also not be stacked in multiple layers to prevent crushing.
Using oven temperatures directly
Air fryers circulate hot air more rapidly, meaning food often cooks faster and at a lower temperature than in a conventional oven. If you maintain the same cooking time and temperature from traditional oven recipes, dishes can easily become dry or burnt.
According to Cuisinart's conversion chart, users should reduce the temperature by 14°C and shorten the cooking time by 20% when adapting oven recipes for an air fryer. For instance, a dish requiring 20 minutes at 177°C in an oven could be cooked in 16 minutes at 163°C in an air fryer.
Jamie Darlow, a cooking appliance research expert at Which?, notes that overcooking or setting the wrong temperature are two common reasons for dry chicken. Before cooking, users can pat the surface dry or add a small amount of oil.
However, a golden-brown exterior does not guarantee the interior is fully cooked. The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that color and appearance are not reliable indicators of doneness. Users must check with a food thermometer, ensuring poultry reaches an internal temperature of at least 74°C before consumption.
By Ngoc Ngan (Sources: BBC Good Food, Which?)
