What Not To Air Fry: The Ultimate Guide To Air Fryer Safety

by John Griffith Apr 3, 2023 @ 14:37

Air fryers are amazing. They are a great way to cook food with less oil and achieve healthier, crispy results. However, not all foods are created equal. This means that there are some things that simply shouldn’t go into the fryer. They just don’t cook as well as they should and you won’t get optimum results. Air fryers cook food by circulating hot air in the chamber. And while this is a good method for plenty of foods, for some you can save yourself from the disappointment and go with the traditional cooking method. Some foods can also cause serious damage to this kitchen gadget, so it is important to know what to avoid putting in the container. That’s why today we will help you avoid some cooking disasters by sharing without what not to air fry.

Air fryers cook food by circulating hot air in the chamber

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What NOT To Air Fry
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What NOT To Air Fry

While you can pretty much air fry anything, there are some exception. Some foods simply do not mix well with the air fryer. They don’t cook properly and they can even cause serious damage to the heating element and other parts of the machine. So, save yourself some headaches, time, and money and learn what not to air fry.

While you can pretty much air fry anything, there are some exception

#Cheese

Cheese in all its forms is a delightful treat. However, while you may be in the mood for a melted cheese toastie, trying to melt it in the air fryer will result in one big mess. Not only will your cheese get burned, if it is shredded it will also start flying around and sticking to the heating elements. While breaded cheesy bites are fine, all types of fresh cheese is a bad choice for the air fryer.

Cheese in all its forms is a delightful treat, but do not cook it in the air fryer

#Popcorn

It’s easy to see why you would think the air fryer is a good alternative to pop popcorn in. But the truth is that it is a horrible idea. An air fryer is not a microwave. This means that this machine will not be able to heat up the kernel enough to pop them all, but if the kernels are loose in the container they may start flying around and causing irreversible damage to your machine! It’s just not worth it.

This machine will not be able to heat up the kernel enough to pop them all

#Loose Seasoning

Seasoning is a part of every good meal. However, a lot of loose seasoning in the air fryer is a recipe for disaster. Everything will start flying around your air fryer basket and stick to everything it shouldn’t. And once it’s stuck in places you can’t clean, with every use of the air fryer you will smell it burning. That’s why it is recommended to season your food afterward or just don’t have any loose seasoning. To stick seasoning to the food, just use a little oil and shake off any excess before placing the food item in the fryer.

It is recommended to season your food afterward

#Wet Batter

In general, liquids and the air fryer do not mix well. This includes wet batter. If you put batter in the air fryer it will be blown around and it will stick to the heating elements, and it may get into the fan which can lead to a fire. Yikes! Plus, wet batter will not be able to crisp under the heat the same way it would cook in hot oil. While the air fryer does give crispy results to many foods, it’s best to remember that it works the same way as a conventional oven. So, if you wouldn’t cook in an oven, don’t try to cook it in the air fryer.

In general, liquids and the air fryer do not mix well

#Broccoli

While veggies that can retain their moisture has no problem being cooked in the air fryer, vegetables like broccoli are a big no. Broccoli florets just become dry and bitter when cooked in the air fryer. They may even get a dusty texture. With this green veggie traditional cooking methods like roasting or steaming are much better. So, it’s best to keep the broccoli far away from the air fryer. If you are looking for a green vegetable that does great in the fryer, you should go for brussel sprouts.

Broccoli florets just become dry and bitter when cooked in the air fryer

#Toast

While it may seem like a good idea to make some toast in the air fryer, it doesn’t work as well in practice as it does in the theory. The bread will probably start getting torn apart a bit and all the loose crumbs will fly up and clog the chamber. This will be very hard to clean and any crumbs you miss or can’t reach will start burning and smoking every time you cook anything in the fryer. Plus, even if the crumbs were not the issue, the air fryer would most likely dry it the bread rather than toasting it.

All the loose crumbs will fly up and clog the chamber

#Burger Patty

Unless you want your burgers very well done, the air fryer is not a great choice for cooking a burger patty. Since the air fryer works by moving around air, which means it is basically a mini convection oven, the middle of the burger will cook faster than the exterior. Sometimes the opposite may happen as well. This will leave you with unevenly cooked patties. That’s why this isn’t the best food to put in the air fryer.

The air fryer is not a great choice for cooking a burger patty

#Whole Roasts

While the air fryer can cook such things in theory, it doesn’t work great in practice. The biggest problem here isn’t so much if the roast will fit in the basket, but rather that it will not cook evenly. The parts closest to the heating elements will start to burn while the parts farthest will stay raw and it will become one big mess. Overcrowded containers just don’t have the room for the hot air to circulate properly, so even cooking is nearly impossible. When it comes to whole roasts, it’s best to cook them in your normal oven.

The parts closest to the heating elements will start to burn

#Raw Grains

Grains such as rice and pastas are not made for the air fryer. They need water to cook and water in the air fryer is a big no-no. You can always cook them on the stove top first and then throw them in the air fryer to crisp them up, depending on what you want to achieve. But other than that do not try to boil grains in the air fryer. The water won’t get hot enough for this to work and you can create serious water damage.

Grains such as rice and pastas are not made for the air fryer

These were some common foods you should never out in your air fryer. We hope you found this article useful. Now you know what not to air fry and you will be able to avoid a ton of future problems, both health and technical.

These were some common foods you should never out in your air fryer

John Griffith

John Griffith is a young, passionate journalist. Writing has been John’s hobby ever since he was a boy. He has worked in some of the UK’s most successful news portals over the course of his professional career but found his forever home at Archzine.