9 Things you should never put in an air fryer

nine things you should never put in an air fryer

An air fryer filled with seasoned vegetables

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

The all-time air fryers tin be relied upon to prepare entire meals mean solar day-after-solar day. These convenient kitchen appliances offer a healthy-ish method of cooking, producing crisp and tender results in a matter of minutes. And with the majority of baskets and accessories beingness dishwasher safe, you're never left asking how to clean an air fryer.

All sorts of foods can be prepared, and improved, by an air fryer, from chicken wings to burgers and even Brussels sprouts. But, before you get throwing everything into your air fryer, at that place's several foods you lot actually shouldn't put in in that location. Not merely will the results exist disappointing, yous could be making more than mess to clean. So, hither's nine things you lot should never air fry.

1. Cheese

A grilled cheese sandwich — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Merely saying the words 'grilled cheese' will make almost mouths water. Imagine such a sandwich with an air-fried cease and what's non to beloved?

The problem is cheese tin can chop-chop melt and burn in the high temperatures of an air fryer, resulting in a stringy mess. Frozen mozzarella sticks are fine, just fresh cheese is unfortunately a no-no.

2. Raw rice

A bowl of cooked rice — (Prototype credit: Shutterstock)

Raw rice grains demand to be boiled in h2o to cook, and sadly air fryers aren't designed to practice this. Even if you found a container to hold the water, your air fryer won't achieve a high plenty temperature to boil it. You lot should initially cook the rice on a stove top, then y'all can crisp information technology afterwards in an air fryer.

Alternatively, y'all can invest in a rice cooker for making big batches, such as the Zojirushi NS-LGC05XB Micom Rice Cooker ($139.95, Amazon). There's always the best Instant Pots also if y'all want something more versatile.

three. Broccoli

While some vegetables crisp up brilliantly in an air fryer, such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli won't have quite the aforementioned event. It contains less moisture, which means it dries out very rapidly and tin can even turn to dust if left for long enough.

You lot can add more oil to help information technology crisp, simply the results are generally better using more traditional cooking methods, such as roasting.

four. Wet batter

Beer battered fish and chips with peas — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Most of united states of america would assume batter is safe to cook in an air fryer — after all, the majority of air fryer recipes are covered in batter. While this is the case for cooked batter, wet batter is another story. The consistency of moisture concoction won't be able to set in an air fryer as it does when fried in oil, and then information technology will end upwardly dripping into a mess — a flake like cheese. It won't crisp at all and the puddle of concoction will burn down to the base. That's why moisture batter shouldn't go in the basket.

Instead yous can substitute with a bread crumb coating: y'all simply need flour, bread crumbs, and eggs to exercise this.

5. Roast chicken

A roast chicken next to lemons and a carving knife — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Unless your air fryer is large plenty to fit a whole roast craven and comes with a dedicated cooking program, it shouldn't exist used for this. Dissimilar the best toaster ovens, air fryers generally have a much smaller capacity and are designed for smaller jobs.

Even if you tin can wedge a chicken in there, don't exercise it. The air needs to circulate to cook finer and y'all will terminate up with a dry, burnt bird. Better to cutting the chicken into pieces and fry them separately.

6. Burgers

A cooked burger next to chilli and garlic — (Image credit: Shuttterstock)

While you can melt burgers in an air fryer, as mentioned above, we felt it was worth flagging that it's difficult to cook anything less than well-done. Because of the internal temperature of an air fryer, burgers will reach a medium-well color on the inside quite quickly, simply the exterior won't have had time to cook, so it's not exactly highly-seasoned.

If you like your burgers well-done, this isn't an issue, but the grill might be the meliorate option for others. The same can be said for steaks.

7. Popcorn

Popcorn in a bowl — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Anybody loves a bowl of freshly popped popcorn and considering it'due south so quick to make in a microwave, it's easy to think the same method should apply in an air fryer.

Unfortunately, air fryers can't attain the temperature required to pop the kernels (at least 400°F), so you will be left snackless on your movie night. Stick to using the microwave or stovetop instead.

8. Seasoning

Chicken being seasoned — (Paradigm credit: Shutterstock)

Because an air fryer circulates the air as it cooks, whatever dry out seasoning which isn't secure can be blown off. Fine seasoning which yous can rub in, such as salt and pepper, should be fine. Merely, loose seasoning such as chili flakes can catch in the air flow, making information technology difficult to clean your air fryer afterwards. This is as well a waste material of seasoning.

Season your food one time it's out of the air fryer, or alternatively, you tin can add some oil to your food before seasoning to help it stick.

9. Fresh greens

Like to seasoning, whatsoever lightweight leafy greens yous put in your air fryer will just get blown around. This means they volition melt unevenly and burn easily besides, so vegetables such as lettuce and spinach should be avoided. Kale chips are possible, but you would need to coat them in plenty oil to give them weight.

By and large, you will have more success with frozen vegetables because of the added wet.

Katie looks later everything homes-related, from kitchen appliances to gardening tools. She also covers smart home products besides, and so is the best point of contact for whatsoever household advice! She has tested and reviewed kitchen appliances for over 6 years, and then she knows what to expect for when finding the best. Her favorite thing to test has to be stand mixers as she loves to broil in her spare time.