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Twelve big mistakes most people make when using an air fryer
I'm the biggest culprit of number 3, and my sister is always on my case about it.
Caryl Jane Espiritu
06.01.21

Cooking homemade crispy food does not have to be a daunting task.

With an air fryer in your kitchen, getting burned because of hot oil flying everywhere while cooking in a deep fryer is something that you don’t have to worry about anymore.

Flickr- State Farm
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Flickr- State Farm

A lot of people have discovered the magic of air fryers and over the past years, the number of air fryers being bought has increased tremendously. But, do these buyers really know how to use an air fryer the best way?

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

Just like any other appliances in the house, air fryers need to be used and maintained the proper way so they can be utilized for a much longer time. Apparently, most people are making mistakes in this area, leaving them with air fryers that don’t give the best results and are damaged sooner than later.

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

So, what are these common mistakes people make when using an air fryer?

Cathy from Fabulessly Frugal created a video outlining “12 air fryer mistakes” to help you correctly use one!

1. You don’t invest in a good air fryer

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

Before anything else, the best way to ensure that your air fryer is going to perform as you expect it to is by buying yourself one with good quality. Using a sub-standard air fryer will not only do a poor job it can even be a safety hazard to your family. Do your research, ask around and make comparisons before you finally decide on what air fryer to use.

2. You put too much food in the pan

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

The air fryer, just like a regular pot, only has a certain capacity when it comes to the food it can cook at a time. Therefore, you should not put too much food in the pan, or it might result in burnt or undercooked food.

If there are lots of people in the house and you need to cook in huge batches, it might be better if you get a bigger air fryer so you can accommodate the size that you want to cook for. It won’t take too much toll on your regular-sized air fryer, too.

3. You don’t rotate or shake the food

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

Don’t think that once you turn the air fryer on, it will do everything on its own. Well, it does almost everything but you still have a part in the process. To create a perfectly cooked meal, you need to rotate the food or shake it from time to time, so that your food is evenly crisp and cooked.

4. You put too much or too little oil

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

Oops, what was that again? Air fryers don’t need oil to fry food? Well, that is true but sometimes, you do need to put oil to cook great food. For one, it makes it easier for the food to absorb all the seasoning you added and another reason is that it makes fried food even crispier.

The question is: Are you putting in the right amount of oil? To know more about this, you may want to read this helpful article from Fabulessly Frugal.

5. You don’t really check your food’s temperature

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

Unlike what most of us think, cooking in just “hot” or “low heat” is not the way we should follow if we want to get great results. In fact, getting the perfect temperature to cook with depending on your ingredients is one of the best ways to ensure that you will have the best meal. Investing in digital thermometers helps a lot, even when you are using an air fryer.

6. You aren’t cooking fatty foods correctly

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

You need to remember that not all food needs oil for better results. Fatty foods, for example, don’t require that much oil or may not even need a drop of it. Too much oil can result in overcooked food like if you are frying bacon and there’s more oil than necessary, this might result in a smoke-smelling meal.

7. You put wet food in your air fryer

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

When cooking vegetables, be sure to pat them dry before cooking them in your air fryer. Vegetables and proteins have water in them and if you don’t make sure they are dry enough before placing them in the fryer, you might end up having steamed food instead.

8. You are not using your air fryer to reheat leftovers

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

Microwaving food is so passé. Now, you can reheat your leftovers without the fear of them becoming soggy. Using air fryers to reheat your food is a discovery you will surely be thankful for!

9. You put your air fryer basket and hot fryer on the countertop

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

If you are concerned about your kitchen counter, be sure to remember this: never ever put your freshly used air fryer basket on top of it. It is definitely hot and it will most likely ruin your beloved countertop. It is the same with the basket, too. Get a surface that is higher by a few inches from your counter so it won’t be affected by the heat from the basket.

10. You don’t clean your air fryer

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

Are you guilty of not cleaning your air fryer? It might seem such a hassle, but this is definitely something you need to do! And besides, cleaning it may not be as hard as you think it is.

Aside from keeping the air fryer free from bacteria and your family safe from it, this will also ensure that the food you cook tastes the best. There would be no leftover taste from the previous dish you made, which can come from the leftover oil in the pan.

11. You don’t adjust your recipes.

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

Of course, using the air fryer is very different from baking using the oven or cooking over the stove. If you have recipes that are originally completed by baking, make sure to adjust them if you decide to create meals using the air fryer. You can adjust the temperature, for example, so your food is cooked the way it should even when you are using another method. Makes sense, right?

12. You don’t use tools that can help

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YouTube-Fabulessly Frugal

And finally, it would be very helpful if you have tools that can make cooking with an air fryer easier and breezier. For example, you can use aluminum foil to make slings that would make placing food in the fryer much less complicated. Using parchment paper with holes and placing it underneath the basket is also effective when cooking messy dishes. But remember, you cannot put wax paper inside the air fryer because it could start a fire.

So, now that you know how to properly use an air fryer now, are you ready to make your next dish? Knowing the right way to use one will definitely take you closer to your perfect air-fried meal!

Check out the video below to watch Cathy give the full rundown!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Fabulessly Frugal, Fabulessly Frugal

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