Don't give up just yet. There's a bit of a learning curve with some air fryers so you might need to tinker before you get recipes right.
Read our tips and avoid these common air fryer cooking complaints.
Be inspired to make home improvements.My chips are undercooked
This is a very common mistake, especially if you're not used to air fryers. Cooking the perfect golden-brown chips can take a few tries as the time and temperature depend on things such as the power, size and type of your air fryer.
Undercooking or overcooking chips the first couple of times is normal, but if it keeps happening, here are some things to try.
Don't overfill the basket or the tray
Make sure the food can comfortably fit in the air fryer with enough space to cook evenly.
The capacity of air fryers is usually measured in litres. Retailers or manufacturers indicate how many litres of liquid can fit in the basket.
However this measure isn't always optimum capacity for best cooking results - our tests show that the optimum cooking amount is generally significantly smaller than manufacturers state.
To find your air fryer's optimum capacity, consult the instruction manual or take time to experiment.
Shake or stir the basket or tray often during cooking
Instructions often state that you should only give chips a quick shake or a stir, but we've found that doing this regularly during cooking gives the best results.
If your air fryer doesn't have a viewing window, you'll have to open the air fryer during cooking. This will let out some hot air, so you want to avoid doing it too frequently. But at least a couple times during cooking should help achieve a more even colour and tastier chips.
My air fryer smokes and emits an unpleasant smell
This usually happens if you cook without cleaning it first.
Each time you use your air fryer, grease, crumbs and small bits of food will collect at the bottom of the basket. If you don't clean them out before using it again, they will burn and cause unpleasant smells or smoke. If you continue cooking, this can even change the taste of your food.
Clean your air fryer after every use.
Some removable air fryer parts are dishwasher-proof, but most will need hand washing.
The longer you leave food in the air fryer, the harder it is to clean it, so we'd recommend doing it immediately.
Luckily, almost all air fryer baskets or trays are covered in non-stick coating, which makes them quick and effortless to clean.
The simplest way to clean out tougher-to-remove bits is to immerse the tray or basket in hot soapy water and let it soak to soften and lift off the food. Then simply wash it off and let the basket or tray air dry.
My chicken came out tough and dry
There could be many reasons for this, but one of the most common is cooking it for too long or at the wrong temperature.
If you're using manual temperature settings, remember oven cooking instructions don't automatically translate to cooking in the air fryer.
Adapt cooking time and temperature according to your appliance instructions
Pre-set programs can come in handy, although you'll still want to check on your food from time to time to make sure it's cooking nicely. Alternatively, you can also experiment with time and temperature.
Add a small amount of oil
Some experts also recommend patting your chicken dry before putting it in the air fryer or adding a small amount of oil.
Just like with any food cooked in the air fryer, stir or rotate your chicken during cooking to ensure all sides are cooking evenly.
Let it rest
My batter is dripping everywhere and making a mess
Air fryers aren’t the most appropriate appliance for baking foods with wet batter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t cook food such as cake, pancakes or battered onions. You just have to do it correctly.
Basket air fryers might look similar to deep fat fryers, but they work very differently. You should never attempt to pour wet batter straight into the basket. Air fryers blow hot air around their baskets, so important heating elements could get covered and prevent the appliance from working correctly.
Coat battered food with crumbs
If you're preparing foods such as battered onions, fish or nuggets, try making the batter thicker and then dry coating it with breadcrumbs or corn flour before cooking. This will prevent the batter dripping all over the basket.
Using an oven-safe dish or rack that fits in the basket will also help to prevent a mess.
Use a mould for cakes and desserts
Don't pour cake batter directly into your air fryer tray. If you're baking a cake or other dessert that involves wet batter, use a silicone tin, oven-safe glass bowl, cupcake tin or mould. This will ensure your food cooks properly, without creating too much mess.
Haven't bought an air fryer yet? Our round-up of the will show you the best models we've tested in our lab.What not to put in your air fryer
You can get away with cooking almost anything in an air fryer, but some foods will cause a lot more mess than necessary or might even pose a safety risk.
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