NEVER Put These Foods In The Air Fryer
By Nick Hadji
6 months ago
1. Whole Roast Chicken - Food poisoning ALERT!
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Air fryers are not just for finger foods and French fries. They can save the cooking time on a multitude of foods but a whole roast chicken is not one of them. The roast might not fit in the basket or on the cooking rack. This will result in what looks like a crispy roast but the white meat will be raw inside.Original content sourced from Femanin.com2. Popcorn - it could burn down your home...
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Remember when you were young and your mom put oil and popcorn kernels in a huge pot, the one she used to cook spaghetti in? Within a few minutes there was a big, slightly greasy, bowl of popcorn and we loved it! Air fryers cannot get up to 400 degrees which is needed to get popcorn to pop so some bits might burn and some will be hard pop balls or get stuck and means a serious fire concern!3. Poppadom - Fire Hazard!
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It might seem really smart to put a poppadom in the air fryer thinking that it'd just be like a takeaway. BIG NO! The minute you turn it on it'll fly u into the element and burn right into it - and you'll be left with a burning smell throughout your house for weeks on end. Definitely not the takeout you were hoping for!4. Hamburger - Burnt to a crisp
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If you enjoy a medium rare hamburger, then don't cook it in the air fryer! The forced air method is not designed to cook at 130 degrees Fahrenheit which is what's required for such a burger. A cheese topping will not happen either, it will just blow right off the meat and stick to the pan!5. Melting Cheese - Expensive disaster!
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If you fancy making jalapeno poppers or cook a cheese melt, then an air fryer may cause you a messy issue. Similar to wet batter, the melt splatters all over. Fresh cheese is particularly problematic for the device so go down the conventional route unless you want to spend your evening cleaning out the basket!6. Pizza - DON'T ruin it!
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Ahhh the best food in the world. Well, if your air fryer has anything to do with it then you'll certainly not want to be eating this pizza. Before you know it the crust will be burnt to a crisp and the toppings will no longer be edible. Of course, pizzas are nice crispy, but just not worth trying it!7. Raw Veggies
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Frozen vegetables cook well in an air fryer as they can retain some of the water but raw veggies, particularly carrots, come out looking unappetising and as dry as a bone! The air fryer tends to over-dehydrate foods with a low moisture content. The vegetables can come out looking unrecognisable!8. Beer Batter
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Beer batter on corn dogs, coated chicken wings and fried fish will crisp up into a tasty shell when you fry the food in oil. Hot oil bath in a deep fat fryer will set the wet outer layer by quickly drying it to create the coating. Air fryers cannot handle wet batter or coating as there isn't anything to set the wet batter.9. Olive Oil
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Experts recommend using an alternative to olive oil when air frying. This is because other oils have a lower smoke point. I suppose skipping out on oils with low smoke points means that the food could develop a weird aftertaste. The jury is still out as to smoking oil causing health risks.10. Delicate Leafy Greens
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Because air fryers cook your food at a high temperature, it's too easy to burn food that doesn't cook evenly. It's also difficult to cook delicate leafy greens which could burn and will taste bad. Besides that, there is the carcinogenic issue which may affect our health.11. Too Much Food
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You should take into consideration the size of your air fryer and the limitations it may present which includes having enough room for the necessary flow of air required to circulate and brown the food. If you overcrowd the tray or basket, some of your food may be raw.12. Chicken Wings
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Chicken wings won't taste the best if you stick them in the air fryer. The heat of the fryer can dehydrate the poultry making it leathery and cracking the skin. We recommend coating the wings with egg and a little oil to encourage the coating to stick to the chicken.13. Toast
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The combination of hot air blowing about in an open space should make an air fryer the perfect place to make toast. What you will be faced with in reality is a load of crumbs spread all over the fryer and the bread will be only partially toasted. Of course there is the mess to clear up from the crumbs and all for a piece of toast!14. Dry Seasonings
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The problem with loose seasoning in an air fryer is that it will whip around the container instead of sticking to the food and flavoring it. If you keep re-seasoning, you could totally clog up the machine. The solution is to coat the seasoned food in a little mustard or oil to help the spices stick.15. Salmon
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Salmon should be cooked conventionally. It's easy for it to burn or go dry and you could be left with all those bubbles of protein peeping out from the inside of the fish. Cooking the pink fish in an air fryer can be tricky. It can be under-done and then the next minute it is burned.16. Most Cuts Of Steak
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Ruining a steak is disappointing and an expensive mistake. Thick cuts of steak can be a disaster if you try and cook them in an air fryer. It's not a magic cooking box and the meat still has to be checked during the cooking process. If you are going to attempt it, you should use a meat thermometer.17. Cake
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Cookies actually cook (or bake) well in an air fryer but the same cannot be said for cake. If you think of a cake, you put the batter into a receptacle so you have to then cover it so it's not blowing all over the inside of the fryer. The outside might look ready but the inside will be raw.18. Bacon
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Because the air from the air fryer moves around at such a high speed, it also blows bacon fat all over the inside of the fryer and it's not a pretty sight! Using turkey bacon is a better option or even plant based/vegan bacon. This will help reduce the clean up time!19. Dehydrated Food
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Word of warning - please don't confuse your air fryer with a food dehydrator! Yes, they both use air and electricity but air fryers circulate air at a much higher speeds than a food dehydrator. Whatever you are trying to dehydrate, don't use the air fryer. It will be a disaster.20. Pasta
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Much the same as rice, pasta has to be cooked in boiling water. There's no two ways about it. This means there is no chance you can cook pasta in your air fryer. The exception to the rule is if you want to reheat last night's pasta bake then it's safe to do so for 5-6 minutes in the fryer.21. Sauces
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Dishes such as soups and stews with lots of liquids will not work in the air fryer because of the holes in the basket. Take our tip and use a slow cooker instead! Wet sauces like bolognaise and curries cannot cook because the liquid will splatter and possibly damage the fryer.22. Crusty Pies
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It is possible to bake sweet and savory pies in the air fryer but because the heating element is at the top, there's a risk you'll get a soggy bottom! Crusty pies are therefore a no-no. The speed at which an air fryer cook means the pastry could easily burn before the pie filling has cooked.23. Hard Boiled Eggs
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If you don't mind a texture that is chewy and rubbery, then go ahead and boil hard boiled eggs in your air fryer. You really should be cooking them in a pan of boiling water over the stove. Why put up with a second rate texture when you know you won't enjoy the finished product!24. Cake Donuts
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Cake donuts are leavened with baking soda and baking powder so you would think they were suitable candidates for an air fryer. The problem is that instead of fluffy, light donuts, you'll get dense, dry ones. Instead, fry them in hot oil so they become soft and bouncy. Yum!25. Cooking Spray
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Cooking spray has to be the most convenient choice for making your cookie sheets non-stick but you shouldn't apply it to the air fryer basket as you'll damage it. Instead, spray the food or brush it with vegetable oil. The air fryer basket and the grate already have a non-stick coating.26. Liquids
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The air fryer basket might lead you to believe that food can be swimming in its sauce, braised, boiled or poached but you are wrong. Liquids will promote steam and that can damage the heating unit. Also the liquid will splatter as the air blows over it, making cleaning it very difficult.27. Foods That Require Long Cooking Times
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For your information, air fryers work best for quick cooking and for crisping up. Foods that need long cooking times, such as slow-cooked stews or roasts, would be better suited to other cooking methods. Even though the fryers are versatile and they can handle lots of dishes, some foods will work better with more traditional cooking methods.28. Aluminium Foil
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You CAN use foil in an air fryer as long as you follow the rules. Never allow the foil to touch the heating element. Also, make sure the foil is weighted down or otherwise it will blow around the basket. Finally, avoid contact with any acidic ingredients which could cause the foil to catch on to the food.29. How Air Fryers Work
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In simple terms, air fryers work by circulating hot air around the food to create a nice crispy finish similar to traditional fried food products. The beauty of them is that they remove the high calorie and fat content. This is because they only use a tablespoon of cooking oil rather than lots more. In a nutshell, you'll get similar results with a fraction of the fat and calories. Bingo!30. Smart Tips For Using The Air Fryer
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