Air fryers are the new wonder on the planet of kitchen appliances. That's a lot, since they're competing for that high place with slow cookers and multicookers, which have had their time in the spotlight.
It is a fair honor. Air fryers offer people a healthier alternative option to frying in oil. They tend to use less energy than traditional ovens. They cook food faster, saving users time and energy. They are very versatile when it comes to what they can cook. And they offer a much more affordable alternative option to food delivery if you don't have much time to cook. On top of this, they're also affordable in and of themselves, and even the best air fryers regularly get price cuts along with big sales.
Simply put, they're just the ticket for most households, especially in this time of inflation. Indeed, PRNewswire reports (opens in a new tab) that "the US air fryer market is expected to experience strong development" through XNUMX.
But of course, like everything else, air fryers also have their restrictions. As a sometimes overzealous air fryer user, I've learned that there are some things you shouldn't do when using an air fryer. I also learned that there are some things you shouldn't even cook in one, no matter how many "tricks" these so-called TikTok influencers post to persuade us otherwise.
Here are 7 foods you shouldn't cook in an air fryer lest you risk an impossible-to-clean mess or worse.
1. Wet dough, dry seasoning
(*two*)
(Image credit: Shutterstock/ARENA Creative)Wet batter, such as beer batter or tempura batter, requires a hot oil bath to harden quickly. That's what makes these tempura and veggie corndogs sizzling on the outside. Since an air fryer works through the circulation of hot air, it doesn't have the ability to cook your favorite sizzling foods the way they are meant to be cooked. Instead, you'll end up with a chewy or soggy mess that's also uneven in that some of that batter is likely to drip off during the cooking process.
Also, don't fry food with a coating of dry seasoning. This circulating air will blow that seasoning off immediately, especially if you're using large ones like corn flakes. If you need to, be sure to rub this seasoning on or coat your food with a bit of oil to help it stick.
2. Raw rice
Just as wet dough needs hot oil to harden, uncooked rice needs water to cook. And unfortunately, air fryers aren't designed for this kind of cooking. I've seen some people do tutorials on an air fryer, and it seems like a bummer. A recipe asks you to find a suitable container such as a cake pan, boil some water first, put the rice and boiling water in the pan, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and then set the timer for thirty minutes. thirty minutes!
Honestly, it's better to cook raw rice the way you're supposed to, which is to put it in a pot of water, bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat and simmer for XNUMX minutes until just tender. absorb all the water. It is so simple and much less difficult. If that doesn't work for you, invest in a rice cooker.
3. Whole roasted chicken
Again, an air fryer uses hot air to cook things, and putting a whole chicken out there to roast means there's a lot less room for the air to circulate properly and cook things evenly. This is even if you have one of the larger models.
Also, the part of the chicken closest to the heat source will likely end up cooking faster than the bottom, which means you'll end up with a burnt top and a bottom that still takes a little longer to cook. . Or even worse, drenched! If you want to be able to cook rotisserie chicken in an air fryer, you may want to invest in an air fryer oven like the Cuisinart TOA-XNUMXs.
4. Burger
Okay, it's one thing to like well-done burgers, but also why? However, if you want burgers minimally cooked to perfection, which is how beef should be cooked and eaten so it's always beautifully juicy and flavorful, you may want to skip cooking your burgers in a deep fryer. .
Keeping a burger medium rare means you're going to have to cook it for less time, which means it may not take as long as it takes for the outside to brown and pick up some of that lignite. If you bake it just long enough for the outside to brown, the inside will be well-done and dry.
5. popcorn
Popcorn kernels need 400 to XNUMX degrees to pop, and sadly, most deep fryers aren't that high. But, if you have one that reaches XNUMXF, like mine, you're also in danger of starting a fire.
Popcorn does what it's supposed to do, which is pop, which means some of it could accidentally get stuck in the radiator factor on top, either because a piece jumped high enough to getting stuck or due to the fact that there was not enough space to accommodate each and every one. the popped grains in the basket. It's a potential fire hazard, especially if that piece is still sitting there while you cook another dish.
Of course, there are many tasty dishes that you can cook fantastically in an air fryer, so why not take a look at our guides to making air fryer fries, air fryer French toast and even fondant brownies in an air fryer? We can also help teach you the nine things you need to know about your new air fryer and the six common pitfalls to avoid.