I hated my air fryer—until I learned this one trick (2024)

I'm picky about kitchen gadgets. Sometimes more novelty than helpful, they're maybe used once before they're relegated to cabinets and drawers, taking up valuable storage space and generally getting in the way.

Something fancy to help chop garlic? No thanks. A butter cutter? Definitely not necessary. I don’t even like my slow cooker all that much—I’m partial to the simple Dutch oven.

For these reasons, I was very skeptical when I received an air fryer as a gift. Where would I put this bulky appliance? And did I even need it in the first place?

An air fryer is a countertop kitchen appliance that cooks food through convection—hot air circulates around the food giving it a crispy, brown exterior, allegedly like that of deep-fried food. I’ve tried many baked recipes that promise that same deep-fried taste—rarely do they deliver. I figured the air fryer would yield similarly disappointing results, with the added inconvenience of a countertop appliance.

And, at first, that was exactly the case. Nothing I "fried" crisped up much better than it did in the oven, so I chalked the clunky appliance up to a glorified mini convection oven and swiftly moved on—until I read an article that suggested preheating the air fryer first.

This made sense to me: I preheat a regular oven before use and bring oil to a hot temperature before frying, so why wouldn't I do the same with an appliance that's designed to "fry" food, too?

Preheating my air fryer changed everything for me.

While some air fryers and countertop ovens claim they don't require preheating, this simple step changed everything for me. Once I began preheating my air fryer (just five to seven minutes at 400ºF), anything and everything I cooked crisped up so nicely. And, as a bonus, using the air fryer for veggies freed up my oven for other things, like the main protein or dessert.

Now, without fail, I use my air fryer every single day. I use it to roast potatoes, sweet potatoes, or Brussels sprouts, and you wouldn’t believe how good crispy broccoli tastes! I’ve also used my air fryer to make crispy chicken tenders and General Tso’s chicken.

Foolproof tricks to using your air fryer

In addition to preheating the appliance (even if the recipe you’re using doesn’t mention doing so), I’ve learned a couple of tricks that help ensure the food crisps up perfectly:

1. Don’t crowd the basket

Though the air fryer I own can allegedly make four servings worth of food in one batch, I beg to differ. If the basket starts to look crowded (i.e. if there is no space between food items, or food covers more than ¾ of the cooking surface), it’s too crowded.

Go the extra mile and make another batch because if the basket is too crowded, your food will steam rather than crisp, making the whole point of the machine useless.

If you're cooking for four or more people, it might be best to opt for an air fryer toaster oven, which generally offers more cooking space than a traditional basket-style air fryer.

2. Turn up the heat

When it comes to the air fryer, the hotter the better. For french fries, Brussels sprouts, and other hearty veggies, I cook at 400ºF for about 14 minutes (shaking in between, which ensures heat hits all sides of the food). I cook chicken for about 20 minutes at the same temperature. More delicate vegetables like green beans can stand up to the high heat, but require less time—somewhere between 7-10 minutes.

3. Use oil sparingly

Toss fresh veggies in no more than a teaspoon of olive oil, skip it altogether for frozen foods, and use a spritz of cooking spray for chicken. Trust me: You won’t miss the flavor of the oil. Just be sure to add some salt and pepper, or even Italian herbs or other spices.

Is an air fryer worth it?

Although I really do love my air fryer (go figure!), the appliance isn’t without drawbacks. It’s a bulky machine that takes up a lot of counter space, and it’s not practical to think you’d lug it in and out of some cabinet or pantry every day.

You need the right size air fryer for the number of people you're serving. To make four crispy chicken sandwiches in my smaller air fryer, I have to make two separate batches. So to keep everything hot and ready to serve at the same time, I have to line my trusty sheet pan and hold the first batch in a warm oven.

As my family expands, I don’t know how practical that will be, considering it doubles cook time. I'll likely need to upgrade to a bigger size at some point, but for now, it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for crispy, easy food.

More on air fryers and toaster ovens

• The Best Air Fryer Toaster Ovens We've Tested
• The Best Air Fryers We've Tested
• Air Fryers: The Ultimate Guide
• Does the Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven live up to the hype?
• Do you need an oven with a built-in air fryer?
• Here's how to start using your new air fryer
• The Best Toaster Ovens We've Tested
• Our Place Wonder Oven Review
• Cuisinart air fryer and convection toaster oven review
• Breville Smart Oven Pro review

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.