Do you preheat your oven? The answer is almost always yes. However, ask an air fry lover and owner if they preheat their air fryer and you will find we are not united on this topic. Even, air fryer manufactures add to this debate. Some air fry models have a built in preheat button while others do not. To preheat or to not preheat, that is the question.
After testing numerous recipes and researching the best air fryer cooking methods I have determined the answer. Read on to learn how to preheat an air fryer, when to preheat an air fryer and get tips and tricks.
Should you preheat an air fryer?
As an air fry owner you should always refer to the instruction manual or booklet. This will guide you in the best cooking practices for your particular model and brand.
As a general rule, it is recommended to preheat an air fryer before cooking. Preheating the air fryer is advantageous for several reasons:
- Preheating allows the food to start cooking immediately at the desired temperature as soon as you put the food into the tray or basket. This will ensure even cooking.
- Preheating reduces the overall cooking time.
- Preheating reduces food from sticking in the tray or basket. When you add food to a preheated air fryer the food begins to crisp up immediately. The crispy outer layer will help the food from sticking in the tray or basket.
The best answer is to be consistent. There are those that preheat and those that don’t. You will get to know your favorite recipes and how to adjust the times based on whether you preheat or not. Your air fryer will also guide you. The Cuisinart Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven does not have a preheat button however the “Bake” and “Pizza” function have a preheating stage which will show “Preheat” on the display. Once the preheat is complete, the air fryer will beep and display “Ready.”
What if your air fryer does not have a preheat button?
How to preheat an air fryer:
- Ensure that the tray or basket is in the air fryer and that the air fryer is empty.
- Without food in the air fryer turn the air fryer on to the desired temperature or temperature stated in the recipe.
- Select the number of minutes. For a smaller air fryer, 3 quarts or smaller, I would suggest 3 minutes and 5 minutes for larger air fryers, above 3 quarts.
- Turn on the air fryer. This is allowing the air fryer to preheat at the selected temperature and time.
- After 3 to 5 minutes, the air fryer is essentially preheated then follow the recipe as stated.
When should you not preheat?
There are 4 times when I do not preheat an air fryer.
- I do not preheat for toast, bagels and English muffins. The Cuisinart Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven has a preset function for toast shade and slices. Once toast is selected with the desired toast shade and number of slices then the air fryer begins cooking and the count down timer is displayed.
- I do not preheat leftovers. Leftovers only take a few minutes to warm up and the food is previously cooked. I am not worried about cooking the food all the way through. I simply place the leftovers into the air fryer at the desired time and temperature based on the leftovers.
- If the recipe explicitly states do not preheat or does not mention preheating then I follow the directions on the recipe.
- When I forget to preheat. I generally adjust my cooking time and add a few additional minutes to the total cook time. I always recommend adding one minute at a time and checking to see if your food has reached the desired level of cooking or crisp.
What if I don’t preheat the air fryer?
If you don’t preheat the air fryer then you will still have delicious and crispy food. Most recipes will state if you should preheat the air fryer. If you choose not to preheat you may need to adjust your cooking time and add a few additional minutes to your total cook time. I always recommend adding one minute at a time and checking to see if your food has reached the desired level of cooking or crisp.
Should you preheat with oil?
The air fry tray or basket should be free of food and oil before preheating. Oil is not needed or recommended to preheat an air fryer.