My sister swore by preheating the air fryer for 5 minutes before adding food. I always thought it was a waste of time.

She kept saying it makes things crispier and more even. Last week I made frozen chicken tenders at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, one batch preheated and one not. The preheated batch was noticeably crunchier and the non-preheated ones were a little soggy on one side. Does anyone actually see a big difference or is it just one of those things people say?

2 comments

2 Comments

amy_reed793d ago

400 degrees for 8 minutes isnt that serious.

milam423d ago

Your mileage may vary for sure, but honestly that extra 5 minutes is just wasted electricity in my experience. Air fryers are basically tiny convection ovens, and they heat up in like 60 seconds flat. The real reason her preheated batch was crunchier is probably because she let the frozen tenders sit out for a few minutes while waiting, which lets surface moisture evaporate before they hit the heat. That's way more important than the preheat itself. Take this with a grain of salt but I've done side by side tests with fries and fish sticks and saw zero difference when the food went straight from the freezer to the basket. It's just one of those kitchen myths people cling to because they want to feel like they're doing something extra.