You bought an air fryer. Now what? A beginner’s guide to using it safely
Everyone seems to have an air fryer these days. You might have seen them all over TikTok or heard your friends at work raving about how they cooked a whole roast chicken in 40 minutes. It feels a bit like a secret club, doesn’t it? Well, you have finally joined the club. You bought one, you unboxed it, and now it is sitting on your kitchen counter staring at you.
It can be a bit intimidating at first. It looks like a spaceship and sounds like a hairdryer. But I promise you that once you get the hang of it, you will wonder how you ever managed without it.
This guide is here to help you get over that initial fear. I am going to walk you through everything you need to know, from finding the perfect spot for it in your kitchen to making sure you do not give your family food poisoning. We will look at safety tips from UK experts and cover the basic rules of getting crispy, delicious food every time.
What is an air fryer actually?
Before we start cooking, it helps to know what is going on inside that plastic box. Despite the name, it is not actually a fryer. You are not submerging food in oil like you would with a chip pan.
Think of it as a very powerful, mini fan oven. There is a heating element at the top and a large fan that blows hot air around the food at high speed. Because the space is small and the air is moving fast, it cooks food much quicker than your big oven. It also crisps things up nicely, which is why we call it “frying” even though it is really baking.
This means you can get that lovely fried texture with a fraction of the oil. It is often cheaper to run than a big oven too, simply because it heats up faster and cooks quicker.
Finding a safe spot in your kitchen for an air fryer
You might be tempted to shove your new gadget into a corner or under a cupboard, but placement matters a lot for safety. This thing gets hot. Really hot.
The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham recommends using the “hand-span rule”. This means you should leave a gap of at least 5 inches, or the width of your hand, all around the air fryer. This space allows the air vents to do their job and stops the machine from overheating.
Here are a few more safety checks I always do before I switch mine on:
Check your surface
Never put an air fryer on a tea towel or any soft surface that could catch fire. It needs to sit on a stable, heat-resistant worktop. If you are worried about your worktop, you can buy a heat-safe board or mat to put underneath it.
Watch the plug
Electrical Safety First advises that you should avoid using extension leads if you can. Plug it directly into a wall socket. If you must use an extension lead, make sure it is not overloaded. Also, have a quick look at the plug and cord. If you see any burn marks or hear any buzzing sounds, do not use it.
Ventilation
Make sure the exhaust vent, usually at the back of an air fryer, is not blowing hot air directly into a wall socket or onto a packet of biscuits. Give it room to breathe.
Getting started with your first cook
Okay, you are plugged in and safe. Now for the food. There are a few golden rules that will keep your dinner from turning into charcoal or a soggy mess in an air fryer.
1. Preheat your machine
Some brands say you do not need to preheat an air fryer, but I find it makes a difference. Just turn it on at the temperature you need for 3 minutes before you put the food in. It gets the basket hot and helps seal the food straight away.
2. Do not overcrowd the basket
This is the number one mistake beginners make. I did it too. If you pile chips on top of each other right to the brim, the hot air cannot circulate. You will end up with chips that are burnt on the outside and raw in the middle.
Electrical Safety First suggests you should fill the basket no more than two-thirds full. For the best results with things like breaded chicken or steaks, lay them in a single layer. If you are doing chips, you can stack them a bit, but you need to shake them often.
3. The art of the shake
If you are cooking a pile of veggies or chips, you need to shake the basket halfway through the cooking time. Pull the basket out by the handle (the machine will usually pause automatically) and give it a good toss. This moves the food around so the hot air hits every side.
4. Use oil wisely
You do not need much oil, but you usually need a little bit. Totally dry food can taste like cardboard. I like to toss my vegetables in a bowl with a tablespoon of oil before putting them in the basket.
Never pour oil directly into the drawer of an air fryer. It is a fire risk and will make a huge mess.
Food safety basics you cannot ignore
Because an air fryer cooks so fast, it is easy to think things are done before they really are. The outside might look brown and crispy, but the inside could still be raw. This is especially risky with chicken.
The NHS says that chicken, pork, and duck must be cooked all the way through. There should be no pink meat left.
Check the temperature
The only way to be 100% sure your food is safe is to check the temperature. I highly recommend buying a digital meat thermometer. They are cheap and take the guesswork out of cooking, not just in an air fryer, but they are good for all cooking. I use mine daily.
According to the Food Standards Agency, the middle of the food needs to reach 70°C for 2 minutes. If you want a quick check, the NHS recommends the core temperature should reach 75°C.
If you do not have a thermometer, you can use visual clues. Cut into the thickest part of the meat. The juices should run clear, not pink or red. And the meat itself should be steaming hot.
Reheating leftovers
One of the best things about an air fryer is how well it reheats leftovers. Pizza, for example, comes out tasting fresh rather than soggy like it does in a microwave.
However, the rules for leftovers remain the same. You should only reheat food once. Make sure it is steaming hot throughout before you eat it. If you are reheating chicken, be extra careful to check it is piping hot in the middle.
Cleaning your air fryer without ruining it
I hate washing up, but cleaning an air fryer is actually relatively easy if you do it every time. If you leave grease to build up, it will start to smoke and smell terrible the next time you turn it on.
Here is my routine for keeping an air fryer clean and safe:
Cool it down
Electrical Safety First warns that you should always unplug the fryer and wait at least 30 minutes for it to cool down before cleaning. The heating element in an air fryer stays hot for a long time.
Wash the basket
Most baskets have a non-stick coating. Do not use metal scourers or harsh chemicals in an air fryer, or you will peel that coating right off. Use warm soapy water and a soft sponge or cloth. If food is stuck, let the basket soak in hot soapy water for 10 minutes. It should wipe right off.
Wipe the unit
Wipe down the outside of the machine with a damp cloth. Never immerse the main unit (the part with the plug) in water. That is a guaranteed way to break an air fryer and cause an electrical hazard.
Check the element
Every now and then, look at the heating element, usually at the top of the unit. If it looks greasy, wipe it gently with a damp cloth (make sure the machine is unplugged and cold!).
Common questions beginners ask
I had so many questions when I started. Here are the answers to the ones that confused me the most about an air fryer.
Can I use foil or baking paper?
Yes, you can, but be careful. If you put a piece of baking paper in the bottom of the basket without any food on it, the fan will suck it up into the heating element. It will burn. Always make sure the paper is weighed down by food. Also, make sure the air can still flow. If you cover the entire bottom of the mesh with foil, the air cannot get under the food to cook it. An air fryer relys on this air to cook the food!
Do I need to boil potatoes first?
For roasties? Yes. If you want proper roast potatoes, parboil them for 5 to 10 minutes first, let them steam dry, toss them in oil, and then air fry them. For chips, you can use raw potatoes, but soak them in water for 30 minutes first to remove the starch. Dry them thoroughly before adding oil.
Can I bake cakes in an air fryer?
Absolutely. You can make muffins, brownies, and even small cakes. Just remember that because the heat is more direct, the top of the cake might burn before the middle is cooked. I usually lower the temperature by 10°C or 20°C compared to what the recipe says for a normal oven. You might also need to cover the top with foil halfway through.
Must-have accessories
You do not need to spend a fortune on extra gadgets for an air fryer, but a few cheap tools make life easier.
Silicone tongs
Metal tongs will scratch the non-stick coating of your basket. Get a pair of tongs with silicone tips. They are heat-resistant and gentle on your machine.
Oil spray bottle
Store-bought cooking sprays (like Frylight) can sometimes damage non-stick coatings over time because of the additives they use. It is better to buy a refillable glass spray bottle and fill it with your own sunflower or olive oil. It gives you a fine mist which covers food evenly without drowning it.
Silicone liners
These are like little reusable bowls that sit inside your basket. They stop the basket from getting dirty, which saves on cleaning. Just be aware that they can block airflow a bit, so you might need to cook things for a few minutes longer. Remember to check the exact size of your air fryer before buying silicone liners!
Is it worth the hype?
In a word, yes. It is not just about chips. I use an air fryer for roasting vegetables, cooking sausages, crisping up tofu, and even making toasties.
It saves time on busy weeknights. It saves washing up because you don’t need multiple baking trays. And for smaller households, it almost certainly saves energy compared to heating a massive oven just for two chicken breasts.
Just remember to give it space, keep it clean, and always check your chicken is cooked properly. Once you master the basics, you will find yourself experimenting with all sorts of things. I have heard you can even boil eggs in them, though I haven’t been brave enough to try that yet.
Give it a go tonight. Start with something simple, like some frozen nuggets or roasted broccoli. You might just surprise yourself.
