Air fryer owners should never cook these 11 things in their appliance

Air fryers have become a must-have kitchen appliance—compact, speedy, and promising a golden crispy result with minimal oil. However, just because you're able to air fry something, whether a swift snack or a nutritious dinner, doesn't mean you ought to.

Certain foods, as it happens, can result in catastrophe if prepared in the gadget.

Phil Turtle, a prominent fire and safety specialist at Landlord Licensing & Defence, remarked: "Not considering basic safety measures - like checking that oil is not dripping into the [air fryer] mechanism, is putting lives and livelihoods at risk."

READ MORE: 'I tried pasta sauce jars from Aldi, Lidl, M&S and Sainsbury's - one was by far the best'

READ MORE: Lindt announces brand new chocolate flavour inspired by popular biscuits

Property Wire reveals that air fryer-related blazes have surged 57% in one year (146 incidents in the year to March 2024), and almost one in five households report fire-related problems such as smoke, overheating, or even full-blown flames. According to specialists, some of the nation's beloved dishes, like fish and chips, could be responsible, reports the Express.

1. Fish and chips

Air fryers are frequently considered a handy method for preparing deep-fried classics such as fish and chips, fried chicken, and tempura prawns. Nevertheless, the moist batter proves troublesome for worktop devices.

Liquid batter, which typically contains a straightforward blend of flour, a liquid like chilled beer or fizzy water, and a raising agent such as baking powder, won't solidify correctly and seeps through the basket. This burns on the heating element and produces a dreadful mess, or even worse, a fire risk.

Kate Merker from Good Housekeeping cautions that wet batters simply don't crisp up properly in an air fryer, so it's better to stick with breadcrumbs or a trusty pan and oil.

2. Stews and casseroles

Good Food advises that your beloved chilli con carne and spaghetti bolognese recipes are best cooked on the hob. Hot oil in saucy dishes, including stews and casseroles, can slosh about, splatter, and potentially cause a safety hazard.

Reserve these winter comfort foods for the slow cooker or hob—even if you've stocked up on air-fryer-friendly silicone dishes.

3. Popcorn

Most air fryers can't reach the required temperature to pop popcorn kernels. The kernels risk getting stuck in the heat element, leading to electrical shorts or even fire.

4. Leafy greens

Spinach, kale, and cavolo nero should be excluded from air fryer meals or cooked separately for safety reasons. The lightweight and flimsy leaves can fly about inside, burning on the heating element and potentially causing a dangerous situation.

Nicole Papantoniou from Good Housekeeping points out that they are just too airy for rapid circulation.

5. Pasta and rice

Uncooked pasta and rice are not suitable for air frying because they lack a crucial ingredient: boiling water. No amount of hot air will replace water when cooking your favourite packaged carbohydrates.

While pasta bakes that grill on top might be okay, raw grains are not meant for air frying.

6. Hard-boiled eggs

Though technically feasible, air-frying 'poached' eggs, fried eggs, omelettes, and particularly hard-boiled eggs are likely to result in a rubbery and chewy texture. It's best to stick with traditional methods like boiling on the hob.

7. Oil

Cosori, the maker of Amazon's best-selling air fryer, recommends never using more than two tablespoons of oil, no matter what you're cooking. The golden rule is to steer clear of excessive oil.

Bear in mind that olive oil isn't suitable for air fryers due to its low smoke point. Instead, opt for oils with higher smoke points, such as canola, vegetable, peanut, avocado, or grapeseed oil.

8. Toast

Making a simple slice of toast in an air fryer might seem straightforward, but bread, especially pre-sliced supermarket varieties, tends to fly around. Moreover, it can cook unevenly or burn if you're not vigilant.

That being said, air fryer ovens are well-suited for making toast as their shelf format is less likely to cause items to fly around.

9. Cheese

There's nothing quite like melted cheese on certain dishes, but it tends to drip through the basket, burn, and stick to the air fryer racks. Even if you're prepared to increase your air fryer cleaning duties, there's a risk that large amounts of cheese will cause smoke or sparks.

10. Meat on the bone

According to the food experts at Real Simple, you're unlikely to fit a tomahawk steak into your average air fryer basket, and it's not worth attempting with anything similar. These take too long to cook evenly in air fryers, resulting in overcooked outsides and undercooked centres.

Some experts advise against whole chickens if you're considering an air fryer meal, as they could take longer to cook than anticipated.

11. Liners

Using liners is a clever way to navigate some of these contentious air fryer foods, but wax paper or paper towels should be avoided like the plague.

YouTube content creator Fabulessly Frugal cautions that these items will burn, but aluminium foil is acceptable as long as it doesn't hinder the airflow.