Serious question, is preheating actually necessary or just a waste of time?

I got a new air fryer last month and followed every recipe saying to preheat for 3-5 minutes. Then I tried skipping it once because I was impatient and the chicken came out just as crispy. Now I'm stuck wondering if the extra 5 minutes of preheating actually does anything or if it's just a habit from ovens. Some people swear it makes the crust better for things like fries or breaded fish. Others say the temp recovers so fast that preheating is pointless. Has anyone done a real side by side test and noticed a difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscarc5322d ago

Nah preheating is just placebo, your air fryer recovers temp in like 30 seconds. Did fries side by side, no difference in crunch or color. The whole "better crust" thing is just people convincing themselves because they waited. Only thing it does is waste electricity and test your patience. If you're breading fish, just let it sit after coating, that's what actually makes it stick and get crunchy.

susanm5622d ago

Done my own test twice now. Frozen fries straight in vs. preheated, both came out the same crispy and golden. I think the air fryer fan is so strong it just blasts heat back instantly. Waste of time if you ask me, just toss your food in and hit start.

laura_allen22d ago

I did my own test once. I forgot I was even preheating and came back to an empty air fryer running for 20 minutes. The damn thing heated up the whole kitchen and my fries were still fine when I finally put them in. I think my brain uses that extra time to stare at the basket wondering if I should add hot sauce. The placebo effect is real and my laziness is realer. If I can skip a step and still get crunchy fries, I'm doing it.