What to Cook in an Air Fryer — and What Never Works

• One layer, with gaps between pieces. If the food overlaps, the air cannot reach those surfaces and they steam instead of crisping. This is the single biggest cause of disappointment.
• Preheat for two to three minutes. Putting food into a cold basket means it warms through before it starts browning, which dries it out.
• Shake or turn halfway. Even the best airflow is uneven; a shake at the midpoint is worth more than any preset.
• Brush fresh food with a little oil — half a teaspoon is enough. Oil carries heat to the surface and is what produces colour. Frozen pre-fried food already has enough.

These are starting points for a preheated basket fryer, cooking one layer. Oven-style and OTG models generally need a few minutes longer because the cavity is larger. Check at the low end of the range the first time — capacity, wattage and how full the basket is all shift the timing.

• Anything in a wet batter — bhajiya, pakora, battered fish. There is no hot oil to set the coating, so it drips through the basket and bakes onto the element.
• Leafy greens on their own. They are light enough to be thrown around by the fan and will scorch against the element.
• Cheese by itself. It melts through the basket before it browns. It works only as a topping on something solid.
• Large quantities of anything. Cooking two batches properly beats one overloaded batch, every time.
• Raw grains, rice or pulses. An air fryer has no water to cook them in.