Clare Andrews has shared some ‘common blunders’ often made with their home appliances. She wants to warn others about the air fryer mistakes she first made
A mistake which everyone is repeating using their air fryer is ‘easily avoidable’
The hugely popular home appliance can make cooking easier, but they also are the source of common mistakes among users. Expert and cookbook author, Clare Andrews, has shared some “common blunders” often made with their home appliances. She has learned her lesson the hard way and wants to help others not to make the same mistakes. The Daily Record reports Clare said it was easy to “overfill your basket” when preparing a meal, but this can be avoided because it results in food that tastes off and has a strange texture.
She said: “This can be a problem as air fryers rely on rapid air circulation to cook food evenly and if you overcrowd the basket, that can block the hot air from reaching your food and circulating properly. Which can lead to soggy textures and unevenly cooked food.” Clare admitted she used to skip cleaning her air fryer after each use, but it’s a mistake she’ll “never make again”. “As tempting as it may seem to leave it for another day, this can cause a build-up of grease and crumbs leading to burnt residues, which can cause smoke and sometimes a rather unpleasant odour,”
“This of course can also lead to your air fryer not performing as it should, and the longevity of your machine. If you don’t fancy cleaning every time, certain foods can be cooked in a silicone liner and even oven-proof dishes.” She has had fair amount of disasters with some of her recipes and revealed: “I’m always trying new things and when I first started on my air fryer journey, I experimented a lot with different foods and recipes.”
The air fryer expert recalled one particular experiment gone awry: a “version of a deep-fried Mars bar” and warned others saying, “Don’t do it.” She added: “Wet batter and gooey chocolate, mixed with caramel did not work at all in an air fryer, the mess was everywhere,”.
Clare also advised against putting light items in the air fryer: “I’d also steer clear of very light foods, such as mini meringue, small tortilla wraps even cheese slices. They can take off in the air currents and stick to the heating element at the top, which can cause smoking and potentially ruin your machine,” she noted.
She shared a tip to avoid soggy outcomes, saying “Another frequent mistake is not shaking the basket or turning your food halfway through the cooking time. Doing this will ensure your food is lovely and crispy all over. “Remember, all air fryers are different, so when you’re following a recipe or packet instructions don’t be afraid to open your air fryer during the cook, to check that nothing is overcooking. Unlike ovens, air fryers get back up to cooking temperature very quickly so it’s OK to open them.” The expert’s book ‘The Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook: One Basket Meals’ arrives in bookshops in November.
