Air Fryer Crispy Bin: Baking Tips And Tricks

Air fryers are incredibly versatile and efficient, and they can be used for baking. They are essentially mini convection ovens with a high-powered fan that sits on top and rapidly circulates hot air throughout their compact chamber. This means that air fryers can cook food in a fraction of the time needed to achieve the same outcome in a conventional oven.

Air fryers are great for baking anything that should be crisp and crunchy, such as granola, or baked goods that require a water bath, like cheesecakes. They are also perfect for creating a contrast between the baked exterior and a plush, soft interior, such as with dinner rolls or cinnamon buns.

Air fryers are also ideal for small-batch bakes, such as a few cookies, as you don't need to heat up your whole oven.

Air fryer temperature and time

The air fryer is a mini convection oven that uses rapid hot air circulation and minimal oil to cook food, creating a crispy exterior. It is ideal for recipes that require a crunchy texture, such as fried chicken or crispy vegetable side dishes. When baking in an air fryer, you can often use slightly lower temperatures than you would in a conventional oven.

As a general rule of thumb for air fryer baking, it is recommended to lower the temperature by 25°F and bake for 20-25% less time than a regular baking recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for baking at 350°F for 20 minutes, you would adjust the temperature to 325°F and bake for around 15-16 minutes in the air fryer.

The air fryer is great for baking smaller portions, especially when you don't want to heat up your kitchen. It is perfect for small batch bakes, such as a few cookies or a single-serve cheesecake.

Additionally, the air fryer is well-suited for recipes that require a contrast between the exterior and interior textures. For instance, chocolate chip cookies will have a crispy exterior and a gooey, soft interior when baked in the air fryer.

It is important to note that not all recipes are suitable for the air fryer. Recipes that expand massively in size, such as croissants or yeast bread, may not turn out as expected due to the limited space in the air fryer basket.

Furthermore, cakes can be tricky to bake in the air fryer as they may end up with a browned exterior and a raw or dense interior. To avoid this issue, it is recommended to use cake recipes specifically developed for air fryers, which are typically scaled to fit a 6" cake pan.

Lastly, preheating the air fryer is generally not necessary, but it is essential for recipes that rely heavily on chemical leaveners (baking powder, baking soda, etc.) or yeast for rising. Preheating provides the initial burst of heat needed for these recipes to rise properly.

Preheating the air fryer

Preheating an air fryer is a crucial step in achieving the desired cooking temperature and ensuring even crisping of your food. Here are some detailed instructions and tips for preheating your air fryer:

Understanding the Preheating Process

Before preheating, it is important to consult your air fryer's manual to check if preheating is recommended for your specific model. Some air fryers come with a preheat button, making the process easier. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheat button, you can manually preheat it by following these steps:

• Ensure that your air fryer is clean, plugged in, and ready to use.
• Set the temperature to your desired cooking temperature or follow the recipe's instructions.
• Heat the air fryer at 400 °F (204 °C) for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Alternatively, you can manually preheat for 3 to 5 minutes using the cooking temperature specified in your recipe.

Benefits of Preheating the Air Fryer

• Speed: Preheating can reduce the overall cooking time by a few minutes, making it ideal when you want your food cooked faster.
• Crispiness: Preheating ensures that your food will be extra crispy. It is perfect for dishes like fried chicken, french fries, and tortilla chips.
• Baking: Just like preheating an oven, preheating an air fryer is essential for baking cakes, cookies, and doughnuts. It helps avoid underbaked treats and ensures even cooking.

When Not to Preheat the Air Fryer

While preheating offers numerous benefits, there are a few instances when you should avoid it:

• Thick cuts of meat: Preheating may cause the outside of thick meat cuts to burn before the inside is cooked. It is better to place the meat in the air fryer before turning it on to ensure even cooking.
• Moist and delicate foods: If you're cooking delicate foods like shrimp or vegetables that you don't want to dry out or burn, skip the preheating step.
• Long cooking times: For dishes that require a long cooking time, such as roasted chicken or baked potatoes, preheating is unnecessary.
• Baked goods without preheating in a conventional oven: If you're making baked goods that don't require preheating in a traditional oven, you can skip preheating in the air fryer as well.

Pans for air frying

Air fryers are a great alternative to traditional ovens, as they can cook food faster and more efficiently. They are also more compact, which is perfect for those with limited kitchen space.

When it comes to pans for air frying, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, it is important to use a metal pan, as glass pans can be too thick and slow to conduct heat. Secondly, the size of the pan is crucial – it should fit comfortably inside your air fryer with enough space for hot air to circulate.

There are a variety of pans available on the market that are specifically designed for air fryers. These include:

• Baking pans
• Cake pans
• Pizza pans
• Bread pans
• Meatloaf pans
• Egg bite/muffin pans
• Silicone liners/inserts

When using an air fryer, it is also important to adjust the temperature and cooking time accordingly. Most recipes require a reduction in temperature by 25°F and a decrease in cooking time by 20-25%.

So, if you're looking to bake crispy, golden treats with a soft, fluffy interior, an air fryer is a great option!

Air fryer alternatives

Air fryers are a great way to cook food quickly and efficiently, but they are not the only option available. Here are some alternatives to air fryers that can help you achieve similar results:

Convection Ovens:

Air fryers are essentially mini convection ovens with a few adjustments. Convection ovens use fans to circulate hot air and cook food evenly. They are larger than air fryers and may take longer to heat up, but they offer more space for cooking larger portions. Convection ovens are ideal for baking and roasting, and some models even come with an air fryer function built-in.

Toaster Ovens:

Toaster ovens are compact and convenient alternatives for toasting, baking, and roasting. Some toaster ovens now come with air fryer functions, offering the benefits of both appliances in one. However, air fryer toaster ovens may not perform as well as standalone air fryers, and their cleanup can be more cumbersome due to stainless steel baskets.

Deep Fryers:

Deep fryers are the traditional method for frying foods and can produce a crispy exterior. However, they require more oil than air fryers and may not be as healthy. Deep fryers also take up more counter space and can be messier to use.

Ovens:

Standard ovens are a classic option for baking, roasting, and cooking a variety of dishes. They offer more space than air fryers and are suitable for larger portions. Ovens heat up the entire kitchen, which may be undesirable during warmer days. Additionally, ovens may take longer to preheat and cook food compared to air fryers.

Microwaves:

Microwaves are a convenient alternative for reheating leftovers and cooking certain foods quickly. They are compact and take up less counter space than air fryers. However, microwaves may not produce the same crispy exterior as air fryers, and they are not suitable for all types of cooking.

Stovetops:

Stovetops offer a traditional cooking method using pots and pans. They are suitable for a variety of cooking techniques, including frying, sautéing, boiling, and simmering. Stovetops allow for more control over the cooking process but may require more time and attention compared to air fryers.

Air fryer recipes

Air fryers are incredibly versatile and efficient, and they're great for baking. They are like mini convection ovens, cooking food by circulating hot air in the compartment, which helps food cook faster.

• Anything that should be crisp and crunchy, like granola, is a good option for the air fryer.
• Baked goods that require a water bath, like cheesecake, are also well-suited to the air fryer.
• Foods that you want to have a contrast between the baked exterior and a plush, soft interior, such as dinner rolls or cinnamon buns, are good options.
• Small batch bakes are perfect for the air fryer. If you want a few cookies, but don’t want to heat up your whole oven, the air fryer is a great choice.
• For best results, start with the recipes that come with your air fryer booklet. Once you see how the manufacturer’s recipes turn out, start branching out with similar recipes, pan sizes, and techniques of your own.
• Lower the temperature by 25°F and bake for 20 to 25 percent less time than the temperature and time called for in a regular baking recipe.
• Preheat the air fryer for any baked goods that rely heavily on a chemical or yeast leavener (baking soda, baking powder, yeast, etc.) so they get an initial burst of heat to help with rising.
• Air fryers are ideal for baking smaller portions, especially on warmer days when you don't want to heat up the kitchen.
• The bake setting on an air fryer typically lowers the temperature inside the appliance from the typical air fry heat levels.
• Air fryers are much smaller than full-size ovens, so bake times are often shorter. They also heat up more quickly than a standard oven, so preheating may take less time, if any at all.
• Air fryers are great for reheating leftovers without drying them out.
• Baked goods tend to bake a little faster in the air fryer because of its compact space and concentrated heat circulation. Therefore, you will need to reduce the temperature and time you would usually use in the oven.
• Air fryers tend to heat up pretty quickly because of the size of the cooking section, so you may not need to preheat your air fryer.
• You can use aluminum pans, stoneware, and higher-quality heat-resistant silicon in your air fryer.
• The best size for basket-type air fryers are 5-8 inch round or square cake pans or 6-cup bundt pans.
• The depth of the air fryer is important to consider. Choose a pan that isn’t too deep or tall so that it doesn’t hit the top of the air fryer and touch the heating element. The more shallow the pan, the faster the cake will bake.
• Any container that can be used in an oven can be used in an air fryer. If you don’t have the right sizes of baking pans, oven-safe glass dishes like Pyrex work well in air fryers.
• To grease a cake pan for air fryer baking, you can grease and flour the pan, grease and line with parchment paper, or use cake release (also called cake goop), which is a mix of shortening, flour, and some vegetable oil.
• Dark-coated pans tend to absorb and distribute heat faster, so they tend to bake faster than light-colored pans.
• Most baked goods will be done at 330°F / 166°C for 12-15 minutes, but this depends on the size of the batter and moisture in it. Expect to bake banana breads, banana cakes, and bundt cakes for up to 30 minutes at the same temperature.
• Air fryers are not ideal for baking very small items like choux pastry (cream puffs), madeleines, or mini-sized cupcakes.

Now that we've covered the basics, here are some air fryer recipes to try:

• Air fryer cookies: Cookies are crispy on the outside and deliciously gooey on the inside when made in the air fryer.
• Air fryer chocolate chip cookies: Pastry chef Zoe Kanan writes that air fryer cookies have a "molten, gooey, magic middle."
• Air fryer Basque cheesecake: The air fryer is the "perfect 'oven' for this particular cheesecake," as it browns quickly on the outside and bakes slowly within.
• Air fryer rolls: You can bake rolls in under 10 minutes in the air fryer, which is perfect if your oven is otherwise occupied.
• Air fryer pizza: The air fryer yields crispy, cheesy pizza with golden brown, evenly baked crust. It works well for nearly any pizza style, from thin crust to pan pizzas.
• Air fryer cake: The air fryer can be a great way to bake a cake, but you need to know what you’re doing. The circulation of hot air means that cakes can sometimes end up overly brown on the outside and underbaked on the inside.
• Air fryer nuts: Toasting nuts is simple, and yet so difficult. The air fryer is quick, reliable, and hands-off — without paying any attention at all, you can toast a cupful of nuts in around five minutes.
• Air fryer doughnuts: The air fryer is probably best suited for other baked recipes instead of doughnuts, as they fail to replicate the crunchy exterior that makes fried doughnuts so enticing.
• Air fryer carrot cake: This recipe features a delicious cream cheese frosting and a perfectly spiced sponge.
• Air fryer blueberry muffins: These light and fluffy homemade blueberry muffins, complete with a crispy cinnamon crumble topping, will make store-bought muffins a thing of the past.
• Air fryer peach cobbler: You can whip up this effortless, soft, and sweet cobbler with just a handful of ingredients from your kitchen cupboard and five minutes of prep time.
• Air fryer Persian love cake: This beautifully light sponge, flavoured with fragrant rose water, cardamom, and a zesty icing glaze, is a welcome addition to any afternoon tea.
• Air fryer chocolate fondants: This rich, gooey chocolate fondant is ideal for rounding off a good dinner party, and it only calls for six ingredients.

Frequently asked questions