My sister in law watched me load the air fryer basket and asked if I was trying to steam the food
She saw me pile frozen fries in a tall mound and said they'd never crisp like that because the hot air just bounces off the top layer. She was right, I switched to one flat layer with a shake at the 8 minute mark and the difference was night and day. Anyone else learn a basic air fryer rule the hard way from a family member?