Why does everyone think you have to preheat an air fryer?

I read a post where someone said preheating is the only way to get crispy food, but I've been skipping it for months and my fries still come out perfect at 375 for 12 minutes. Has anyone else found that preheating makes things dry out faster?

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3 Comments

michaelgrant2mo ago

WHO WAIT HOLD ON @emeryj66 you just said you forgot to preheat for TWO WEEKS? That's not forgetting, that's called having a method that works lol. But honestly the frozen chicken wings thing is interesting because I had the exact same problem with frozen mozzarella sticks. They came out uneven until I started shaking the basket halfway through. So maybe it's not about preheating at all, maybe it's about giving the frozen stuff a little extra love in the middle of cooking. I'm with you though, my fries at 375 for 12 minutes come out perfect without preheating and I'll die on that hill.

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emeryj662mo ago

Yeah the whole "you have to preheat or it won't be crispy" thing is wild to me. I actually forgot to preheat my air fryer for like two weeks straight after I first got it and my fries were still fine. The only time I really noticed a difference was when I tried to cook frozen chicken wings straight from the bag without preheating and they came out a little soggy on one side. But that might have been because I overcrowded the basket too. I honestly think the whole preheat thing is just a holdover from regular ovens where it actually matters.

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the_jamie2mo ago

My frozen onion rings came out perfect without preheat too, just had to shake halfway through.

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