My buddy swore preheating the air fryer for 5 minutes was a waste of time

My friend Dave kept telling me preheating was just extra work and didnt matter for things like chicken wings. I tried his way for about 2 weeks and my wings came out soggy every single time. Finally went back to preheating at 380 degrees for 5 minutes and the difference was night and day - crispy skin every batch. Has anyone else gotten bad advice from a friend that messed up their air fryer game?

2 comments

2 Comments

claire_gibson13d ago

Used to be Team Dave on this until I caved and tried preheating. Now I won't skip it.

torres.grant12d ago

I used to be Team Dave too," right? That exact phrase had me so stubborn about it. But here's a weird thing I noticed - when I skip the preheat, my baked goods come out with this uneven texture, like the outside is done but the inside is still doughy. My wife pointed it out with cookies specifically. The bottom would be golden but the top would still look pale. Now I wonder if the whole preheat debate is actually about how ovens recover heat differently depending on what rack you use. Might be why some people swear by preheating and others don't see a difference.