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TIL my air fryer doesn't need preheating for most things

My roommate swore by preheating her air fryer for 5 minutes every single time, like it was a religion or something. I did it for months until last week I threw in some frozen chicken tenders cold and they came out exactly the same, maybe even crispier. She got mad when I said maybe the manual was right and you don't need to preheat for frozen stuff or small batches. Has anyone else actually tested preheating vs not prep?
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3 Comments
angela_morgan
The manual said preheating's just for the initial burnoff.
2
blair70
blair7012d ago
Nah, preheating definitely makes a difference for things like breaded stuff.
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olivia670
olivia67011d ago
My dumb ass actually timed it once with a $10 meat thermometer. For frozen stuff like those chicken tenders or even tater tots, the difference was like maybe 30 seconds total cook time. Meanwhile @angela_morgan is right about the burnoff thing, that's the only time I bother now. For fresh breaded stuff like homemade chicken parm, yeah preheating helps a tiny bit with the crust. But for 90% of what most people air fry, it's a waste of energy and patience.
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