This is the one food you should never cook in an air fryer, but studies show Brits still are
5 foods Brits commonly cook in their air fryers – and 1 they absolutely shouldn’t
Recent statistics have shown that Brits are trying to cook almost everything in their air fryer. But after seeing the results, there’s one food in the list which really shouldn’t go anywhere near your air fryer – here’s what it is and why.
I recently got an air fryer, which might come as a surprise to some as T3’s Home Editor. I’ve tested many over the years, but my husband has an aversion to air fryers so I tend to give them away to friends and family once I’m done testing. But the Tower air fryer that I’m currently using – review coming soon – has definitely converted me to the air fryer lifestyle.
I tend to cook most meat, like chicken and meatballs, in my air fryer now instead of the oven, as well as vegetables and potatoes. But after covering appliances for years, there are some foods I draw the line at cooking in an air fryer – see the 7 foods you should never cook in an air fryer for more details.
But it turns out I might be the only one who won’t use their air fryer to cook everything, as recent statistics have found that Brits are air frying almost anything they possibly can. Sourced by kitchen experts at Prestige, Brits are Google searching which foods you can cook in the air fryer – and the results are surprising.
According to Prestige, ‘can you air fry bacon’ is most commonly searched with 1,900 searches per month. Sausages are a close second at 1,200 monthly searches, with halloumi, steak and burgers following. Other foods like broccoli, corn on the cob and mushrooms also made the list, as well as pizza and garlic bread.
But the search that surprised me the most was ‘can you cook eggs in the air fryer’ which totalled to 600 monthly searches. If I can give you any advice as an air fryer reviewer, it’s that eggs should be the absolute last food you should cook in an air fryer.
Before I start getting a ton of angry emails, let me say this – eggs can be cooked in an air fryer. It just depends on the type of eggs you’re cooking. For example, fried eggs and omelettes are great in the air fryer, as they take minimal time and offer consistent results – cooked white and runny yolk for the former, and fluffy textures for the latter.
But there are three types of eggs I would never cook in an air fryer. The first is a boiled egg. Again, yes, you can cook a soft or hard boiled egg in an air fryer but if you ask me, it’s not worth the risk. I’ve seen far too many videos of people taking boiled eggs out of the air fryer and then the egg exploding.
Boiled eggs tend to explode like this in air fryers and microwaves due to the quick heating and high temperatures creating steam inside the egg that can’t easily escape. This trapped heat and pressure builds up and causes the egg’s shell and contents to explode which can seriously burn you if you’re in the blast zone.
Another type of egg you shouldn’t cook in an air fryer is poached eggs. While I’ve seen some people do it successfully, I think it’s much more hassle than it’s worth, as you need to prepare ramekins and add pre-boiled water to them before you crack the egg in and then place them in the air fryer. It’s easier and requires less equipment if you just do it the traditional way.
Finally, the third egg I wouldn’t recommend cooking in an air fryer is scrambled eggs. Scrambling eggs takes time and a lot of movement. Opening your air fryer to stir the eggs continuously stops and starts the cooking process which leads to inconsistent results. Making them on the hob gives you much more control.
