

Some people claim to love air fryers so much that they bought the best air fryer they could find. Me, I bought two: the first to see if they were any good, and the second because my first one was too small to cope with my new air frying addiction.
The best air fryers are genuinely brilliant gadgets for several reasons: they make really great food really quickly, they make traditionally unhealthy foods much more healthy, and if you forget about them they won't set your home on fire.
I've made some really great things in my air fryers, but I've made a few horrific messes too. So here are some lessons I've learnt the hard way, both good and bad.
Do: use the 20% rule
If you're buying food such as pre-cut chips you'll see cooking temperatures and times on the packaging, but those are for regular ovens and fan ovens. As a rule of thumb, cut the temperature by 20 degrees and the time by 20% for your air fryer – so if you're used to doing oven chips at 200 degrees for 20 minutes, try 16 minutes at 180. Make sure you shake the basket and give everything a quick spray of oil about halfway through if you want it to be nice and crisp.
Do: brine and bash your chicken
Air Fryers can dry out chicken and make it a bit tough, so it's a very good idea to flatten your fillets (I put mine in IKEA bags and whack them with the side of a wooden tenderiser) for more consistent cooking and to brine them for a good while in advance so they don't dry out. A basic brine is just a mix of salt and water that you chuck your chicken into and leave for a while. You can brine for as little as 20 minutes but the chicken will be fine for a few hours; just don't do it all day or overnight as the chicken starts to get mushy.
Do: make your basket non-stick
In many cases, your air fryer basket will be a very thin metal mesh – and that mesh likes nothing better than to grab onto food and refuse to let it go, tearing chunks out of your chicken or sabotaging your salmon when you try to remove it. For more delicate foods such as salmon, make sure you oil the basket and that you also pat dry and oil the skin before placing the salmon skin side down.
Don't: overcrowd the basket
If like me you started with a relatively small air fryer, resist the temptation to cram the basket: it's a false economy, because while it's quicker than cooking in batches the end result will be a mix of overcooked and undercooked food. Air fryers' increased speed means batch cooking is quicker than with other methods, and given the choice between crap food quickly or properly cooked food that takes a little longer most people would pick the latter every time.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
T3 Awards 2025 shortlist revealed: here are condenders for this year's prize
Some top products have been nominated for this year's T3 Awards, but who will win?
-
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s quick hit dumbbell workout delivers serious strength gains
Start your week the right way – with this simple 30-minute, four-move strength workout
-
Blackstone 28" Griddle AirFryer Combo review: bringing versatile diner-style cooking to your patio
From breakfast to dinner, this backyard beast does it all – including fries!
-
Philips unveils powerful new XL air fryer – and it’s already on sale
Talk about making an entrance!
-
I thought my old air fryer was great – until I tried the new Philips 5000 Air Fryer & Steamer
Consider my mind changed
-
I couldn’t wait to review the Ninja Crispi portable air fryer and it doesn’t disappoint
Four different cooking modes and the bonus of glass dishes makes the portable Ninja Crisp a real hit
-
There's a hidden built-in gadget in your Ninja air fryer – here's how to find it
Did you know about this?
-
Expert reveals how often you should really clean your air fryer – and what happens in you don't
Have you been neglecting yours?
-
This griddle and air fryer combo is the outdoor appliance I never knew I needed
Blackstone finally arrives in the UK with new Griddle Airfryer Combo
-
Robot vacuum cleaners are growing arms and legs?! I’m scared and intrigued at the same time…
Are robot vacuums getting too out of hand?