Had a weird realization about air fryer roasted veggies at my sister's place last night

So I was over at my sister's house in Denver last night helping her unpack after a move, and she made dinner in her air fryer. She threw in some broccoli and carrots with just oil and salt, nothing special. And honestly, they came out way better than anything I've ever made in mine. Like, perfectly crispy on the outside but still tender inside. I've been doing 400 degrees for 12 minutes and getting burnt edges, but she said she does 375 for 8 minutes and shakes the basket halfway. It hit me that I've been treating my air fryer like a mini oven when it's really more like a convection microwave or something. Has anyone else had that moment where you realize you've been doing a basic technique completely wrong for months?

3 comments

3 Comments

max22315d ago

Switched to 375 myself after burning way too many Brussels sprouts. Lower temp works way better for veggies, gives them time to cook through without charring. Shaking the basket halfway is key too, I always forgot that step. Took me way too long to figure out the air fryer isn't just a tiny oven.

allen.iris15d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, "not just a tiny oven" is a lesson I learned the hard way. I practically turned my first batch of broccoli into charcoal briquettes while wondering why my kitchen smelled like a campfire. Guess some of us have to set off the smoke detector a few times before the lightbulb finally goes on.

viola_lopez3015d ago

Kinda makes you wonder if the real issue is altitude. Denver's way higher than most places so the lower boiling point of water there could be why your sister's veggies come out better at a lower temp, not the technique itself. Could explain why so many folks online swear by different settings and nobody can agree on the "perfect" air fryer time.