Foodie lists three ingredients you should never put in an air fryer

Air fryers have enjoyed immense popularity in recent years as a healthier alternative to traditional deep frying. The tool has its limitations, however, with certain foods posing risks when cooked in the appliance.

In order to ensure air fryers are used effectively and safely, one expert has listed three things you should never put inside.

The tip comes from influencer Nicole Jacques, whose lifestyle advice has garnered interest from more than 111,000 followers on TikTok.

The influencer recetly posted a clip warning viewers of the “three items to never fry in your air fryer”, starting with cheese.

Her advice is to avoid any recipes with “a lot of cheese”. She added: “The cheese is going to melt before your item is cooked. It’s going to create a huge gooey mess.”

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Instead, she recommends adding your cheese to the food item two minutes before it is done cooking.

As a rule of thumb, all excessively moist ingredients should stay away from the appliance because they risk being unevenly cooked.

“Number two, [is] rice,” Nicole noted. “Even with the special insert, it never cooks evenly. Just use a rice cooker instead.”

Like pasta, rice needs to be boiled in water to cook effectively, and while it’s safe to add a few drops of water to your air fryer basket, too much could cause damage.

That being said, air fryers can come in handy if you’re looking to crisper up rice, farro and other grains as long as they’re already cooked.  

Last but not least, are cake doughnuts. Nicole explained: “The sour cream in their dense batter of sugar and flour just is a flop in the air fryer. Don’t try it.”

While air fryers offer a convenient and healthier cooking option, cooks could be in for an unpleasant surprise if they push the limits.

Despite racking up more than 80,000 views to date, the video wasn’t shared in time for some viewers who came unstuck with their machines.

One commentator admitted: “I put a small pizza in it and it blew the pepperoni and cheese away. I heard a strange sound. Thank God I was near it and turned it off.”