Question about preheating air fryers with silicone liners

I just figured out something that I think a lot of people are doing wrong with their air fryers. You know those silicone liners everyone buys to keep the basket clean? Well, I used to just throw my food in with the liner and turn it on without preheating. Then last week I noticed my chicken wings were coming out soggy on the bottom every single time. Turns out, the liner blocks the air flow if you don't preheat the basket first for at least 3 minutes before adding the liner and food. I tested it side by side with two batches of frozen fries and the preheated batch came out way crispier. Has anyone else dealt with the liner making food less crispy, or is it just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

finley9391mo ago

Doesn't the liner kind of defeat the purpose of the air fryer's airflow no matter what?

holly_gonzalez611mo ago

Soggy bottoms are a life lesson in disguise. Always preheat your liners, people.

danielmartinez1mo ago

Preheating the liners is a game changer @holly_gonzalez61, but I still manage to screw it up sometimes. Last time I forgot to spray the liner after preheating and the whole thing fused to my chicken wings like industrial glue. My air fryer looks like a crime scene now but at least the texture was solid.