10 things I wish I knew before buying an air fryer

There are a ton of air fryers on the market right now, but it mostly boils down to two models: a convection oven air fryer and a basket air fryer. The first one resembles a mini toaster or convection oven. On the other hand, the basket air fryer is the more traditional air fryer that uses a drawer-like compartment to cook food.

I was not expecting there to be so many options, so I had to do a lot of research to make sure I was making the right decision. In the end, I decided to buy the Cuisinart convection oven air fryer for $100 because it has more capabilities, like broiling, toasting, and roasting.

Although some are small enough to fit in a cabinet, the air fryer I bought could not easily be stored away. Measuring 11.75 inches by 12 inches, my air fryer needed plenty of counter space to my surprise. When I unboxed the new appliance, I needed to find 2 feet of counter space in my small Brooklyn apartment.

Eventually, I found a spot next to my microwave that has become what I call the appliance corner.

Read more: 7 things you should cook in an air fryer and 7 things you shouldn't

When cooking in an air fryer, most foods take less than 15 minutes to fully cook, which is always a surprise for me. Typically, I'm used to waiting 20 or 30 minutes to bake chicken breasts in the oven. While the chicken breasts bake, I typically wash the kitchen and tidy up.

When using an air fryer for chicken breasts, however, it typically takes between 10 and 15 minutes. I've tried to clean the dishes and the kitchen in that timeframe, but the ding of the fryer always sounds before I'm finished. It means I've had to adjust my cooking routine.

Sometimes, things cook so fast that I don't even realize they're done. One night, I cooked a meatloaf, and it was finished in under 15 minutes. I was expecting it would take closer to 20, so I left it in there too long. That night, I had burned meatloaf for dinner.

In my air fryer, it's difficult to get an even cooking texture. Most times, the top of the food becomes crispy and delicious, while the bottom remains soggy. For example, when I made breaded chicken cutlets, one side of them was crunchy, while the other looked mushy.

I learned quite quickly that I have to flip the food halfway through to get the underside crispy as well. It's not something I was used to doing with a regular oven.

My air fryer came with a basket and a tray. Some recipes I've used told me to use the tray and others told me to use the basket. When I'm not using a recipe to cook dinner, I often struggle to decide which is best to use — something I've never had to struggle with before an air fryer. Typically, I tend to lean toward the basket when I'm attempting to fry something and the tray when I'm roasting.

Read more: Chefs share 11 of the best breakfast dishes you can make in an air fryer

Since my air fryer looks so much like an oven, I've caught myself using it like one. Instead of following a recipe, there have been a few times where I've just thrown food in and set the temperature to 375 degrees. In these incidences, the meal never turns out great because it's not a typical oven. It's an air fryer that relies on temperature and timing controls that I'm not familiar with just yet.

When I follow an air fryer-specific recipe that tells me what to put the temperature on and how long to cook it for, the food always turns out much better.

Although the air fryer was bigger than I expected and struggled to find counter space for it, the space where food is cooked is actually quite small. Although I never tried, I can't imagine you can cook for a large group of people with this appliance...at least not in the model I own. You'd have to cook in batches.

For instance, some recipes I've followed said I should only put two strips of chicken breasts at a time to ensure even cooking and then do a second batch.

I'd recommend staying away from the air fryer if you're cooking for more than two people.

I'm used to baking chicken and vegetables on one giant sheet in the oven. That's not possible when it comes to an air fryer because of its size.

One night I was cooking chicken, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, and they all needed to go in the air fryer, according to their recipes. Instead of putting them all on one tray as I would have with a traditional oven, I had to cook the chicken first then the vegetables. By the time everything was finished cooking, the meat was cold.

Read more: I tried 5 popular air-fryer recipes, and there are 3 I'll totally make again

A common misconception is that air fryers completely eliminate the need for olive oil. The truth is that most recipes I've used still want me to drizzle olive oil on my food so that it will crisp up in the air fryer. It is important to note, however, that I've used significantly less olive oil with the air fryer than I would have if I traditionally fried my foods.

Although my air fryer has a window, the space inside is so small, that it's difficult to see if something is cooked or not. With basket air fryers, there is no window, so it's impossible to see how your food is doing. Instead, you have to rely solely on the timer.

Many times I've had to open the door, let out the precious heat, and pull out the tray just to see if something is cooked through.