4 foods you should never cook in your air fryer, according to expert

Data suggests that around two-thirds of adults (66 percent) have an air fryer at home—but did you know there are a handful of foods you should always avoid cooking in one?

The kitchen top hero, beloved for its fast cooking times and ability to reduce harmful compounds like acrylamide, is often lauded for using less electricity than a conventional oven, thus lowering utility bills, and for its versatility; you can bake cakes, roast a full chicken, reheat leftovers, and so much more.

But serial users, be warned: the appliance isn’t a one-stop shop for everything.

If you have yet to take the plunge and don’t have an air fryer in your home, then you may be unaware that there are a handful of foods experts advise you never to cook.

An expert from Philips has detailed the four foods you should never cook inside an air fryer (Philips)

"Air fryers are incredibly versatile, but they're not suitable for absolutely everything, warned Martin Senders, Philips’ in-house air fryer chef.

He told The Liverpool Echo: “Foods that are very lightweight, produce a lot of grease, or melt quickly can cause problems inside the basket because they can disrupt the hot-air circulation, leading to uneven cooking, excess smoke or a messy clean-up.”

Why you shouldn’t cook bacon in an air fryer

One of these items is bacon, which can release a large amount of fat, causing smoke and splatter when cooked in an air fryer.

According to Brenda Peralta, a registered dietitian, grease build up inside the appliance can become a fire hazard and cause odours to arise if not cleaned down properly.

Instead, cook your pork in the microwave, like Marco Pierre White and David Chang; fry it in a pan, or pop it in the oven.

Popcorn and air fryers aren’t a match

Movie nights go best with popcorn, but you’re probably best off buying pre-popped snacks from the supermarket or sticking your packets in the microwave instead of the air fryer.

This is because air fryers do not circulate heat in the same way as specialist popcorn machines.

You've been warned: Don't place popcorn kernals in an air fryer (Getty Stock Image)

Unfortunately, kernels can fail to pop while others may burn, as per Senders.

Loose kernels can also be blown around by the fan, potentially becoming lodged close to the heating element.

Be careful with sliced cheese

If you ever just fancy a melted slice of cheese, make sure to think twice.

“As soon as the cheese melts, it drips through the gaps, burns onto the base and creates smoke and stubborn residue that's difficult to clean,” Senders warned.

But that doesn’t mean cheese should be completley banned from the air fryer!

Instead, put it on top of something, such as a burger patty or inside two slices of bread to make a delicious, gooey cheese toastie.

Poppadoms are a no-go

It may surprise you to hear, but poppadoms should not be heated up inside an air fryer.

This is because of the high risk of them ‘flying around the basket’, the expert cautioned.

“They often curl up, cook unevenly or burn in patches before they've had a chance to crisp properly.”

Instead, Senders advised poppadom-lovers to ‘stick to the cooking method recommended on the packaging’.