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It’s safe to say that the newest trendy kitchen appliance, the air fryer, is here to stay for good. With easy prep, minimal mess, and practically no oil, no wonder people keep buying up air fryers, but before you start whipping up some delicious recipes follow these essential air fryer tips.

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Before you put anything in your air fryer consider lining your basket. The air fryers’ reusable or disposable liners are an extra cost, but it saves you a lot of hassle. These liners do two things, the small holes of the liners allow for air to circulate around the food, and they also prevent the basket from getting completely dirty and reduce your cleaning time.

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When it comes to cooking proteins or vegetables, make sure you pat these foods dry. Proteins and vegetables have extra moisture, which seeps out during the cooking process, and all of the seasonings and coatings will slide right off. So before you flavoring your star ingredients, give them a good pat down with a paper towel.

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As much as we want a bunch of delicious food, don’t overcrowd the basket. When you crowd the air fryer, you block the air from circulating through the basket, meaning you’ll end up with a soft soggy mess.

Via: Flickr

Though we love set it and forget it cooking, consider otherwise. During the halfway point in cooking with an air fryer, use tongs to flip big pieces of meat, or shake the basket with smaller pieces of meat or vegetables. Just like with baking cookies, you’ll get better and more even results if you rotate your food!

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Following these tips will give you crispy, crunchy, and tasty results each and every time! It’s so easy to use, you can make easy air fryer recipes today!