What foods cannot be cooked in an air fryer?

The following are the types of ingredients that air fryers struggle with, and the reasons why, based on actual user experience:

1. Physical Incompatibility

Wet batter
Examples: Fish tossed with batter, tempura
Problem: Liquid batter can drip onto the heating element, causing smoke and even fire.
Loose crumbs
Examples: Oatmeal, fish fillets lightly coated with breadcrumbs
Problem: Hot air can lift crumbs and stick them to the heating element, creating a burnt smell and making cleanup difficult.

2. High-moisture food disaster zone

Leafy vegetables
Examples: Spinach, lettuce
Result: The hot air quickly draws out the moisture, leaving a crispy crumb (similar to seaweed, but with a bitter taste).
High-moisture fruit
Examples: Watermelon slices, orange wedges
Result: Shrunken and hardened rind: The rind is shrunken and hard, while the interior is scalding hot and can burn your mouth.

3. Dangerous cooking areas

Whole eggs in their shells
Examples: Boiled eggs, raw eggs
Risk: Steam inside cannot escape, potentially exploding and splashing, causing burns. Unopened packaged food
Examples: Bags of milk, vacuum-packed potato chips
Risk: Packaging expands and bursts due to heat, and the plastic film melts, contaminating the food.

4. Areas Most at Risk for Taste Failure

Soft Tofu/Pudding
Result: Surface cracks like a sponge, while the interior collapses due to evaporation of moisture.
Cheese slices (non-stringy)
Example: Cheddar cheese slices
Result: The fat separates into thin, burnt, crispy flakes, losing their smooth texture.

5. Alternative Suggestions