Do I Need to Preheat My Philips Air Fryer? [Quick Answer + More!]

If you are new to the Philips air fryer and have used ovens for the majority of your cooking, you may have a few questions regarding your shiny new appliance. 

Two of the biggest advantages of owning an air fryer are how easy it is to operate and how quickly it air fries your food. This kitchen appliance functions much like convection ovens, moving hot air around your food to cook it to crispy perfection. The Philips air fryer does this to a high standard. 

There are some differences between the Philips air fryer and a conventional oven. Air fryers famously halve your cooking time and still leave the food with a crispy outer texture. With ovens, you usually have to preheat atleast 10 minutes and upto 20 minutes before sticking your food inside. This often makes cooking take a lot longer than expected.  

Since air fryers and convection ovens are similar in some ways, you may be wondering:

Wait a second! 

Do I need to preheat my Philips air fryer before cooking anything? 

The answer: You don’t need to preheat your Philips air fryer. It will start cooking from the moment you start it. However, if you want to preheat before air frying you can do that too! 

There will be a few scenarios where you will want to preheat your air fryer ahead of time. 

Continue reading to learn about the foods that could do with a spot of  prior heating and how to do it on your Philips air fryer. 

Can You Preheat a Philips Air Fryer? 

According to Philips USA website, preheating is not a requirement to air fry your food. I mostly do not have any time to waste when I cook, so I try not to air fry my food for much longer than needed. But, that isn’t to say you shouldn’t use the preheat option. 

Although it isn’t necessary to achieve amazing food results, you can choose to preheat your Philips air fryer if you want to. It is easy to do and doesn’t extend the cooking time by much. 

We will go into more detail about how to preheat with your air fryer and discuss situations perfectly positioned for a quick preheat. 

Thinking about getting your own air fryer? Check out the Philips Essential Air Fryer Compact on Amazon, it’s the one I have and I love it. This air fryer, even when you preheat, doesn’t make noise and is small enough to fit in a dorm room. 

Related Reading: Can you Adjust the Temperature on a Philips Air Fryer? [Cooking Guide and What to Do].

How Do I Preheat My Philips Air Fryer? Step By Step Process 

We’ve come up with some tips for you to keep in mind if you prefer to preheat your food.

Bear in mind that some air fryers already come with a preheat function. These air fryers include: the Ninja air fryer, Dreo air fryer, and this Cosori air fryer. In fact, the Cosori air fryer will not cook food properly if one does not preheat it first. 

For the Philips air fryer, preheating can be done in a few simple steps. It really isn’t any different to when you actually cook food inside your air fryer. 

The only materials needed to preheat an air fryer are: 

• Your Philips air fryer and 

• A clean air frying basket

That’s it! Now let’s get into the process…

Step 1 - Check Your Philips Air Fryer Basket

Before you start preheating, be sure to check the basket for any food and/or parchment paper. You want to double check the inside because the last thing you want is making your previous air fryer smoke!

Remember that wax paper should never go inside an air fryer basket, because the wax can melt. 

You will need to double check if the air fryer has been cleaned first. Like I said, if there is grease or fat inside your air fryer then preheating will damage your machine. 

Quick tip: Did you know that the Philips air fryer is dishwasher safe? If there is grease leftover in the chamber, then pop it into the dishwasher to clean in an instant.

Step 2 - Set the Philips Air Fryer Timer and Temperature 

Remember that preheating shouldn’t take up more than two to ten minutes. You really are just blitzing the inside of your air fryer and priming it for real cooking. 

The ideal temperature time and preheating length to prep your Philips air fryer is 400F for a maximum of seven minutes. 

Step 3 - Press Start and Preheat!

The third and final step is to just press “Start” on the menu interface. Once the air fryer is done preheating then you’re ready to put your veggies, meat, or whatever else you want to cook right inside the chamber. 

Tips for Preheating the Philips Air Fryer 

In terms of best tips for using your air fryer, we’ve come up with some of the most relevant points from our personal experiences.

Tip #1 - Carefully Choose What to Preheat

Not every food needs preheating. This is very recipe specific. For example, you shouldn’t preheat your air fryer for foods that you want to have cooler insides. Preheating can potentially make cooking more even and allow for a more consistent interior texture.

Tip #2 - Clean the Air Fryer Before Preheating

Clean the air frying basket after each cycle. This is important because if there is food leftover from the previous cook, then you risk the crumbs burning and ruining your air fryer. You should always clean your Philips air fryer before preheating and before a big cook.

After preheating, leave the air fryer aside until you add the prepped food. Don’t clean it as a washed basket will defeat the purpose of preheating. 

Tip #3 - Ensure the Air Fryer Basket is Empty Before Preheating 

Ensure nothing is left inside the basket during preheating. This is especially true of parchment paper (which is normally okay to go inside an air fryer). The paper will get blown around without any weight to hold it down, and potentially burn. Always preheat with an empty, clean basket. 

Additional tip: Preheat your Philips air fryer at the temperature that the recipe requires for anywhere from two to seven minutes before putting your food inside. 

Tip #4 - Remember The Golden Rule (No Overcrowding!)

I’ve had my Philips air fryer for about a year or so now, and there is one cooking mishap of mine you should never repeat.

Never, ever, overcrowd your basket! What you’ll end up with is a mix of undercooked food and overcooked food. Nothing will come out evenly cooked and it will take a lot longer than anticipated. Trust me, I learned the hard way, and my food wasn’t as tasty as it could have been.

When Should I Preheat My Air Fryer? 

As preheating is situational, we’ve discussed a few occasions when preheating your Philips air fryer may not be such a bad idea after all. 

Reheating Leftovers 

Preheating your air fryer is a smart choice if you choose to warm your leftovers. This will make reheating your foods extra quick. When you preheat this way, try halving the cooking time. This will prevent your leftovers from drying out too much. 

Before Air Frying Steak 

Preheating is a good idea when you’re needing to cook a thick cut of meat. You can ensure a more even cook rather than a crispy outside and a rare inside (but sometimes this is nice for steak). Want another tip? Try preheating your air fryer if you want to cook chicken breast. That way you know for certain it is cooked right in the center. 

Interested in learning more? Read our article, How To Reheat Steak In An Air Fryer [How-to and FAQ].

Before Air Frying Veggies 

Another instance where it would be a good idea to preheat is if you are cooking hard veggies. Hard veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. A good preheat will ensure your roast veggies are cooked and crispy. 

Important note: Remember that preheating your air fryer doesn’t make a huge difference in how your food turns out in the end. It mainly optimizes your cooking routine and technique.

Final Thoughts 

There is no right or wrong way to cook your food with an air fryer. That’s why it is one of my favorite appliances out there. 

Whether or not you choose to preheat your air fryer is up to you. Yes, it is a heated discussion (pun intended!), but the best advice is to double check your air fryer’s manufacturer manual. They will provide the best advice on whether or not preheating is required. 

Generally speaking, preheating your air fryer before using it is completely acceptable. If you choose not to preheat your air fryer, know that this is also okay. 

Do you preheat your air fryer before cooking? Let us know about your experiences and why you would or wouldn’t recommend doing this in the comments below.