An air fryer expert has issued a fresh overfilling warning to the millions of people who own the kitchen gadget.

And in doing so, he’s also explained what he reckons is the perfect level when it comes to your air fryer’s capacity.

Consumer experts at Which? regularly put the latest gadgets to the test so that the average British consumer can get a better idea of what they might be buying next time they need a new device such as a toaster, television, laptop, child car seat, or even sun cream.

At the core of that advice is a focus on the simple air fryer, which has quite simply boomed in popularity over the last decade.

In their latest video, Which? reveals five things you need to know before buying an air fryer. But if we’re honest, it applies just as much to those that already have them, so make sure you pay attention.

In what is the latest piece of advice from Which?, it follows on from a list of five things you should never do when stacking a dishwasher – but not everybody is convinced.

And on the topic of air fryers, it is the latest piece of advice issued to the public, with previous warnings including flagging a common mistake that could cause your home to set on fire.

Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis has also got involved in the past, warning over a significant issue when it comes to cooking in your air fryer over your traditional oven.

And then there’s a big issue with cooking particular foods in your air fryer, with a warning against it.

The overfilling warning from Which? comes down to what manufacturers are telling us as punters.

And according to the consumer experts, the advice they’re giving is a little off. Up to 40 percent off in some cases, if we’re being critical.

Air fryers make really crispy chips and wedges (Getty Stock Images)

“Don’t believe those internal volumes,” so says Harry Kind a tech expert at Which?.

“Manufacturers like to claim that their air fryer has a capacity of ‘x’ number of litres. But who is measuring their food in litres?

“Instead, properly inspect the basket or cooking space. Overfilling will make food cook unevenly.”

And what about getting that perfect fill level? Laughlin says: “How many layers of chips can you reasonable get in?

“In our tests we usually find that the true capacity tends to be around 60 percent to 80 percent of the claimed maximum.”

Laughlin and Which? also advise to spend at least £50 on your air fryer so you know you’re getting something that ‘doesn’t feel flimsy’.

And at the same time, we need to be honest in knowing that air fryers might save you a few quid over the years, it’ll take a long time for you to break even.

Oh, the air fryer.

Everyone’s favourite kitchen gadget that rose to popularity during the pandemic has had people in a chokehold ever since.

From whole cookbooks created for the kitchen staple to people abandoning their ovens all together in favour of it, it’s fair to say that people aren’t putting their air fryer’s into storage any time soon.

Don’t get me wrong, I get the appeal. They’re compact, versatile, healthy, quick and easy to use.

However, for certain dishes you’re going to have to put the air fryer away for the night as a list published by The Express warns against the five most ‘dangerous’ foods to cook in your trusty kitchen sidekick.

Too much sauce

First things first, any food that has a hearty sauce is a big no no for the air fryer. We’re talking dad’s famous chilli, spaghetti bolognese, anything with a high liquid content should be avoided.

Why? Well, the amount of sauce can splatter throughout the interior, which not only causes a mess, but can prove dangerous.

Wet batter is a big no

It should go without saying that an air fryer is not the same as a deep fat fryer, a gadget perfect for wet battered foods.

However, when recreating your favourite chippy staple, leave the air fryer alone for this one.

The absence of hot oil can – again – create a mess leaving the wet batter to drip everywhere. This can cause damage to your fryer and if that happens, what are you going to use to recreate recipes you see on Instagram?

All isn’t lost though because flour-based batters or panko breadcrumbs are good to go – plus you’ll get a better crunch too.

The air fryer won’t help you with this one (Westend61 / Getty Images)

Skip the popcorn

A movie night isn’t complete without a bowl of sweet or toffee popcorn – salty if you’re nasty – but next time you make a bowl of the stuff at home, please, please don’t use the air fryer.

You see, air fryer’s don’t get as hot as a pot of oil, so the kernels don’t fully pop. Not only that but if the little things get lodged in the mechanism of the air fryer, it could short circuit and become a fire hazard.

That’s scarier than any movie you could watch if you ask me.

Anyone fancy nachos?

Bitter broccoli, anyone?

Ok, so this one isn’t exactly dangerous, but people have enough of hard time with broccoli as it is without the air fryer turning it into an inedible piece of tree. An air fryer is essentially where broccoli comes to die, so if you want to jazz up the vegetable and serve it as a tasty side dish, try tossing in some herbs and spices and pan frying it.

Delish.

Dried goods

Pasta and rice are a staple in most of our diets but when it comes to the air fryer, you’re better off sticking to more traditional methods – like some water and saucepan.

Pasta and rice need to be boiled first and sadly, you can’t achieve that in air fryer.

If you simply can’t leave it alone for one night though, then you can use your air fryer to reheat pasta and rice dishes as opposed to using a microwave.

You’re welcome.

A report published by Which? has revealed an urgent security warning to owners of three popular air fryer brands.

Although air fryers have been available to buy since 2010, the appliance has only really been a common sight in our homes in the past couple of years as Brits looked for more quick and affordable ways to cook their food.

Fast forward to 2024 and most us cook – or knows someone who cooks – with an air fryer on the regular.

However Which? has now weighed in on the safety of smart appliances in the home – and it could be bad news if you own one of these brands.

In a report titled ‘Why is my air fryer spying on me?’ the consumer advice site revealed that it had tested various smart appliances currently sold in the UK, with their findings reporting three products – the Aigostar, Xiaomi Mi Smart, and Cosori CAF-LI401S – wanted to know customers’ precise location and had requested permission to ‘record audio on the user’s phone, for no specified reason’.

Which?’s report goes on to add that the Xiaomi app – which is linked to their air fryer products had connected to the following trackers: Facebook, Pangle (which is the ad network of TikTok for Business) and Chinese company Tencent (depending on the user’s location).

Both of the Xiaomi and Aigostar fryers tested also sent information collected from users to servers in China – although Which? states that this is flagged in the user privacy notice.

Meanwhile, Aigostar had additionally had given users the option to enter in personal details such as gender and date of birth when setting up an account, however, this isn’t mandatory.

Speaking about the report’s findings, Harry Rose, Which? magazine editor, said: “Our research shows how smart tech manufacturers and the firms they work with are currently able to collect data from consumers, seemingly with reckless abandon, and this is often done with little or no transparency.”

The Aigostar, Xiaomi Mi Smart, and Cosori CAF-LI401S air fryers were highlighted by the consumer research brand (Getty Stock Images)

Responding to the claims, a representative for Cosori said (via Which?): “We prioritise privacy, and subject to our internal compliance requirements, the smart products must comply with GDPR. However, without specific test reports from your firm or the test lab, we cannot comment further.”

Meanwhile, a representative for Xiaomi told LADbible: “We are aware of the recent press release by Which? and some information in it including ‘Xiaomi fryer sent people’s personal information to servers in China’ is inaccurate and misleading, which could be resulted from some misunderstandings. We are in the process of clarifying with Which?. Our privacy policy is developed to comply with applicable regulations such as the UK GDPR and the DPA 2018. By complying with local applicable laws and regulations in markets where Xiaomi operates, user data are stored in compliance with local laws. We reserve the right to take legal actions to protect our reputation.”

Aigostar did not respond to Which?’s request for comment.

LADbible Group has also reached out to Cosori and Aigostar for additional comment.

If you’re the type of person who uses a chopping board while cooking, and why wouldn’t you be, then you need to be alert to a possible problem.

While preparing food, it’s inevitable that things are going to need to be chopped up from time to time, and it’s best if you use a surface other than your kitchen worktop.

No matter how spick and span you keep things, it’s always better to have a dedicated chopping board, and you don’t want to be cutting right into the worktop surface anyway.

However, depending on the material your chopping board, there’s different things you’ve got to watch out for.

For a lot of people, your chopping board is going to be made of plastic, and it’s going to look like you’ve run a sharp knife across it a few times if you’ve had it any length of time.

And that’s a problem as health experts have warned that this poses the danger of you ingesting microplastics.

A 2019 study from WWF International found that some people are consuming as much as five grams of plastic a week – the equivalent of eating your credit card.

A 2023 study found that people were ingesting between seven and 50 grams of microplastics from their chopping board a year, as each cut scrapes away a little bit of the plastic and likely deposits it in the food being prepared on it.

Since that food is going down your gob so too is the plastic, and as a consequence, you could be eating quite a lot of plastic over the course of time.

Plastic is also the reason why people have been warned over drinking bottled water recently, as they contain the even smaller nanoplastics which are linked to cancer, birth defects and problems with fertility.

Getty Stock Photo

Back on the topic of the chopping board, experts suggest that you switch from plastic over to something made out of wood or marble.

Still, even these can have their drawbacks as if you’re preparing raw meat on a wooden board it’s liable to soak up some of the juices and be a contaminant for whatever’s put on there next.

Pretty much all chopping boards pose as danger as over time with use they’ll develop cuts and grooves where bacteria can hide, clinging on between washes to infect your food.

When it comes to the chopping board, make sure you clean it like your life depends on it to scrub as many of those annoying little germs away.