You unbox it, peel off the stickers, plug it in — and then what? If you’ve just brought an air fryer home and you’re staring at that shiny basket wondering whether to wash it, preheat it, or just throw in some frozen fries and hope for the best, you’re in the right place. The air fryer is one of the few countertop appliances that genuinely earns its space. But that first session can make or break your relationship with it. Get it right, and you’ll wonder how you ever cooked without it. Get it wrong, and you’ll end up with a smoking machine and a lingering burnt-plastic smell in your kitchen. This guide walks you through exactly what to do on day one, step by step.
Unbox, wash, and dry — the step everyone skips
Before any food touches that basket, you need to clean it. New appliances come with manufacturing residue, dust, and a faint oily film from the factory. That’s not dirt in the usual sense, but it will affect the taste of your first meal if you ignore it.
Take out the basket and the crisper plate (the perforated tray that sits inside). Wash both with warm water, a drop of dish soap, and a soft sponge. Avoid anything abrasive — those non-stick coatings scratch easily, and once they’re scratched, food starts sticking permanently. Rinse well, then dry everything completely with a clean cloth. Any water left behind will turn to steam during cooking and make your food soggy instead of crispy.
Wipe the inside of the main unit with a damp cloth too. Never submerge the body in water — it contains the heating element and fan. A quick wipe is all it needs.
Concrete example: Skip the wash and cook chicken wings straight out of the box, and they can come out tasting faintly of machine oil. It isn’t the air fryer’s fault — it’s the factory film that was never rinsed off.
The first run: burn off the newness
Here’s the part most manuals mention but nobody explains properly. Every new air fryer releases a faint plastic or chemical smell during its first heating. That’s normal — it’s the protective coating on the heating element burning off. You want that to happen before your food goes in.
Set the temperature to around 180°C (355°F) and run it empty for 10 to 15 minutes. Do this near an open window or with the extractor fan on. If your machine has a preheat function, use it. If not, just set the timer manually.
When it’s done, let it cool completely, then wipe the inside of the basket and the heating area once more with a damp cloth. The smell should be gone. If it lingers, run another empty cycle. Two cycles is usually the maximum you’ll ever need.
Concrete example: Some compact models need three burn-off cycles before the smell disappears. Annoying? Yes. Unusual? Not really. The point is: don’t cook food in it until the smell is gone. Your nose is the test.
Your first real cook: start simple, start small
Don’t launch into a whole roast chicken on day one. Start with something forgiving that teaches you how your specific machine behaves. Frozen fries, chicken nuggets, or a handful of chopped vegetables are perfect first candidates.
Here’s the golden rule: cook in a single layer. Air fryers work by circulating hot air around the food. If you pile things up, the air can’t reach the middle, and you get uneven results — crispy on top, pale and soggy underneath. Cook in batches if you have to. It’s faster than you think.
Set your temperature about 10°C lower than you would for a traditional oven, and check your food a few minutes before the recipe suggests. Air fryers cook faster because the heat is concentrated and close to the food.
Shake the basket halfway through. This is not optional. It’s the single habit that separates good air fryer results from mediocre ones. For fries, nuggets, or anything small, give the basket a shake every 5 to 7 minutes.
Concrete example: A common report from users is that a first batch of fries comes out burnt on the outside and raw in the middle after the basket was filled to the top and never shaken. Once the quantity is halved and the basket is shaken midway, the same fries come out perfectly golden.
Cleaning after the first cook — and every cook after
Let the basket cool down for a few minutes before washing. Not because it’s dangerous to touch (though it is hot), but because sudden temperature changes can warp the non-stick coating over time.
Warm water, dish soap, soft sponge. That’s it. If food is stuck, fill the basket with warm soapy water and let it soak for 10 minutes. Most residue wipes right off. For stubborn grease, a paste of baking soda and water works wonders — apply it, let it sit, then rinse.
Dry everything thoroughly before putting it back. Moisture left in a closed air fryer is a recipe for that musty smell you don’t want next time you cook.
FAQ
Do I really need to preheat an air fryer?
For most models, yes — a 3 to 5 minute preheat at your cooking temperature gives you more consistent results, especially for anything you want crispy. Some newer machines have a dedicated preheat setting; others just need you to run it empty for a few minutes. If you’re reheating leftovers, you can skip it. For raw proteins or frozen foods, don’t.
Can I put parchment paper or foil in an air fryer?
You can, but with a caveat. Parchment paper must be weighted down by food — if it flies up into the heating element, it can burn. Never use it during the preheat cycle. Foil is fine for some foods, but it blocks airflow, so use it sparingly and never cover the entire basket. Honestly? For your first few cooks, skip both and learn how the machine behaves on its own.
Why does my food come out dry?
Air fryers move hot air fast, which can dry out lean meats and thin vegetables. The fix is simple: toss your food in a little oil before cooking, and reduce your cooking time. A light coating of oil helps browning and keeps moisture in. Also, don’t overcook — check two or three minutes before the recommended time on your first attempt.
The bottom line
Using an air fryer for the first time comes down to four things: wash it, burn off the newness, cook something simple in a single layer, and clean it properly afterward. That’s the whole ritual. Once you’ve done it once, it becomes second nature — and you’ll start reaching for it instead of your oven more often than you’d expect.
If you want to go deeper into temperatures, cooking times for specific foods, and the mistakes that trip up even experienced cooks, there’s a more complete guide on the general topic of air fryer cooking that covers all of it. But for today? You’ve got everything you need to get that first batch right.
Last updated 2026-09-21
Written by our editorial team at WiseHomeGuides, home and pet specialists.
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