10 Things You Should Never Cook in an Air Fryer (Seriously, Don’t Try This at Home)

We all love our air fryers. They make fries crispy, chicken wings magical, and leftovers taste like new again. But apparently, some people are out here treating them like they’re Harry Potter cauldrons — tossing in everything but the kitchen sink.

So, let’s clear this up. Here are 10 things you should never cook in an air fryer (unless you enjoy setting off the smoke alarm and explaining yourself to your insurance company).

1. Toast

Just use a toaster, you rebel. Air fryer toast comes out dry, crumbly, and sad. Basically, bread that’s gone through a prairie drought.

2. Soup

Who’s ladling chowder into an air fryer? This is not a Crock-Pot, people. Best-case scenario: you’re scrubbing tomato splatter for days. Worst-case: zap, electrical hazard.

3. Pasta

Dried pasta needs water. Water and air fryers are like oil and Justin Bieber fans — they just don’t mix.

4. Loose, Leafy Greens

Spinach in the air fryer = instant confetti cannon. Expect charred leaves stuck to the heating element like sad party streamers.

RELATED: You’ve Been Cooking Bacon Wrong This Whole Time

5. Popcorn

Sorry, movie night. Most air fryers don’t hit the right temp, and loose kernels can slip in, spark, and — poof — there goes your appliance.

6. Anything With Too Much Cheese

Melted cheddar dripping down the basket might smell heavenly, but scraping baked-on dairy is about as fun as shovelling your driveway in February.

7. Big Bone-In Meats

Air fryers love thin cuts, but don’t jam a full chicken in there. Unless you’re aiming for “burnt feathers on the outside, salmonella surprise inside.”

8. Super Greasy Foods

Bacon can work, but it’s risky. Grease splatters, drips, and occasionally catches fire. And then you’re explaining to the fire department why your BLT almost took down the condo.

9. Wet Batters

Beer-battered fish? Tempura? Forget it. The batter slides right off before it crisps. Frozen fish sticks, though? Totally fair game.

10. Cupcakes

This one hurts. Cupcakes in the air fryer turn into Frankenstein desserts: burnt shell on the outside, raw batter in the middle. (Though, to be fair, raw batter is kinda delicious. Don’t @ me.)

Final Thought

Air fryers are magical, yes — but not that magical. Keep the soups, cupcakes, and pasta where they belong, and let the fryer do what it does best: making frozen fries taste like heaven.