Welcome to AirFryDay, the place — you guessed it —each Friday Mashable covers the most recent developments, dispenses recommendation, and evaluations recipes on your air fryer.
Here is a sentence somebody who works on the web by no means expects to jot down: I ought to’ve learn the feedback first. However rattling, it will’ve saved me a good bit of time, numerous cleansing, and an acrid scent overtaking my house if solely I would learn the feedback earlier than testing a viral TikTok air fryer hack.
That is as a result of the feedback identified one thing apparent about cooking popcorn in an air fryer. If you happen to toss unfastened popcorn kernels within the basket of a heated air fryer, they are going to definitely pop. However they are going to pop and fly upward, generally careening into the heating factor of an air fryer, which is often positioned proper above the basket, completely uncovered. Some kernels would possibly even get lodged within the heating factor, which will surely not be good…
However we’re getting forward of ourselves. First, here’s the viral TikTok in question, revealed by person ameerah_mh, which garnered about three quarters of one million views. It is tremendous primary: Put unfastened kernels in air fryer, blast at 200 levels Celsius — that interprets to 392 levels Fahrenheit — and cook dinner for 5 to 6 minutes. Here is how their product regarded.
How the popcorn hack was presupposed to go.
Credit score: screenshots: tiktok / Ameerah_mh
Whereas it might sound pointless — since, you already know, microwave popcorn exists — I can truly see the utility on this recipe. Utilizing unfastened kernels, you select precisely how a lot popcorn you make, which is useful if you don’t need an entire bag. The recipe additionally would not use any oil or butter — no added fat in any respect — which makes it an particularly low-calorie snack for people who need that. If you happen to make unfastened kernels on a stovetop pot, you completely should use no less than some oil to stop burning and most microwave popcorns have no less than some butter or oil. I can see the promise in tossing kernels in an air fryer basket, strolling away, then having neatly contained popcorn within the basket 5 minutes later.
So I set about testing the recipe for this week’s iteration of AirFryDay.
One concern: The air fryer in ameerah_mh’s TikTok had a mesh basket. Mine has a nonstick grate, set contained in the basket. Popcorn kernels would possible fall by the grate, and thus not receive hot, circulated air from all sides. To appropriate this, I lined my grate with aluminum foil and poked holes by it, which might enable sizzling air to flow into beneath the kernels whereas additionally maintaining them off the underside of the basket.
From there I preheated the air fryer to about 400 levels, set the timer to 6 minutes, dumped a handful of kernels into the foiled basket, and began the cooking course of.
Foil with holes and raw kernels, prepared for the warmth.
Credit score: mashable / tim marcin
About one minute in, just a few kernels popped. From there, I listened intently as a result of one of the simplest ways to cook dinner popcorn is to tug it when the popping slows to a crawl. The popping elevated till about 3 minutes had been left, when kernels actually began clanging round. For lack of a greater time period, the popping sounded violent. Then the smoky scent began leaking out. Shit, I noticed, it is most likely ricocheting off the heating factor.
Is that this the tip for my air fryer? I questioned.
Finally the popping slowed and I turned the warmth off with greater than a minute left on the timer.
After I pulled the popcorn out, I used to be pleasantly stunned, contemplating the burning scent. There was a good bounty of well-popped, stark white popcorn. No oil, no muss, no fuss. Positive, there have been quite a few un-popped kernels, however such is life with popcorn.
Not an ideal pop ratio, however not horrible.
Credit score: mashable / tim marcin
I dumped the product right into a bowl, loved just a few kernels, then salted the entire thing and crunched a giant handful. Not unhealthy! In a pinch, it was a wholesome, straightforward snack.
Popcorn, up shut.
Credit score: mashable / tim marcin
However then I inspected the heating factor and yikes, it was not good. A good variety of items of popcorn had popped, shot into the heating factor, and lodged themselves into the factor itself. The popcorn was charred and nonetheless smoking. Frankly, it regarded like a large number that was going to suck to wash.
Not nice!
Credit score: Mashable / tim marcin
By no means nice when your air fryer begins smoking, regardless that it’s turned off.
Credit score: mashable / tim marcin
Sheepishly, I went to the feedback of the viral TikTok to see if other people had run into this concern. To my dismay, folks just about predicted this is able to occur. “What concerning the factor,” wrote one commenter. “Do not do it. I’ve precisely the identical air fryer and the popcorn burns on the factor,” wrote one other. “If any will get within the fan that is an issue,” wrote a 3rd.
Effectively, do not I really feel foolish. So, sure, whereas this popcorn air fryer hack technically does work — warmth pops popcorn, duh — there isn’t a manner I would really helpful anybody attempt it. Now if you happen to’ll excuse me, I’ve a heating factor to wash.
