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The 1,700 watt number on my air fryer basket finally made sense after a chat with a guy at a Best Buy in Reno
He said most basket models pull way less power than the wattage printed on the box once they ramp down, which is why my frozen fries came out pale for the first 4 minutes. Does anyone actually preheat their basket for a full 5 minutes, or am I just wasting time?
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paul_owens251mo ago
Watched a teardown video where the guy hooked a meter to a cheap basket fryer and it sat around 900 watts after the first minute or two. The full 1700 only happens during the initial climb to temp, then the thermostat cuts it on and off to hold heat. So the printed number is basically a peak, not a steady draw. That ramp down thing is real and it explains your pale fries, because the basket never got hot enough before the food went in. I started preheating mine empty for 3 or 4 minutes and it made a way bigger difference than any recipe tweak I tried. Five feels like overkill unless your unit is underpowered or your kitchen is cold.
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