Check food is cooked before serving
Use official food-safety guidance alongside the recipe and your appliance manual.
A stated time is not a guarantee
The size of the food, its starting condition and the amount in the appliance can affect cooking. Follow the recipe and appliance instructions, then check the food itself. A browned coating is not evidence that the centre has cooked properly.
The Food Standards Agency advises checking the centre with a clean food thermometer. Its guidance gives 70°C for two minutes or an equivalent combination, including 75°C for 30 seconds. Poultry, pork and minced-meat products need thorough cooking. Use the linked official guidance for the full checks and exceptions.
Read the cooking arrangement as well as the ingredients
A recipe described as an air-fryer recipe may use a basket, an upper tray or a separate container. Confirm that arrangement against the manual for your own model. Do not remove a paddle just because a different model’s recipe does so.
If the recipe contains an unclear stage, stop and clarify it before starting. A useful archive should not force you to guess where raw meat is added or how long an omitted stage lasts. We keep recipes with unresolved instructions in the private review queue.
Keep your own useful notes
After following a recipe, record the model, food quantity and any change you actually made. A note that identifies a different quantity or cooking arrangement helps other readers understand why your result varied. Do not shorten a cooking stage simply because another contributor used a smaller portion.
For leftovers, marinade handling and other food-safety questions, consult the current official guidance linked below. Recipe comments and a remembered cooking time are not a substitute for that advice.
References
References checked on 8 October 2026. Official model instructions take priority over general recipe guidance.