Air-Fryer Conversion Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I convert an oven recipe to an air fryer?+
  The standard rule is to lower the temperature by about 20°C (25°F) and reduce the cooking time by roughly 20%. Because air fryers circulate hot air rapidly in a small space, they cook faster and brown more aggressively than a conventional oven, so a little less heat and time gets you to the same result.
• Why lower the temperature instead of keeping it the same?+
  An air fryer is essentially a small, powerful fan oven. The intense air circulation transfers heat to the food’s surface much faster, so the same dial setting would brown or even burn the outside before the inside is done. Dropping the temperature by around 20°C compensates and gives even cooking.
• Why should I check the food early?+
  Air fryers are fast and vary a lot between models and by how full the basket is, so food can be ready sooner than the converted time suggests. Checking at about three-quarters of the time — and shaking or turning then — lets you catch it at the right point and ensures even browning.
• Does the conversion work for everything?+
  It is a reliable starting point for most roasted and baked foods — vegetables, chips, chicken pieces, frozen snacks and small bakes. It works less well for very wet batters, large cakes or anything that needs to rise gently or hold liquid, where the strong airflow can be a problem. Treat the result as a first attempt and adjust.
• Can I use °C or °F?+
  Both. Pick your unit and enter the oven temperature; the tool shows the air-fryer setting in your chosen unit and the other for reference. The underlying rule is the same — about a 20°C, or 25°F, reduction.
• Do I still need to preheat?+
  Many air fryers do better with a short preheat, especially for crispy results, and it is much quicker than heating an oven. Some models and recipes skip it entirely, so follow your manual. If your recipe assumed a preheated oven, a short air-fryer preheat keeps the timing comparable.
• Why does basket size matter?+
  A smaller or fuller basket changes how air moves around the food. Overcrowding blocks the airflow that makes an air fryer work, leading to uneven, soggy results, so cook in a single layer where possible and in batches if needed. A less full basket generally cooks faster.
• How do I know meat is safe?+
  Always judge meat by internal temperature with a thermometer, not by the timer. The converted time gets you close, but the reliable test is the core temperature. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service sets the minimums: 74°C (165°F) for all poultry, 71°C (160°F) for ground meat, and 63°C (145°F) for whole cuts of beef, pork, veal and lamb, followed by a rest of at least three minutes.
• Is the conversion exact?+
  No — it is a practical rule of thumb. Air fryers differ widely in wattage and design, so use the result as a confident first guess, check early, and note what works for your machine. After a few dishes you will know how your model compares to the calculator.
• Where does the 20-degree, 20-per-cent rule come from?+
  It is a rule of thumb, not a standard. An air fryer is a small fan oven, so cooks carry over the adjustment they already make for fan ovens: less heat and less time. Manufacturer guides say the same thing in general terms. Cosori’s cooking-times guide, for example, says to reduce both temperature and time when adapting an oven recipe. No manufacturer or food-safety body publishes the exact figures as a measured standard, which is why the calculator gives you a check-early time and why meat should be judged by thermometer.