My air fryer just tried to burn my kitchen down over some frozen fries

I was in my apartment last night, just trying to make a quick dinner. I put a whole bag of frozen fries in the basket, set it to 400 degrees for 15 minutes, and walked away. Big mistake. About five minutes in, I heard this loud popping sound and saw smoke pouring out of the top. I ran over and opened it, and the fries were all stuck together in one giant, half-frozen lump on one side of the basket. The hot air couldn't get through, so the element just kept heating that one spot until the oil started smoking like crazy. I had to unplug the whole thing, carry the basket to the sink, and run cold water over it. The whole place smelled like burnt oil for hours. I guess you really can't just dump a full bag in there. Has anyone else had a frozen food disaster like that? What's the right way to do a big batch?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamie7121mo ago

Oh man, you basically steamed them instead!

drew_jenkins541mo ago

Wait, @jamie712, maybe that's the secret to making them soft.