Nobody publishes what they set, so there is nothing to check them against. A preset is a temperature and a time with a name, chosen by the maker for an unstated portion.
What is published
Philips — nine presets: frozen chips, fresh chips, chicken, meat, fish, breakfast, vegetables, cake, keep warm.
Russell Hobbs — nine preset programs: chips, steak, fish, vegetables, chicken, pizza, baking, dehydrating.
Ninja — seven functions.
Midea — five roles, on two dials.
Not one of them states a temperature or a time for any preset.
Why that makes “accurate” unanswerable
There is no published value to compare a result against. A preset is the maker’s choice for a portion size they have not stated, in a basket you may have filled differently.
What they are genuinely good for
A first attempt. They stop you guessing from nothing.
Consistency, if you cook the same quantity repeatedly.
Why your own settings beat them
Because you know the quantity. Philips publishes 500 g (17.6 oz) of chips in 4.2 liters; Ninja 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) per 5.2-liter zone. A half-full basket and a full one are different cooks, and a preset cannot know which you have.
What you can set yourself
Russell Hobbs — 40 to 200 °C.
Midea — 80 to 200 °C, on two dials.
Philips and Ninja publish no range at all — which on a machine sold on temperature control is a real omission.
The one machine that helps you correct
Russell Hobbs, with its turn reminder at the halfway point. It is also a prompt to look, which is what turns a preset into your own setting.
And what to do with what you learn
Write it down. Two attempts is all it takes.
Check your own manual before you follow anything here. Temperatures, fill limits and pressure ratings differ from model to model, and the manufacturer’s figures take precedence over anything written on this site. We report what makers publish — an oven’s range in degrees, a cooker’s maximum fill line, whether a part is declared dishwasher-safe — and we never turn those figures into food-safety guidance. Cooking temperatures and holding times for particular foods are set by manufacturers and by your national food safety authority, and this site points you to them rather than restating them.
What readers want to know
Should I use them at all?
As a starting point. They save you inventing a first attempt, and after two goes your own settings will beat them because they are for your quantity.
Last reviewed 23 August 2026