Digital air fryers beep or show a message such as Add Food or a preheat countdown. On a dial model, the heating light goes out when the set temperature is reached — usually after 3 to 5 minutes.
On a digital air fryer
A preheat program, if there is one, counts down and then beeps or shows a prompt to add the food. Some machines start it automatically when you choose a preset; others need a preheat button. Your manual names which.
No preheat program? Set a short 3-minute cook at the target temperature, then add the food when it ends.
On a dial air fryer
Watch the heating light. It comes on when the element is heating and goes out when the thermostat reaches the setting. The first time it goes out, preheating is done. After that it cycles on and off to hold the temperature — that is normal, not a fault.
How long it usually takes
About 2 to 3 minutes for a small basket, 3 to 5 for a large one or a dual-basket model. Higher temperatures take a little longer. An air-fry toaster oven takes longer still — the BLACK+DECKER toaster oven publishes a ten-minute preheat.
Do you even need it?
For crisp food, yes; for reheating and baking in a dish, rarely. See do you need to preheat an air fryer.
Safety during preheat
Basket in and empty — no parchment, no foil, no liner, which the fan can blow into the element. See can you put parchment paper in an air fryer.
Checking it yourself
An infrared thermometer aimed at the basket floor gives a rough reading of the metal — the Etekcity Lasergrip 774 at $18.99. For the food itself, use a probe; see using a probe thermometer and preheating and what it is for.
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.
Prices quoted in this text were read on 2026-10-18. The live price is at the top of the page.
What readers want to know
My air fryer has no preheat button. What do I do?
Set the cooking temperature and run it empty for 3 to 5 minutes, basket in. On a dial model, wait for the heating light to switch off — that is the thermostat telling you the set temperature has been reached. On a digital model without a preheat program, set a 3-minute cook and add the food when it ends.
Why does the heating light keep going on and off?
That is the thermostat holding the temperature. The element switches on until the air reaches the setting, then off, then on again as it cools. The first time it goes off is the end of preheating; after that, the cycling is normal.
Can I check the temperature myself?
Roughly, with an infrared thermometer aimed at the basket floor — the Etekcity Lasergrip 774 at $18.99 reads surfaces from −58 to 842 °F. It reads the metal, not the air, so expect a figure near but not equal to the setting.
Last reviewed 18 October 2026