How To Use The Emeril Lagasse Air Fryer 360 | Skip The Rookie Mistakes

The Emeril Lagasse Air Fryer 360 is a toaster-oven style air fryer with a fan and heating elements that can crisp, bake, toast, broil, and more. Day one can feel busy: racks, trays, presets. This walkthrough gets you cooking fast, then shows the small habits that keep food even and cleanup easy.

What You Should Set Up Before The First Cook

Start with a clean, steady spot. Use a flat counter with room at the sides and back so heat can vent. Plug the unit straight into a wall outlet, not a power strip, since the heater pulls a solid load.

Wash the removable parts with warm soapy water, rinse, then dry fully. Wipe the inside with a damp cloth, then dry it too. Keep water away from the heating elements and the fan housing.

Many owners run a short empty heat cycle to burn off factory odors. The owner’s manual spells out the quick “burn-in” step and the do-not-do list worth reading once. Owner’s manual PDF.

Preset Or Mode	Best For	Tray And Rack Placement
Air Fry	Frozen fries, wings, breaded snacks	Crisper tray on rack position 3; drip tray at bottom
Toast	Bagels, sliced bread, waffles	Wire rack position 3; center food
Bagel	Bagels and thick toast	Wire rack position 3; cut side up
Bake	Muffins, casseroles, cookies	Baking pan on position 4; rotate pan halfway
Broil	Melt cheese, brown tops	Wire rack or pan in position 1–2, close to top
Pizza	Thin crust, reheating slices	Pizza rack position 4; pan for thick crust
Roast	Chicken parts, pork chops, veg	Pan on position 4; drip tray at bottom
Dehydrate	Herbs, fruit, jerky-style snacks	Use multiple racks; leave space for airflow
Reheat	Leftovers that should stay crisp	Wire rack position 3; small portions on crisper tray
Slow Cook	Low, steady heat for tender foods	Pan position 4; keep liquids below rim

How To Use The Emeril Lagasse Air Fryer 360 For Day One Results

Once the parts are dry, set up the interior like a mini oven. Slide the drip tray into the bottom slot under the heaters. This catches grease and crumbs so they don’t cook onto the floor of the unit.

Next, choose the cooking surface. The wire rack is the go-to for toast, open-face melts, and anything you’d cook on an oven rack. The crisper tray is for foods you want air to hit from below, like fries and nuggets. The baking pan is for batters, saucy foods, and anything that would drip.

Then pick a rack position. A simple rule works: higher equals more top heat and faster browning; lower equals gentler top heat and more time for the middle to warm. If your food browns fast but stays cool inside, drop it one level. If it looks pale, move it up one.

Preheat When It Changes The Outcome

Preheating isn’t mandatory for every job, yet it helps with crisping. Use it for air-fried frozen foods, breaded items, and pizza. For toast or quick reheats, you can skip it and still get good results.

To preheat, select the mode you plan to use, set the temperature, then set a short time like 3–5 minutes. When the timer ends, load the food, then reset the full cook time.

Use The Fan And Shake Like A Pro

The fan is what turns this oven into an air fryer. For foods piled on the crisper tray, plan a quick shake or toss once or twice. Pull the tray, give it a brisk rattle, slide it back in, and close the door.

Don’t crowd the tray. A single layer with tiny gaps cooks faster and browns more evenly. If you’re cooking for a group, run two batches and enjoy better texture.

Button Basics That Make The Control Panel Less Annoying

The front panel is friendly once you know the flow: choose a mode, set temp, set time, then start. Presets get you close; your kitchen finishes the job.

If you’re searching for how to use the emeril lagasse air fryer 360 because the buttons feel busy, stick to one mode for a week. Repetition is what makes it click.

Rack Positions Are The Real Secret

Rack positions matter more than most settings. Top heat browns, bottom heat cooks through. When you cook on the highest rack, watch closely for browning. When you cook on the lowest rack, add a touch of time.

If you’re using the baking pan, rotate it halfway through for even color. A toaster-oven cavity has hot spots, so a quick turn saves you from a dark corner.

Starter Settings For Common Air Fryer Foods

These are solid starting points you can adjust by a minute or two. Food thickness and how full the tray is will change timing.

Frozen Fries And Tater Snacks

Use Air Fry at 400°F (205°C). Spread fries in one layer on the crisper tray. Cook 12–18 minutes, shaking twice. If they brown fast, drop to 390°F and add 2 minutes.

Chicken Wings And Drumettes

Pat wings dry, season, then Air Fry at 380°F (193°C). Cook 22–28 minutes, flipping once. For extra crisp skin, finish 2–3 minutes at 400°F.

Salmon Fillets And White Fish

Use Bake or Air Fry at 375°F (190°C). Place fish on the baking pan lined with parchment. Cook 8–12 minutes depending on thickness. Check doneness with a thermometer when you can.

Roasted Vegetables

Toss veg with a small amount of oil and salt. Roast at 400°F (205°C) in the baking pan for 10–18 minutes. Stir once so edges brown evenly.

Reheating Pizza And Fried Takeout

Reheat works well at 320–350°F (160–177°C). Place slices on the wire rack so air can move under the crust. For fried takeout, use the crisper tray and a hotter 360–380°F.

Food Safety Without Guesswork

Air fryers cook fast on the outside, so thick meats can look done early. A quick thermometer check keeps dinner safe and stops overcooking. Foodsafety.gov posts a clean temperature chart you can keep bookmarked. Safe minimum internal temperature chart.

If you don’t have a thermometer, put one on your list.

Clean Up Fast So The Next Cook Is Easier

Let the unit cool, then pull the drip tray and wash it right away. Grease wipes off while it’s fresh. If you wait overnight, it turns tacky and needs more scrubbing.

For the crisper tray, a soak in warm soapy water helps. Use a soft brush to clear the mesh. Avoid harsh abrasives that can scratch coatings.

Wipe the door and the inside walls with a damp cloth. Crumbs left behind can smoke during the next preheat. If you notice smoke, it’s often old grease on the drip tray or crumbs sitting on the bottom.

Accessories And Liners That Make Weeknights Easier

The stock set is enough to cook, yet a few add-ons can cut mess. Parchment sheets made for toaster ovens keep the baking pan tidy when you cook sticky sauces. A small silicone mat also works, as long as it sits flat and leaves the edges clear for air to move.

If you cook wings or bacon often, keep two drip tray liners on hand. Swap, wash, and you’re back in business. For toast and bagels, a thin pair of tongs helps you grab hot slices without scraping the rack.

Batch Cooking Without Overcooking The First Round

The unit keeps heat after a run, so your second batch can brown faster. When you cook back-to-back, start the next batch 10–15°F lower or shave 1–2 minutes, then add time only if you need it. If you preheated for batch one, you can usually skip preheating for batch two.

Fix The Three Problems That Trip Up Most New Owners

When results are off, it’s usually one of three things: the rack is too high, the tray is crowded, or the food needs a mid-cook shake.

Food Browns Too Fast

Move the rack down one position or drop the temperature by 15–25°F. Also check sugar-heavy marinades; they darken quickly in high heat.

Food Stays Pale

Move the rack up one position or add 2–4 minutes. If you’re air frying frozen foods, preheat first and avoid stacking.

Food Gets Dry

Shorten the cook time and use a thermometer for meat. For reheats, drop the temperature. Crisp foods don’t need blazing heat the whole time.

What You Notice	Likely Cause	Fast Fix
Smoke during cooking	Grease on drip tray or crumbs on bottom	Clean tray, wipe interior, then preheat 2 minutes empty
One side darker	Hot spot in cavity	Rotate pan or flip food halfway
Fries soggy	Tray crowded, no shake	Cook in one layer, shake twice
Chicken skin not crisp	Moisture on surface	Pat dry, use 380°F, finish 2 minutes at 400°F
Toast uneven	Bread not centered	Center slices, use mid rack, reduce stack height
Food sticks	Tray not seasoned, sugars caramelize	Light oil mist, use parchment on pan for sticky glazes
Timer ends too soon	Preset runs short by design	Add time in 1–2 minute bumps and note your sweet spot

Small Habits That Keep Results Consistent

Use the same rack position for a food until you’ve dialed it in. Changing rack and temperature at the same time makes it hard to learn what fixed the issue.

When you try a new recipe, start a touch lower on temperature and add time. You can always brown at the end. You can’t un-brown a burnt top.

For baked goods, use the baking pan and avoid the crisper tray. Airflow can make muffins lean and cookies spread oddly. A pan gives steadier heat.

What To Cook When You Want To Learn Fast

If you want quick wins, run a simple “test menu” over two or three days. Make toast, reheat pizza, roast a tray of vegetables, then air fry a frozen snack. You’ll learn how each mode behaves without wasting ingredients.

By the end of that little run, you’ll know your favorite rack position, how loud the fan feels, and when you want to preheat. From there, using the presets feels natural.

When friends ask how to use the emeril lagasse air fryer 360, tell them to master three moves: pick the right tray, pick the right rack, then shake once mid-cook. Those habits beat any preset number on the screen.