Beef burger in an air fryer

Fresh — the short answer

180°C (356°F) for 10–15 min

For: 400g in total, about 20mm at the thickest point, 4 pieces, From the fridge
In: Basket air fryer, single layer, pieces not touching
Preheat: Not needed
Part way: turn the pieces over at about 5 min
Check: No pink in the centre
Safety: Minced, reformed and rolled meat — burgers, sausages, meatballs, kebabs, rolled joints — must be cooked through to the centre, not served pink. Full rule below.

Moderate confidenceWell supported, but from a narrower base of sources than we would like.

Minced, so it must be cooked through — and the published times range from seven to eighteen minutes across five manufacturers.

Fresh

Before anything else

From national food-safety authorities, not from us. These take precedence over any cooking time below.

Requirement — Food safety (microbiological)

Minced, reformed and rolled meat — burgers, sausages, meatballs, kebabs, rolled joints — must be cooked through to the centre, not served pink.

Target: 70°C in the thickest part, or an equivalent from the table below.

How to tell, without a thermometer

No pink in the centre when one is cut open
Juices run clear
Steaming hot right through

If it has not got there: Return it to the basket for two or three minutes and check again. Cutting one open to look is a legitimate test and costs you one sausage.

Published combinations delivering equivalent lethality. AirfryerHQ does not calculate values between these — only the pairs the authority published are shown.
Temperature	Held for	Measured at
70°C	2 min	the centre of the thickest piece
75°C	30 sec	the centre of the thickest piece

The quick answer

180°C (356°F) for 10–15 min

Published range for a stated 100–600g.

Assuming: 400g in total, about 20mm at the thickest point, 4 pieces, From the fridge
In: Basket air fryer
Loaded: Single layer, pieces not touching
Preheat: Not needed
Result: Well done

Moderate confidenceWell supported, but from a narrower base of sources than we would like.

Preparation

Season the outside. No oil specified.

How to load the basket

Single layer, pieces not touching. The reference condition. Air reaches every surface, and times are the shortest the food will achieve.

While it cooks

At about 5–8 minutes: Turn the pieces over
The underside is out of the airflow.

How to tell it is done

No pink in the centre
Juices clear
Steaming hot through

Rest for 2 minutes before serving.

In a different appliance

Dual-basket air fryer: 180°C for 16 min
A single published figure against a stated 110g patty. Not a range.
Oven-style air fryer: 180°C for 16–18 min
Published range for 340g in two patties, on the air flow racks rather than in the basket.
Combination microwave with air fry: 220°C for 16–20 min
Published range for 2–4 patties totalling 280–560g on Air Fry 3.
Multicooker with air fry: 250°C for 7–9 min
Patty thickness, for four published 125g burgers at 2cm. The chart heads its beef block with an internal temperature of 63°C for medium.
Basket air fryer: 180°C for 10–15 min
Quantity within the published 100-400g band.
Basket air fryer: 200°C for 15–20 min
Patty count, for one to three published patties of around 150g each.
Basket air fryer: 200°C for 16–21 min
Patty count, for one to six published patties of around 150g each.

Where these figures came from — fresh

Moderate confidenceWell supported, but from a narrower base of sources than we would like.

Applies to: Specific to this model
Why this rating: Published with a quantity band. Sits below the two other published burger figures in the catalogue, both of which are 16 minutes or more, and the difference is recorded rather than reconciled.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13

What this does not cover

Published by the manufacturer for this model. It is evidence about this appliance and is not general advice.

Sources (1)

Tower T17067 4L Digital Air Fryer — Safety and Instruction Manual (PDF)
RKW Ltd (Tower Housewares) — Manufacturer manual (United Kingdom)
Relied on for: Hamburger at 180°C for 10–15 minutes, for 100–600g.
States this directly
Passage read and verified
Retrieved 2026-08-13 from argos-support.co.uk
Retrieved from Argos's manual library for Argos product 947/6769. The document carries no revision code.

Chilled

Before anything else

From national food-safety authorities, not from us. These take precedence over any cooking time below.

Requirement — Food safety (microbiological)

Minced, reformed and rolled meat — burgers, sausages, meatballs, kebabs, rolled joints — must be cooked through to the centre, not served pink.

Target: 70°C in the thickest part.

Stated in full earlier on this page, with how to tell without a thermometer and what to do if it has not got there.

The quick answer

200°C (392°F) for 10–15 min

Published range for 1–4 patties of around 150g and 10cm diameter.

Assuming: 150g per piece, 3 pieces, From the fridge
In: Basket air fryer
Loaded: Single layer, pieces not touching
Preheat: Not needed
Result: Well done

High confidenceSupported by authoritative or independently tested sources, and consistent across them.

Preparation

Season the outside. No oil specified.

How to load the basket

Single layer, pieces not touching. The reference condition. Air reaches every surface, and times are the shortest the food will achieve.

How to tell it is done

No pink in the centre
Juices run clear
Steaming hot through

Rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Where these figures came from — chilled

High confidenceSupported by authoritative or independently tested sources, and consistent across them.

Applies to: Specific to this model
Why this rating: A stated patty weight AND diameter, which for a food whose cooking time is decided by thickness is the most useful pair of numbers a chart can give.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13

What this does not cover

Published by the manufacturer for this model. It is evidence about this appliance and is not general advice.

Sources (1)

Philips Airfryer XXL HD9650 series — User Manual (PDF)
Philips Domestic Appliances Holding B.V. — Manufacturer manual (United Kingdom and European Union)
Relied on for: Hamburger around 150g and 10cm diameter, 1–4 patties, 10–15 minutes at 200°C.
States this directly
Passage read and verified
Retrieved 2026-08-13 from argos-support.co.uk
Retrieved from Argos's manual library for Argos product 798/6529. Direct attempts against download.p4c.philips.com returned HTTP 530 on three URL patterns and images.philips.com returned 404; both failures are recorded rather than retried indefinitely.

From frozen

Before anything else

From national food-safety authorities, not from us. These take precedence over any cooking time below.

Requirement — Food safety (microbiological)

Food cooked from frozen must reach the same core temperature as the same food cooked fresh — the frozen centre is the last thing to get there.

Target: 70°C in the thickest part.

How to tell, without a thermometer

No ice or cold spot at the centre when the thickest piece is cut open
Steaming hot throughout, tested in the middle rather than the edge

If it has not got there: Reduce the temperature by 10–20°C and give it longer. A lower set point lets the centre catch up before the surface passes the point of no return, and it is the single most useful adjustment for cooking from frozen.

Important: If the packaging says the product must be thawed before cooking, follow it. That instruction exists because the manufacturer has tested cooking it from frozen and it did not reach temperature reliably.

Requirement — Food safety (microbiological)

Minced, reformed and rolled meat — burgers, sausages, meatballs, kebabs, rolled joints — must be cooked through to the centre, not served pink.

Target: 70°C in the thickest part.

Stated in full earlier on this page, with how to tell without a thermometer and what to do if it has not got there.

The quick answer

230°C (446°F) for 10 min

A single published figure of ten minutes for six frozen burgers totalling 750g, not a range.

Assuming: 750g in total, about 20mm at the thickest point, 6 pieces, From frozen
In: Multicooker with air fry
Loaded: Single layer, pieces not touching
Preheat: Yes, before the food goes in
Result: Well done

Moderate confidenceWell supported, but from a narrower base of sources than we would like.

Preparation

Straight from the freezer, separated. Season once the surface has thawed.

How to load the basket

Single layer, pieces not touching. The reference condition. Air reaches every surface, and times are the shortest the food will achieve.

While it cooks

At about 5–5 minutes: Turn the pieces over
Flipped two or three times, per the published instruction.

How to tell it is done

No pink at the centre when one is cut
Juices run clear

In a different appliance

Dual-basket air fryer: 200°C for 10–18 min
Patty count in DRAWER 1, which takes up to four. Drawer 2 takes up to two and is published at 10-15 minutes — the smaller drawer is faster, which is the opposite of the intuition.

Where these figures came from — from frozen

Moderate confidenceWell supported, but from a narrower base of sources than we would like.

Applies to: Specific to this model
Why this rating: A published row from the manufacturer's grill chart, with the named temperature level converted to degrees using the table in the same manufacturer's instruction booklet. Both documents were read; neither figure is inferred.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13

What this does not cover

Published by the manufacturer for this appliance. It is evidence about this machine and is not general advice.
This is a contact grill plate rather than a perforated basket. Heat reaches the food by conduction from the plate as well as by airflow, which is a different mechanism from air frying and transfers poorly to a basket machine.

Sources (1)

Ninja Foodi MAX Health Grill & Air Fryer AG551UK — Inspiration Guide and cooking charts (PDF)
SharkNinja Europe Limited — Manufacturer cooking chart (United Kingdom)
Relied on for: The temperature, time and quantity for beef burger.
States this directly
Passage read and verified
Retrieved 2026-08-13 from argos-support.co.uk
Retrieved from Argos's manual library for Argos product 735/0124, published alongside the instruction booklet as a second document.

Leftover (reheating)

Before anything else

From national food-safety authorities, not from us. These take precedence over any cooking time below.

Requirement — Food safety (microbiological)

Cool cooked food and get it into the fridge within one to two hours, keep the fridge between 0 and 5°C, and eat leftovers within 48 hours.

How to tell, without a thermometer

There is no sensory test for this rule, and that is the point: food held too long at the wrong temperature does not necessarily look, smell or taste different

If it has not got there: Throw it away. This is the one rule in this catalogue where the remedy is not 'cook it longer', because cooking does not reverse it.

Important: Cooked rice is the sharpest case: Bacillus cereus toxins form at room temperature and survive reheating. Rice left out for more than an hour goes in the bin.

Requirement — Food safety (microbiological)

Minced, reformed and rolled meat — burgers, sausages, meatballs, kebabs, rolled joints — must be cooked through to the centre, not served pink.

Target: 70°C in the thickest part.

Stated in full earlier on this page, with how to tell without a thermometer and what to do if it has not got there.

Requirement — Food safety (microbiological)

Reheat leftovers until steaming hot all the way through, and only reheat them once.

Target: 70°C in the thickest part, or an equivalent from the table below.

How to tell, without a thermometer

Steam rising from the centre, not just the edges
The middle is hot to the touch, tested after removing it from the appliance

If it has not got there: Keep going, and break dense food up or spread it out so the heat can reach the middle. If it will not heat through evenly, a microwave to get the centre hot followed by the air fryer to crisp the surface is a better tool for the job than the air fryer alone.

Important: Cooked rice and pasta left at room temperature can develop Bacillus cereus toxins that reheating does not destroy. If cooked rice has been out of the fridge for more than an hour, discard it rather than reheating it.

Published combinations delivering equivalent lethality. AirfryerHQ does not calculate values between these — only the pairs the authority published are shown.
Temperature	Held for	Measured at
70°C	2 min	the centre of the food
75°C	30 sec	the centre of the food

The quick answer

160°C (320°F) for 4–7 min

Patty thickness. A thin patty is through in four minutes and a thick one is not.

Assuming: 125g per piece, about 20mm at the thickest point, 2 pieces, From the fridge
In: Basket air fryer
Loaded: Single layer, pieces not touching
Preheat: Not needed
Result: Heated through

PreliminaryA starting point rather than a settled answer. Treat the numbers as a first attempt and check the food itself.

Preparation

Patty alone, with the bun and any salad kept out. Cheese added in the last minute.

How to load the basket

Single layer, pieces not touching. The reference condition. Air reaches every surface, and times are the shortest the food will achieve.

While it cooks

At about 2–4 minutes: Turn the pieces over
A flat patty against the basket heats from one side only.

How to tell it is done

Steaming hot at the centre when cut
The surface has re-crisped rather than gone grey

Change the result

Each of these moves the outcome in a known direction, and most cost you something. The trade is stated so you can decide whether you want it.

To be sure it is safe rather than just warm: Go by the food and not the clock. It has to be steaming hot the whole way through, and the middle of a dense portion lags a long way behind its surface in an air fryer.

Where these figures came from — leftover (reheating)

PreliminaryA starting point rather than a settled answer. Treat the numbers as a first attempt and check the food itself.

Applies to: Specific to this type of appliance
Why this rating: Towards the lower end of the published reheat band because a cooked patty dries fast. The time is AirfryerHQ's estimate for a fridge-cold patty of this size.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-13

What this does not cover

THE TIME ON THIS RECORD IS NOT SOURCED. Four manufacturers publish a reheating temperature and not one of them names a food, a quantity or a time for a named dish. The temperature here is theirs; the time is AirfryerHQ's estimate and has not been measured.
Reheating is governed by the food-safety rule above rather than by this figure. Steaming hot throughout is the requirement; the time is a guide to getting there.

Sources (4)

Tower T17023 2.2 Litre Air Fryer — Safety and Instruction Manual (PDF)
RKW Ltd (Tower Housewares) — Manufacturer manual (United Kingdom)
Relied on for: That this manufacturer's published reheating instruction is 150°C for up to ten minutes, with no food named.
States this directly
Passage read and verified
Retrieved 2026-08-13 from argos-support.co.uk
Retrieved from Argos's manual library for Argos product 745/2194.
Cookworks 5L Digital Air Fryer KDF-596D — Care & Instruction Manual (PDF)
Argos Limited (Cookworks) — Manufacturer manual (United Kingdom)
Relied on for: That this manufacturer's published reheating instruction is 180°C for up to ten minutes, with no food named.
States this directly
Passage read and verified
Retrieved 2026-08-13 from argos-support.co.uk
Retrieved from Argos's manual library for Argos product 148/6623.
Cosori Dual Blaze 6.4L Smart Air Fryer CAF-P583S-KUK — User Manual (PDF)
Arovast Corporation (Cosori) — Manufacturer manual (United Kingdom)
Relied on for: That this manufacturer's Reheat function defaults to 175°C for five minutes.
States this directly
Passage read and verified
Retrieved 2026-08-13 from argos-support.co.uk
Retrieved from Argos's manual library for Argos product 818/0159.
AirfryerHQ Sprint 4 analysis of published cooking guidance across fifteen manuals
AirfryerHQ — Calculated or inferred by AirfryerHQ (United Kingdom)
Relied on for: The reading that no manufacturer publishes a reheat time for a named food, and that the time on this record is therefore AirfryerHQ's own estimate.
AirfryerHQ's interpretation of what it says
Citation checked — the document exists and is described correctly

What usually goes wrong

Pink in the middle, which is a safety failure rather than a preference. Mincing distributes surface bacteria through the patty, so unlike a steak it has to reach the target all the way through. The second failure is dryness from the opposite over-correction, and the two together are why patty thickness matters more than any setting.

Running the appliance safely

These apply to every food and every air fryer, so they are here once rather than repeated under each state above. They come from Electrical Safety First, from UK product-safety notices and from the manufacturers’ own manuals.

Each links to its own page, with what it means in practice, what to do if it has already happened, and the source it comes from. Every safety rule AirfryerHQ holds.

Why beef behaves this way

A steak in an air fryer is a compromise: moving hot air browns a surface well but not as fast or as hard as a pan, so the centre gains temperature during the time the crust takes to form. Thickness therefore decides whether air frying is the right tool at all — thick cuts do well, thin ones overcook before they colour.

Where to go from here

The pages that answer the questions this one tends to raise.

Using a thermometer, and where to put itThe times above are for a piece that is not the one you are holding. This measures yours — and it is the single change that fixes most dry beef burger.
How food actually gets crispyWhy patting it dry, spacing it out and a little oil are all the same instruction — so you can apply it when a page runs out.
Cooking from frozenUsually cooler and longer than the same food fresh, and never worked out from the fresh figure.
Reheating leftoversA different question governed by a different rule — steaming hot throughout, and only once.
Why published timings differIf another chart says something else, this is usually why — and which one to believe.

Easily confused with

Steak — A different cooking problem with a different answer.
Meatballs — A different cooking problem with a different answer.