Air fryer: from aluminum foil to glass - all the materials you can and can't use in this popular appliance

Lidia, Russell Hobbs via Amazon

Whether you use it to fry or for induction cooking, air fryers are increasing popular these days; air fryers are highly versatile appliances and there's a load of recipes for them available on the internet.

Given that an air fryer can be used in multiple ways and for many cooking purposes, it's worth taking note that not all materials/products are suitable for placing in an air fryer as containers/lining/wrappings for your food.

Containers and materials that YOU CAN USE in the air fryer

• Parchment paper
  Parchment paper is fine for placing in/lining an air fryer. Just make sure to put enough food on the paper to keep it securely laying on the bottom, and without blocking the flow of the air in the cooking compartment.
• Silicone
  Silicone baking trays and molds that can withstand the high temperatures of a regular oven will also work well in an air fryer.
• Tempered glass
  Tempered glass containers - like Pyrex, for example - can be used effectively in an air fryer.
• As a rule of thumb, everything that you can use in a regular oven - including small ceramic baking trays or molds - can be used in an air fryer.

Using aluminum foil in an air fryer: yes or no?

AirFryerFanatic/Wikimedia Commons

The answer is yes, but with some important caveats.

You can use aluminum foil (aka tin foil) for cooking in an air fryer, and the foil performs just like it would in a regular oven. Given this, you can also use aluminum baking trays which will fit into your air fryer's cooking drawer properly.

That said, there are some risks to using aluminum foil: being very light, it could end up moving and blocking the flow of heated air in the cooking drawer of your air fryer.

If you do use aluminum foil, make sure of the following:

• Never let aluminum foil touch the heating element/s in the air fryer: ensure the foil stays firmly on the bottom of the cooking drawer by being held down with the weight of the food you're cooking;
• For aluminum foil or aluminum baking trays: do not use acidic foods in conjunction with aluminum which can corrode the metal and taint the food.

Materials and containers to AVOID using in the air fryer

Here's a list of things you shouldn't use in an air fryer:

• Plastic containers
  Irrespective of whether they are suitable for microwave cooking or are even rated "oven safe", plastic containers will be deformed and will release harmful chemicals and smoke if used in an air fryer. The same applies to utensils that have plastic parts (such as handles).
• Paper that is not parchment paper
  No paper plates, not even for just warming up/reheating food.
• Products with non-stick coating
  Unless they are utensils produced specifically for use in the air fryer, non-stick coatings can be degraded in an air fryer and end up tainting your food.
• Materials that are too light
  Parchment paper or aluminum foil that does not stay secured to the bottom of cooking drawer will compromise the performance of your air fryer and end up under/over-cooking your food or damaging the appliance.
• Non-tempered glass not suitable for use in an air fryer
  Non-tempered glass will expand and shatter when exposed to the high cooking temperatures of air fryers.
• Wood
  This is something of a controversial issue: while wooden skewers and toothpicks can be safely used in a regular oven, you need to take extra care if you use these products in an air fryer: do not use wood products in an air fryer if the cooking time is lengthy and/or the cooking temperature is very high. Being flammable, burning/smoldering wood can give off harmful smoke in the cooking drawer.

So, are you now ready for risk-free air fryer cooking?