What Happens When You Put Foil in an Air Fryer?

In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Is an Air Fryer?Microwave vs. Air FryerCan You Use Foil?Should You Use Foil?How to Properly Use Foil?Substitute for Foil

In This ArticleView All

View All

In This Article

What Is an Air Fryer?

Microwave vs. Air Fryer

Can You Use Foil?

Should You Use Foil?

How to Properly Use Foil?

Substitute for Foil

Theair fryeris an essential appliance in many kitchens. Do you know how to use yours? A frequently asked question is whether you can use foil in an air fryer. In this article, we’ll answer that question and provide additional tips to help you get the most out of your air fryer.When microwaves first came about, consumers had to learn the important lesson that you can’t use foil in a microwave oven as it will cause a fire. At first glance, air fryers may seem like crisping microwaves, but does that mean it’s bad to put foil in the air fryer too?What Is an Air Fryer and How Does It Work?Air fryers not only make crispy fried foods less oily than their deep-fried counterparts, they also make them easier and quicker to prepare. If you’ve ever had to clean up the aftermath of deep-frying a batch ofsweet potato fries,mozzarella sticksortostones, you know that anything that gives you the results of a deep fryer without the mess is a boon. And air fryers do more than cook chicken tenders and frozen onion rings: You can bake anything from acustardy-yet-light breakfast toastto agarlicky baked salmonwith just the touch of a button.Believe it or not, the technology that makes air fryers cook foods to a crispy golden brown without deep frying has existed for a while. If you’ve ever used the convection setting on your oven or know what “180 degrees fan” means when you’re watching theGreat British Baking Show, then you are familiar with the air fryer’s ancestor: the convection oven.Convection ovens use a fan to circulate the hot air within an oven for more even and quicker cooking. Many toaster ovens on the market today also use convection technology, allowing you to bake pizzas in a small space along with making super-crispy grilled cheese sandwiches. Air fryers are just a continuation of the convection oven technology, but made smaller and with a more powerful fan to circulate hot air more effectively, making for faster cook times and even crunchier crusts that mimic the texture of deep-fried foods.What’s the Difference Between a Convection Oven and an Air Fryer?How Is a Microwave Oven Different from an Air Fryer?A microwave oven works very differently from an air fryer. While an air fryer cooks food like a traditional oven on the convection or fan setting, a microwave oven works in a more science-y way, with a magnetron creating microwaves that bounce off the metal walls of a microwave oven’s interior. These microwaves cause water molecules in food to vibrate, thus creating heat. Microwave ovens are very precisely and specifically engineered to efficiently and safely heat and cook food.Because the microwaves in a microwave oven need to bounce off the metal walls within the appliance to heat your food, any additional metals within it interfere with that process. Metals contain electrons that conduct heat and electricity, unlike foods and microwave-safe dishes. The microwaves the magnetron creates cause electrons to move at a rapid-fire rate, creating sparks that can lead to a fire or even an explosion. Convection ovens and air fryers do not use microwave technology to cook food, so putting metal in an air fryer will not cause it to spark like in a microwave oven.Can You Use Foil in an Air Fryer?Yes,you can use foilin an air fryer without setting your kitchen on fire or negatively affecting the food you’re trying to cook. An air fryer is just a small, countertop convection oven with a more powerful fan to make food crispier, and people have been using foil in convection ovens for a very long time. Microwave technology is what causes foil to spark and catch fire when you put it in a microwave oven, and air fryers do not use microwave technology.Should You Use Foil in an Air Fryer?Jared Bobo, theAir Fryer Papiwhose popularInstagramandTikTokaccounts are exclusively devoted to air fryer recipes, shares that foil “absolutely works” in the air fryer just like it does in the oven. “I’ll use aluminum foil while making my air fryer cheesecakes,” Bobo says. “It works great for preventing the top of the cheesecake from cooking too fast.“Foil also helps protect the food basket of your air fryer from getting greasy or encrusted with food particles. It’s a great option to keep melted cheese from sticking to your air fryer. Also, many air fryer recipes call for spritzing the food with just a touch of healthy oil, which helps the browning process. Using foil when you spritz will help keep your air fryer clean.How to Properly Use Foil in an Air FryerYou should only use foil in the bottom basket that holds the food and not in the top part of the air fryer. The top part, or “ceiling,” of the air fryer is what cooks the food and is the part of the appliance that circulates the air. If you cover that part of the air fryer with foil, it will prevent the hot air from reaching the food and may make yourpopcorn chickensoggy. You should also lubricate the foil you’re using with oil so that food won’t stick to it—a precaution home cooks often take when using foil in an oven.You Just Got an Air Fryer—Here Are 20 High-Protein Recipes to Make FirstWhat to Use in an Air Fryer If You Don’t Have Foil or Prefer Not to Use FoilIf you run out of foil or simply don’t feel like using it, one of your best bets is to useparchment paper. Parchment paper used to be something only pastry chefs used to make very delicate pastries. However, this baker’s staple is now more widely available and affordably priced, making it one of the most useful kitchen supplies to have at home.Parchment paper is inherently nonstick, meaning you don’t have to grease it or add a layer of flour or cornmeal between the parchment paper or your food before cooking it in an air fryer. It is also very convenient for making pouches for steaming fish. Plus, it won’t add a metallic flavor to more delicately flavored foods. It’s also a great option for acidic foods, like tomatoes, which can react with and stick to foil.Do be sure to place the parchment in the air fryer after you heat it and make sure it is weighed down with what you’re cooking, as loose parchment can fly around, touch the heating element and catch fire. It’s safest to check the package to see what maximum temperature the parchment manufacturer recommends and stick to that.There are air fryer-specific baking sheets and containers you can reuse, including silicone bowls that fit in the air fryer hopper, tart pans, silicone mats and more.The Bottom LineAir fryers are extremely convenient and versatile home appliances that make it easy to cook crispy fried foods quickly and with only a little oil. The great news about air fryers is that you can use foil and parchment paper to cook your food in an air fryer. If it’s safe and effective to use in a conventional oven, it will work fine in an air fryer. Just don’t cover the heating mechanism or fan with foil or any other material, as this will prevent the food from cooking and may damage your air fryer.Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit

Theair fryeris an essential appliance in many kitchens. Do you know how to use yours? A frequently asked question is whether you can use foil in an air fryer. In this article, we’ll answer that question and provide additional tips to help you get the most out of your air fryer.When microwaves first came about, consumers had to learn the important lesson that you can’t use foil in a microwave oven as it will cause a fire. At first glance, air fryers may seem like crisping microwaves, but does that mean it’s bad to put foil in the air fryer too?What Is an Air Fryer and How Does It Work?Air fryers not only make crispy fried foods less oily than their deep-fried counterparts, they also make them easier and quicker to prepare. If you’ve ever had to clean up the aftermath of deep-frying a batch ofsweet potato fries,mozzarella sticksortostones, you know that anything that gives you the results of a deep fryer without the mess is a boon. And air fryers do more than cook chicken tenders and frozen onion rings: You can bake anything from acustardy-yet-light breakfast toastto agarlicky baked salmonwith just the touch of a button.Believe it or not, the technology that makes air fryers cook foods to a crispy golden brown without deep frying has existed for a while. If you’ve ever used the convection setting on your oven or know what “180 degrees fan” means when you’re watching theGreat British Baking Show, then you are familiar with the air fryer’s ancestor: the convection oven.Convection ovens use a fan to circulate the hot air within an oven for more even and quicker cooking. Many toaster ovens on the market today also use convection technology, allowing you to bake pizzas in a small space along with making super-crispy grilled cheese sandwiches. Air fryers are just a continuation of the convection oven technology, but made smaller and with a more powerful fan to circulate hot air more effectively, making for faster cook times and even crunchier crusts that mimic the texture of deep-fried foods.What’s the Difference Between a Convection Oven and an Air Fryer?How Is a Microwave Oven Different from an Air Fryer?A microwave oven works very differently from an air fryer. While an air fryer cooks food like a traditional oven on the convection or fan setting, a microwave oven works in a more science-y way, with a magnetron creating microwaves that bounce off the metal walls of a microwave oven’s interior. These microwaves cause water molecules in food to vibrate, thus creating heat. Microwave ovens are very precisely and specifically engineered to efficiently and safely heat and cook food.Because the microwaves in a microwave oven need to bounce off the metal walls within the appliance to heat your food, any additional metals within it interfere with that process. Metals contain electrons that conduct heat and electricity, unlike foods and microwave-safe dishes. The microwaves the magnetron creates cause electrons to move at a rapid-fire rate, creating sparks that can lead to a fire or even an explosion. Convection ovens and air fryers do not use microwave technology to cook food, so putting metal in an air fryer will not cause it to spark like in a microwave oven.Can You Use Foil in an Air Fryer?Yes,you can use foilin an air fryer without setting your kitchen on fire or negatively affecting the food you’re trying to cook. An air fryer is just a small, countertop convection oven with a more powerful fan to make food crispier, and people have been using foil in convection ovens for a very long time. Microwave technology is what causes foil to spark and catch fire when you put it in a microwave oven, and air fryers do not use microwave technology.Should You Use Foil in an Air Fryer?Jared Bobo, theAir Fryer Papiwhose popularInstagramandTikTokaccounts are exclusively devoted to air fryer recipes, shares that foil “absolutely works” in the air fryer just like it does in the oven. “I’ll use aluminum foil while making my air fryer cheesecakes,” Bobo says. “It works great for preventing the top of the cheesecake from cooking too fast.“Foil also helps protect the food basket of your air fryer from getting greasy or encrusted with food particles. It’s a great option to keep melted cheese from sticking to your air fryer. Also, many air fryer recipes call for spritzing the food with just a touch of healthy oil, which helps the browning process. Using foil when you spritz will help keep your air fryer clean.How to Properly Use Foil in an Air FryerYou should only use foil in the bottom basket that holds the food and not in the top part of the air fryer. The top part, or “ceiling,” of the air fryer is what cooks the food and is the part of the appliance that circulates the air. If you cover that part of the air fryer with foil, it will prevent the hot air from reaching the food and may make yourpopcorn chickensoggy. You should also lubricate the foil you’re using with oil so that food won’t stick to it—a precaution home cooks often take when using foil in an oven.You Just Got an Air Fryer—Here Are 20 High-Protein Recipes to Make FirstWhat to Use in an Air Fryer If You Don’t Have Foil or Prefer Not to Use FoilIf you run out of foil or simply don’t feel like using it, one of your best bets is to useparchment paper. Parchment paper used to be something only pastry chefs used to make very delicate pastries. However, this baker’s staple is now more widely available and affordably priced, making it one of the most useful kitchen supplies to have at home.Parchment paper is inherently nonstick, meaning you don’t have to grease it or add a layer of flour or cornmeal between the parchment paper or your food before cooking it in an air fryer. It is also very convenient for making pouches for steaming fish. Plus, it won’t add a metallic flavor to more delicately flavored foods. It’s also a great option for acidic foods, like tomatoes, which can react with and stick to foil.Do be sure to place the parchment in the air fryer after you heat it and make sure it is weighed down with what you’re cooking, as loose parchment can fly around, touch the heating element and catch fire. It’s safest to check the package to see what maximum temperature the parchment manufacturer recommends and stick to that.There are air fryer-specific baking sheets and containers you can reuse, including silicone bowls that fit in the air fryer hopper, tart pans, silicone mats and more.The Bottom LineAir fryers are extremely convenient and versatile home appliances that make it easy to cook crispy fried foods quickly and with only a little oil. The great news about air fryers is that you can use foil and parchment paper to cook your food in an air fryer. If it’s safe and effective to use in a conventional oven, it will work fine in an air fryer. Just don’t cover the heating mechanism or fan with foil or any other material, as this will prevent the food from cooking and may damage your air fryer.

Theair fryeris an essential appliance in many kitchens. Do you know how to use yours? A frequently asked question is whether you can use foil in an air fryer. In this article, we’ll answer that question and provide additional tips to help you get the most out of your air fryer.

When microwaves first came about, consumers had to learn the important lesson that you can’t use foil in a microwave oven as it will cause a fire. At first glance, air fryers may seem like crisping microwaves, but does that mean it’s bad to put foil in the air fryer too?

What Is an Air Fryer and How Does It Work?

Air fryers not only make crispy fried foods less oily than their deep-fried counterparts, they also make them easier and quicker to prepare. If you’ve ever had to clean up the aftermath of deep-frying a batch ofsweet potato fries,mozzarella sticksortostones, you know that anything that gives you the results of a deep fryer without the mess is a boon. And air fryers do more than cook chicken tenders and frozen onion rings: You can bake anything from acustardy-yet-light breakfast toastto agarlicky baked salmonwith just the touch of a button.

Believe it or not, the technology that makes air fryers cook foods to a crispy golden brown without deep frying has existed for a while. If you’ve ever used the convection setting on your oven or know what “180 degrees fan” means when you’re watching theGreat British Baking Show, then you are familiar with the air fryer’s ancestor: the convection oven.

Convection ovens use a fan to circulate the hot air within an oven for more even and quicker cooking. Many toaster ovens on the market today also use convection technology, allowing you to bake pizzas in a small space along with making super-crispy grilled cheese sandwiches. Air fryers are just a continuation of the convection oven technology, but made smaller and with a more powerful fan to circulate hot air more effectively, making for faster cook times and even crunchier crusts that mimic the texture of deep-fried foods.

What’s the Difference Between a Convection Oven and an Air Fryer?

How Is a Microwave Oven Different from an Air Fryer?

A microwave oven works very differently from an air fryer. While an air fryer cooks food like a traditional oven on the convection or fan setting, a microwave oven works in a more science-y way, with a magnetron creating microwaves that bounce off the metal walls of a microwave oven’s interior. These microwaves cause water molecules in food to vibrate, thus creating heat. Microwave ovens are very precisely and specifically engineered to efficiently and safely heat and cook food.

Because the microwaves in a microwave oven need to bounce off the metal walls within the appliance to heat your food, any additional metals within it interfere with that process. Metals contain electrons that conduct heat and electricity, unlike foods and microwave-safe dishes. The microwaves the magnetron creates cause electrons to move at a rapid-fire rate, creating sparks that can lead to a fire or even an explosion. Convection ovens and air fryers do not use microwave technology to cook food, so putting metal in an air fryer will not cause it to spark like in a microwave oven.

Can You Use Foil in an Air Fryer?

Yes,you can use foilin an air fryer without setting your kitchen on fire or negatively affecting the food you’re trying to cook. An air fryer is just a small, countertop convection oven with a more powerful fan to make food crispier, and people have been using foil in convection ovens for a very long time. Microwave technology is what causes foil to spark and catch fire when you put it in a microwave oven, and air fryers do not use microwave technology.

Should You Use Foil in an Air Fryer?

Jared Bobo, theAir Fryer Papiwhose popularInstagramandTikTokaccounts are exclusively devoted to air fryer recipes, shares that foil “absolutely works” in the air fryer just like it does in the oven. “I’ll use aluminum foil while making my air fryer cheesecakes,” Bobo says. “It works great for preventing the top of the cheesecake from cooking too fast.”

Foil also helps protect the food basket of your air fryer from getting greasy or encrusted with food particles. It’s a great option to keep melted cheese from sticking to your air fryer. Also, many air fryer recipes call for spritzing the food with just a touch of healthy oil, which helps the browning process. Using foil when you spritz will help keep your air fryer clean.

How to Properly Use Foil in an Air Fryer

You should only use foil in the bottom basket that holds the food and not in the top part of the air fryer. The top part, or “ceiling,” of the air fryer is what cooks the food and is the part of the appliance that circulates the air. If you cover that part of the air fryer with foil, it will prevent the hot air from reaching the food and may make yourpopcorn chickensoggy. You should also lubricate the foil you’re using with oil so that food won’t stick to it—a precaution home cooks often take when using foil in an oven.

You Just Got an Air Fryer—Here Are 20 High-Protein Recipes to Make First

What to Use in an Air Fryer If You Don’t Have Foil or Prefer Not to Use Foil

If you run out of foil or simply don’t feel like using it, one of your best bets is to useparchment paper. Parchment paper used to be something only pastry chefs used to make very delicate pastries. However, this baker’s staple is now more widely available and affordably priced, making it one of the most useful kitchen supplies to have at home.

Parchment paper is inherently nonstick, meaning you don’t have to grease it or add a layer of flour or cornmeal between the parchment paper or your food before cooking it in an air fryer. It is also very convenient for making pouches for steaming fish. Plus, it won’t add a metallic flavor to more delicately flavored foods. It’s also a great option for acidic foods, like tomatoes, which can react with and stick to foil.

Do be sure to place the parchment in the air fryer after you heat it and make sure it is weighed down with what you’re cooking, as loose parchment can fly around, touch the heating element and catch fire. It’s safest to check the package to see what maximum temperature the parchment manufacturer recommends and stick to that.

There are air fryer-specific baking sheets and containers you can reuse, including silicone bowls that fit in the air fryer hopper, tart pans, silicone mats and more.

The Bottom Line

Air fryers are extremely convenient and versatile home appliances that make it easy to cook crispy fried foods quickly and with only a little oil. The great news about air fryers is that you can use foil and parchment paper to cook your food in an air fryer. If it’s safe and effective to use in a conventional oven, it will work fine in an air fryer. Just don’t cover the heating mechanism or fan with foil or any other material, as this will prevent the food from cooking and may damage your air fryer.

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!Tell us why!OtherSubmit

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Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!OtherSubmit

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