There seems to be a new kitchen gadget released into the wilds of retailers, both online and in-person, almost every day. Some of them solve problems home cooks never had, while others don't solve any problems at all. But there are some, like the air fryer, that may seem like a passing fad but gradually become an indispensable part of your kitchen arsenal. But along with any newfangled gadget comes a set of new rules for how to maintain it.
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, since they can do a lot of what a microwave can and more. So does that mean it's bad to put foil in the air fryer too? And even if it isn't as dangerous as putting foil in a microwave, what will happen to the food if you use foil in an air fryer? Below, we answer these questions that plague the minds of many home cooks who regularly use air fryers, along with those thinking about obtaining one.
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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, but they also make them much easier and quicker to prepare. And if you've ever had to clean up the aftermath of deep-frying a batch of sweet potato fries, mozzarella sticks or tostones, you know that anything that gives you the results of a deep-fryer without the mess can be a real boon. And air fryers do more than just cook chicken tenders and frozen onion rings, letting you bake anything from a custardy-yet-light breakfast toast to a garlicky baked salmon with just the touch of a button.
Air Fryer Recipes
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 the Great British Baking Show, then you most likely are familiar with the air fryer's ancestor: the convection oven.
Convection ovens work by using a fan to circulate the hot air within an oven, making 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 that circulates hot air more effectively, making for faster cook times along with even crunchier crusts that mimic the texture of deep-fried foods.
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 very much like a traditional oven on the convection or fan setting, a microwave oven works in a much 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 so that the microwaves can 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 will interfere with that process. As well, metals contain electrons that conduct heat and electricity, unlike foods and microwave-safe dishes. The microwaves that the magnetron creates cause those 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 it would in a microwave oven.
Can You Use Foil in an Air Fryer?
You can absolutely put foil in an air fryer without setting your kitchen on fire and without negatively affecting the food you're trying to cook. Remember that 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. Also remember that 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.
Why to Use Foil in an Air Fryer
Jared Bobo, the Air Fryer Papi whose popular Instagram and TikTok accounts 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 if you want 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
What you need to remember is that 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 actually 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 your popcorn chicken soggy. You should also make sure to 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.
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 use parchment 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 in which you can delicately steam fish in the air fryer. 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 that it is well weighed down with what you're cooking, as loose parchment could fly around, touch the heating element and catch fire. And it's safest to check the package to see what maximum temperature the parchment manufacturer recommends and stick to that.
There is also an ever-increasing number of air-fryer specific baking sheets and containers that you can reuse time and time again, including silicone bowls that fit in the air-fryer hopper, tart pans, silicone mats and more.
Bottom Line
Air fryers are extremely convenient and versatile home appliances that make it easy to cook crispy fried foods quickly and with practically no oil. The great news about air fryers is that you can use foil along with parchment paper to cook your food in an air fryer. Just remember that if it's safe and effective to use in a conventional oven, it will work just fine in an air fryer. The one thing to remember is not to cover the heating mechanism or fan with foil or any other material, as this can not only prevent the food from cooking but also damage your air fryer.
