There are plenty of tools out there for air frying, but where should you start? We want you to be able to make the most out of your air frying adventure, so we've put together a list of essential air fryer tools and accessories to help you get started.
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Air Fryer Tools
Some tools we recommend you use when air frying are designed to protect the non-stick surface of your air fryer, such as tongs with silicone tips. You always want to take care not to scratch the non-stick finish, so avoid using any metal tools.
Other gear and tools, such as mini oven mitts, parchment paper liners, and ramekins, come in handy when air frying, too!
Your Air Fryer
Of course, before you get started, you'll need an air fryer. If you haven't picked one out already, or you're in the market for a new one, see our air fryer recommendations in our guide: How Air Frying Works. We only recommend the best air fryers we've used and love. Pick one that fits your kitchen and your needs, such as an air fryer with multiple drawers for a large family, or a mini air fryer if you're just cooking for yourself!
Cooking Oil Spray
To get the perfect crispy, golden finish without using too much oil, you'll need a cooking oil spray of some kind. Not all recipes require oil to get crispy, but many do! Just a little spray before cooking can make a huge difference.
However, you have to be careful to use a sprayer that does not have an added chemical propellant, as those types of cooking sprays might damage the non-stick coating over time.
Instead, we recommend always using a natural oil, such as olive oil or avocado oil, in an oil sprayer. Our favorite is the Evo Oil Sprayer. You can also use cooking sprays that do not have any chemicals, emulsifiers, and propellants, such as the Chosen Foods brand.
See our recommendations for Air Frying Oils, which explains what oils are best to use in the air fryer.
Tongs
Just like other cooking methods, it's essential to have the perfect pair of tongs for air frying. A good pair of tongs will help you safely flip and turn your food while it air fries, which is a crucial step to many recipes.
When purchasing tongs for your air fryer, be sure to buy food-safe silicone cooking tongs. The silicone tips won't damage the non-stick surface of your air fryer basket, which is vital! Never use metal utensils in your air fryer.
We use an awesome pair of dishwasher-safe silicone tongs in just about every single recipe we make. You can see our tongs in action in most of our videos, like with our favorite Shake and Bake Pork Chops!
You'll probably also want to have a nice plastic spatula on hand.
Parchment Paper or Air Fryer Liners
Parchment paper serves the same function in the air fryer as it does in the oven: it prevents food from sticking to the basket. It helps make cleanup a breeze, too! Make sure to purchase parchment liners specifically made for the air fryer, as they have holes that allow for air flow, which is a necessity to make sure your food cooks correctly.
We use parchment paper liners in a few of our recipes, such as our Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls. You may not want to use them for recipes like Air Fryer Pork Chops or Breaded Chicken, as they may prevent the outside from getting as crispy as you'd like.
Liners can sometimes cause food to be less crispy, so only use them for recipes where you don't need as much crispness.
CAUTION: Only use parchment paper with heavier foods that will hold it down in the air fryer. When using with light foods the parchment paper could fly up into the burner and catch on fire. It is a fire hazard and should be used sparingly and only with foods that will keep it in place in the air fryer.
Oven Mitts or Pot Holders
Air fryers can get pretty hot, just like an oven. It's important to protect your hands with heat resistant mitts to avoid burning yourself when cooking! Mini oven mitts are perfect to use for air fryer cooking. The smaller size makes them ideal for reaching into the air fryer when you need to remove a ramekin.
Ramekins are used in recipes like fluffy, yummy air fryer pancakes and air fryer fried eggs, and mini oven mitts makes handling them possible.
Cooking Rack or Skewers
A cooking rack, or skewers, can help you cook multiple items at once in your air fryer. Just stack them up or thread your food onto the skewers, and you'll have a feast in no time! For dishes like kebabs, you can also get a skewer rack that makes them so much easier to cook.
We have also found that using a rack to get food closer to the heating element can result in a better sear. You can see this technique in action in our recipe for air fryer steak tips.
Baking Pans or Foil
Sometimes, you might want to cook foods that wouldn't typically work in the air fryer basket, such as eggs. Baking pans, ramekins, or foil can help keep everything in place and make cleanup easier, too. We use ramekins or a small baking dish when air frying things such as fried eggs and scrambled eggs.
Foil is safe to use in the air fryer, and we do use it from time to time (using foil is our favorite little trick for roasting the perfect marshmallows in our s'mores recipe, for example).
We don't recommend you use foil to line the air fryer basket for easy clean-up, however, as it inhibits the air flow. Air flow is essential to making the best air fried food!
Food Thermometer
A food thermometer is a must when cooking proteins, such as chicken or pork. It helps you check the internal temperature of your food, which will ensure it's safe to eat. Just stick it into the thickest part of your food to check.
Silicone Brush
A silicone brush is handy for brushing on butter when air frying meals like our Uncrustables, or for seasoning food, like our Smashed Potatoes. Use it to brush on marinades, sauces, or oils before cooking, to add extra flavor to your food.
Kitchen Torch
We might like using the kitchen torch a little too much. Seriously, it's so fun! A kitchen torch is a useful tool for making air fryer meats, like steak, extra tasty, by helping give it a nice crispy sear on the outside.
When your air fryer steak needs a little more sizzle, the torch is there to help! (Just follow proper safety precautions when using it, of course.)
Air Fryer Dinners Cooking Club
Last but certainly not least, you'll want to join our free Air Fryer Dinners Cooking Club! We're here to guide you on your air frying journey by delivering free recipes, tips, and tricks directly to your inbox. You'll also be the first to know about any of our upcoming air fryer cookbooks!
We will never spam you, so sign up and start air frying with us!
Have fun!
Remember: have fun, be creative, and enjoy the results of your air frying experiments! Have any questions? Feel free to leave a comment below, or contact us. We are more than happy to help.
Air Frying Guides
See more of our air frying guides:
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