Air fryers are great for reheating food. Whether you have some takeout which needs a little heat after a long delivery (Mcdonald’s fries, I’m looking at you!), or maybe you have some leftovers you want to use up – or perhaps you would rather not cook a meal today!
However, a question – Even after years of working in restaurants and serving up takeouts – Everyone wonders if they can put certain packaging directly into my choice of reheating (be it an air fryer, microwave, or even the oven). Well, I have some answers for you.
Paper plates and bowls shouldn’t be put directly into air fryers; food should be decanted directly into the cooking basket. Due to the distance between the heating element and the basket, it isn’t considered safe to use paper products in an air fryer.
Bad news for those looking to skip doing the dishes this evening. There is, however, some good news, there are other options for plates and bowls which are air fryer safe, so if you are totally against the idea of putting your food straight into a basket to cook, there are other options you will have to hand to consider!
Yes! Ceramic plates can go in an air fryer. You should ensure there are no cracks or chips around the dishes before putting them in the air fryer. Due to the heat inside the basket, any plate defects will undoubtedly expand and cause plates to crack fully.
You should also double check your plates are oven safe. As a rule of thumb, any crockery considered oven safe is safe for the air fryer.
One last point to be mindful of is to ensure you remove any food coverings you may have. So if you have any wrap or a plate covering your food, remove everything before popping your food in an air fryer.
Air fryers are designed to circulate air to cook your food. If you add any extra coverings, you will block the airflow and end up with partially undercooked food.
You can put metal in an air fryer with extreme caution. You should ensure the plate or bowl is 100% metal, as many metal-looking plates are often made from plastic with a metal covering. Be aware that any metal from an air fryer will be extremely hot.
A question you should ask yourself when you’re putting a plate in an air fryer is WHY are you putting the plate in an air fryer? From past experiences, any time you use an air fryer, the basket also needs to be washed out.
Due to splatters or different juices inevitably getting into the basket, it will need a wash. So maybe by putting a plate in your air fryer, you are trying to skip out on an extra thing to wash. I don’t blame you – whenever I cook; I always try to minimise the amount of clean-up.
Given that you will have to wash the basket out regardless, it may be better to decant the food directly into the basket!
No, Saran wrap – also known as plastic wrap – should never be put in an air fryer. Unlike microwaves, due to the heating element and the speed air fryers heat up, any saran wrap will melt within seconds in an air fryer. Not only ruining food, but it also causes a fire hazard.
This is one of the biggest mistakes I see people make when operating an air fryer. Is incorrectly reheating food by taking plates with wraps, and putting them directly in an air fryer, as you would in a microwave.
However, unlike microwaves, which work very differently, plastic wrap shouldn’t be put in an air fryer. This also means you should proceed with caution when decanting food to reheat. You should check for any wrap debris around food. As there is nothing worse than leaving a small amount of plastic wrap on food, only to find it melted into the dish.
You can put Pyrex in an air fryer. Pyrex is an ideal dish type to put in an air fryer due to it being oven safe. Be sure to remove any food coverings before putting any pyrex in an air fryer, and be aware any dishes coming out of an air fryer will be extremely hot.
Pyrex is probably the best dish choice if you put any plates or dishes in an air fryer. Pyrex is dishwasher, microwave and oven safe.
Due to the robust nature of the glass and the way it is manufactured to withstand heat as high as 425 degrees, you can be sure Pyrex will not smash or damage when used in an air fryer.
You should, however, be sure to check any pyrex dishes for cracks or chips before using. Most Pyrex that meets a sad ending in an oven or even an air fryer has previous defects. Much like a crack in a windshield, any cracks in glass will be prone to expand when exposed to extreme heat.
If the Pyrex is damaged, throw it in the trash immediately. It’s a ticking time bomb.
Yes, you can put aluminium foil in an air fryer. Aluminium foil is considered food safe. Although – aluminium foil isn’t recommended to cover food in an air fryer. Air fryers distribute airflow around the basket to cook food evenly. Food coverings can stop even air distribution and cause inconsistent heating of food.
Proceed with caution. 99% of the time, food should be decanted into the air fryer basket and cooked without coverings.
Remember, an air fryer isn’t a microwave. The rules are very different, and sometimes the complete opposite.
As a rule of thumb, plates, Pyrex and metal are all OK in an air fryer. Avoid anything that can melt, such as plastic wraps or plates.
It’s worth remembering; Air fryers are designed for food to be directly cooked in the basket, without coverings or plates. Better results are almost always yielded when putting food in without obstructing the airflow.
