Air fryers have quickly become one of the best kitchen hacks for any home chef. These small little devices allow you to prepare almost any food in a quick and easy fashion. If you’ve used one before, you know the level of magic these tools can bring to your kitchen – if you’re just getting started, you’re in for a treat (or several!).
Whether you consider yourself a master air fryer or an air frying rookie, we’ve got a short list of “accessories and additions” for you to consider in order to elevate your air frying experience.
Air Frying With Parchment Paper
As easy as it is to use an air fryer, one of the biggest inconveniences (we say that lightly) is the cleanup process. The cooking part is easy – you plug it in, possibly pre-heat it for a few minutes, throw your food in and voilà, it’s done. It’s such a shame the cleanup can’t be just as easy. While some parts of your basket may be dishwasher safe, we’ve found another solution that can help speed up your clean after your next fry sesh – parchment paper.
Parchment paper is a quick addition you can make to your next fry. Simply line the bottom of your basket with a piece of parchment paper. This paper will prevent any grease or crumbs from falling into the bottom of your basket. Once your food is done, simply take the food out and throw away your parchment paper lining.
There are several different shapes and varieties designed for every air fryer. Alternatively, you could purchase your own roll of parchment paper and simply cut it into the shape of your basket. If you do this, we recommend punching a few holes in the paper, which help prevent the paper from rising and burning on your heating element. With that in mind, it’s also important to ensure you always have food placed on your parchment paper to help weigh it down and prevent it from getting to the heating element. If the paper is in the fryer by itself, it will blow around and ultimately get burnt.
Using An Oil Mister With Your Air Fryer
The next accessory to consider purchasing to accompany your air fryer is an oil spritzer or mister. If you’re looking for that extra bit of crisp on your french fries, chicken tenders, wings, or vegetables, you’ll want to add a bit of oil prior to frying. The benefit of an air fryer is that you don’t need a lot, just enough to gently coat whatever you are frying. Since you don’t want a lot, simply pouring it on is not an effective application method, which is why we recommend a mister or spritzer. With these tools, you just add in whatever oil you want into the bottle – we recommend a high smoke point oil such as avocado.
Baking In Your Air Fryer With Silicon Cupcake Holders
One task that many overlook when using an air fryer is it’s ability to bake things. Want to make a cake? Consider your air fryer. Want to make banana bread? Consider your air fryer. Want to make cupcakes or muffins? Your air fryer is a perfect solution for a small batch!
However, what doesn’t work great in an air fryer is paper cupcake cups. The problem with these is that they aren’t sturdy enough on their own to uphold the batter and maintain the ideal cupcake shape once baked. These silicon cupcake holders from popular kitchen brand OXO make a great option for muffins or cupcakes in your air fryer. They are sturdy enough on their own to maintain shape throughout the baking process, and they are reusable!
If making several cupcakes is more your speed, you can also look into cupcake and cake pans designed specifically for your air fryer. You may need to do some research to ensure the pan will fit, but there are options out there.
Tongs To The Rescue
A classic pair of tongs will take you a long way in the air-fryer game. Many items require being flipped or tossed halfway through their cook to ensure an even cook and an even crispi-ness. If you’re dealing with something harder to flip, such as a hot pocket or larger piece of meat, you’re going to need a pair of tongs. Unless you’ve just started cooking, you likely have one of these in your home already.
Time To Fry
An air fryer is such a versatile tool that allows you to cook nearly everything in it. The problem is, many things don’t include instructions as to how long to cook them in an air fryer for. Enter TimeToFry.com!
If you’re looking to cook a variety of meats in your fryer, it may be useful to look into purchasing a cooking time chart. They even make magnetic ones that you can stick on your fridge. Otherwise, our site will always be here to help!
Air Frying Master
As you develop your air frying skills and expand your arsenal of accessories, you’ll be well on your way to becoming an air frying master. The tools listed above are meant to help you get the best results possible with your device and assist in impressing your friends and family with your cooking skills!