You bought an air fryer to save time and eat healthier, but if you are only using the bare basket, you aren’t getting the most out of your investment. While the air fryer is a miracle worker for reheating pizza and crisping wings, it has limitations—specifically regarding cleanup and cooking liquid-heavy foods.
The right accessories transform your air fryer from a simple reheating box into a versatile convection oven capable of baking cakes, grilling steaks, and dehydrating fruit. More importantly, specific tools can extend the lifespan of your appliance by protecting the delicate nonstick coating that comes standard in most baskets.
We have tested and researched the essential add-ons that actually solve problems in the kitchen. We ignored the novelty gadgets that clutter your drawers and focused on practical tools that improve cooking results and minimize scrubbing.
Essential Cleanup Tools: Liners and Pots
The number one complaint among air fryer owners is cleaning the basket. Grease drips through the grate, burns onto the bottom of the drawer, and requires soaking or aggressive scrubbing. Unfortunately, scrubbing wears down the nonstick coating, eventually ruining the basket. The solution is a physical barrier between your food and the appliance.
Avoiding cluttered drawers means skipping kitchen gadgets you don’t need and focusing on these high-utility cleanup tools.
Reusable Silicone Pots
Silicone pots are the “Best for Most” accessory. These are flexible, heat-resistant bowls that fit inside your air fryer basket. You cook your food directly in the silicone pot. When you are done, you lift the pot out, and your air fryer basket stays pristine.
Why they work: High-quality silicone is dishwasher safe and withstands temperatures up to 450°F. Many designs feature raised ridges on the bottom, which allow grease to drip away from the food (simulating the air fryer grate) while keeping that grease contained within the silicone liner.
The trade-off: You slightly reduce airflow. Since the sides of the pot are solid, air doesn’t circulate through the sides of the food as aggressively as it does in a bare wire basket. You may need to shake the basket or flip food slightly more often.
Parchment Paper Liners
If you dislike washing silicone, disposable parchment paper liners are the alternative. Look for perforated parchment paper specifically designed for air fryers. The holes allow hot air to circulate, which is critical for crisping.
Safety Warning: Never preheat your air fryer with a piece of parchment paper inside but no food on top of it. The fan will blow the paper up into the heating element, where it will burn. Always weigh the paper down with food.
“The best accessory is the one that makes you use your appliance more often. If scrubbing a greasy basket prevents you from making dinner, a silicone liner is worth every penny.” — Kitchen Equipment Expert
Oil Management: Sprayers Over Aerosols
One of the most damaging things you can do to your air fryer is spray it with generic nonstick cooking spray (like PAM). Most aerosol sprays contain soy lecithin and other propellants that polymerize at low temperatures. Over time, this creates a sticky, gummy residue on your basket that is nearly impossible to remove without scrubbing off the nonstick coating underneath.
However, air fryers need some oil. Zero oil results in dry, leathery food. The solution is a refillable oil sprayer.
The Trigger Sprayer
We recommend a trigger-style sprayer (like the Evo Oil Sprayer) rather than a pump-action mister. Pump misters often clog or dispense oil in a thin stream rather than a wide mist. A trigger sprayer dispenses a consistent amount of oil (usually 1/4 teaspoon per pull) in a fan pattern, ensuring even coverage on your broccoli or chicken wings.
According to Wirecutter, using a high-quality oil sprayer is essential for getting that golden-brown crunch without deep frying. It gives you control over the oil type—allowing you to use high-smoke-point oils like avocado or grapeseed oil—and eliminates the propellants found in canned sprays.
Airflow Optimization: Racks and Trivets
Air fryers have a capacity problem. While the basket might be “5 quarts,” the usable cooking surface is limited to the bottom layer. If you stack chicken wings or french fries on top of each other, the food in the middle steams instead of frying.
Maximizing efficiency is especially important when using compact kitchen appliances for small spaces where basket capacity is limited.
Double-Layer Racks
A stainless steel rack doubles your cooking surface area. By placing a second layer of food on a rack above the basket floor, you allow hot air to circulate around both layers. This is the “Best Upgrade” for families who find themselves cooking in multiple batches.
What to look for: Ensure the rack comes with skewers. Many double-layer racks are designed as kebab holders, which is a brilliant way to cook meat and vegetables without them rolling around the basket.
Skip if: You have a very small air fryer (under 3 quarts). Adding a rack to a small unit puts the top layer of food too close to the heating element, leading to burning.
Baking Essentials: Pans and Molds
Your air fryer is essentially a high-powered convection oven. Anything you can bake in a standard oven, you can bake in an air fryer—usually faster and without heating up the whole house. However, you cannot pour cake batter directly into a wire basket.
The Cake Barrel
A “cake barrel” is a deep, round baking pan with a handle, sized to fit into air fryer baskets. It is indispensable for making casseroles, curries, bread, or lava cakes. Because the air fryer heats from the top down, baked goods develop a fantastic crust.
Silicone Muffin Cups
Loose silicone muffin liners are versatile tools. You can use them to bake muffins, obviously, but they are also excellent for cooking eggs (think “sous vide” style egg bites) or separating components of a meal within the basket. For example, you can roast potatoes in the main basket while heating up a sauce in a silicone cup placed in the corner.
Safety and Handling: Tongs and Mitts
The walls of an air fryer basket are extremely hot, and unlike a baking sheet, you have to reach down into the heat to retrieve food. This creates a high risk of burning your wrists or knuckles.
Silicone-Tipped Tongs
Metal tongs can scratch the nonstick coating of your basket or crisping plate. You need tongs with silicone heads. Look for a pair that is at least 9 to 12 inches long to keep your hands clear of the hot basket edges.
Mini Oven Mitts or Grippers
Standard oven mitts are often too bulky to maneuver a small air fryer basket or to lift out a cake barrel. Silicone “pinch mitts” or mini-gloves offer the dexterity needed to grab hot accessories without dipping your thumb into the dinner.
Quick Comparison: Which Accessory Do You Need?
Use this table to identify which tool solves your specific cooking problem.
Many of these add-ons are considered the best kitchen tools for meal prep Sundays because they allow for batch cooking and easy cleanup.
| Accessory | Best Use Case | Value Rating | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicone Pot | Messy foods (wings, glazed salmon) | High | Eliminates basket scrubbing |
| Oil Sprayer | Vegetables, breaded items | Essential | Crispier food; protects coating |
| Double Rack | Cooking for 3+ people | Medium | Doubles cooking capacity |
| Parchment Liners | Dry rubs, baking cookies | Low (Recurring cost) | Easy cleanup; better airflow than pots |
| Instant Thermometer | Meat, poultry, fish | Essential | Prevents overcooking/undercooking |
| Cake Barrel | Casseroles, breads, cakes | Niche | Allows handling of liquid batters |
Precision Cooking: Thermometers
Air fryers cook fast—often 20% to 30% faster than standard ovens. This speed is a benefit, but it also creates a narrow window between “perfectly cooked” and “dry leather.”
According to Serious Eats, reliable thermometers are the single most important tool for any cook, regardless of the heat source. For air frying, an instant-read thermometer is non-negotiable.
Because you are constantly opening the basket to shake food, you have the perfect opportunity to check the internal temperature. Look for a model with a fast response time (2-3 seconds). You don’t want to keep the basket open too long and lose heat.
Buying Guide: How to Size Your Accessories
The most common mistake shoppers make is buying a generic “Air Fryer Accessory Kit” without measuring their specific unit. A 7-inch cake pan will not fit in a 2-quart air fryer, and an 8-inch square rack won’t fit in a round basket.
Before purchasing new gear, it is helpful to review what to look for when buying an air fryer to ensure you understand your model’s specific shape and size constraints.
1. Check Your Shape
Determine if your basket is square (common with brands like Cosori and Instant Vortex) or round (common with Ninja and Philips). Square accessories utilize corner space better in square baskets. Putting a round pan in a square basket wastes valuable cooking real estate.
2. Measure the Inner Dimensions
Do not rely on the quart capacity (e.g., “5 Quart”). Manufacturers measure capacity differently. Take a tape measure and measure the internal width and depth of the basket. Buy accessories that are at least 0.5 inches smaller than these measurements to ensure they are easy to insert and remove.
3. Material Matters
Ensure any metal accessories are made of food-grade stainless steel (304 grade is ideal) rather than chrome-plated steel, which can rust or flake over time. For silicone, look for “LFGB” certification or FDA approval, and verify the temperature rating is at least 450°F.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use aluminum foil in my air fryer?
Yes, you can use aluminum foil in an air fryer, but you must use it correctly. Unlike a microwave, the air fryer uses metal heating elements and fans, so foil won’t cause sparks. However, you must ensure the foil is weighed down by food so the fan doesn’t blow it into the heating element. Also, avoid covering the entire bottom of the basket, as this blocks airflow and prevents even cooking.
Are silicone liners safe at high temperatures?
High-quality food-grade silicone is heat resistant up to 450°F (230°C), which covers the maximum temperature of almost all residential air fryers. Always check the manufacturer’s specifications. If you smell burning rubber, you may have purchased a low-quality liner with fillers, or your air fryer may be running hotter than its display indicates.
Why is my air fryer smoking?
White smoke usually indicates that grease is burning. This happens if you are cooking fatty foods (like bacon) without a liner, causing grease to pool in the bottom tray and overheat. Using a silicone pot or adding a small amount of water or a slice of bread to the bottom of the catch-tray can help absorb the grease and prevent smoking.
Do I really need a specific “air fryer” baking pan?
Not necessarily. Any oven-safe dish that fits inside your air fryer basket will work. This includes Pyrex (glass), ceramic ramekins, and metal cake pans. However, accessories marketed for air fryers usually feature handles that make them easier to lift out of the deep basket, which standard cake pans lack.
Disclaimer: Product prices, features, and availability change frequently. Prices shown were accurate at time of writing but may have changed. We may earn a small commission from purchases made through links on this site, at no extra cost to you. Always verify current pricing and specifications on the retailer’s website before purchasing.
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