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Equipment

These Tools Will Make Air-Frying Even Easier

Are you getting the most out of your air fryer? These tools will level up your game. 
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Published Feb. 23, 2023.

These Tools Will Make Air-Frying Even Easier

We've been aboard the air fryer train for years now, and for good reason: they’re speedy, convenient to use, and easy to clean

We’ve reviewed dozens of models, named a few winners, and developed a whole portfolio of recipes (and a couple stellar books—Healthy Air Fryer and Air Fryer Perfection) to help you achieve new culinary heights with these countertop powerhouses. 

Even with all of this useful air fryer content, we still get tons of questions about which gear we find most helpful when air frying. There are thousands of products on the market, and a lot of them are useless gimmicks. 

But through extensive testing, we’ve found tried-and-true equipment options that help us get the most out of our air fryers in the test kitchen. Read on for reasons why you’ll love them and a couple recipes to try them with. 

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1. Nonstick-Safe Tools

Drawer-style air fryers are our favorite type, and almost all of them have nonstick interiors. These coatings are great for easy cleaning and ensuring that food releases without a struggle. 

But metal utensils can scratch nonstick material. It’s a good idea to use our winning silicone-tipped tongs and nonstick-safe spatula for air frying. Both products are durable, nimble, and responsive, making them perfect for tossing, gripping, and transferring. Neither of them will damage your air fryer.

Use them for every recipe, but especially these favorites:

75 Air Fryer Recipes

Healthy Air Fryer

Create healthy and delicious meals with an air fryer! This book contains 75 recipes for everything from breakfast bowls with (air-fryer) roasted fruit to turkey-zucchini meatballs and shrimp with curry noodles.

2. Air Fryer Liners

You don’t need a liner to air fry, but they make cleaning your air fryer a whole lot easier. There are a ton of poorly-made liners out there, but our review found a couple winners. 

Our favorite paper liners are great for sticky glazed fish and other messy dishes, and can be easily discarded after cooking. Our favorite silicone liners catch grease especially well, and are cinch to clean by hand (or in the dishwasher!).

They’re perfect for recipes that make a bit more of a mess, like these:

Equipment Review

The Best Air Fryer Liners

These liners are meant to make air-fryer cleanup simpler, but only some are worth the hype.
See Our Winner

3. A Round Cake Pan

If you’re looking to do more with your air fryer, consider baking in it! A round cake pan will open up a whole new world of air frying possibilities. We love air-fryer cheesecake, which works in a springform pan, but especially love our winning 8-inch round cake pan for air-fryer baking and more. Our favorite air fryers will fit an 8-inch pan, but if your air fryer is smaller, a 6-inch could be more helpful. 

We have a variety of surprising, useful, and delicious recipes that work well in round cake pans (and they aren’t just baked goods):

Level up your air frying with these new essentials (you may never turn your oven on again!).

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