Can You Put a Plate in an Air Fryer? Things You Need to Know!

The air fryer cooks your food at an incredibly high temperature, and as the name implies, these foods typically consist of those you would normally cook in lots of frying oil. Air fryers are capable of creating crisp, delicious “fried” food, minus the oil. If you’re wondering whether your ceramic plate can withstand the immense heat of the air fryer, the answer is probably not.

However, if you happen to choose the correct type of plate to place into your air fryer, then the outcome might not be as disastrous as you’d think!

Table of Contents

• Can I Use Plates in Air Fryers?
• What Happens When I Place a Plate in the Air Fryer?
• Can I Use Paper Plates in an Air Fryer?
  • Fire Hazard
  • Huge Risk
  • Not Ideal for Cooking
  • Absorbing Harmful Chemicals
• Can You Put Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer?
• Things You Can Safely Put into an Air Fryer
  • Parchment Paper
  • Toothpicks
  • Foil
  • Pyrex Dishes
  • Iron Skillets
  • Steel Bowls
• What Can You Not Put in an Air Fryer?
  • Water
  • Plastic
  • Sauces
  • Paper Towels
• Plates in an Air Fryer
• FAQs

Can I Use Plates in Air Fryers?

It is possible to put a plate in an air fryer during cooking. Though the plate must be oven-safe, with the ability to withstand high temperatures inside the air fryer. Almost every oven-proof plate, including stoneware, Pyrex, metal, glass, and ceramic, is suitable for air fryer use. You should avoid things that have elements of wood or plastic because they can melt when exposed to high temperatures.

What Happens When I Place a Plate in the Air Fryer?

If you’re looking for a quick way to prepare your favorite dishes, placing them on plates can be an easy fix. However, this may not be ideal for every instance, as there are some potential consequences. Placing a plate into an air fryer is not always recommended because it can potentially block air flow and affect cooking times, as well as the overall quality of your meals. When placing a plate into an air fryer, you should be cautious of where you put it to avoid clogging the vents with food particles or crushing your appliance’s heating element.

Can I Use Paper Plates in an Air Fryer?

Paper plates are great for entertaining, but they’re not recommended for use in an air fryer. As you probably know, paper plates don’t work very well with hot oil or grease – and that’s what the air fryer uses to cook food. In fact, it could be dangerous to use a paper plate in one of these devices. Here are some potential risks

• Fire Hazard
• Huge Risk
• Not Ideal for Cooking
• Absorbing Harmful Chemicals

Fire Hazard

Paper introduces itself to high temperatures in two ways: First, when it is exposed to fire or flame, and second when it is heated above its ignition temperature, which essentially means the temperature at which paper alights. The latter process is known as sublimation – a transformation from a solid state directly into gas form without passing through the liquid phase.

In the case of paper plates, there are two factors that make them incompatible with most standard types of home cooking equipment, namely their combustibility and their exposure to high temperatures. So keep your paper plates far away from your air fryers!

Huge Risk

Most people may underestimate the damages resulting from putting paper plates in an air fryer. The fire resulting from an ignited paper plate can damage your appliance and even extend further to your property. Additionally, the food you’re reheating would become uneatable due to smoke contamination. There is no point in using a paper plate in an air fryer so that it can be disposed of properly afterward; simply use oven-proof materials instead if you really want to.

Not Ideal for Cooking

You cannot use a paper plate for cooking for the simple reason that they lack the weight or structural integrity to withstand the heat produced when cooking foods. Any food cooked inside an air fryer will be cooked on top of a sheet of metal, which can be hot enough to turn cardboard into ash if left unattended for a long period.

Absorbing Harmful Chemicals

Paper plates are thought to absorb harmful chemicals, which makes their use in the Air Fryer a big no-no. Although the paper plate will likely be heated up and can withstand the high temperatures of an Air Fryer, there’s still a chance that at least some of those chemicals will get into your food. If they do get into your food, they could potentially make it uneatable.

Can You Put Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer?

Parchment paper is a great alternative to paper plates and can make clean-up even easier. Parchment paper is also a non-stick material, meaning that food won’t stick to it during cooking. Plus, there’s no need for oil or butter when using parchment paper either.

There are a few things you should keep in mind when using parchment paper in your air fryer (or oven). The first thing is that the air fryer will heat up very quickly, which means that hot foods could burn quickly if they’re not removed promptly. So if you’re using parchment paper on an air fryer basket, make sure you take care, not only when placing items into the basket but also when removing them once cooked.

Things You Can Safely Put into an Air Fryer

Apart from food items, here are some things that you can safely place into your air fryer:

• Parchment Paper
• Toothpicks
• Foil
• Pyrex Dishes
• Iron Skillets
• Steel Bowls

Parchment Paper

Parchment paper is great for lining parts of your air fryer that might stick. It saves you from having to scrub down the whole machine after cooking sticky foods like baked goods, coated chicken wings, and corn on the cob. The best way to use parchment paper in your air fryer is by cutting it up into small squares and placing them on the bottom of the compartment.

Make sure they are evenly distributed so that they don’t fly around when hot air flows through them during cooking time. If there are any open spots or empty spaces left over after spreading out your food evenly, place a piece of cut-up parchment paper over those areas as well so no heat will escape through them during air frying.

Toothpicks

If you’re cooking something small enough to be pinched by a toothpick, then yes! You can absolutely use a toothpick in an air fryer. While some foods are smaller and flatter than others, they all have the potential to dislodge from their frying basket or plate while being cooked and fly around your kitchen.

This is where toothpicks come in handy: they act as little anchors for your food, so it stays put during the cooking process without being burned or falling apart. Toothpicks are commonly used in recipes involving meat wrapped around vegetables. They also work well with stuffed or rolled chicken breasts because they help hold the meat together while it cooks so that it remains secure while frying (and doesn’t open up on you).

Foil

Foil can be used in an air fryer, but you’ll need to use it carefully. Just like any other cooking method, it’s important that you make sure the food is sealed well so that none of the juices escape. Because foil is a good conductor of heat, it will help evenly cook your foods without you having to worry about burning or overcooking them on one side.

Some people prefer using foil when making foods like chicken wings or drumsticks because it allows them to seal the meat together while still allowing the heat from the machine to circulate inside it so that they’re cooked evenly on all sides. If you decide to use aluminum foil in your air fryer, make sure that you don’t tear or puncture holes into its surface and only press down lightly with any utensils because doing so could cause pieces of foil to fly around and get lodged into the crevices of your air fryer.

Pyrex Dishes

While you can use the Pyrex dishes for cooking food in an air fryer, there are some things that you need to consider. If you are planning on using it with hot oil, then it’s best not to go ahead and do this as this could lead to a fire hazard. If you do want to use this type of dish and ensure that your dinner comes out well, then make sure that it is heat-resistant so that nothing gets damaged while cooking or when removing it from the air fryer after use. The last thing you want is for your dinner or dessert to be washed up before it gets eaten!

Iron Skillets

You can use iron skillets in your air fryer, provided that they are small enough to fit within the cooking chamber. Iron is a good conductor of heat, and it will help distribute the heat evenly over the surface area of your foods. This can be an advantage when using certain foods like fresh cheeses or things like sauces that may otherwise create a gooey mess inside of an air fryer.

Steel Bowls

You can put a plate in an air fryer, but there are some limitations to consider. The main problem with using plates is that they conduct heat differently than other types of materials and don’t provide the same kind of cooking. This means that one end of your food will be over-fried while another part is still raw, so you’ll need to figure out how long to cook each piece separately.

You can use a steel bowl instead if you want something larger than what comes with most models. Steel bowls are also good conductors of heat and can mimic the effect of an oven – especially if you close the top of a steel bowl with foil or parchment paper. They happen to be great at trapping heat inside of them so that your food cooks all the way through rather than just frying on the outside.

What Can You Not Put in an Air Fryer?

While certain plates and bowls might be suitable for the air fryer, there are others that should not be near the hot appliance, especially when it is air frying!

• Water
• Plastic
• Sauces
• Paper Towels

Water

Water should not be placed in an air fryer. This is because water vaporizes so quickly at high temperatures, creating a great deal of steam that can end up causing damage to your machine. And while you may think that putting some water into your air fryer would help produce moist results, this isn’t true.

Air fryers are intended for moist cooking methods and do not need additional moisture during cooking. In most cases, adding too much moisture can lead to foods becoming soggy or falling apart before they have a chance to cook through properly.

Plastic

Plastic is generally unsuitable for the air fryer, as it can warp and mollify. Additionally, plastic releases harmful chemicals that are potentially dangerous to your health, and if you put any type of plastic in the air fryer, it’s likely to melt, causing a massive mess as well as significant damage to your machine.

Sauces

You might want to consider whether your sauce will be suitable for an air fryer. Sauces such as gravy or stews are not recommended for this type of cooking, as they can move around too much during the process and become burnt or dry out. A thicker consistency of the sauce is better, as it’s less likely to slosh around so easily.

Paper Towels

Paper towels will burn and may even cause a fire if put into the air fryer. While it’s true that paper towels will absorb some grease and oil from your food, they’re not intended for use with an air fryer because they can ignite or catch on fire. Even if you were to cut up little pieces of paper towels to fit inside your air fryer, it won’t work properly.

The metal mesh basket used in air fryers is specifically designed for cooking food by circulating hot air around it so that heat reaches all sides at once. If you put something like a plate inside an air fryer instead of using the specialized basket provided with your appliance, then you’ll miss out on this benefit while losing out on another one: cleaning! As soon as food hits those metal wires (which are there specifically because they don’t get hot enough), they’ll be stuck there until someone removes them manually; and since most plates aren’t designed for such high temperatures, either you’re in for a big mess!

Plates in an Air Fryer

You can’t go wrong with putting an oven-proof plate in the air fryer, but there are many other things that you can do as well. Plates are just one option for food preparation!

FAQs