An Air Fryer is the modern version of the convection oven.
As you know, air fryers fry food by circulating hot air around it, unlike the traditional way of frying by submerging food in hot oil.
The process of frying food in the air fryer takes place in the basket or rack, often leaving the food stuck to the bottom.
For this reason, paper liners are introduced to avoid food sticking to the basket and make air fryer cleaning easy.
But people often ask if they need paper liners for an air fryer. So, the answer is no, you don’t need paper liners for air fryers, but you must use them for the benefits of mess-free cooking and easy cleaning.
Of course, you can cook quickly without paper liners too, but with paper liners, your food would have absolute crispiness with no burn edges.
Paper liners are of two types such as reusable liners and parchment liners.
Reusable liners require cleaning, while parchment papers are mainly used because they don’t require cleaning.
Check out the following video to know more about paper liners.
If you want to know more about paper liners and how they work for the air fryer, keep reading!
What Is Paper Liner?
Paper liner is made up of pre-cut wood pulp, also known as parchment paper.
Paper liners have several small holes in them to ensure the steam coming from the radiant element of the air fryer cooks food evenly and prevents food from sticking to the bottom of the basket or rack of the air fryer.
It also holds the food together in a basket that would otherwise have a chance of falling to the bottom due to the speedy circulation of hot air.
How do Paper liners work?
Air Fryers paper liners are so simple and easy to use as they are super thin sheets that are resistant to heat to 450° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes which is enough for one-time frying.
Paper liners are made of wood pulp, making them nonstick, nontoxic, and safe.
Paper liners are best for cooking veggies, fish, and rice. It has several holes to provide space for food to cook evenly from the bottom.
Paper liners save a lot of your by making air fryer cleaning easy.
However, you can use paper liners in the following ways.
- Always remember to put paper liner after preheating the air fryer
- because if you put it before preheating, the paper liner would burn as there would be no food weight on it.
- Put food on a paper liner after the preheating is done because paper liners are thin sheets made to separate the food from the basket, so it doesn’t get stuck to the bottom. So, if you put paper liner without food, it would fly around in the basket due to its lightweight.
- Pull off the paper liner after air frying food as your food will be ready to serve.
What’s the Use of Air Fryer Basket Liners?
The appeal of basket liners is obvious.
These liners, which are normally composed of parchment paper, are designed to keep food from sticking to the bottom of your air fryer basket. Furthermore, the parchment or silicon liners should avoid burning. The function is similar to using them in the oven to avoid scorching the bottoms of your cookies! Finally, the majority of companies believe that liners make cleanup easier.
But do they actually work?
In general, I would answer sure.
Personally, I enjoy using the basket liners, particularly when air frying “baked” products or meats. I’d never used them before, but we got a complimentary pack, and I’ll definitely buy them again next time I’m out.
There are two reasons for this.
First, I’ve discovered that using parchment basket liners keeps food from clinging to the bottom of the basket. This is particularly true when it comes to cooking meats. For example, when air frying chicken wings, the meat tends to adhere to the bottom.
The end result is a sloppy air fryer basket with chicken crusted down in the ventilation openings. Furthermore, if you use marinades or sticky sauces during cooking, the parchment aids in the reduction of sticking.
Can I use a liner in an Air fryer?
Yes, you can use liner in your air fryer. It would be best if you used a liner for your basket of air fryers as it has many advantages.
Air fryer liners are made to cook and clean quickly and save time and effort. But, that doesn’t mean you cannot cook without an air fryer liner. You can! But it will leave you with a messy air fryer and countertop, which will take time to clean.
Without an air fryer liner, the basket would have food particles stuck on it; hence, cleaning the air fryer would not be easy. So, to save yourself from extra cleaning, use air fryer liners.
Are Air fryer liners worth buying?
Yes, air fryer liners are worth buying if you’re using an air fryer on daily bases. As I mentioned above, there are two types of air fryer liners – one-time usable liners and reusable ones.
The reusable air fryer liners are silicone and could be bought for $11-$12. They are easy to clean as well as flexible.
But, people mostly prefer one-time useable wood-based liners, which can be thrown away after one time of air frying without saving them from cleaning. They can be purchased for a few dollars that too for a bundle.
You can clearly understand that air fryer liners are easy to use and cost-effective.
What linings can be used for an Air fryer?
If you use an air fryer daily or frequently, air fryer liners must be purchased. There are a few different kinds of air fryer liners depending on home cooks’ nature.
Parchment Paper liners
The most commonly used air fryer liners are parchment papers. They are pre-perforated and pre-sized liners that are specifically one-time useable, designed to use in an air fryer.
In parchment paper design, several holes are punched to allow the airflow of hot air to cook food while protecting the bottom of the air fryer.
Parchment paper comes in different sizes and shapes so that you can buy the perfect adjusted paper according to the air fryer model of your home.
Silicone Mat Liner
The silicone mat liner is the reusable liner of the air fryer, which is also perforated with holes. It is made of silicone, so it can be used multiple times after cleaning and is indestructible.
Silicone mat liners can also be used as heat protectors for your counter and tabletop.
Silicone Basket
A silicone basket is made to be placed in your air fryer basket directly with food.
It has lines at the bottom to allow air circulation around the food and provide space to save food drippings at the air fryer’s bottom surface.
So, once you’re done cooking, you can easily take out the whole basket. Being made up of silicone makes it easy to clean and use again.
Also, by using this silicone basket, your air fryer would be as clean as if it was never used.
Best Air Fryer Liners
As now you’re aware of the types of lining which can be used in an air fryer, it’s time to take a look at the best air fryer liners suitable for your air fryer.
| Rank | Product | Features |
| 1. | Geeta Parchment Air Fryer Liners | Round, perforated parchment |
| 2. | By Kitchen Air Fryer Parchment Paper | Square, perforated parchment paper |
| 3. | WaveLab Air Fryer Silicone Pot | Basket shaped silicone |
Conclusion
Air fryer paper liners are an excellent thing to use because
- It makes cooking and cleaning easy and saves time.
- In paper liners, food crispiness is ensured without burn edges.
- Paper liners are resistant to heat up to 450° F, which is enough for one-time air frying.
- Paper liners are worth buying for air fryers, which are frequently used.