Honestly, when I first time heard about air fryer liners, I was skeptical to use them and thought about how a liner can improve an extremely convenient and easy cooking experience because I love my air fryer already and the food I get from it.
After hearing so many reviews of it, I decided to try them and see what the hype is all about, the results were pretty satisfying as air fryer liners make the later cleaning process easy and mess-free.
What exactly is an air fryer liner?
A pre-cut paper air fryer liner sits at the bottom of the air fryer to absorb grease and trap crumbs. Hot air can circulate and crisp up food through tiny pre-made holes, something you won’t get if you cut your own parchment paper into circles.
Kitchen air fryer liners are composed of food-grade materials and provide a grease-proof and waterproof solution to avoid messy air fryer cleanup. The eight-inch dimension is compatible with the majority of the best air fryer models on the market and keeps the inner basket free of residue and stains that are a pain to clean off the bottom of an air fryer.
Why use an air fryer liner?
Following are some of the reasons why you should use an air fryer liner:
- Even Cooking – Air fryer liners mostly come in pre-cut holes which allow even better air circulation on food than the walls of the air fryer’s basket and they also prevent the food to burn as the food doesn’t rest on the hot metal of the air fryer basket so it’s edges are safe which may burn without the liner.
- Easy Cleaning- it’s a well-known fact that an air fryer reduces the amount of oil used in the cooking process as compared to deep frying but it still needs a drizzle of oil on food to give it a crispy texture and it also releases juices, grease, and crumbs while cooking food which creates a mess in the air fryer basket. Though you can separate the parts of the air fryer to clean them, it takes a lot of time and energy and this is why air fryer liners are a must, which just needs to be taken out and discarded after cooking.
- Prevent Sticking- Though the air fryer is made up of a nonstick surface, still there are some foods like meat that stick to the surface no matter what precautions you take. The air fryer liners have sleek surfaces which are better at nonstick than any metal so that means any food will slip off from it after cooking like soft butter.
Though air fryer liners are not necessary, they play a huge part in improving the cooking experience of the air fryers.
Is using air fryer liners easy?
Yes, air fryer liners are easy to use.
The liner is a kind of misleading term as per its name, it suggests molding, cutting, and folding the material which people usually do when lining a cake pan.
But air fryer liners are easy to put because they are a single piece of material that you can easily place in the air fryer basket unlike the lining of a cake pan which is similar to an art and craft project and take few minutes whereas you can line the air fryer in just a few seconds.
One-time useable air fryer liners can be discarded after cooking but if it is a reusable liner then rinse and dry it for next time use.
You can also check out the following video to know more about air fryer liners.
What is the correct way to use air fryer liners?
If you’re feeling like buying air fryer liners but don’t know how to arrange them, Here is the guide!
- Step 1 – Preheat your air fryer according to the instruction given in its manual.
- Step 2 – If the liner isn’t the size of the air fryer, trim it according to the basket height.
- Step 3 – Put the liner in the basket and spray it with little oil.
- Step 4 – Put food on top of the liner in the air fryer basket.
- Step 5 – Let the food cook according to the recipe.
- Step 6 – Once the food is done, pull off the liner and dispose of it.
- Step 7 – In the end, rinse the air fryer basket without any annoyance.
With liners, you can take pleasure in all your favorite fried foods in the air fryer without being bothered about them sticking to the basket. Just follow the above steps for the best results.
Is it necessary to use air fryer liners?
No, it is not necessary to use air fryer liners but you can use them for a better cooking experience and to make the cleaning process a breeze.
Air fryer liners also prevent the food from sticking to the air fryer basket. If you don’t want to use an air fryer liner, that would be completely fine too but then get ready to scrub the air fryer a little extra while cleaning the grease and food residues.
What are the best air fryer liners?
There are a few things to deem before buying the best paper liner, as there are different types of paper liners known in the market, which makes it difficult to decide which one to choose from.
- Choose the paper liner which should fit in your air fryer properly. It shouldn’t be too large or too small for the air fryer.
- Mostly, air fryer liners are created of silicone or aluminum foil material. Keep in mind that silicone material is easy to tidy up and durable, while the aluminum liner is mostly for one-time use.
- Always look for a liner that is nonstick so that food doesn’t get stuck to it and create a mess in the basket.
- Some air fryer liners are disposable, while some are reusable, so make sure that whatever you choose should be easy to wash, and you can use it again.
Keeping these factors in mind, here is the best air fryer liners list.
| Dash Air Fryer Liner | This liner is made up of silicone and is reusable and nonstick also. It can be used for 2-quart air fryers |
| Presto Air Fryer Liner | This liner is dishwasher safe, reusable, and nonstick and is used for 6-quart air fryers |
| Ninja Air Fryer Liner | It is made up of aluminum and is disposable. It can be used in a 4-quart air fryer. |
Can I make a liner for my air fryer?
Yes, you can make your liner for the air fryer.
All you have to do is take a piece of parchment paper with a scissor and just cut the parchment paper according to the size of the air fryer basket to fit it properly and voilà, you are good to go! Your custom-made air fryer liner is ready.
If you’re feeling extra creative, you can cut parchment paper in different sizes and shapes to fit in your air fryer basket so be as creative as you want.
Where can I purchase air fryer liners?
Each set has 200 liners for about $11, enough to last an average home an entire year of air fryer cooking. When you consider how many hours you’ll save on cleaning, these liners will more than pay for themselves.
Go to Amazon to get your own box of 200 perforated air fryer liners. While other stores provide comparable versions, these are by far the most cost-effective due to a large number of included liners for only $11.
You don’t want to wait too long, either, because TikTok and Amazon consumers have complained that some versions sell out quickly. More and more home cooks are realizing the value of using an air fryer liner.
Conclusion
Air fryer liners are a haven for their users because it makes the cooking experience better and smooth.
- Air fryer liners have pre-cut holes which allow even better air circulation to cook food.
- Air fryer liners prevent the food from sticking to the bottom of the basket and save you from extra cleaning and scrubbing because you just have to take it out after cooking.
- Air fryer liners have sleek surfaces which are better than metal and don’t let meat stick to the basket.