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Over the last few years, air fryers have become incredibly popular! With the popularity of air fryers, there are many uses and methods people are using to cook delicious meals. An air fryer can bake, grill, roast, and air fry a variety of foods.
Recently buy or get an air fryer as a gift? Check out our master list of 46 healthy air fryer recipes that you might want to try!
The air fryers offer lots of benefits and its a healthier alternative to deep-frying. Air fryers use little to no oil while cooking therefore you get to reduce cholesterol in the body. Air fryers are also way easier to clean because you don’t have to worry about heating up oil, checking the temperature, and disposing of the used oil afterwards.
In case you are new to air frying appliances, the most common foods cooked include chicken wings, french fries, salmon, steak, chicken thighs/breast, pastries and more. People also use their air fryers to make delicious vegetables and desserts!
Can You Put Aluminum Foil In An Air Fryer
Yes, you can put foil in an air fryer! Put a small amount of foil in the bottom of the basket, but make sure you don’t cover your food. The less foil you use, the more air flow you’ll have! Make sure you don’t put the foil in the bottom of the air fryer.
How do Air fryers work?
It’s important to mention that air fryers don’t actually fry the food that you put in them.
Air fryers use rapid air technology that is hot air circulated in the cooking compartments. This hot air heats food to cook evenly and with a crispy texture.
In the top of your air fryer, you will find a fan and a heating mechanism. From here, the hot air will flow around the food, and cook it. The food itself is placed in a basket like you’d see in a deep fryer. As the hot air circulates around the food, the food is “air-fried.”
Using an air fryer is very easy as it comes with simple and clear settings for operation. There is also plenty of recipes dedicated to air frying online.
See Also: Air Fryer Sizes (Find The Right Size Air Fryer)
How To Put Aluminum Foil In An Air Fryer
If you have used a microwave, you know metals are not recommended to be used. Since the air fryer works similarly like a microwave oven, you’d think you wouldn’t want to put aluminum foil in your air fryer, but there is one key difference…
The hot air in the air fryer is not extremely hot to melt the aluminum foil and thus using it has no issues. Air fryers don’t reach as high of temperatures as your microwave so there is less risk of melting the metal.
Using the aluminum foil also depends on the type of food cooked.
Ensure the foil doesn’t block the circulation of the hot air. It’s better to avoid covering the basket edges to prevent the foil from touching the heating elements.
Here’s a helpful video on how to do it!
Can You Put Foil In Bottom Of Air Fryer?
The basement of the air fryer has heating elements and also it is where grease and dirt from food are collected. Putting the aluminum foil in the bottom can block air circulation which can cause unevenly cooked food.
We would recommend not putting foil in the bottom of the air fryer because it will limit the air circulation that is needed to actually “fry” your food. This an slow down or result in uneven cooking.
The best place to insert the aluminum foil is the basket for better results. You’ll also want to make sure that you don’t cover the whole air fryer with foil so make sure to use as little as possible.
Here are some precut aluminum sheets that work great in the air fryer!
Avoid High Acidic Foods In The Air Fryer
The high acidic level is known to decompose the foil resulting in a reaction between food and aluminum to form black specks.
Some of the foods known to contain acidic levels include fruits, tomatoes, vinegar addons, tomato sauce, etc. An intake of excessive aluminum metal can cause health issues.
Is It Dangerous (Toxic) To Use Aluminum Foil In The Air Fryer
The aluminum foil method of cooking releases some parts to the food thus ending in the stomach. Health-wise, Alzheimer’s disease has been linked to the daily intake of aluminum.
On average, adults consume about 1 to 10 mg of aluminum through processed foods. The best way is to use aluminum foil in some occasions. The key to healthy living is moderation as too much of everything can be harmful.
Generally, cooking with aluminum foil is safe in the air fryer and it should be done the correct way.
Can You Use Parchment Paper In The Air Fryer?
Now you can use parchment papers or baking paper in the air fryer. Manufacturers have introduced perforated parchment paper which works great in the air fryer.
The hole in the paper enables the hot air circulation to move without any hindrance.
These parchment papers can be used with all foods to provide great benefits to your cooking. They are heat resistant and absorb the grease making the clean up very easy. Also, the food doesn’t stick while using the parchment papers.
Final thoughts on using foil in an air fryer
It’s safe to use aluminum foil in an air fryer as long as you use it correctly. Remember to avoid acidic foods in the aluminum foil since they decompose the foil.
Also, avoid putting aluminum foil without anything to hold it because it can be sucked into the heating elements. This can cause fire, otherwise, following the safety guidelines of an air fryer, you will be alright.