How to use aluminum foil in an air fryer?
In the good old days, people would use aluminum foil to wrap their leftovers and store them in the fridge.
Nowadays, we cook just about everything on it! From eggs and bacon for breakfast to lasagne and casseroles at dinner time, this versatile piece of metal is a kitchen staple that every home needs.
Aluminum foil can be used as a baking sheet liner or pot protector when cooking messy dishes. It can also be used in many kitchen appliances for cooking. But is the air fryer one of them?
Can you put aluminum foil in air fryer?
Aluminum foil is a thin sheet of metal that is light weight and flexible.
It acts as a barrier to keep light and moisture out therefore it has been used widely to wrap up leftovers. It is also a good conductor of heat and electricity which can withstand high temperatures.
Which is why it has become popular for cooking in these days. However, it is not safe to put it in all kitchen appliances.
For instance, it is not recommended to use aluminum foil in the microwave.
This is because it is a lightweight metal sheet which conducts the heat. So, when the radiation waves heat it up rapidly, it is too thin to handle the currency that is generated and can cause fire.
Especially where there are any sharp edges formed, with crinkling of the foil, this can cause sparks by the electrical current.
So, is it safe to use aluminum foil in the air fryer? The answer is Yes!
This is because the air fryer uses convection heat generated from the heating coils and a fan to circulate this heat to cook the food.
Therefore, there is no rapid heating up of the foil so it can be used in the air fryer. This being the case, there are some tips on how to use aluminum foil in an air fryer.
Don’t forget to refer to your manual for any instructions on using aluminum foil.
Tips when using aluminum foil in air fryer
Do not block the air flow
As the air fryer depends on circulating hot air to cook the food, the cooking process will be impaired if the foil is blocking the air flow.
This can cause uneven cooking or longer cooking times.
One single piece of foil covering the air fryer basket is sufficient. Do not extend the foil to line the whole basket as there are some vents at the side of the basket to help with air flow.
You can even poke some holes in the foil to enhance the air flow.
Another way to use the foil would be to make a wide strip by folding the foil in half or one third and placing it in the middle of the air fryer basket. The food would then be placed along the strip.
This works particularly well with fish, chicken strips, and any food types that can fit along the strip. This way there is enough air flow as only a section of the basket is covered.
Keep the foil away from the heating element
Aluminum foil is flammable and the hot elements inside the air fryer might spark a fire if brought into contact with it.
Wrapping food in foil
When wrapping the food in foil, care must be taken to wrap it tightly and make sure that there are no flapping or loose pieces of foil.
This is because the fan in the air fryer are quite strong so loose pieces of foil can fly or flap around. This can cause damage if these pieces of foils get stuck in the fan or worse if they get close to the heating element.
Do not use extra pieces of aluminium foil on top of already wrapped food.
Since hot air flows through all parts of the cooking chamber, you don’t need to wrap food twice will increase cooking time and heat up your kitchen unnecessarily.
Besides that, too much aluminum foil might affect the heating speed since it acts as another layer that needs to be heated up.
Weight of the food
As the aluminum foil is light weight, the strong fan can make is flap or fly around so the weight of the food must be heavy enough to keep the foil in place.
Make sure to place the food evenly covering all the areas of the foil, especially the corners.
There are some air fryers that combines other cooking functions as well. These air fryers may have a traditional air fryer basket.
Air Fryer Rotisserie: These air fryers usually come with a rotating basket and rotating skewers. It would not be recommended to use foil in these air fryers as the rotating movement will not keep the foil in place.
Air Fryer Toaster Ovens: Most of these air fryers come in a rectangular shape where there are racks inserted to place the food. If the spacing that you have between the heating elements and the racks are too close, it is not recommended to use foil.
Air Fryer Pressure Cookers: This appliance comes in a pot like shape. The food is place in the pot and there are two interchangeable lids that distinguishes between the air fryer or pressure-cooking functions. It is not recommended to use foil in this appliance as the foil may melt in contact with the pot that heats up.
Bottom of the air fryer
Avoid putting aluminum foil at the bottom of the air fryer as it gets hot during cooking and the foil may melt.
Reasons for using foil in air fryer:
- It helps to make the cleaning easier as it will reduce the amount of grease sticking on the basket.
- When the food is wrapped with foil, the food doesn’t lose its moisture and it tastes more delicious.
- Prevents food from sticking to the air fryer basket. So delicate food like fish can be in tack when removing it from the air fryer.
- It can enhance the flavours as the food is cooking in the juices.
Is cooking with aluminum foil in air fryer toxic?
There is no absolute answer now as there isn’t enough information on how safe or dangerous aluminium foil is to cook with an air fryer.
Until more research has been done, it’s probably best to limit the use of it. Alternatives such as silicone baking mats or parchment paper instead of aluminum foil.
As the air fryer also uses convection heat like the oven, it may be wise to take the same precautionary measures.
For instance, avoid acidic food in aluminum foil when using an air fryer. Cooking with aluminum foil releases aluminum into the food on contact.
Especially with acidic foods where the acid dissolves the aluminum.
Conclusion
Using aluminum foil in an air fryer is fine, but it’s best to be cautious and to always refer to your manual. Only use one piece of foil to line the bottom of the basket. This will ensure that there are enough vents for air flow while limiting contact between the food and the hot aluminum. It would also be useful to poke some holes on both sides of the foil to allow for more air flow.
When wrapping the food in aluminum foil, make sure to use enough weight and avoid placing it at the bottom of the basket. Make sure that there’s no loose pieces of aluminum foil when cooking with an air fryer and avoid using extra layers of aluminum foil on top of wrapped food as this will result in unnecessary heating.
As more research is done, there will be more information on whether aluminum foil should be avoided completely when cooking with an air fryer or not. Until then it’s probably best to limit the use of aluminum foil.
Alternatively, you could use air fryer liners!
