An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that uses hot air to fry food. This type of fryer differs from an oil-based deep fryer because it doesn’t use oil.
Also, unlike convection ovens, air fryers don’t use any heat on the food. Instead, they circulate hot air around the food, which cooks it.
But recently, using aluminum pans in air fryers has become a statement of the question; many people wonder if they can use aluminum pans in their air fryers.
There’s no harm in utilizing an aluminum pan in your air fryer. Of course, you can. But you need to ensure that the aluminum pan doesn’t have direct contact with the heating element. To avoid ugly melting scenarios, make provision for a holding accessory.
Can You Use Aluminum Baking Pans in Air Fryer?
Any ovenproof pan is okay for use in air fryers once they fit in. Thus, you can use your aluminum baking pan in an air fryer just that you need to be cautious to put in place a holding accessory.
There are aluminum pans that are made specifically for air frying. Besides aluminum, other good pans suitable for air fryers include the ones with their significant constituents as glass or metal.
You see, air fryers operate similar to ovens, and almost everything you utilize in an oven will be okay for air fryers.
Air fryers typically utilize temperatures of about 345⁰F to 405⁰F; this range equals the mean cooking temperature of most foods in an oven.
Aluminum baking pans are okay for usage in air fryers because they can hold off high heat amounts without necessarily causing issues.
Issues can only arise when you obstruct the basket vents because they’re responsible for efficient airflow in the cooking apartment.
The air fryer system operates with the circulation of heated air, so obstructing the vents will hinder the airflow process.
It will help if you get small pans that will fit the air fryer baskets. Aluminum pans come in variable sizes, but it still depends on your air fryer basket size.
You can even find small-sized pans, like mini loaf pans, having a size inches of about 3.5 x 2.5 x 1.25. As a suggestion, two mini loaf pans can sit together, and there’ll still be proper circulation.
Furthermore, aluminum pans usually have plastic lids as their supplement, and most users use them with the pan in the fryer; it’s dangerous.
It would be best if you don’t use the plastic lids with the pan in your air fryer because they aren’t ovenproof. Instead, utilize the lid to cover the food after cooking.
I advise you to restrain from heating acidic food substances in aluminum pans. Altogether aluminum pans are an excellent choice for air fryers.
And aluminum as a whole is a suitable metal type, but it can sometimes be dangerous for use. So it’s good to weigh the upsides and downsides of using aluminum pans.
| Upsides | Downsides |
|---|---|
| They are durable and can withstand heat | They react to acidic foods and can cause them to taste metallic. |
| They are lightweight and easy to clean. | They result in the release of aluminum into cooked foods. This concern is because aluminum is in line with kidney problems and osteoporosis. |
Can You Put Aluminum Foil Pan in Air Fryer?
You can place an aluminum foil pan in your air fryer. The only thing is that your need to be careful. In situations like this, it’s good that you consult your user manual for instructions.
The most important thing to consider when placing your aluminum coil in your air fryer is its placing arrangement. Always place the coil so it doesn’t embody the holes responsible for hot air circulation.
Yes, openings exist around the air fryer basket, and obstructing these holes will cause inefficient circulation and cooking.
To ensure efficacy, position the foil pan at the bottom; there’ll be space around the edges. And when I say at the bottom, I don’t mean the bottom of the air fryer. I mean the basket.
Resist the temptation to position your aluminum foil pan underneath the fryer because that’s the location of the heating coils.
If you block the coils, the heat may find its way somewhere else and cause unnecessary pressure. It likewise makes the fryer susceptible to damage.
Altogether, an aluminum foil pan in your air fryer is okay; after all, it makes clean-up easy.
You won’t necessarily need to clean the compartment basket. Also, your food items will not stick to the basket.
Tips to Use Aluminum Baking Pan in Air Fryer
There are numerous tips for using aluminum baking pans in air fryers. However, the most critical include the use of a holding accessory.
Others include; the pan shouldn’t have contact with the sides of the air fryer, avoid overheating and avoid acidic foodstuffs.
#1. Use a Holding Accessory
A holding accessory is essential because it is a slight differentiation between the heating element and the aluminum pan.
Melting situations can surface when there’s direct contact between the pan and the heating element; it’s not something you should take for granted.
You already know that melting scenes can make the air fryer look too messy, adding up the stress of unnecessary clean-up.
Usually, there’s a compartment basket, and you should use it for a better experience.
#2. The Pan Shouldn’t Have Contact With the Sides of the Air Fryer
As much as the aluminum pan shouldn’t have direct contact with anything underneath the fryer, it shouldn’t have any contact with the air fryer’s edges. Instead, any contact should be with the holding accessory only.
#3. Avoid Overheating
Overheating probably, shouldn’t sound strange. The air fryer is supposed to be at a temperature that’s not more than 400⁰F.
To effectively avoid overheating, you should begin by setting the temperature low and seeing how the air fryer responds.
#4. Avoid Acidic Foodstuffs
From research, most, if not all, air fryer users that use aluminum pans aren’t concerned about the foods that they cook.
But well, you should. Specific reactions can occur when acidic foods heat through aluminum pans. These reactions can sometimes pose health risks and can mess up the pan.
What Happens When You Use Aluminum Baking Pan in Air Fryer?
Aluminum is a good material; hence using an aluminum baking pan in your air fryer will increase the chance of a better food flavor.
It also efficiently allows for even heat distribution and avoids the stickiness of foodstuffs directly to compartment baskets. But there are also associated problems.
The first is that when you put acidic food substances such as lime, tomato, and vinegar into the aluminum pan, the heat from the frying pan tends to cause specific reactions, consequently leading to the deposition of aluminum.
Aluminum in small quantities can cause little or no harm to your body system. But when it accumulates, it can cause a lot of issues.
Even wwwn.cdc.gov states that it’s not toxic in small quantities but in large quantities.
Summary
It’s okay to use an aluminum pan in your air fryer but always use a holding accessory to stop the pan from having contact with it.
However, your temperature settings should not be too high to prevent damaging the pans.
