Cooking with air fryers is a way of cooking a variety of dishes. Food is not cooked in air fryers despite their name. Essentially, they function like convection ovens. Asparagus, chicken breasts, and French fries, as well as commonly fried dishes, can be cooked in air fryers. Some people, though, aren’t sure what can be placed inside the fryer. Can you put plastic in an air fryer?
Because plastic has a lower melting point than metal, it will disintegrate inside an air fryer. Toxins released by burning plastic, including BPA, mercury, and furans, disrupt hormone production and are even cancerous. Aluminum foil, ceramic, and glass are among the alternative materials that can be used in an air fryer.
Check out this article to learn if you can use plastic in an air fryer and what other materials you can use. We’ll also discuss whether or not an air fryer can be put in the dishwasher!
What are the risks associated with using plastic in an air fryer?
A variety of hazardous compounds are contained in plastics. The cooking of some of these ingredients may result in contamination of your meal. It causes a wide range of illnesses, from allergies to cancer. Due to this, the body will not be able to produce hormones normally. These impairments can lead to congenital problems and reproductive problems.
Toxic Gases
It is possible to generate toxic gases from plastic when it is heated. The vapors from these chemicals are poisonous and can cause a variety of health problems. Among them are headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Moreover, the gases may aggravate allergies and asthma. The material level and upper limit to which we can be subjected are unclear to us. Keeping it safe means staying away from plastic.
Distortion and Discoloration
Because of the air fryer’s intense heat, plastic may discolor and distort. This could lead to plastic melting or burning. In addition to emitting harmful substances, it can also end up in your food.
Is there an alternative to plastic in an air fryer?
Using an air fryer is possible with any ovenproof container, whether it is silicone, aluminum, stainless steel, ceramic, or glass. As a liner or cover for the basket, you can also use parchment paper (not waxed parchment!) or aluminum foil.
Glass
When you bake with glass cookware, you don’t have to worry about it breaking. It can be used in the oven. The versatility of glass cookware makes it an ideal choice for air fryers, too. Although this generalization is not universal, there are a few exceptions. It is possible to cook with glass cookware in an air fryer.
Air fryers should use glass cookware because it distributes heat evenly and does not react with oils. The exception is glass dishes that are ready to be air-fried after being taken out of the freezer. In the event of sudden temperature fluctuations, the glass could break.
Because of the significant temperature variations, even a glass with a melting point close to 2732 degrees Fahrenheit will expand and contract at exceptionally high rates. This leads to the glass breaking. Place your glass bowl in the air fryer and gradually increase the heat until it reaches room temperature.
Ceramic
Compared to plastic containers, ceramic pots and containers are great for air fryers. With their safety at high temperatures, they are a useful material. The melting point of ceramic is actually 3632 degrees Fahrenheit.
Air fryers can use this heat-resistant substance because it is among the most heat-resistant ones on the market. Before contacting ceramics in your air fryer, make sure they have had time to cool. It might be easy to burn yourself since they will absorb the heat so quickly. To avoid spreading bacteria, cover your hands with towels or oven mitts when handling them.
Silicone
Air fryers will only work with silicone, the only plastic that can be classified as plastic. For it to melt, you must ignite a particular kind of plastic. This makes it possible to create food containers because the substance does not distort under heat.
Rather than using conventional or microwave-safe plastics, silicone containers are an excellent alternative. They may be easily cleaned in the dishwasher and can be used in the oven and air fryer without melting.
One of the main benefits of using silicone containers in air fryers is their ease of removal, which simplifies cleanup. Depending on the kind of silicone, some heat-resistant silicones have melting points of up to 2570 degrees Fahrenheit.
Aluminum
In recent years, aluminum air fryer containers have grown in popularity due to their ability to cook food so well. Due to their single-use nature, you don’t have to worry about cleaning them or doing anything else afterward. A disposable metal container can come in many sizes and even have a covering.
Therefore, they can perform a wide range of tasks, including marinating meals and storing leftovers. Without removing the metal container from your meal, you can put the air fryer directly into it. Aluminum has a melting point of 1221 degrees Fahrenheit, so air-frying it is not a concern.
Stainless Steel
You can air-fry a wide range of meals with stainless steel frying baskets that can be used in the oven. Aside from that, it is safe to cook with it in an air fryer. You can easily clean it and it doesn’t react with food. A stainless steel pot, bowl, or pan without a loop handle works best with an air fryer.
The nonstick properties of metal prevent food from sticking to its surfaces and distribute heat evenly. Air fryers can operate at temperatures much lower than stainless steel’s maximum, 2,790 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stainless steel air fryer containers have a few things to consider before you buy one. Start by confirming the stainless steel is present on the entire container, not just the surface. Second, do not use any lid that includes a plastic handle – if it does, do not use an air fryer with it.
FAQs
Is it possible to use plastic in an air fryer?
Unlike microwaves, air fryers can’t heat food in plastic containers such as Tupperware or take-out containers. You can cook anything you would cook in an oven in an air fryer as well. Air fryers should not be used with plastic, because it will shrivel and melt. Air fryers’ temperature ranges are well suited for melting most plastics.
It is not a very high temperature that causes plastic products to become soft; it is somewhat higher than that where they begin to melt and emit fumes. During the melting process, the plastic will release chemicals, which will make cleaning it very difficult and possibly even deadly. Pots and containers that cannot be heated in an oven are not permitted in an air fryer.
Are there any plastics that you can use in an air fryer?
The use of certain plastics in ovens is possible. The melting point of silicone is around 260 degrees Celsius, which is 500 degrees Fahrenheit. When you do not increase the temperature above this, it will be safe in your air fryer.
It is also possible to use silicone in an air fryer. Plastics crystallized into CPET improve their heat resistance because they are made out of glass or polyethylene terephthalate. Putting them in an oven or air fryer does not mean that they won’t melt; it just means that a much higher temperature will be needed for them to melt.
Estimates indicate that CPET remains solid between 32 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, CPET is not only safe for use in an air fryer, but also indicates that it can withstand heat better than conventional plastics.
The air fryer’s temperature may rise above 400 degrees, which could result in plastic melting and leaking into your food. When using CPET oven-safe containers, keep an eye on the temperature and make sure it doesn’t get above 400 degrees.
Conclusion
In an air fryer, plastic should never be used. When plastic is heated in an air fryer, it melts, which can lead to malfunctions. Furthermore, it leaks several hazardous and toxic chemicals into the food you eat. In addition, you might want to consider using Pyrex glass or steel bowls.