Best disposable air fryer liners(filters) you can use for cooking and cleaning

As air fryer users, we all have dealt with burnt cookie bottoms and tough-to-clean residues. The worst to handle is the cleaning, it will take hours of soaking the basket (even non-stick baskets can have smears) and scrubbing, still getting frustrated by improper cleaning. To counter these problems, we have one of the ideal accessories for your appliance called an air fryer liner.

As a kitchen gadget enthusiast, I have been surveying the efficacy of different air fryer liner brands, I got to know that most people are delighted with the benefits of these ready-to-use liners. 

So, this article is a rundown of the benefits, types, top air fryer liner brands, and some answers about air fryer liners.

What Are Air Fryer Liners Used For, and the benefits?

Air fryer liner with chicken wings

Air fryer liners can become your aide-de-camp while using an air fryer. They go inside the air fryer basket (don’t like to show off) and solve the following problems:

  • No Burnt Food Bottoms

With the small size of most air fryers, browning (read burning) of the bottom of the food is a common problem. Even when you’re quite conscious about the cooking time, food items like cookies, chicken roast, or pizza can end up with over-browned bottoms.

Air fryer liners work as a barrier between the food and the air fryer basket. That results in less heat conduction on the bottom of the food item and doesn’t let it get burnt. 

  • Proper Air Circulation That You Don’t Get With Parchment Paper

Parchment paper isn’t perforated, so it disturbs the air circulation inside the air fryer. On the contrary, most store-bought parchment paper liners are perforated which allows the hot air to distribute properly in the cooking chamber.

  • Prevents Food From Sticking to the Bottom 

Burning of food is one issue while sticking food residues is another. Food items like saucy chicken wings or meat that goes in the appliance with its marinade, end up in nasty smears that are hard to handle.

Air fryer parchment paper prevents food from sticking to the basket.

  • Hassle-Free Cleaning

With no smears and no crumbs, basket cleaning becomes a breeze. Just take out the food, and parchment paper liner, and put the basket in the dishwasher. No need to scrub or soak.

Before moving to the best air fryer liners, let’s first see the type of liners available in the market:

Different Types of Air Fryer Liners

Based on the material and shapes, there are the following three types of air fryer liners:

air fryer liner with chicken leg

Disposable Air Fryer Liners

Disposable air fryer liners are pre-cut sheets of parchment paper that you can use for a single batch of food. Sometimes these liners are perforated and sometimes not. In my opinion, it is better to have perforated parchment paper liners because they allow air to circulate better in the basket, thus crispier results.

Silicone Air Fryer Liners 

Silicone air fryer liners are the second type by the stuff it is made out of. In contrast to the disposable liners, these are reusable air fryer liners and they are quite heat resistant too. The reason for them being heat resistant is the poor thermal conduction of silicone.

Like the air fryer parchment paper, silicone air fryer liners also create a non-stick barrier between the air fryer basket and the food (they too are perforated, so there will be some residue at the bottom of the basket).

With this barrier, the bottom of your air fryer doesn’t receive as much smear, crumbs, and residue as it would if you don’t use a liner.

Rectangular Air Fryer Liners, Round Air Fryer Liners

You can classify both disposable and silicone air fryer liners by their shape. According to your air fryer’s shape, you can either select a round, square, or rectangular liner from both categories.

Best 6 Air Fryer Liners

  1. Airware Aeromats 
Airware Aeromats The Original Reusable Air Fryer Liners

Airwave aeromats are reusable, non-stick silicone liners suitable for almost all types of cooking or baking. The food-grade stuff doesn’t pose any health hazard, and the cleaning of the appliance becomes much easier with these liners.

The heat resistance doesn’t affect the cooking/baking process. However, some users complain about their smoke detector going off with these liners inside the machine. Moreover, these mats will take some hot water soaking to get all the grease and residues off of them (Still better than soaking the whole basket and the basket base).

  1. Regency Parchment Paper Liners(Disposable)
Regency Parchment Paper Liners for Round Cake Pans

These pre-cut 8 inches, 9”, 10”, & 12”  round parchment paper liners are specifically designed for baking cakes and pizzas. The pre-ct design allows you to use them instantly without the hassle of cutting.

However, the sizes may disappoint some users because they aren’t exact. The company doesn’t include any size variation disclaimer, so they can become a hassle for some people.

Additionally, they are non-stick, so there’s no need to grease them before placing them in your cake pan or pizza dish.

  1. 200pcs Air Fryer Liners 8.5inch, Bamboo Steamer Paper(Disposable)

Made with food-grade bamboo pulp, these air fryer/ steamer liners are suitable to go inside 8.6-inch to 9.5-inch square air fryers or cake pans. Their perforated surface makes them best suited for the appliance, and the best part is that you can toss them directly into the bin after use.

They soak up excess grease and don’t need oil spray to set off the baking process. However, never toss them on their own in your appliance, or else there will be a fire disaster. Another downside is that it doesn’t hold up to the advertised 450 degrees temperature, instead, starts burning on much lower heat.

  1. Air Fryer Disposable Paper Liners, Square Parchment Cooking Non-Stick Liner(Disposable)
Air Fryer Disposable Paper Liners, Square Parchment Cooking Non-Stick Liner

These waterproof, non-stick liners come in two sizes: 6.3 inches and 7.9 inches, and in a pack of 50,100,150 and 200 pieces. You can pick the size and pack size according to your needs and use them while cooking almost anything from fries to cookies to nuggets.

However, these parchment sheets do not soak oil well, so don’t grease them or cook oily foods using these liners. Another thing to keep in mind is their ability to catch fire, so never preheat them in an empty appliance.

  1. Air Fryer Disposable Paper Liner(Disposable)

Pre-cut parchment liners that come in 6.3 inches and 7.9 inches are pretty the same in features as the product reviewed above. You can have these liners for an average size appliance. Their oil-proof and waterproof nature will make cooking a breeze. 

However, there are no perforations in these liners, so they may slow down the cooking process. Moreover, users report burning of these liners inside the machine, so don’t go over the claimed 425 degrees Fahrenheit limit.

  1. WAVELU Air Fryer Silicone Pot 
WAVELU Air Fryer Silicone Pot - [UPGRADED] Food Safe Air fryers

These silicone pots have taken the air frying game up by a notch. They are made with non-stick, up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit heat resistant, and BPA-free silicone. All these features spruce up the design because the grooves in the basket catch excess oil from the food and make it almost oil-free.

However, some users report that the material turns their smoke alarms off when there’s no sign of smoke or fire. One more thing to note is that the grease will be hard to remove due to the grooves in the basket when you’re cleaning it.

DIY Air Fryer Liners

If you have parchment paper in your hand, you can easily make a parchment paper air fryer liner at home. Here’s what to do:

  • Take out the air fryer basket and put it over the parchment sheet roll. 
  • With a pen, mark the outline of the basket on the parchment sheet
  • Now fold the sheet four times and grab a punching machine to punch holes
  • Make holes throughout the folded sheet.

Note: If you don’t have a punching machine, use a scissor to make the holes. Even if you can’t cut perfect circles, you can have holes of any shape. The prime purpose is to have a perforated sheet, so the shape of the cut doesn’t really matter.

The Easiest Way to Clean Air Fryers

With an air fryer liner in use, the cleaning of the air fryers becomes much easier as compared to no liner.

All you need to do is to take out the messy liner and clean the inside of the basket with a damp cloth. You can use a microfiber towel too for soaking up any residual liquid from the base of the basket. 

You can wash the liner if you use reusable liners using a soft-bristled brush or a sponge with a dishwashing liquid.

In the case of paper liners you only need to throw them in the bin and clean the inside of the air fryer with a damp cloth.

However, if you’re not using a liner, you need to soak the basket and the basket base in a tub filled with soap water and then lightly scrub away any food residue.

Note: Do not use steel wool for any type of cleaning with the air fryers because it will ruin the non-stick coating or the surface of the basket or its base.

What NOT to Put in Your Air Fryer

what you can't put in the air fryer

You should not put the following items in the air fryer with or without liners:

  • Leafy greens-Because they will keep blowing with the air inside the cooking chamber
  • Foods with a wet batter- Because it will mess up the entire basket and there will be no crisping by air frying as you get through deep frying in oil.
  • Raw Grains- Because they will end up burnt if you don’t first carry the cooking process on a countertop oven.
  • Bread without filling- Because it will keep blowing inside the air fryer due to the hot air.
  • Cheese on its own- You cannot have fried cheese in the air fryers because they will end up in a puddle of cheese which is hard to clean.

FAQs

Can You Put Parchment Paper in an Air Fryer?

You can use parchment liners in an air fryer, but make sure not to place it without food over it. Pre-heating the parchment paper without food can cause a fire accident because the parchment paper will blow inside the cooking chamber, catching fire due to the high heat coming from the heating element.

Can You Put Wax Paper in an Air Fryer?

Wax paper is not suitable for an air fryer, because the wax will melt at only 200 degrees Fahrenheit, messing up the whole air frying process. For this same low heat resistance, it is not suitable inside a microwave oven or a toaster oven too. Although you may be attracted to use it due to its non-stick and waterproof nature, it’s not good for high heat situations.

Can You Put Foil in an Air Fryer?

You can put foil paper in an air fryer with a few precautions:

  • Don’t preheat foil without food over it because it will blow up in the cooking chamber and catch fire from the heating element.
  • Never cook acidic food using foil paper because aluminum will seep into your food
  • Do not completely cover the mesh of the basket to keep the air flowing inside the air fryer.

Where Can I Buy Air Fryer Liners?

You can buy air fryer liners from the links provided above for the reviews section. Besides that, air fryer liners are easily available at Amazon.com and almost all the superstores near you.

The Bottomline

Air fryer liners are relatively new add-ons to air fryer accessories, but they are worth every penny. Depending on how often you use your air fryer, choosing either reusable air fryer liners or disposable liners is the only thing you need to decide. You can choose any of the best air fryer liners after going through the reviews and clicking on the links in the article above.

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