Can you put food directly in air fryer

Can you put food directly in air fryer

Air fryers are made to put food directly in the basket and the crisper plate, with an option to add food to lining in an effort to protect the none-stick coating.

You can put food directly in a basket or on top of the crisper plate, but understand this will only cause the components to deteriorate quicker than they need to. Whenever possible, use lining like foil or parchment paper to keep baked on grease and fat damaging the special teflon-coating.

Most air fryer users will choose to cook directly on what could be the basket or crisper plate, knowing this method will air fry food far better than choosing to use often awkward to manage lining.

Depending on what food items you're air frying, cooking directly could mean you have no choice.

Big portions of food will be best air fried directly, whereas classic food items like French fries, chunky frozen chips, breaded onion rings to chicken nuggets, will make it easier on you if you air fry directly.

Let's not forget, air fryer baskets and crisper plates rapidly deteriorate due to wear and tear, which will naturally cause the basket to lose its non-stick coating. Food cooked in an old, decayed basket or on top of a crisper plate will only cause the food to stick - which will result in the teflon-coating to peel away.

You can put food directly in an air fryer but don't make a habit of it, as it will only damage your basket and crisper plate more than it ready is.

Baskets and crisper plates will decay in due cause, thus to cook food directly in an air fryer with no protection, will only speed up the process of the need to throwaway your old basket or crisper plate, with extra expense needed for a replacement.

Only you will know when its a good time to air fry various food items directly, versus when to protect the air fryer in lining.

Air fry as often as you can with foil or parchment paper lining your basket or on top of the crisper plate, while rarely air frying with no lining in place.

Certain foods go directly in basket

One important use of an air fryer for anyone to do, is to actually cook any kind of food item directly on the basket.

Should you do this every time you air fry? Well, probably not due to wear and tear on an unprotected basket which will slowly deteriorate over time.

Unfortunately, an air fryer basket even coated in a Teflon-like coating isn't enough to  stop the basket going beyond repair in the weeks and months to come. You see, using an air fryer with due care and attention will still cause the basket to dramatically decay.

Putting food directly in a basket I am sure will make no difference in terms of maintaining its quality - although I recommend you line your air fryer basket/crisper plate whenever you get the chance - just to extend its life a bit longer.

When air frying on a naked basket I recommend you do so when air frying a portion of French fries for example, because fries can be best air fried in an unlined basket where the intensive air flow will help to produce crispy fries and chips, and similar food items.

Air frying food on a foil or parchment paper lining could help when cooking meats especially, where lining will make the cleaning up process quick and easy. Greasy and fatty foods like this rarely need to be air fried directly on a basket.

Directly adding food unnecessary

Whilst its perfectly fine to throw one or many different food items in your basket, this will rapidly damage the basket even though this can mostly be attributed to heat damage.

It will help you a bunch if you line your air fryer basket in anything from parchment paper to foil, with an option to sit a ceramic plate in the bottom of the basket - so the plate will stain as normal rather than the basket itself.

Of course you can use any kind of ovenproof dish including other oven-safe plates and dishes.

In addition, you can of course choose to use what are re-usable air fryer silicone baskets, which will contain marinades, sauces and juices - so it all doesn't bake onto your unprotected basket.

Its unnecessary to put all food items directly in your air fryer when solutions like this exist to make your like so much easier, when cooking with an air fryer.

Line Basket in Parchment/Foil paper

Go ahead and put food directly in an air fryer when it makes sense too, like French fries as I've gone over, plus when air frying a roast beef or an whole chicken which can be baste every one in a while, with the meat positioned directly on a naked basket.

Try air frying any kind of roasting joint sat on lining in an air fryer, and you'll quickly regret it with the lining serving little purpose, other than to get crumpled up in due course.

One item you should buy to use along with your air fryer is always a roll of foil. Be it value foil or more expensive thick foil wrap like Reynolds, this solid material will fold into the bottom of your basket nicely, and thus will serve to catch the mess that would otherwise bake on to your air fryer basket.

When foil won't do, as it is prone to sticking to certain food items like freshly cooked pastry, and coatings like batter and breading. Why not have a roll of parchment paper stored away in your kitchen cupboard, ready to be used as a lining when foil won't do.

After four to five years of using both parchment paper and foil, I can say with confidence I rely upon parchment paper 95% of the time.

Utilise rolls of parchment paper with it being a cheaper option than specialty air fryer paper liners which will be perforated, with the holes allowing for air flow.

Summary

Of course you can put food directly in an air fryer basket, where none greasy foods can be quickly cleaned up afterwards, yet messy foods can bake on any lining instead.

I wouldn't recommend you always cook food directly in the air fryer without some kind of protection, as it will only cause an unnecessary mess for you.

Food items like all meats would be best cooked on top of parchment paper or foil, which is all in an effort to keep you air fryer basket and crisper plate clean whilst in use.

Know when to air fry food directly in an air fryer like chips, fries to onion rings, along with large portions of these foods which will be impossible to air fry properly on top of lining - when it will only cause the lining to crumple - all while causing the greasy foods to spill on to your basket.

It is unnecessary to air fry most food items directly in a basket when any lining - plus silicone baskets or a regular dinner plate, will help to avoid stains and spillages.

Your air fryer basket will deteriorate quickly when choosing to air fry directly with no lining like foil or parchment paper - laid down on the bottom of the basket or crisper - yet decay can be slowed down when frequently lining your basket.

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