This is something that I’ve been asked multiple times since I started blogging so I finally decided to make a post about it. Questions like this appear constantly – which is great. I’d much rather spend time answering a question like this than have someone experiment with the air fryer and possibly start a fire.
When new appliances (yes, the air fryer is relatively new – still) make an appearance it always takes some time before you figure out what works and what doesn’t – I’m still experimenting and I’ve used my air fryer for years now.
Anyways, let’s get to it.
Can you put paper towels in an air fryer? No, it is not advisable to put paper towels in the air fryer while it is operating. Paper towels will prevent the air fryer from circulating air around the chamber properly and can potentially end up in the heating element and start a fire.
Luckily enough, there are other solutions. I’m guessing you were planning to use the paper towel to collect some of the stains and grease – if so, I strongly recommend using parchment papers, the perforated ones which are made specifically for air frying.
I’ve written an article on how to use them – they are just great for air frying and they are very inexpensive. The ones I’m using are available on Amazon for next to nothing for a 100-pack.
Why Is Parchment Paper Better To Put in the Air Fryer Than Regular Paper Towels?
Regular paper towels aren’t perforated (they don’t have a pattern of holes covering them) and will, therefore, prevent the air fryer from circulating the hot air around the chamber which can lead to uneven cooking.
If you didn’t know, air fryers cook food by heating air and circulating it around the basket – cooking and drying the food from every angle. If that airflow is blocked by a piece of paper, the food will be affected.
But doesn’t the grease and juices drip right through the holes?
Well, some of the juices drip through the parchment paper’s holes but the most part of the dirt is collected. This makes it very easy to clean the air fryer once you’ve finished cooking – just remove the parchment paper and everything it has collected.
The leftovers can then be wiped off using a paper towel or rag.
Both paper towels and parchment papers must be weighed down by ingredients as they could end up in the heating element which could be hazardous.
Of course, the heating towels can be made to fit the basket perfectly and be weighed down too – but then the fries or chicken wings wouldn’t be cooked from underneath.
That’s why perforated parchment papers are better than paper towels.
So, No Paper Towels in the Air Fryer Then?
Well, there are other ways to use your paper towels in combination with the air fryer but not while the appliance is hot and cooking.
Paper towels are actually used when seasoning the air fryer’s basket. Seasoning the basket prevents food from sticking to it and makes it much easier to clean. This is how it’s done:
- Place the drawer and the basket in the air fryer and run a 5-minute long program.
- Halfways there, open up the air fryer and remove the basket.
- Using a paper towel, rub coconut oil on the air fryer’s basket until the parts that come in contact with the ingredients are covered with a thin layer of coconut oil.
- Put the basket and drawer back in the air fryer and resume the program for the remaining 2 minutes.
If you do this on a regular basis you can keep your air fryer basket in pristine condition for a long period of time – it will also prevent the air fryer’s basket from peeling.
Keeping an air fryer’s basket from peeling has been problematic with multiple models – trust me. Some of the models I’ve owned have started peeling quite easily, and yes, I’ve taken good care of the components made sure that they are kept clean.
Using the right accessories, cleaning the air fryer frequently and using soft tools is essential.
I wrote an article where I outline why your air fryer basket is peeling and what you can do to prevent it, check it out.
What Accessories Can You Use In an Air Fryer?
There’s a bunch of accessories that are useful when cooking with an air fryer and I’ve written a list containing the 21 most useful ones. Some are used in the air fryer as it cooks, these are often used to replace the basket when it doesn’t do the job.
Other accessories are better used when preparing the ingredients for the air fryer, such as the mandolin and the french fry cutter. These accessories will give you perfectly cut vegetables, potatoes and much more – every single time.
Precision cutting tools such as the mandolin are extremely useful when cooking in the air fryer.
Why?
Because everything is cooked evenly. The hot air circulating the air fryer will have a hard time cooking an entire batch to the perfect texture if the pieces aren’t the same size. With the mandolin or the french fry cutter, you’ll have an entire batch of fries – all the same size and perfectly crisp.
Check them out, they will come in handy, there’s no doubt about it.