What Containers Can You Put in an Air Fryer?

Can You Put Containers in an Air Fryer?

Some air fryers can take a separate cooking container. The user manual for my COSORI Dual Blaze, for example, says that to make cakes, hand pies or any food with filling or batter, you should place the food in a heat-safe container before putting it in the basket.

That's useful guidance, but it isn't blanket approval for every material, every size of dish or every air fryer model. The same manual also tells you to always use heat-safe containers and to be extremely cautious with containers that aren't metal or glass.

In practice, a suitable container needs to meet all of these points:

• It is approved by its own manufacturer for the cooking temperature.
• It is permitted by the instructions for your specific air fryer.
• It fits inside the cooking compartment.
• It leaves the clearances your appliance requires.
• It cannot touch the heating elements.
• It doesn't block essential airflow.
• It sits stably during cooking.

Source: COSORI, Dual Blaze Smart Air Fryer; COSORI, User Manuals

It's also worth knowing that a container changes how hot air moves around the food. Results can differ from cooking directly in the basket, so you may need to keep a closer eye on things the first time.

The photo at the top shows muffins I baked in ceramic ramekins in my Dual Blaze. It shows how I cooked that recipe, not a test of whether every ramekin is suitable for every air fryer.

Silicone Moulds

Some food-grade, heat-rated silicone baking moulds may be suitable for air fryer use when your appliance manufacturer allows them. Common examples include silicone muffin cups, small silicone baking moulds and silicone baking dishes.

Not every silicone product is made for cooking, though. Before using one, check the following:

• Confirm the mould's maximum temperature rating.
• Confirm it is intended for oven cooking, not just food storage.
• Check the instructions for your COSORI model.
• Make sure it fits without touching the heating elements or blocking required airflow.
• Don't use silicone that is damaged, sticky or warped.

Flexible silicone can bend when it's full of hot food, so lift it carefully. Supporting it from underneath helps.

Metal Baking Tins and Trays

Suitable oven-safe metal baking tins can be an option when your air fryer instructions permit them. Examples include small metal cake tins, metal baking pans and suitable aluminium baking dishes.

For my blueberry lemon muffins, I used disposable aluminium muffin cups alongside the ramekins.

Before using a metal tin, think about:

• Its dimensions, and whether it fits with room to spare.
• Whether it is genuinely oven-safe.
• Its temperature limit.
• Whether it sits stably in the basket.
• Whether it leaves enough clearance around and above it.
• Whether its edges could scratch the basket's nonstick surface.

Avoid oversized trays that crowd the basket or block airflow, and never position any container against a heating element. Not all metal cookware is suitable, so check before you use it.

Glass Dishes

Some glass cookware is designed for oven cooking, but that doesn't mean every glass dish is suitable for an air fryer. Ordinary glass bowls and drinking glasses are not cookware, and they shouldn't go in.

If you're considering a glass dish, look at:

• The glass manufacturer's instructions.
• Whether the product is explicitly approved for the way you plan to cook.
• Its temperature limits.
• Any chips, cracks or other damage.
• Whether your specific air fryer model allows it.

Glass can be damaged by rapid changes in temperature, which is known as thermal shock. Don't move a cold glass dish straight into a hot appliance unless the cookware manufacturer's instructions explicitly allow it.

An oven-safe label on its own doesn't settle the question. If the glass manufacturer doesn't confirm the dish is suitable for how you want to use it, choose a different approved container.

Ceramic Dishes and Ramekins

Some oven-safe ceramic dishes and ramekins may be suitable when both the cookware instructions and your air fryer instructions permit them. Small oven-safe ramekins and suitable ceramic baking dishes are the usual examples.

Before using one, check:

• That it is labelled oven-safe.
• Its temperature limits.
• Any restrictions from the manufacturer.
• That it has no cracks or damage.
• That it fits with appropriate clearance.

Decorative ceramics, serving bowls and ordinary mugs shouldn't be treated as oven-safe cookware just because they're made of ceramic.

Aluminium Foil and Parchment Paper

Foil and parchment aren't rigid containers. They're liners or wrapping materials, but people ask about them so often that they're worth covering here.

Whether you can use them depends on your air fryer model, so follow your specific COSORI manual and the liner manufacturer's instructions. My Dual Blaze manual, for example, warns never to put baking or parchment paper in without food on top, because the circulating air can lift the paper towards the heating coils.

• Loose, lightweight liners can move in strong airflow.
• Unsecured paper can create a fire risk if it reaches a heating element.
• Liners shouldn't block the airflow your appliance needs.
• Parchment must be suitable for the cooking temperature.
• Don't use foil where your appliance instructions prohibit it.

I've written about this in more detail in Can You Use Air Fryer Liners? What You Need to Know.

Containers to Avoid

Unless an item is specifically designed and approved for this kind of cooking, these should generally stay out of your air fryer:

• Ordinary plastic food containers and takeaway tubs, which aren't made for cooking heat.
• Cardboard packaging. My Dual Blaze manual specifically says not to put paper, cardboard or non-heat-resistant plastic in the air fryer.
• Ordinary drinking glasses.
• Ceramic bowls that aren't oven-safe.
• Containers with plastic handles that aren't rated for the heat.
• Cookware with an unknown temperature rating.
• Cracked or damaged glass and ceramic.
• Containers too large for the basket.
• Anything that could touch a heating element or block airflow.

For more on the foods and setups that don't suit an air fryer, read What Not to Cook in an Air Fryer (And What to Do Instead).

How to Check a Container Before Using It

1. 01

   Check your air fryer's instructions

   Look up the manual for your exact model, not just the brand.

2. 02

   Check the container's instructions

   Make sure the manufacturer says it is suitable for oven-style cooking.

3. 03

   Confirm the maximum temperature

   The container's rating must cover the temperature you plan to use.

4. 04

   Measure the container and the space

   It should fit comfortably inside the cooking compartment.

5. 05

   Allow the required clearance

   Leave the space your appliance needs around and above the container.

6. 06

   Check for damage

   Don't use anything chipped, cracked, warped or worn.

7. 07

   Make sure it's stable

   It shouldn't tip or slide when you close the basket.

8. 08

   Follow the guidance on accessories and airflow

   Your manual is the final word on what can go inside.

If the instructions are unclear, don't assume the container is safe. Choose one you know is approved instead.

My COSORI Air Fryers

I currently cook with three COSORI air fryers: the COSORI Dual Blaze, the COSORI Turbo Blaze and the COSORI TwinFry FlexDrawer.

They're different appliances with different designs, so I don't assume that what one allows, the others allow too. I haven't tried every type of container in all three.

If you have a COSORI air fryer, identify your exact model and read its manual. COSORI publishes its manuals online, so you can find yours even if the paper copy has gone missing.

Source: COSORI, User Manuals

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put a silicone mould in an air fryer?

Often, yes, if it is food-grade, rated for the temperature you're using, intended for oven cooking and allowed by your air fryer's instructions. Not every silicone product meets all of those conditions.

Can you put a metal cake tin in an air fryer?

A suitable oven-safe metal tin can work when your air fryer instructions permit it, as long as it fits with enough clearance and can't touch the heating elements.

Can you put a glass baking dish in an air fryer?

Only if the glass manufacturer confirms it is suitable for that use and your air fryer allows it. Avoid sudden temperature changes, and never use ordinary glass bowls or drinking glasses.

Can you use ceramic ramekins in an air fryer?

Oven-safe ramekins may be suitable when both the ramekin and your air fryer instructions allow it. Check the temperature rating and make sure they aren't cracked.

Can you put aluminium foil in an air fryer?

It depends on your model. Some manuals allow foil in certain places, while others restrict it. Follow your own manual, and make sure foil can't block airflow or reach a heating element.

Does a container need to be smaller than the air fryer basket?

Yes. It needs to fit inside with the clearance your appliance requires, without touching the heating elements or blocking airflow.

Are all oven-safe containers suitable for air fryers?

No. Oven-safe is a good start, but the container also has to fit, stay stable, leave enough clearance and be allowed by your air fryer's instructions.

Do COSORI air fryers all have the same container requirements?

Not necessarily. Different COSORI models have different designs, so check the manual for your exact model.

Choosing the Right Container

There are several types of containers that may work in an air fryer, from silicone moulds to suitable metal baking tins and some oven-safe dishes.

The important thing is not to assume a container is suitable just because it fits. Check your air fryer instructions, check the container's temperature rating and make sure there's enough space for the appliance to work as intended.

That's the approach I take when choosing what goes into my own air fryers. For more practical tips, see Common Air Fryer Mistakes.