Air Fryer Accessories You Actually Need (And Which Ones to Skip)
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Most air fryer accessories sold on Amazon are solutions to problems you do not have. Roasting racks that sit unused after the first attempt. Pizza pan inserts that do not improve on the basket. Skewer sets that seem essential in the product photos and irrelevant in real cooking.
This guide cuts through the catalog. We have tested 30+ accessories across multiple air fryer brands and identified the 10 that actually improve your results — then added an honest “skip it” section for everything that consistently underdelivers. The goal is simple: tell you what is worth $15 and what is not.
Quick Reference: Top Air Fryer Accessories at a Glance
| Accessory | Price Range | Rating | Must-Have? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Cut Parchment Liners | $8–$12 / 100 sheets | ★★★★★ | Yes |
| Reusable Silicone Liner | $10–$16 | ★★★★☆ | Yes |
| Oil Sprayer / Mister | $12–$18 | ★★★★★ | Yes |
| Instant-Read Meat Thermometer | $20–$105 | ★★★★★ | Yes |
| Elevated Rack / Insert | $8–$15 | ★★★★☆ | Yes |
| Silicone-Tipped Tongs | $12–$15 | ★★★★☆ | Nice to have |
| Grill Pan Insert | $12–$22 | ★★★★☆ | Nice to have |
| Baking Pan / Cake Pan Insert | $10–$18 | ★★★★☆ | Nice to have |
| Silicone Egg Bite Molds | $8–$12 | ★★★☆☆ | Optional |
| Magnetic Cheat Sheet | $6–$10 | ★★★★☆ | Nice to have |
Best starter kit (under $40 total): Parchment liners + oil sprayer + instant-read thermometer. These three cover 90% of air fryer use cases and solve the most common frustrations: sticking, guessing on oil amount, and uncertainty about doneness.
Must-Have Air Fryer Accessories
1. Pre-Cut Parchment Paper Liners
Price: $8–$12 for 100 sheets | Rating: ★★★★★
Parchment liners are the single highest-impact, lowest-cost air fryer accessory. A 100-sheet pack for $10 works out to 10 cents per use — for a cleanup reduction that many air fryer owners describe as transformative. Without liners, sticky foods (marinated chicken, salmon, glazed vegetables) bond to the basket non-stick coating. Removing them requires force, which damages the coating over time. With parchment liners, virtually everything lifts off cleanly.
Key specs to check before buying:
- Perforations are mandatory: Parchment liners must have holes punched throughout the surface. Solid parchment (the kind you use for baking sheets) blocks air circulation in an air fryer and defeats the entire cooking mechanism. Look for “perforated” in the product description.
- Size match: Liners come in round (most common) and square shapes, in sizes from 4″ to 8″ diameter. Measure your basket interior — not exterior — and select the matching diameter. A liner that is too small lifts at the edges; one that is too large folds up the sides and blocks hot air flow.
- Temperature rating: Quality parchment liners are rated to 450°F. Most air fryer recipes run below 400°F, so this is not usually a concern — but verify before buying.
Use correctly: Never place a parchment liner in the air fryer without food on top. An empty liner will fly up, contact the heating element, and could catch fire. Always load the liner and the food together. As confirmed by Homes & Gardens air fryer liner testing, this is the most common user error with parchment liners.
2. Reusable Silicone Liner
Price: $10–$16 | Rating: ★★★★☆
The silicone liner is the eco-friendly alternative to disposable parchment. Food-grade silicone is non-stick, heat-resistant to around 450°F, dishwasher safe, and rated for hundreds of uses. The long-term cost per use is lower than disposable parchment for frequent air fryer users.
What to look for: Raised ridges on the bottom surface are essential. The ridges elevate food slightly above the basket floor and allow hot air to circulate underneath — without them, the silicone acts as a solid barrier and reduces cooking efficiency. The ridges also create those subtle grill-line marks on the bottom of food, which is a nice visual bonus.
When parchment beats silicone: For very sticky glazes (teriyaki chicken, honey-garlic shrimp), parchment releases more cleanly than silicone. Silicone non-stick surfaces degrade slightly with repeated high-temperature use and very acidic or sugary foods. For everyday cooking, silicone is excellent. For high-sugar, caramelized glazes, disposable parchment is the better call.
3. Oil Sprayer / Mister Bottle
Price: $12–$18 | Rating: ★★★★★
The oil sprayer belongs on this list for a non-obvious reason. The aerosol cooking sprays sold in grocery stores — Pam, Crisco, and their competitors — contain propellants (usually butane or propane) that degrade the non-stick coating of air fryer baskets over time. This is not a manufacturer warning to sell more accessories: the coating degradation is real and documented by multiple air fryer brands in their warranty materials. A refillable oil mister eliminates this problem entirely.
The more obvious benefit is control. Aerosol sprays coat unevenly and tend to over-apply. A fine-mist oil sprayer deposits a thin, even layer with one or two passes. For recipes where a light oil coat is the difference between crispy and leathery (egg rolls, spring rolls, empanadas), the precision matters.
Best picks:
- EVO Oil Sprayer — The widely recommended choice among cooking professionals. Produces a fine, consistent mist without clogging. Aluminum body. Fill with any oil. As confirmed by multiple testing sources including Everyday Family Cooking, the EVO consistently outperforms other models for fine-mist consistency.
- Misto Brushed Aluminum Oil Sprayer — Slightly lower price point, slightly less consistent mist. Good value for casual use.
Fill with: Avocado oil for high-heat cooking (smoke point ~520°F), olive oil for lower-temperature items, or any neutral oil (canola, grapeseed) for all-purpose use.
4. Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
Price: $20–$105 | Rating: ★★★★★
An instant-read thermometer is the single most impactful kitchen tool you can own, full stop. Not just for air fryer cooking — for all cooking. In an air fryer context, it eliminates the two most common failure modes: overcooked, dry chicken and undercooked pork. Both happen because cooks rely on color and time rather than temperature. Color is unreliable. Time varies with model, load size, and food thickness. Temperature does not lie.
Key specs:
- Read speed: 2–3 seconds. Anything slower becomes impractical for repeated checks.
- Accuracy: ±1°F or better for meaningful precision. The ±2°F margin on cheaper models is wide enough to produce overcooked or undercooked results when cooking to exact temperatures.
- Waterproof: IP65 rating minimum. Thermometers get wet in cooking environments.
- Auto-off: Essential for battery longevity.
Best picks:
- ThermoWorks Thermapen One ($105) — The professional standard. 1-second read, ±0.7°F accuracy, waterproof, backlit, auto-rotating display. The most accurate and fastest consumer thermometer available. If you cook proteins more than twice a week, this is worth every dollar.
- ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2 ($35) — The value version from the same brand. 3-second read, ±1°F accuracy. Covers 90% of use cases at one-third the price. The realistic recommendation for most home cooks.
- Budget option ($20–$25): Multiple adequate options exist in this range. Look for 3-second or faster read speed and ±1.5°F accuracy. Avoid any model claiming “instant read” that takes 5+ seconds — the claim is inaccurate.
Reference the USDA safe cooking temperature chart: chicken 165°F, ground beef 160°F, pork 145°F, fish 145°F. These numbers mean nothing without a reliable thermometer.
5. Elevated Rack / Two-Level Insert
Price: $8–$15 | Rating: ★★★★☆
An elevated rack adds a second cooking level inside the basket, effectively doubling capacity. This is most useful for reheating (two portions at once), cooking simultaneously with different items (chicken on the bottom, vegetables on the rack), and dehydrating (maximum airflow on all sides of thin-sliced fruits or jerky).
Key specs: Stainless steel (not chrome-plated — the plating flakes with heat cycling). Must be at least 1/2 inch shorter than your basket interior height to prevent touching the heating element. Verify compatibility with your basket dimensions before purchasing — most racks are sold in round or square versions to match common basket shapes.
Most impactful use case: Cooking bone-in chicken thighs while simultaneously cooking asparagus or green beans on the rack above. The proteins drip down onto a parchment liner on the basket floor; the vegetables on the rack catch none of the drips and cook clean.
Great Add-Ons (Nice to Have)
6. Silicone-Tipped Tongs
Price: $12–$15 | Rating: ★★★★☆
The issue with metal tongs in an air fryer basket is straightforward: metal grips scratch the non-stick coating, and scratched non-stick coating eventually peels. Silicone-tipped tongs grip food securely without contact between metal and the basket surface.
Best pick: OXO Good Grips 9-inch silicone-tipped tongs. The locking mechanism keeps them closed for storage, the silicone tips are rated to 600°F, and the grip is comfortable for repeated use. A smaller pair (9 inch rather than 12 inch) maneuvers inside smaller baskets without difficulty.
7. Air Fryer Grill Pan
Price: $12–$22 | Rating: ★★★★☆
The grill pan is a perforated metal plate with raised diamond-pattern ridges that sits inside the air fryer basket. It creates grill marks on steaks, burgers, salmon, and pork chops, and slightly elevates food for airflow underneath. It also drains fat through the perforations into the basket below, which reduces smoke from rendered fat hitting the heating element.
The grill pan is not mandatory but is the most satisfying upgrade for cooks who primarily use their air fryer for proteins. The visual impact of grill marks and the improved fat drainage combine to make a meaningful quality difference.
Compatibility note: Grill pans must fit inside your basket with at least 1/4 inch clearance on all sides for air circulation. Measure your basket interior before buying.
8. Baking Pan / Cake Pan Insert
Price: $10–$18 | Rating: ★★★★☆
A small round or square baking pan — at least 1/2 inch smaller in diameter than your basket — unlocks baking applications: brownies, frittatas, egg bakes, mini cakes, and grain bowls. Without a pan insert, liquid batter would fall through the basket perforations. The pan insert contains the batter and transfers heat evenly.
For a 5.8-qt round basket (6-inch interior), a 6-inch round cake pan works well. For square baskets, an 8×8 glass or metal baking pan typically fits. Use silicone or aluminum; avoid glass in some air fryer models (check manufacturer guidance on glass pans).
9. Silicone Egg Bite Molds
Price: $8–$12 | Rating: ★★★☆☆
Silicone egg bite molds (7-cavity, sized for standard baskets) enable Sous-Vide egg bite clones, mini muffins, fat bombs, and chocolate lava cakes in the air fryer. The 7-cavity round molds fit most 5–6-qt air fryer baskets.
Rating: 3 stars — not because the product is low quality, but because the use case is limited. If egg bites are a regular part of your breakfast rotation, this is worth $10. If you’d use it twice and forget about it, skip it.
10. Magnetic Cheat Sheet
Price: $6–$10 | Rating: ★★★★☆
A temperature and time reference magnet for the side of the air fryer or refrigerator covers the 20–30 most common air-fried foods. The value is convenience: looking at a chart on the appliance is faster than picking up your phone, opening a browser, and searching for cooking times while your hands are covered in oil.
Look for charts that include both Fahrenheit and Celsius, distinguish between fresh and frozen, and include at least 25 food items. The ThermoPro magnetic cooking guide is the most comprehensive and consistently recommended option. For a completely free alternative, see the Air Fryer Cooking Times Chart — print it or bookmark it on your phone.
Brand-Specific Accessories
Ninja Air Fryer Accessories
Ninja air fryers use non-standard basket dimensions across their product line — the 4-qt Max XL, the 5.5-qt DZ201, the 6-qt AF161, and others each have different basket shapes and sizes. This means generic accessories do not always fit cleanly.
Official Ninja accessories are guaranteed to fit specific models but are priced at a premium (typically 30–50% more than equivalent third-party items). The Ninja multi-layer rack and the Ninja crisper plate are genuinely worth buying for Ninja-specific models because the fit is exact and the quality matches the appliance.
Third-party options: Look for products that list Ninja model number compatibility explicitly in the product description. Third-party parchment liners and silicone mats are sold in Ninja-specific sizes and work equally well at lower prices. Avoid generic “universal” parchment that may be too small for Ninja’s larger basket models.
Cosori Air Fryer Accessories
Cosori sells its own line of accessories including perforated parchment liners, a silicone mat, and a metal skewer set — all sized for Cosori’s round baskets (typically 4.7-inch and 5.8-inch interior diameters). The Cosori-branded liners are good quality and correctly sized. Third-party alternatives in the same sizes cost less and perform comparably.
Cosori basket shapes: Most Cosori models use round baskets, so round accessories are the correct choice. Verify your specific model’s basket interior diameter against the accessory’s listed diameter before purchasing.
Instant Vortex Accessories
The Instant Vortex Plus series uses a square drawer basket, making round accessories incompatible. Look for accessories specifically listed as square or rectangular. The 6-qt Instant Vortex Plus basket measures approximately 9×9 inches on the interior, which fits an 8×8-inch baking pan and correspondingly sized square parchment liners.
PowerXL Accessories
PowerXL uses both round and square baskets depending on the model. The 5-qt and 7-qt models have round baskets; the oven-style models have rectangular cooking chambers. Match accessory shape to basket shape and always verify the exact interior dimensions using a ruler rather than relying on external dimensions.
How to Choose the Right Accessories for Your Air Fryer
Size compatibility is the most common reason accessories fail to deliver on their promise. Before buying anything, take 2 minutes to get the right measurements.
How to Measure Your Air Fryer Basket
Step 1: Identify your basket shape — round, square, or rectangular. Round baskets are the most common for single-basket models; square and rectangular are more common for oven-style and dual-basket models.
Step 2: Measure the interior dimensions of the basket, not the exterior. The exterior includes the frame and handle hardware and is always larger than the usable cooking surface. For round baskets, measure the diameter of the flat cooking floor. For square baskets, measure length x width. Use a tape measure or ruler.
Step 3: Subtract 1/2 inch from each dimension when selecting accessories. This clearance allows hot air to circulate between the accessory edge and the basket wall, which is necessary for proper cooking.
| Basket Size | Correct Liner/Mat Size | Common Fryer Models |
|---|---|---|
| 5-inch diameter (round) | 4.5″ round parchment | Instant Pot Duo Crisp 4-qt |
| 6-inch diameter (round) | 5.5–6″ round parchment | Cosori Pro II 5.8-qt, Ninja AF101 |
| 7-inch diameter (round) | 6.5–7″ round parchment | Philips Essential XL, COSORI Pro LE |
| 8×8 inch (square) | 7.5×7.5 or 8×8 parchment | Instant Vortex Plus 6-qt |
What Air Fryer Accessories Should You Skip?
Honesty about what does not work is what separates a useful guide from an affiliate list. These accessories sound useful and consistently underdeliver:
Multi-rack skewer sets: The promise — kebabs and satay in the air fryer. The reality — threading food onto multiple skewers is time-consuming, the loading and unloading process is awkward inside a basket, and most air fryer baskets do not accommodate skewer rotation cleanly. Result: sits in the drawer after the first or second use. Skip it unless you specifically grill kebabs multiple times per week.
Pizza pan inserts: A perforated pizza pan for air fryers sounds logical, but the basket already acts as a perforated surface. A frozen pizza or personal pizza cooked directly on parchment in the basket performs identically to one cooked on a dedicated pizza pan, with less cleanup. The pan adds no value and is one more item to store.
“Complete 10-piece accessory kits”: These kits are the easiest purchase to rationalize (“everything in one box!”) and consistently the lowest-quality option. The items in bundle kits are usually made of thinner materials, sized for generic baskets that may not match yours, and include multiple items you will never use. Buy individual accessories with specific ratings and specific size compatibility instead.
Silicone mitt gloves: Standard oven mitts work fine for air fryer use. The basket handle is the hottest contact point, and a basic oven mitt handles it without issue. Silicone full-hand gloves are bulky, reduce dexterity for loading and unloading, and add no meaningful protection beyond standard oven mitts for basket-size air fryers.
Wooden skewers without soaking: Wooden skewers in an air fryer at 400°F will char within 3–4 minutes. They need 30 minutes of water soaking before use, which is inconvenient, and the exposed ends still burn. Metal reusable skewers are the practical solution — they handle any temperature, require no soaking, and last indefinitely.
Frequently Asked Questions About Air Fryer Accessories
What air fryer accessories do I actually need?
Three accessories solve the most common air fryer frustrations and collectively cost under $40. Pre-cut parchment paper liners dramatically reduce cleanup and prevent sticking — the single highest-impact, lowest-cost purchase ($8–$12 for 100 sheets). An oil mister allows precise, even oil application and avoids the non-stick-degrading propellants in aerosol sprays ($12–$18). An instant-read meat thermometer eliminates guesswork on doneness and is the most important safety tool for cooking proteins in any method ($20–$35 for a reliable model). Everything else on this list is genuinely optional.
Are air fryer accessories universal or brand-specific?
Most accessories are not brand-specific — but sizing matters significantly. Parchment liners and silicone mats must match your basket’s interior diameter (typically 4″, 5″, 6″, or 7″ round, or various square sizes). Racks must clear your basket walls. The one exception: some brand-specific accessories like Ninja’s multi-layer rack and Cosori’s skewer sets are designed for exact model dimensions. Always measure your basket interior (not exterior) before buying. Third-party accessories listed with your specific model’s compatibility in the product description are typically safe.
Can you use aluminum foil in an air fryer instead of accessories?
Yes — aluminum foil is safe in most air fryers when used correctly. The key rule: never place foil in the basket without food on top. An empty foil sheet will fly upward, contact the heating element, and create a fire hazard. Foil with food on top stays weighted down and works well for lining purposes. However, foil does not have the non-stick properties of parchment and cannot be formed into the same shapes for baking applications. Parchment liners are generally preferred for most cleanup and non-stick tasks. For containing a marinade or making a foil packet meal, foil is the right tool.
How do you clean silicone air fryer accessories?
Silicone liners, mats, and molds are dishwasher safe in the top rack. For hand washing, hot water and dish soap remove most residue. For stubborn baked-on oil or sugary glazes, soak in hot soapy water for 10 minutes before scrubbing with a non-abrasive sponge. Do not use steel wool or abrasive scrubbers on silicone — they leave micro-scratches that trap food particles and odors over time. Silicone can absorb odors from strong-flavored foods (fish, garlic); a 30-minute soak in a mixture of baking soda and hot water neutralizes most odors.
Do air fryer accessories affect cooking time?
Yes, slightly. Parchment liners and silicone mats reduce heat transfer to the food’s bottom surface by a small amount, typically adding 1–2 minutes to cook time for thick items like chicken breasts or stuffed mushrooms. Thin items (French fries, thin fish fillets) see minimal impact. The two-tier elevated rack also requires a modest time adjustment when cooking two layers simultaneously — the bottom tier cooks slightly faster than the top tier because it is closer to the heating element in most models. For precise time adjustments, see the Air Fryer Cooking Times Chart.
Sources: Homes & Gardens — Best Air Fryer Liners Testing | Everyday Family Cooking — Air Fryer Accessories | Bon Appétit — Best Air Fryer Accessories | America’s Test Kitchen — Essential Air Fryer Tools | USDA FSIS Safe Temperature Chart