Should You Put Glass In An Air Fryer?

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Maybe you're excited about your air fryer because it guzzles less electricity than a toaster oven or other kitchen appliances. You may also be eager to try out some air fryer hacks to cook food quickly and easily, but before you fire it up, you need to be careful. Air fryers can be dangerous if used improperly, and some items are best kept out of the fryer basket, including certain types of glassware. Some glass is safe to put in an air fryer, but you can't assume every glass item in your kitchen will come out unscathed.

Glass that's oven-safe, thick, tempered, and in good condition (free of scratches, chips, and cracks) can withstand an air fryer's heat. Generally, glassware that fits these requirements is safe to use in the air fryer, but it's still a good idea to exercise caution.

An air fryer functions like a high-powered convection oven, circulating hot air around food in the basket. It's able to get very hot very quickly, and that rapid temperature change can damage glass that's not designed to be resilient. Tempered glass, like Pyrex or Anchor Hocking items, has been treated to resist heat-related damage. Even so, you'll want to avoid transferring glass from a cold environment like the refrigerator straight into a hot air fryer to prevent it from exploding at high temperatures.

Since an air fryer is essentially a small, powerful oven, oven-safe glass will generally be fine inside it. That said, an air fryer is smaller than a standard oven, so the dish will be closer to the heating element and get hotter more quickly. As a safety net, make sure the glass dish is oven-safe up to a temperature above what you'll be cooking at to prevent accidental breakage.

Glassware with visible chips, cracks, or deep scratches is never safe for an air fryer. Even a small chip can reduce the whole item's strength by turning into a larger crack when a temperature change occurs. Thin glass is also best kept out of the air fryer because it lacks the overall strength to withstand high heat.

A good general guideline is to only use items designed for the air fryer in the air fryer. That doesn't mean you can't use glass, though. In fact, there are air fryers made with glass fryer baskets instead of the usual plastic or metal, and several models are available on Amazon. One word of caution when cooking with a glass fryer basket or a glass dish: The glass will get very hot and could be harder to handle, so always follow the manufacturer's directions to use it safely.