Air Fryer Bakeware: What Dishes Can You Use?

Last reviewed on 8 June 2026.

Almost any oven-safe dish works in an air fryer — the two things that actually matter are whether the material can take the heat and whether it leaves room for air to move. Get those right and you can bake cakes, roast in a dish, or use a liner without a second thought. Here is the full breakdown by material.

The Two Rules That Cover Almost Everything

Before you reach for any dish or tin, two simple rules will tell you whether it belongs in your air fryer. Get these right and the rest is straightforward.

These two rules explain nearly every recommendation and warning you will find about air fryer bakeware. A dish that fails either rule should stay out of the machine. A dish that passes both is almost certainly fine to use.

The air fryer works by blasting superheated air in a tight loop. Block that circulation and you lose the speed and crispness that make air frying useful. Restrict it only slightly — for example with a well-fitting round tin — and results are still excellent, as long as the gap around the sides lets air move freely past.

Materials That Are Safe to Use

The following materials are all suitable for air fryer bakeware, provided the individual item carries an oven-safe rating at your target temperature:

• Oven-safe metal tins and foil trays — standard cake tins, loaf pans, muffin tins, and disposable foil trays all perform well. Metal heats fast and distributes heat evenly, making it the most reliable choice for baking.
• Oven-safe ceramic and stoneware — ramekins, small bakers, and ceramic pie dishes are fine if they carry an oven-safe mark. They retain heat beautifully, which is useful for dishes that benefit from residual cooking.
• Tempered, oven-rated glass — brands such as Pyrex that are specifically labelled oven-safe can be used, provided the glass is at room temperature before it goes in and the machine is not running at extreme heat. See the table below and the warnings section for important caveats.
• Oven-safe silicone moulds — silicone cupcake cases, loaf moulds, and baking cups are a popular choice because nothing sticks to them. They are flexible and lightweight, which creates a handling challenge (see tips below), but the material itself is perfectly safe at standard baking temperatures.
• Perforated parchment paper — parchment liners with holes punched through them let hot air circulate while still preventing food from sticking. They must always be weighted down by food before the machine is switched on.
• Aluminium foil — a sheet of foil shaped into a tray, or used as a loose cover, is fine as long as it is kept away from the heating element and not used with acidic foods such as tomatoes or citrus, which can react with the metal.

A useful shorthand: if it is safe in your oven, it is almost always safe in the air fryer. The air fryer operates on the same principle as a fan-assisted oven; the main differences are the smaller cavity and more intense airflow, not a fundamentally different type of heat.

What to Avoid

Some materials and practices cause genuine safety risks in an air fryer. The combination of high heat, forced airflow, and a compact space makes certain problems worse than they would be in a full-sized oven.

• Plastic and melamine — unless a piece is explicitly rated for high oven temperatures (rare), plastic will warp, melt, or release harmful fumes. This includes most food-storage containers and deli pots.
• Cold or non-tempered glass — standard glass, glass measuring jugs, and even some Pyrex items not marked oven-safe can shatter due to thermal shock when placed into a hot machine. Even oven-safe glass should come to room temperature first.
• Anything that covers the entire basket base — a solid dish the exact size of the basket traps air beneath it and kills circulation. Food on the bottom will steam rather than crisp, and the machine may overheat.
• Loose paper — paper towels, napkins, and unweighted parchment sheets can be caught by the fan and blown upward into the heating element, creating a fire hazard.
• Takeaway containers and styrofoam — these are designed for cold or warm food, not cooking temperatures. They will deform or melt.
• Overfilling above the maximum fill line — food that rises above the basket rim during cooking can block airflow, touch the element, or spill into the machine.

Quick-Reference Guide by Material

Material	Use it?	Notes
Metal (tins, foil trays)	Yes — best choice	Heats fast and evenly; great for baking and roasting. Most reliable all-round option.
Silicone	Yes	Flexible and non-stick, but floppy moulds need support from a small metal rack or tray so you can lift them safely without spilling.
Ceramic / stoneware	Yes, if oven-safe	Heavy and holds heat well. Avoid sudden temperature changes — don't move from a cold cupboard straight into a hot machine.
Glass	Only oven-safe / tempered	Must carry a clear oven-safe rating. Never put cold glass into a preheated machine — bring it to room temperature first to prevent thermal shock.
Aluminium foil	Yes, when weighted	Keep clear of the heating element; do not use with acidic foods (tomato, citrus, vinegar) as the acid reacts with the metal.
Parchment paper	Yes, with food on top	Perforated parchment is best as it preserves airflow. Never preheat the machine with an empty parchment liner inside — it will blow into the element.

Getting the Size Right

The single most common bakeware problem is choosing a dish that is just a centimetre too wide to sit properly, or so small it rattles around and tips. Measuring before you buy or bake saves considerable frustration.

How to measure your basket: Remove the basket insert and measure the internal usable diameter or the length-by-width at the base — not the outer rim of the basket frame. Subtract 1–2 cm from each dimension to find your maximum bakeware size. This finger-width gap around the dish is what keeps air circulating properly.

Common sizes that fit most mid-range air fryers:

• 6-inch round tin — fits a 3.5–4 litre air fryer basket. Works for single-layer cakes, quiches, and frittatas.
• 7-inch round tin — the standard choice for larger 5–6 litre models. Fits a generous cake or deep-dish recipe.
• Push-pan or springform tin — the removable base makes getting baked goods out much easier, and a springform in the right diameter is ideal for cheesecakes and layered cakes. See our guide to air fryer cakes for specific tin recommendations and sizing tips.
• Individual ramekins — 150–180 ml ramekins fit two or three at a time in most baskets. Ideal for molten lava cakes, custards, and individual portions.
• Oven-style (dual or toaster-oven) models — these have a larger rectangular cavity and will typically accept a standard 8-inch or even 9-inch square tin, or a small sheet pan. Check your model's manual for the stated maximum dish size.

When in doubt, measure twice and test with a cold oven before committing to a full recipe. A dish that fits correctly with a visible gap around the sides will cook more evenly than one pressed up against the basket walls.

Using Liners: Parchment and Silicone

Basket liners are a popular accessory because they cut down on cleaning. Used correctly they are safe and convenient. Used incorrectly they are a fire risk.

Parchment liners — pre-cut rounds or squares sized for common air fryer baskets. The best versions are perforated with small holes that let hot air through the liner and into the food from below. Non-perforated parchment works, but it reduces crispness on the underside of food.

Silicone liners — reusable, easy to clean, and available in sizes to match most baskets. They tend to have raised ridges or a perforated base that lifts food slightly and maintains airflow. More durable than parchment over time.

Rules that apply to both:

• Always place food on the liner before starting the machine. A bare liner — with nothing weighing it down — will be picked up by the fan and thrown into the heating element the moment the machine runs. This applies equally to preheating: if you preheat the basket, add the liner and food together after preheating is complete.
• Do not cover all the holes in the basket base. The perforations exist to allow airflow from below. If your liner covers them all completely and is not itself perforated, you will lose much of the crisping effect.
• Trim parchment to fit if it is too large, leaving a small upturn at the edges rather than folding it against the basket sides.
• Never leave a liner in an idle machine — remove it after cooking and store separately.

For a full overview of liner types, brands, and other useful basket accessories, see our air fryer accessories guide.

Practical Tips for Safe, Even Results

Once you have chosen a suitable, correctly sized dish and a liner if needed, a handful of habits will make your bakeware sessions consistently successful.

• Always verify the oven-safe rating before use. Look for a symbol on the base of the dish (a small oven icon or the words "oven safe") or check the manufacturer's website. When in doubt, default to metal, which is almost universally safe. For broader guidance on checking what is and isn't safe around your machine, see our air fryer safety tips.
• Keep a 1–2 cm gap all around. Place the dish centrally in the basket. If it is touching a side wall, airflow to that side is blocked and food will cook unevenly.
• Support silicone moulds on a small rack or foil tray. A silicone mould full of cake batter is heavy and floppy. Placing it on a rigid tray or rack means you can lift it in and out without tipping. A flat piece of foil shaped into a tray under the mould works equally well.
• Use oven gloves every time. The basket and any dish inside it will be extremely hot. Silicone and ceramic in particular retain heat long after the machine switches off.
• Avoid thermal shock with glass and ceramic. Do not move a cold ceramic ramekin directly into a machine that has been preheating at 200 °C. Let the dish come to room temperature first, or start the cooking cycle from cold with the dish already inside.
• Check your recipe for bakeware-specific adjustments. Baking times and temperatures often need a small reduction when using a dense material like stoneware that takes longer to heat up, or an increase in airflow-heavy models that cook faster than expected. Our complete air fryer baking guide covers temperature conversion and timing adjustments in detail.