Air Fryer AccessoriesWhat's Worth Buying and What to Skip
Which air fryer accessories are worth buying, from an oil sprayer, liners and a thermometer to tongs and racks, and which gadgets end up in a drawer.
By Mesa de Portugal Kitchen · Updated · 7 min read
The air fryer accessories worth buying are short: an oil sprayer, perforated parchment liners, an instant-read thermometer and a pair of silicone-tipped tongs. A rack is useful in larger baskets. Most other add-ons, especially big multi-piece "accessory kits", cake barrels and pizza pans, rarely get used and often block the airflow that makes an air fryer work.
That's also the shortlist to use if you're buying a present for someone who has just got an air fryer. Cheap, useful things they'll reach for every week beat a box of gadgets.
The accessories worth buying
1. A refillable oil sprayer
This is the one that changes results. Air-fried food needs a thin coat of fat to brown and crisp, and a fine mist covers breadcrumbs and fish skin evenly with very little oil. Fill it with an ordinary olive oil and keep it next to the machine.
What to look for: glass rather than thin plastic, a nozzle that gives a mist rather than a jet, and an opening wide enough to refill and clean. Avoid aerosol cooking sprays in non-stick baskets; many manufacturers advise against them because they can leave a sticky film on the coating.
Best for: pastéis de bacalhau, croquetes, rissóis, small fish and squid. See our air fryer tips for how much to use.
TrendPlain glass olive oil sprayer
A fine mist of real azeite is what turns air-fried food golden. It's cheaper and kinder to non-stick baskets than aerosol sprays.
Tip: Fill it with a mild olive oil and keep it next to the air fryer.
2. Perforated parchment liners
Liners stop soft mixtures from sticking and save a lot of scrubbing. The perforations matter: solid paper blocks the air underneath, so the bottom of the food steams instead of crisping.
What to look for: perforated, sized to your basket (round or square), and food-safe parchment. Buy a big pack; they're single use.
How to use them: put the food on the liner straight away, never preheat with an empty one inside, as it can lift into the heating element. Skip them for chips and chicken, which need air underneath.
Best for: wet mixtures like pastéis de bacalhau, breaded croquetes and fish fillets.
Air fryer parchment liners, 125 pack
Stops wet mixtures like pastéis and croquetes from sticking to the basket.
Tip: Never preheat the air fryer with an empty liner inside.
3. An instant-read thermometer
Air fryers brown the outside fast, which makes it hard to judge if chicken or thick pork is done inside. A thermometer settles it in a few seconds: 74 °C in the thickest part of chicken, away from the bone.
What to look for: a fast reading (a few seconds), a thin probe that doesn't leave big holes, and an easy-to-read display. A fold-away probe is safer in a drawer.
Best for: piri-piri chicken, pork, thick bacalhau loins, reheated leftovers.
Alpha Grillers instant-read thermometer
Takes the guesswork out of piri-piri chicken and bifanas: 74 °C in the thickest part and the chicken is done.
Tip: Check the thickest piece, away from the bone.
4. Silicone-tipped tongs
Metal tongs scratch non-stick baskets, and a scratched coating starts to stick and flake. Tongs with silicone tips grip delicate food without damage. Shorter tongs (around 20–23 cm) are easier to use in a small drawer than long barbecue tongs.
Best for: turning fritters and sardines halfway, lifting out chicken pieces.
5. A rack (in larger machines only)
A metal rack that sits inside the basket adds a second layer, so you can cook more at once in a big basket or oven-style air fryer. It's only worth it if your machine is tall enough to leave a few centimetres of space above the top layer, otherwise the lower layer steams. Check it's sized for your model.
Best for: batches of croquetes, rissóis or chicken wings when feeding more people.
Useful, if you cook certain things
- Small metal tart tins. If you want to make pastéis de nata in the air fryer, a few fluted nata tins give thinner, crisper pastry than silicone cups. Basket models fit 4–6 at a time.
- A small oven-safe dish. For melting garlic butter, warming sauces or baking a mini gratin. Most metal or ceramic dishes that are oven-safe work, as long as air can still flow around them.
- A heat-resistant mat or trivet for putting the hot basket down on the worktop.
What to skip
These come up again and again in accessory bundles, and most end up unused.
- Multi-piece "accessory kits". A box of 10 or 12 pieces usually means a cake tin, pizza pan, skewer rack, silicone mat and egg bites mould. You'll use one piece, if any. Buy the single item you need instead.
- Silicone baskets and pots. They make cleaning easy, but they block much of the airflow, so food takes longer and browns less. Fine for reheating; poor for crisp fried things.
- Cake barrels and pizza pans. An oven does these better. Air fryers bake unevenly in deep tins.
- Skewer racks. Fiddly to load and only fit a few skewers. Grill kebabs on a pan or barbecue.
- Grill pans and "crisper plates" you already have. Most air fryers come with a crisper plate. Check before buying an extra.
- Aerosol cooking sprays. As above, they can damage non-stick coatings over time.
- Accessories without the right size. Measure your basket. A liner or rack that's a few millimetres too big won't sit flat.
Air fryer accessories as a gift
For someone who has just bought an air fryer, a sprayer, a pack of liners and a thermometer make a practical, low-cost set. Add a Portuguese cookbook or a bag of dried piri-piri chillies to give it a theme, and a printed link to our Portuguese air fryer recipes. For more ideas, browse our Portuguese food gifts or the shop.
If they don't have the machine yet, our air fryer size guide explains basket, dual-drawer and oven-style models.
What you’ll need
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TrendPlain glass olive oil sprayer
A fine mist of real azeite is what turns air-fried food golden. It's cheaper and kinder to non-stick baskets than aerosol sprays.
Tip: Fill it with a mild olive oil and keep it next to the air fryer.
Air fryer parchment liners, 125 pack
Stops wet mixtures like pastéis and croquetes from sticking to the basket.
Tip: Never preheat the air fryer with an empty liner inside.
Alpha Grillers instant-read thermometer
Takes the guesswork out of piri-piri chicken and bifanas: 74 °C in the thickest part and the chicken is done.
Tip: Check the thickest piece, away from the bone.
Pastel de nata tins, made in Portugal
The small fluted tins that give natas their thin, crisp base, made in Portugal like the ones pastelarias use.
Tip: Don't wash them in the dishwasher. Wipe them clean and they'll season over time.
Frequently asked
What accessories do you really need for an air fryer?
Are air fryer liners safe?
Can you use aluminium foil in an air fryer?
Are silicone air fryer baskets worth it?
What is a good gift for someone with an air fryer?
Recipes from this story
Air FryerPastéis de Bacalhau in the Air Fryer
Portugal's favourite salt cod fritters made in the air fryer: crisp outside, fluffy inside, with no pot of hot oil. Includes how to soak the bacalhau.
Air FryerFrango Piri-Piri in the Air Fryer
Portuguese piri-piri chicken with crisp, blistered skin, made in the air fryer in 25 minutes. Includes the marinade and a piri-piri oil for basting.
Air FryerPastéis de Nata in the Air Fryer
Homemade Portuguese custard tarts with shop-bought puff pastry, baked in the air fryer. Honest tips on getting the blistered tops without a 300 °C oven.