Much has been said about air-fryers and their healthier approach to cooking some food ordinarily deep-fried. But that approach was yesterday. Now, the once much-maligned gadget has become the darling of the kitchen. This is, in part, not least, for its highly desirable low-energy rating and an untapped versatility which has come to light.

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Expect to now be cooking cakes, muffins, tarts and air-fryer doughnuts; dehydrating fruits, veggies and chillies; crispy food cooked from frozen, perfect pizza, and with some models, even spit roast whole chickens or duck. These dishes were always in the recipe leaflets tucked alongside the instructions and often ignored, but now are found everywhere in cookbooks, magazines and online.

To unleash all this usefulness and to take your air-fryer to another level, you will need a collection of air-fryer accessories. Major air-fryer brands like Cosori and Tower produce their own accessories; plus, on the high street and online, you can find many accessories compatible with other major brands such as Ninja and many other air-fryers.

Expect to find racks for cooking different foods, skewers and skewer racks, cake, muffin, tart and doughnut tins. In addition, there are pizza pans, trays, trivets, tongs, brushes, trivets, and liners; very much the same equipment you will already have in the kitchen but smaller and of a size to fit an air-fryer drawer, pot or basket.

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How to use air-fryer accessories

All air-fryer accessories are used the same way as their larger versions in the kitchen. For example, baking tins come in metal and an array of colourful silicone versions. Most utensils are heatproof, with some pieces, such as spatulas and tongs, withstanding higher heat than their regular counterparts. Happily, almost all are also dishwasher-proof.

Best air-fryer accessories at a glance

  • Best accessory set: Cosori air-fryer accessories set, £59
  • Best oil sprayer: Cole and Mason oil mister, £20
  • Best potato chipper: ProCook stainless steel chipper, £24
  • Best silicone spatula: Zyliss Easy Lift Turner silicone spatula, £4
  • Best reusable liner: Coleeson reusable silicone air-fryer liner, £9.99
  • Best baking accessory set: Tower air-fryer accessory baking set, £34.95
  • Best food thermometer: Thermapen digital instant read, £76.99
  • Best oven mitts: Ninja silicone mitts, £9.99

Best air-fryer accessories

COSORI air-fryer accessories set

Cosori Air Fryers Accessories Set

Pros:

  • Meets most cooking needs
  • Good quality metal
  • Fits most 5.5l branded air-fryers, BPA-free

Cons:

  • None

Best accessory set on the test

We loved this accessory set from Cosori. Its six pieces are all multi-purpose and, better still, will comfortably fit other 5.5-litre round or larger square air-fryers.

There’s a cake tin, silicone mat, pizza pan, a metal trivet which acts like a shelf in the air-fryer meaning you can stack ingredients in for cooking, six skewers with a rack and an egg bites mould used to cook an egg dish from the Cosori recipe book, though we cooked delicious mini banana muffins in it.

Our favourite piece in the high-quality set was the skewers and rack, a super handy piece of kit which we tested using halloumi cubes, but these work wonderfully for meat, fish or veggies.

Cole and Mason oil mister

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Cole and Mason Oil Mister

Pros:

  • Good looking
  • Discreet size
  • Excellent distribution of oil

Cons:

  • Needs pumping each time

Best oil mister/sprayer

Apart from baking, dishes cooked in an air-fryer often need a little oil. So, rather than drizzling, an oil mister helps by evenly distributing oil and thus saves you washing up, as food can be coated in the fryer rather than a separate bowl.

We loved the Cole and Mason mister as its neat size looks lovely left on the worktop or will tuck neatly into a drawer. It delivers a good oil spray and is useful for other frying or salad dressing. The pump does need to be primed (pumped up) for each use, but it is a small price to pay for this handy piece of kit.

ProCook stainless steel chipper

ProCook Stainless Steel Chipper

Pros:

  • Makes short work of chip cutting
  • Can be used for other vegetables
  • Two sizes of chip available

Cons:

  • A little clumsy changing the blade

Best potato chipper on test

If chips are your thing, then a chipper makes short work of getting them into the air-fryer super-fast and evenly cut; whether they be regular, sweet potatoes, or made from other vegetables.

The sturdily built stainless steel chipper sits very securely onto the worktop thanks to the suction cups on the base so that even the largest of potatoes can be cut without too much effort. The magic of the machine, though, is the evenness of the cut, which is undoubtedly a help when using an air-fryer for even cooking and colour. There are two blades for skinny or fat fries and switching blades over is a little clumsy at first but becomes easier. We feel this is a great accessory if you love chips.

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Zyliss Easy Lift Turner silicone spatula

Zyliss Easy Lift Silicone Spatula

Pros:

  • Thin
  • Tapered edge for turning delicate foods
  • Can withstand heat up to 240C

Cons:

  • None

Best silicone spatula for air-fryers

If we thought all turners were equal, then we were wrong. At first glance, this handsome-looking one from Zyliss looks like any other, but when used, it quickly becomes clear why this is called an Easy Lift. The head of the spatula is very carefully angled, curved and super flexible.

It was not explicitly designed for an air-fryer but works very well with one. We found the long handle kept fingers away from hot air-fryer drawers, and the angled curve allowed the spatula to slip seamlessly under the food in the drawer. We used it for flipping chips and chicken bites, and we scooped up sauté potatoes quickly and easily. It's a must-have for any air-fryer as well as in regular cooking.

Coleeson reusable silicone air-fryer liner

Coleeson reusable silicone air fryer liner

Pros:

  • 100% food-safe grade silicone
  • Non-stick
  • Non-BPA
  • Handles for ease of lifting

Cons:

  • Fractionally longer cook time when using the liner

Best reusable liner

A reusable liner for an air-fryer is a useful accessory as they help immensely make a fryer easier to clean and takes no longer to rinse under a hot tap than to screw up a paper one and throw it in the bin. We also liked this one for its striking colour and the long handles, which help to lift the liner from the drawer.

We tested the liner with a batch of fat chips sprayed with a bit of oil. With the liner, the chips took a couple of minutes longer than without, but the result was the same for both, with golden, crisp chips with a deliciously soft middle.

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Tower air-fryer accessory baking set

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Tower Air Fryer Accessory Baking Set

Pros:

  • Everything you need to bake in one box
  • Food-safe silicone
  • Fits compatible models

Cons:

  • Price

Best baking accessory set

One exciting feature of air-fryers is they are super for sweet and savoury baking. We loved the Tower 17 -piece baking accessory as it is a comprehensive and impressive baking set that covers most bases. The set is designed for Tower 11-litre air-fryers but will fit other models of similar size fryers, both round and square and are of excellent quality but do check before buying.

The cake, bread, and pizza tins are non-stick, and the silicone pieces are all food safe. Everything is dishwasher-proof too. We were delighted with our bakes of banana muffins with added raspberries, the pizza pan is great for reheating food, and our gluten-free apple cake came out perfect.

Thermapen digital instant read thermometer

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Thermapen Digital Instant Read

Pros:

  • Professional quality
  • Precise and easy to read
  • Can be read from any angle

Cons:

  • Expensive

Best food thermometer

Just as in regular cooking and baking, it is advisable to check that food is cooked thoroughly, so a reliable thermometer is imperative. Thermapen is used by professional cooks and chefs but works well in home cooking because of its accuracy.

The temperature can be read from every angle, and the fine probe we found to be excellent for checking food in the air-fryer. It slips easily into small spaces and holds comfortably, especially when testing small pieces of food, such as chicken bites and halloumi skewers.

The casing is covered in soft silicone to seal and prevent food lodging in the crevices. In addition, it is washable with antimicrobial technology to reduce bacterial growth, making it super safe to use.

Ninja silicone mitts

Ninja Silicone Mitts

Pros:

  • Can be used with any air-fryer
  • Easy to wash

Cons:

  • Not great for large hands

Best oven mitts

An essential accessory for all air-fryer users is oven mitts. Unfortunately, regular kitchen ones are too bulky to use when cooking with an air-fryer. Still, these silicone mitts from Ninja are remarkably heat resistant yet thick and flexible enough to lift out hot air-fryer pans, trays et al.

A lovely deep ridged inner helps grip hot trays and handles without fear of slipping. Our only grouch with the mitts is they are pretty small, which is OK for small to medium hands, but large hands would be unlikely to be able to use them.

What to consider when buying air-fryer accessories

  • Before buying any accessories for an air-fryer, check they will work for your style of machine – round, square, large, small etc. Many accessories are compatible across brands.
  • Accessories can often be better value as a set than buying them separately. Check out what is included and ensure you need everything in the set to get the best value.
  • Check that any silicone equipment is food safe and can be used at high temperatures.
  • Where possible, buy reusable equipment for sustainability.

How we tested air-fryer accessories

We tested each accessory with various recipes appropriate to its use. Cake and muffins for baking accessories - air-fried chips, thick and thin, chip alternatives, chipping them, turning them in the fryer, lifting; oil coating fries; skewers and small pieces of crisp coated chicken testing trays and testing thermometers.

We looked for the following:

  • The quality and build of the accessory and its fitness to use in air frying, especially around the high heat of fryers.
  • The heat resistance and safety when using.
  • The sustainability of the accessory is reusable, of a quality to be used repeatably, and fit for purpose.
  • Where else can the accessory be used – such as in regular cooking and baking and air frying?
  • How easy is the accessory to clean? Is it dishwasher-safe?
  • How easy is it to store?

Discover more about how our reviews experts test products.

What can you cook in an air-fryer with accessories?

The versatility of cooking in an air-fryer goes way beyond cooking great chips. There are accessories to support most cooking methods achieved quicker and healthier in an air-fryer; foods usually deep fried, sweet and savoury baking, meats, fish and vegetables typically roasted in a conventional oven.

Foods can also be cooked from frozen using trays or accessory racks, kebabs on skewers and special racks and dishes for reheating leftover foods too. Some air-fryers can also dehydrate fruits and vegetables using perforated sheets or wire racks. Some even spit roast whole chickens or ducks using a suitable spit accessory.

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