What To Know Before Putting Glass Dishes In Your Air Fryer

One of the most commonly asked air fryer questions is whether you can use it to bake cakes and casseroles. As air fryers have a smaller cavity than conventional ovens, they heat up quicker, making them ideal for preparing smaller baked goods, pastries, and pies (your air fryer is the secret to single-serving, fluffy mug cakes, for instance). However, before putting a glass dish in your air fryer to make a speedy batch of brownies, there's one thing you need to know: You must only use dishes that are clearly labeled as oven safe.

Oven-safe glass dishes include those made with tempered glass or borosilicate glass, such as Pyrex. Dishes made with borosilicate glass are designed for high temperatures and won't warp or shatter when heated (this is why this material is often used in labs for making test tubes). It is also incredible at resisting thermal shock, the phenomenon that occurs when an object experiences a rapid temperature change and starts to crack or shatter. Tempered glass, which undergoes a process of heat-treatment to make it stronger, is also suitable for the oven, but it can't handle extreme temperature changes the same way as borosilicate glass. The key is to check the dish for an oven-safe symbol or the words "oven safe" written on the base. You should also use a dish that allows the air to circulate freely around the chamber. If it's too big, it will block airflow and be very tricky to remove when hot.

Some cooks say you should avoid glass dishes when baking because they retain heat longer, which can cause the sides of cakes, brownies, and breads to overcook. If your recipe calls for a baking tin, you're perfectly safe to use a square metal container or loaf pan in your air fryer anyway, so go ahead and use it for better results. However, if you want to reheat chilled leftovers in a glass container in the air fryer, allow your oven-safe dish to come to room temperature on the counter first while your appliance preheats. This will lower the risk of the glass going into thermal shock and cracking or becoming damaged when it meets the heat.

Whatever you do, don't use cookware made of soda-lime glass in your air fryer. This material is commonly employed to make jars, bottles, and decorative glasses that are unlikely to come into contact with direct heat. Always check the manufacturer's label to make sure your glass dish is suitable for the oven and isn't made of soda-lime. If you aren't sure, take a closer look at the rim. If it has a bluish-green tinge, it is likely soda-lime glass and shouldn't be placed in the air fryer.