Quick answer: Yes, you can put glass in an air fryer, but only oven-safe glass such as tempered glass or borosilicate (for example Pyrex), and only if you avoid sudden temperature changes. Never put a fridge-cold glass dish into a hot air fryer, never set a hot dish on a cold or wet surface, and leave a gap around the dish so air can circulate. Drinking glasses, jars and ordinary glass bowls should never go in.
Using your own dishes turns an air fryer into a mini oven for pasta bakes, crumbles, eggs and leftovers. Below is what’s safe and what isn’t, from glass and ceramic to silicone, metal tins and plastic, and how to use each without cracked dishes or soggy food.
Can You Put Glass in an Air Fryer?
An air fryer is a small convection oven, so the same rule applies as for your oven: if a glass dish is labelled oven-safe, it can go in an air fryer, provided it fits with room to spare. Two types of glass are oven-safe:
- Borosilicate glass. Highly resistant to thermal shock. Pyrex dishes sold in the UK and Europe are borosilicate, and the brand sells dishes specifically sized for air fryers, rated for thermal shock up to 220–240°C.
- Tempered soda-lime glass. Strong and oven-safe, but more sensitive to sudden temperature changes. Pyrex sold in the US and Canada is generally tempered glass; it’s labelled for use in a preheated oven.
The real risk is thermal shock: glass cracking or shattering when one part heats or cools much faster than another. Air fryers blow very hot air directly onto the dish, so they’re harder on glass than a conventional oven. Check the base or packaging for “oven-safe” and a maximum temperature, and stay at least 20°C below it.
Glass lids are a different story. Many plastic or vented storage lids, including some Pyrex lids, are not oven or air fryer safe. Cook with the lid off.
What Can You Put in an Air Fryer? (Chart)
| Material | Safe? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oven-safe glass (Pyrex, borosilicate, tempered) | Yes | No cold-to-hot or hot-to-cold changes; leave room for airflow |
| Ordinary glass (drinking glasses, jars, decorative bowls) | No | Not heat-treated; can shatter |
| Oven-safe ceramic, stoneware, porcelain ramekins | Yes | No metallic trim or cracks |
| Food-grade silicone moulds and liners | Yes | Check the rating (usually 220–230°C); must be weighed down |
| Metal cake tins, loaf tins, muffin tins | Yes | Best for browning; heats faster than glass |
| Cast iron (small skillet) | Yes | Check weight and fit; preheat with the air fryer |
| Aluminium foil | Yes, with care | Weigh it down; see our foil safety rules |
| Parchment (baking) paper | Yes, with care | Only under food, never loose; see paper in an air fryer |
| Paper towel, paper plates | No | Light paper can blow into the element |
| Plastic containers and takeaway tubs | No | Melt and release fumes |
| Polystyrene (Styrofoam) | No | Melts at low temperatures |
| Wooden skewers | Yes | Soak in water for 20 minutes first |
How to Use a Glass Dish in an Air Fryer Safely
- Check it’s oven-safe and note its maximum temperature. Look for chips or cracks; damaged glass can fail without warning.
- Make sure it fits with a gap. Leave at least 1–2 cm around the sides and below the heating element so hot air can circulate. A dish that blocks the airflow cooks unevenly.
- Bring cold dishes to room temperature first. Leave leftovers on the counter for 15–20 minutes, or put the dish in the cold air fryer and let them heat up together. Skip the preheat for glass.
- Use a moderate temperature. 160–180°C (320–350°F) suits most dishes. Glass heats slower than metal, so add 3–5 minutes to the cooking time.
- Don’t add cold liquid to a hot dish halfway through cooking.
- Lift it out with oven gloves or a silicone sling, and put it on a dry wooden board, trivet or folded tea towel. Never on a cold worktop, a wet surface or a metal sink.
- Let it cool before washing. Running cold water over hot glass is the most common way dishes break.
If a glass dish ever cracks inside the air fryer, switch it off, unplug it and let it cool completely before removing the glass with gloves. Check the basket and element area for small pieces before using it again.
Can You Put Ceramic or Stoneware in an Air Fryer?
Yes, if it’s oven-safe. Ramekins, small stoneware dishes and porcelain gratin dishes work well for baked eggs, crumbles and individual pies. Avoid anything with metallic paint or gold and silver trim, hairline cracks, or unglazed bases that have absorbed water, which can crack when heated. Like glass, ceramic is sensitive to sudden temperature changes, so follow the same steps above.
Can You Put Silicone in an Air Fryer?
Yes. Food-grade silicone liners, egg bites moulds and muffin cups are among the most popular air fryer accessories. Check the heat rating (most are rated to 220–230°C), make sure the liner is weighed down with food so it can’t lift into the fan, and choose perforated or slotted liners for anything you want crispy. Silicone is a good way to protect a basket whose coating is starting to wear.
Glass vs Metal vs Silicone: Which Cooks Best?
| Dish material | Heats up | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Metal tin | Fastest | Cakes, brownies, anything you want browned underneath |
| Glass | Slow, holds heat | Pasta bakes, crumbles, reheating leftovers, eggs |
| Ceramic | Slow, holds heat | Individual pies, gratins, baked eggs |
| Silicone | Moderate | Muffins, egg bites, sticky or messy food |
For brownies and cookies in the air fryer, see air fryer desserts, and to convert a recipe written for a full-size oven, use the oven to air fryer converter. A glass dish is also the best way to reheat saucy leftovers like spaghetti.
Never Put These in an Air Fryer
- Drinking glasses, glass jars and decorative glassware
- Plastic containers, takeaway tubs and cling film
- Paper towels and paper plates on their own
- Polystyrene trays
- Glass straight from the fridge or freezer (unless it’s rated freezer-to-oven, and even then, start cold)
- Any dish that touches the heating element or fills the whole basket
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put Pyrex in an air fryer?
Yes, Pyrex dishes are oven-safe and can go in an air fryer if they fit with room for air to circulate. Avoid sudden temperature changes: don’t put a cold Pyrex dish into a hot air fryer or set a hot one on a cold, wet surface. Remove plastic lids first.
Can a glass bowl go in an air fryer?
Only if it’s labelled oven-safe, such as tempered or borosilicate glass. Ordinary glass bowls, drinking glasses and jars aren’t heat-treated and can shatter.
Will glass break in an air fryer?
Oven-safe glass won’t break at normal air fryer temperatures. Breakage is almost always caused by thermal shock, a sudden change between hot and cold, or by an existing chip or crack.
Can you put ceramic in an air fryer?
Yes, oven-safe ceramic, stoneware and porcelain can go in an air fryer. Avoid anything with metallic trim or cracks, and avoid sudden temperature changes just as with glass.
Do you need to adjust cooking time for a glass dish?
Yes. Glass heats more slowly than metal, so add about 3–5 minutes, and cook at a moderate 160–180°C so the outside doesn’t overcook before the middle is hot.
Can you put a plate in an air fryer?
Only if it’s oven-safe and small enough to leave space around it for airflow. Most everyday plates aren’t rated for oven use, and a plate that fills the basket blocks the hot air.
More on accessories and safety: foil in an air fryer · paper towel in an air fryer · peeling basket coating · should you preheat?
