Many Air Fryers Can Be Used For Baking, But There's One Type To Steer Clear Of

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Who doesn't have an air fryer these days? These appliances have taken over our kitchens, offering fast and oil-free cooking that can even save you money. But many air fryer lovers haven't realized there's a whole sweet world outside of french fries and chicken wings, because yes, you can make brownies in an air fryer. And not just brownies — cookies, cakes, bread, and pastries can all be whipped up in your air fryer if you're using the right one.

The thing to bear in mind is that not all air fryers do the same job when it comes to baking. In fact, only basket-style models will offer the space you need for the majority of baked goods. For example, the Chefman TurboFry Touch Dual Air Fryer (available on Amazon for around $120) features two large baskets that make whipping up a decent-sized batch of muffins even easier, and it has a specialized baking preset too. Another solid option is the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 ($129 on Amazon), which also has a baking setting and a wide cooking area that would work well to make cookies and smaller cakes.

How successful your air fryer baking will be lies in how your model circulates hot air. Because air fryers are smaller than ovens, they have faster preheating and cooking times — perfect for small batches — but be wary of this. It is recommended that you reduce the cooking time of your favorite recipes by 20% to make sure you don't over-bake. And this shouldn't be hard, many newer models come with easy to use temperature controls that should make converting your go-to oven-baked recipes to the air fryer a breeze.

While your standard basket air fryers will handle most baking tasks with ease, you'll run into problems if you have a rotary model. These models (such as the Tefal ActiFry Genius XL) continuously move the food while cooking, which will work wonders for a rotisserie chicken but will ruin your batters and doughs. The main issue comes down to simple physics: Cake batters need a consistent environment, and even bread dough requires a kind of stability during baking. So it's pretty obvious that in a rotating basket, your carefully prepared batter will get sloshed around and mangled, which is not conducive to a nice, even rise. 

Beyond the problem that they move around, these models are also generally smaller with more awkward shapes, so what you can bake in them will be limited. All your necessary accessories such as silicone molds or cupcake holders probably won't fit in most rotary models (not the amount you need anyway). Air fryer baking experts on YouTube recommend using these rotating models for things like popcorn, but baking? Not so much.

If you enjoy getting your bake on and want to use your air fryer, it's better to stick with the standard basket-style models. Look for a good quality design with digital controls, baking presets, and enough space to fit small dishes. There are lots of ways to use the air fryer for baking, and your cookies — not to mention your sanity — will thank you for using the right type.