How to double your air fryer’s space with this genius hack

What are racks in an air fryer used for?

Air fryer racks can help you achieve a crisp coating on dishes such as chicken drumsticks, steak and fish. This is because the rack elevates the food, which means heat can easily circulate around it.

Other recipes that work well include air fryer salmon, chicken thighs, burgers and sausages.

• Discover our full collection of air fryer recipes

Brands including Ninja, Tower, and Breville produce their own accessories that slot easily into existing models. Just be sure to check that the item you want to buy is compatible with the air fryer you own – contact the retailer or manufacturer if you're not sure.

Air fryer baskets vs air fryer racks

Most air fryers have baskets and you can use them to cook anything from fries and veggies to a batch of doughnuts. They work particularly well with small portions and snacks such as chips, as they’re easy to shake.

Racks, on the other hand, are better for food such as larger pieces of meat, kebabs or anything that needs carefully rotating – that said, you can still use an air fryer basket to cook these dishes.

How to buy an air fryer rack

If you've found an air fryer rack you want to buy, the first thing to check is whether it's compatible with the air fryer you own. A list of compatible models is usually available on the product description, but if you're unsure it's best to contact the seller.

Some air fryer racks are sold as part of larger air fryer accessory bundles, but you can also find them sold separately on Tower, Ninja, Amazon, and Philips.

What are the best air fryer accessories?

As well as the air fryer rack, there are several other air fryer accessories that can help you expand the use of your appliance. Our team of experts has rigorously tested these accessory sets against strict criteria, looking at ease of use, value for money, ease of cleaning, quality of food and quality of materials. Here's a few of our top picks:

Cosori air fryer accessories set

Best accessory set on the test

We loved the versatility of this multi-purpose set, which contains a cake tin, silicone mat, pizza pan, metal trivet, egg bites mould and six skewers with a rack. Ideal for round or large air fryers, we used it to make our banana muffins recipe and they turned out perfectly.

This set is compatible with the Cosori Pro 5.5L air fryer, plus larger models including the Cosori Dual Blaze smart air fryer. According to Cosori, these accessories work with most other air fryers on the market, too, including those from Tower, Philips and Ninja.

Tower air fryer accessory baking set

Best baking accessory set

If you're keen to make use of your air fryer's baking functionality, this bundle from Tower is an excellent choice. Though more expensive than other accessory sets, it delivered impressive results – and we found the pizza pan was handy for reheating food, too. It also contains a bread and cake tin, plus additional silicone tools.

You can use this baking set with all Tower 11-litre air fryers, including the Tower Vortex 5-in-1 air fryer.

Coleeson reusable silicone air fryer liner

Best reusable liner

This air fryer liner is immensely useful as it can easily be cleaned after cooking, and is much less wasteful than using a throw-away paper liner. We loved its bold colour and easy-grip handles, and while it adds a couple of minutes to the cooking time, it produces golden, crisp chips with a perfectly fluffy middle.

This liner is most compatible with the Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer, but Coleeson advises measuring the inner diameter of your air fryer before placing an order.