After years of cooking food in a regular oven, I have a range of glassware cluttering up my cupboards. I am sure you are the same.
It is only logical to wonder if this glassware can be used in an air fryer.
The good news is you can use glassware in an air fryer. In this article, I detail why you might want to use glassware, how to use glassware safely in your air fryer and suggest alternatives.
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Can you put glass and Pyrex in an air fryer?
Yes, you can put Pyrex bowls and other oven-safe glassware in your air fryer. You do though need to make sure your glassware is oven-safe.
I recommend testing any glassware you intend to use in your air fryer without any food. Do this with your air fryer heated to its highest temperature.
The reality is your glassware was designed long before air fryers were so popular. So, if the glassware is going to break, at least it did without spoiling your food.
What is Pyrex?
Pyrex is a common type of oven-safe glassware. Pyrex is a borosilicate glass as it contains silica and boric oxide. It is made oven-safe by heating the raw material of glass to high temperatures for a long period.
Pyrex is used in cooking and chemistry equipment as is heat resistant to high temperatures and resists corrosion.
If it is Pyrex, a Pyrex logo will be stamped on the glassware. Normally on the top or the bottom of the glassware.
Why does my glassware need to be oven-safe?
An air fryer is a small convection oven, it has a heating element at the top with a fan used to circulate the very hot air. The cooking space heats up quickly to high temperatures.
The rapid temperature change compared to conventional ovens could cause the glassware to fracture. This will happen if an ordinary glass bowl that is not oven-safe is used in an air fryer or regular oven. If the glass shatters it will create a mess for you to clean up and spoil your food.
Even if your glassware is oven safe you need to be careful. Hence why I recommend testing your oven-safe glassware before using it with food.
If you want to know more about how air fryers work. I have written this article which covers how air fryers work in more detail.
How to check if my glassware is oven-safe?
To check if your glassware is oven-safe look at the base of the glassware. Manufacturers normally stamp on the bottom an oven-safe symbol or the words “oven-safe”. The glass may also have a temperature range printed on the base of the glassware.
If your glassware is Pyrex it may have “Pyrex” stamped on the bottom. Pyrex is a type of glass designed and manufactured to withstand high temperatures (see above).
If your glassware is new and it does not have the symbol or the words, check the packaging and manufacturer’s instructions that came with it. Or contact the manufacturer and ask.
If like me you have had the glassware for a while, you likely already know which items of glassware are oven-safe, as you have been using them in your conventional oven for years.
Either way, it is always best to test your glassware in an air fryer at its maximum temperature, before using it for the first time with food.
How to use glassware in your air fryer safely?
Even if your glassware is oven-safe and you have tested it, there is still a risk that the glass breaks when you use it. To use your glassware safely in an air fryer, follow these steps…
Avoid rapid temperature changes
When glass is heated and becomes hot it expands. If a certain area of your glassware heats up faster than another area, the glassware will expand unevenly. This causes thermal stress that may make it break apart (This is the primary cause of glass cookware breaking).
To reduce the risk of this happening put the glassware in your air fryer’s basket after it has pre-heated. If you have pre-prepared food and put it in a glass bowl in the fridge or freezer, do not put the cold glass in your air fryer. Put the food into another container at room temperature before cooking the food in your air fryer.
Likewise, don’t take a hot item of glassware and put it in the fridge or freezer. Due to the sudden temperature change from hot to cold, the same risk exists but from uneven cooling.
Don’t let it get too hot
Air fryers circulate hot air, this air can be up to 400 F (200 c) in most air fryers. Some air fryers can heat up to 500 F (260 c). At these higher temperatures, your oven-safe glassware is at risk of shattering.
If using oven-safe glassware, cook your food at temperatures below 450 F (230 c). Cooking at a slightly lower temperature will also reduce the thermal shock when taking the glassware out of the air fryer. Reducing the risk of the glassware breaking if it cools too quickly.
Check it
It does not matter if your glassware is new or if you have had it for years. Before use check for cracks, chips, or imperfections. This is to make sure there are no weaknesses in the glassware’s structure.
The smallest amount of damage can weaken the glassware. This damage will increase the chances of it breaking when it is exposed to extreme heat in your air fryer.
Use the right size glassware
Air fryers rely on airflow to cook food. There needs to be space for the air to move around to cook the food in your glassware. If you use glassware that fills your entire air fryer basket, then there will not be space for the air to circulate.
If there is no space between the sides of the basket and the glassware, it will also be difficult to lift the glassware out of the basket when you have finished cooking.
Heatproof surface
After your glassware has been in your air fryer for some time it will be very hot. You need to be careful removing it from your hot air fryer. Use oven mitts to remove the glassware from the air fryer to avoid burning your hands.
To avoid damaging your countertop place the hot glassware on a heatproof surface like a heat mat. This will also help the glassware cool slowly, reducing the risk of the glass shattering if it was cooled too quickly.
Does glassware work well in an air fryer?
It does if you are using it for the right reasons. Air fryers rely on good airflow to cook your food evenly and make it crispy. The cooking basket has large holes in it to allow for the circulation of hot air. By placing glassware or indeed any container into your air fryer’s basket you will block this airflow.
For example, you would not use glassware if you were cooking sausages or other types of meat.
By placing the food items in glassware, the hot air will circulate around the outside of the glassware, rather than coming into direct contact with the food. This will lead to uneven cooking and is unlikely to produce the crispy food you were craving.
You will get better results by placing the sausages/meat on the bottom of the basket. If you want to reduce the clean-up time, use perforated parchment paper or silicone air fryer liners instead of any form of cookware.
Why would I use glassware in an air fryer?
Glassware not only contains the food, stopping it from slopping about in the basket. But it also does not react to acidic food like aluminum foil/pans. It also can withstand heat and be used in an air fryer unlike plastic or paper-based containers.
The most common reason to use glassware and other containers in an air fryer is that you are wanting to cook or reheat food that needs to be contained. For example, this could include cake batter for baking a cake, reheating a casserole, or a lasagna.
What other cookware can be used in an air fryer?
Glass containers are not the only types of containers you can put in an air fryer. There are alternatives…
Silicone
Silicone molds are great for baking cakes. They are easy to clean and hard to break. If you want to know more about how to use silicone containers in an air fryer, please read this article.
Metal
Metal cookware is another suitable alternative. It is a low-cost and regularly available option. They like silicone are hard to break, unlike glassware. You might find though that food sticks to them, making them hard to clean vs. the other options. This will be especially true if they do not have a non-stick coating or they have had years of use which has reduced the effectiveness of the non-stick coating.
If you want to know more about how to use metal containers in an air fryer, this article will be useful.
Ceramic
Ceramic cookware provides a great alternative to glassware, provided they are rated as oven-safe. Ceramic cookware is easier to clean than metal containers, as well as being less likely to crack when heated/cooled vs. glassware. Yet, ceramic cookware like glassware is susceptible to cracking and chipping if not handled and stored correctly, this can increase the risk of them breaking when cooking.
If you want to know more about how to use ceramic containers in an air fryer, I provide more detail in this article.
Aluminum pans
Low-cost aluminum pans are a great option if you do a lot of batch cooking. You can put your leftovers in them and store them in your freezer until needed. The night before you want to eat that leftover yummy slice of lasagna, put it in the fridge to defrost. The next day you can put the aluminum pan (minus the card lid) into the air fryer and reheat it. Allowing you to serve lasagna with a crispy top.
Depending on the pan’s condition you can reuse or dispose of it.
If you want to know more about how to use aluminum foil or pans in an air fryer, check out this article.
Final word
You only need to use glassware in air fryers if you are wanting to cook certain foods. If oven-safe they are safe to use in an air fryer. If you take steps to avoid thermal shock and look after your glassware it will serve you well for many years to come.
There are alternatives though. These you might want to consider if you want to avoid worrying about your glassware cracking.
Related articles
What Can And Can’t Go In An Air Fryer – A roundup article summarizing what you can and can’t use in an air fryer. With links to more detail on how to use certain materials and items safely.
