Can we put aluminium foil in an air fryer?

Can we put aluminium foil in an air fryer?

An air fryer is a semi-sealed electric hair dryer. Never mind the terminology it uses to promote it, it's an electric hair dryer. So you can put aluminium foil in it, but it's not like an oven, which is primarily a radiant heat conductor, where the foil reflects the heat radiation and acts as a local cooler, shield and heat equaliser. In an air fryer, the heat is conducted by convection of hot air and the foil only serves to even out the heat. So, it's fine to put it in, but it doesn't work in the same way as in the oven.

An air fryer, as the name suggests, is a machine that uses air to 'fry' food. It uses the principle of high-speed air circulation by heating the air through a heater tube and then using a fan to turn the air into a high-speed circulating stream of heat. The convection of the hot air as the food is heated around it rapidly dehydrates the food and bakes out its own oils. The result is a golden, crispy surface with a colour and texture similar to that of deep-frying. Putting foil in the air fryer heats the ingredients more evenly, locks in the moisture and prevents the food from burning, and prevents food and sauces from sticking to the walls of the fryer and the bottom of the food basket, making it easy to clean up after use.

However, it is important to note that when you wrap ingredients in foil for cooking, they will be harder to cook and therefore take longer to cook; don't wrap ingredients in foil too thickly as this will affect the taste of the food.