It's a common question that surfaces again and again. Home chefs are continually wondering, can you put PYREX in an air fryer?
Rest assured, it's absolutely safe to put Pyrex in your air fryer. Of course, as with any baking dish exposed to high temperatures, there are a few safety precautions that you should take.
Before we address the safety issues of placing a Pyrex dish in your air fryer, let's make sure we understand the ins and outs of PYREX in general.
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What Makes Pyrex So Special?
The original PYREX was introduced in 1915 as an oven-safe cookware that was known for its durability, strength, and ability to withstand high temperatures.
PYREX emerged as a highly coveted glass cookware because it didn't react to certain ingredients as cast iron does, and it didn't retain odors like earthenware. It was also loved by many home cooks because it didn't discolor.
PYREX's magic ingredient was borosilicate glass, which contains boron trioxide and provides a great deal of chemical stability. It offers substantial thermal resistance and a very low coefficient of thermal expansion.
Meaning it wouldn't crack with extreme temperature changes.
PYREX vs pyrex
Not all Pyrex is created equal. While Corning originally made all PYREX with borosilicate glass, they later decided to make two distinctly different companies that produced glass cookware. PYREX made and manufactured in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East still contains borosilicate.
However, the more modern pyrex in North America, South America, and Asia use tempered soda-lime glass. It is still heat resistant and more durable than an ordinary glass bowl, but not quite as resilient as borosilicate.
That means your PYREX tempered glass is much more hardy than your pyrex tempered glass, but both are considered oven-safe glass. Ultimately, if your Pyrex glassware is safe enough to put in your traditional oven then it's equally safe to use your glass Pyrex for air frying.
Busting the Myth of Soda Lime Glass
You'll find several articles circulating the internet that warn against using soda lime glass in your air fryer while simultaneously touting that it's safe to use pyrex. Imagine how silly that sounds knowing they're one and the same.
Furthermore, those that are against using soda lime bakeware in the air fryer are only providing half of the story. In truth, soda lime is the most common form of glass ovenware used in the United States because it's much cheaper to produce.
The rub against soda lime bakeware began when the American Ceramic Society made a claim that soda lime bakeware was unable to withstand drastic temperature changes.
This claim was so hotly contested that World Kitchen, who now owns the Pyrex trademark, filed a lawsuit against the American Ceramic Society for launching a deliberate “campaign of disparagement” claiming that the “defendants have purposely but needlessly frightened consumers into the false belief that Pyrex glass cookware is unsafe for normal kitchen use and could pose an unreasonable risk of serious injury to those who use it.”
So the gist is that you're either okay with using soda-lime ovenware or you're not, and the air fryer component is really irrelevant to the equation.
If you use soda-lime or pyrex dishes in your oven, then it's perfectly okay to use them in your air fryer. And if you're a proponent of borosilicate, then you likely don't even own a piece of pyrex, and that's okay too.
Withstanding High Temperatures
There's another fallacy that leads consumers to believe that soda lime pyrex is not capable of handling the high heat of an air fryer. Let's evaluate that statement with a little deductive reasoning. Is there really any difference between the maximum temperature of an oven versus the maximum temperature of an air fryer?
Not really. Most ovens can achieve temperatures up to 500° F (260° C), while most air fryers can reach temperatures between 400°-450° F (204°-232° C) with a select few that can actually reach elevated temperatures of 510° F (266° C).
Furthermore, most air fryer recipes that are converted from traditional oven recipes usually call for a 25° reduction in temperature so you're never really operating at your air fryer's maximum temperatures anyway.
It's also important to remember that the temperature of your air fryer is not a direct correlation to the temperature of the glass cookware or the food that's inside it. So to reiterate, it's perfectly safe to use a glass bowl made of pyrex in your air fryer if it's marked as oven-safe or has the oven-safe symbol.
Rules for Using Pyrex in Your Air Fryer
Because most mishaps with Pyrex occur from not following manufacturer directions, it's essential to be familiar with how to maintain safety when using glass Pyrex in your air fryer:
- Always place your glass dish on a pot holder and never directly on the stove, countertop, damp towel, or metal trivet.
- Never place oven-safe glass in the sink or directly on a burner when removing it from your conventional oven, air fryer, or toaster oven.
- Allow your air fryer to fully preheat before placing your oven-safe Pyrex dishes in your air fryer.
- When you use tempered glass for cooking meats or vegetables, be sure to cover the bottom with liquid before cooking.
- Don’t add cold liquid to hot glass cookware or vice versa.
- Do not take glass dishes directly from the freezer to the oven or vice versa.
- Before you use a glass bowl made of Pyrex, inspect it for chips, cracks, and scratches prior to use, and do not use any damaged cookware in your air fryer.
You may have heard horror stories of Pyrex shattering in traditional ovens or on the dinner table, but in most instances, these mishaps have occurred by failing to follow the aforementioned guidelines.
Additionally, there are occasions when glassware develops structural integrity issues. So it's important to always give your glass Pyrex a visual once over before you place it in your air fryer basket.
The safest way to use Pyrex dishes in your air fryer is to avoid rapid temperature changes. These sudden temperature changes are the biggest culprit to exploding Pyrex.
A little common sense goes a long way.
Aside from not taking your Pyrex bowl directly from the freezer to the air fryer, you shouldn't take it straight from the air fryer and drop it in cold water.
Both of those scenarios result in thermal shock and are recipes for disaster.
What is Thermal Shock?
When it comes to using glass Pyrex in your air fryer oven, it's not so much about the high temperatures, but rather the thermal shock, which results from a sudden and drastic temperature change.
Remembering back to science class, heat is constantly transferring from whatever is hottest to whatever is coolest.
Thermal shock occurs when there is a drastic temperature variation between two objects, which causes enough tension to damage the structural integrity of one of those objects.
Because materials like glass and ceramic cookware are poor heat conductors, they constantly expand and contract. If the differing temperatures are too sudden and drastic, your cookware can shatter.
If you've ever dropped an ice cube into a hot liquid and watched it crack instantaneously, then you've observed thermal shock. That same concept applies to your cookware.
Following basic guidelines prevents this from happening to your oven-safe dishware.
Is Pyrex a Good Choice for the Air Fryer?
As long as your Pyrex glass container is marked with 'oven use,' then your oven-safe glass bowl is also air fryer safe. Just remember the key to air frying is hot circulating air, so don't block the hot air flow, or your food won't cook evenly.
Pyrex bowls and air fryers are the perfect combination for casserole-type dishes and other tasty meals like hash brown casserole or garlic bread.
Are There Alternatives to Using Pyrex with Air Fryer Cooking?
If placing Pyrex in your air fryer's basket still makes you a little nervous, no worries. There are plenty of other alternatives you can use instead.
Aluminum Pans
Disposable aluminum pans are a great alternative to using Pyrex in the air fryer, and they are completely air fryer safe.
Just make sure you don't let them touch the heating element of your air fryer since this can cause damage. Using your air fryer's wire rack can prevent this from happening.
Additionally, using disposable pans makes clean-up a cinch. Just throw it in the trash and you're done.
Iron Skillets
I love using my tiny iron skillet in my air fryer. Iron in general is a great heat conductor and goes a long way to offset uneven cooking. It's the perfect size for individual-sized meals and all your favorite desserts like chocolate chip cookies and apple pie.
Cast iron is oven-safe and air fryer safe, making it a perfect alternative to glass bowls. It just has to be small enough to fit inside your air fryer.
Ceramic Bowl
If you have a ceramic bowl that's marked as oven-safe, then you can use it in the air fryer also. However, ceramic is not a good conductor of heat because it has low thermal conductivity.
Once it gets hot, though, it retains its heat very well, and it's more than capable of handling higher temperatures.
Oven Safe Silicone Cookware
You can also purchase silicone cookware to go in your air fryer. These air fryer accessories are specially designed for air fryers and make the perfect alternative to a glass dish. They provide adequate structure and molding when baking cakes and other foods that require structural support.
Not only is silicone non-stick, but it can withstand high temperatures.
Tin Foil
Tin foil is another great alternative to glass dishes, and is another example of an oven-proof tool that's suitable for air fryers. Foil is also a great conductor of heat and does a great job of keeping food from drying out.
By wrapping food in aluminum foil, the hot air helps the foil distribute the heat evenly, while simultaneously trapping the moisture inside.
Parchment Paper
Parchment paper can also be used in air fryers in lieu of glass bowls when frying things like wings or pizza rolls to prevent food from sticking to your air fryer basket. Be advised that parchment paper begins to discolor around 400° F (204° C), but it can still withstand temperatures up to 450° F (232° C).
Stainless Steel Cookware
If you have oven-safe stainless steel bowls, you can use them in your air fryer for a number of dishes. However, stainless steel does not conduct heat as well as a glass bowl, so it might not be your best alternative.
But in a pinch, it will do.
Can You Safely Use Pyrex in an Air Fryer?
If your glass bowl, Pyrex or otherwise, is marked as being oven safe, then it's perfectly fine to use in air fryers. Follow the safety guidelines, and you can make delicious and healthy meals in your glass Pyrex anytime.
Try your Pyrex in these great air fryer recipes:
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