Why Wax Paper is Not Safe for Air Fryers?

What is wax paper? What is it made of?

The Wax paper concept was initiated by Gustave Le Gray. He used it for the first time in 1851 for photographic negatives. Later Herman Frasch rebuilt the idea and developed ways for purifying paraffin and coating paper in 1876.  

Wax paper is a waxed tissue paper that is made when paraffin wax is applied to pores of paper and spread on its surface to serve as a coating. 

Although it doesn’t do too well when exposed to the high heat of the oven, it can withstand low temperatures, around 175 -200 F. 

It is easy to use due to its unique combination of moisture-proof wax coverage.

This means that even when exposed to moist conditions, your food items will remain safe in an air-tight wrap of waxed paper and enjoy long shelf life. 

Reasons: Why Wax Paper is Not Safe for Air Fryers?

Cooking your food with wax paper is not a safe option. If you attempt to cook your food with it in an air fryer, the wax side of it will melt due to the heat and create a big mess. It can even ruin your food as well.

Not only that, but you run the danger of exposing your air fryer or other items around it to flame. For that reason, using wax paper in an air fryer should be strongly avoided.

Below are reasons why you should avoid using it in an air fryer:

1- Wax paper has a melting point of around 350 F. Since the temperature in the air fryer can even exceed 400 F, it will melt in such a temperature range.

2- Second reason is that it can not just melt but can catch fire as well, which can lead to either a power shortage in the house or can totally damage the air fryer as well in the worst situation.

3- It melts into your food, then that food is not safe to consume anymore as it will get contaminated.

Uses of wax paper

Apart from the fact that is is not safe for use in air fryers, but it doesn’t means it is useless. It has several other benefits as well:

1- It can be used as a refrigerator sleeve, and you can also wrap foods in it that needs to be refrigerated.

2- It is also very effective for cleaning purposes. You can clean cooking appliances with it. Such as, if the corners of your microwave need to be cleaned or you want to clean oven racks, it can help.

3- You can use it to store small kitchen gadgets such as spoons, bowls, and forks.

4- Some experts also believe it can help in keeping cheese fresh. According to Sarah from Allrecipes, “It just lets your cheese breath and prevents it from drying”.

5- It also helps in dusting duties. If you find difficult to clean places with ting small particles, try using wax paper in such areas for a quick clean.

6- It can also serve the purpose of air tight seal. Just use it as fitting between the cork and the bottle; not just will it help to fit the cork, but it will also make it airtight.

7- You can also clean your kitchen sink with it; it will wipe out any water spots on the sink surface.

8- It has non-stick properties and is commonly used to wrap different types of foods as well.

9- It is used as a separator between cold food items such as hamburger patties.

Alternatives of wax paper

1- Parchment paper

Parchment paper is the best alternative to use in air fryers instead of wax paper.

It can withstand heat as high as 500 F. But it is recommended to use parchment paper around 450 F temperature range on the safe side. It will not burn or release toxic chemicals even at high temperatures, but it is more likely to get dark or brittle.

It has plenty of uses, such as baking, storage of items, decoration, lining baking sheets, etc.

I personally prefer using parchment paper as the best option for air fryers as well.

2- Silicon Mats

Silicon mats are also in the race for use in air fryers. They can withstand a temperature limit of around 430 F. You can also use them for air fryers as well for cooking foods around this temperature range.

They also have a number of uses, such as baking, air frying, decoration, etc. In fact, they can do mostly as much as parchment paper can do.

3- Aluminum Foil

Aluminum foils are one of the most widely used item all across the world, especially in kitchens. As far as their heat capacity is concerned, aluminum foil can melt at very high temperatures, around 900 F, which is way high than the normal cooking temperatures.

But some kitchen experts suggest that prefer using aluminum foil for a temperature around 425 – 450 F max.

The foil, too, has a number of benefits, such as lining cabinets and drawers, cooking food, air frying, grilling, cleaning, and décor. 

Safety Measures 

So, in the end, I can say that yes, you can use parchment paper, aluminum foil, and silicon mats in your air fryer. But bear in mind some safety measures.

Whatever material you use, keep it away from the air fryer’s heating element, as even aluminum foil and parchment paper can aught fire if they get in direct contact with your fryer’s heating element.

Never preheat your air fryer with parchment paper and foil already placed in it. Always preheat the empty air fryer.

Don’t use aluminum foil with acidic foods as it could react with them.

Sum Up

Wrapping up at the end, I will say once again wax papers are not compatible with air fryers. Not just with air fryers but even in the oven or any other appliance with a temperature above 300 F. So, stay on the safe side and avoid using it in your air fryers. Instead, it have other uses as well; you can use it in other ways.

It’s best to use parchment paper, silicon mats, or aluminum foil as substitutes of the wax paper to keep the air fryer safe. Plus, these products are specifically designed for the temperature levels and won’t pose a risk.