Use this clever air fryer hack to double its cooking space

Double your cooking space & make meal prepping easier with this simple air fryer hack

Air fryer cooking hack
(Image credit: Amazon)

If you love your air fryer but want to double its cooking space without having to invest in a whole new appliance, this clever hack will solve all your problems. The best air fryers have completely changed the way people cook in recent years. These handy kitchen gadgets are easy to use and clean, can save you time on cooking and use less oil and fat than other traditional cooking methods.

From crisping up fried chicken and roast potatoes to baking cakes and making pancakes, these are just a handful of reasons many people credit air fryers as changing their lives, as dramatic as that may sound! But one thing to keep in mind when buying or using an air fryer is its size and capacity.

Depending on how many people you cook for and how often you want to use your air fryer, this will determine what size you need. The standard or entry level size of air fryer is typically 4.5 quarts or 5 litres, but there are plenty of capacities to choose from. For example, the Tower 10-in-1 Air Fryer Xpress Pro Combo is a whopping 11 litres, making it perfect for big families, whereas the Instant Vortex Mini 4-in-1 Air Fryer has a 2 litre capacity which is better for solo eaters.

Once you’ve picked your air fryer, you’re off and away but despite the big capacity that your air fryer can handle, you might find that you’re only using it to cook one thing at one time. This is especially the case if you have a small air fryer but if you’re hosting a dinner party or you want to batch cook several meals at a time, it can be tricky for you to do this all at once in your air fryer.

To solve this problem and double (or even triple) your air fryers’ cooking space, you need to consider your accessories. Most air fryer manufacturers like Ninja and Tower will send you accessories with your air fryer as part of your initial purchase but you’ll see that there are other attachments available to purchase on their website. While you don’t necessarily need these extras for your air fryer to do its job, they can expand the cooking you’re able to do with your air fryer.

@lowcalorie_foodhunter air fryer rack video on TikTok

@lowcalorie_foodhunter air fryer rack video on TikTok

(Image credit: TikTok)

When it comes to expanding your air fryers’ cooking space, one hack you need to try is buying an air fryer rack. This simple yet effective tool can easily fit into any air fryer and you can cook multiple layers at the same time – every meal preppers dream!

Air fryer racks elevate and separate your food in 2 or 3 sections. Not only does this mean that you can cook multiple meals simultaneously, but this elevation allows the heat in your air fryer to circulate more easily, giving you tastier and crispier results.

Depending on the size or style of air fryer rack you choose, it can do this with your air fryer’s entire capacity or take up space in one of its baskets. To put this into context, the Tower 9 litre Dual Basket Digital Air Fryer comes with two baskets for you to fill, so instead of making two things at the time with it normally, you can put an air fryer rack in one or both of the baskets and double, triple or quadruple your meals.

Another great thing about air fryer racks is that they’re pretty inexpensive. Available to buy from most air fryer brands, you can also find compatible racks on Amazon for a cheap price. Now, I know you’re probably thinking that it’s not really a ‘hack’ to have to buy an accessory for this to work. But once that initial cost is out of the way, you can save a huge amount of time, money and energy by using this clever air fryer rack hack.

Bethan Girdler-Maslen
Home Editor

Beth is Home Editor for T3, looking after style, living and wellness. From the comfiest mattresses to strange things you can cook in an air fryer, Beth covers sleep, yoga, smart home, coffee machines, watches, grooming tools, fragrances, gardening and much more. If it's something that goes in your house, chances are Beth knows about it and has the latest reviews and recommendations! She's also in the know about the latest deals and discount codes from top brands and retailers.

Having always been passionate about writing, she’s written for websites, newspapers and magazines on a variety of topics, from jewellery and culture, to food and telecoms. You can find her work across numerous sites, including Wedding Ideas Magazine, Health & Wellbeing, The Bristol Post, Fashion & Style Directory, TechRadar, CreativeBloq and more. In her spare time, Beth enjoys running, reading, baking and attempting craft projects that will probably end in disaster!