Quick Answer
The right air fryer tray depends entirely on which kind of machine you own. Basket-style fryers (COSORI, Ninja, Instant, Philips) need a tray that drops inside the basket — perforated for crisping foods that would fall through the mesh, or solid-bottomed for batters and eggs. Oven-style fryers (Cuisinart TOA-70, Instant Vortex Plus Oven, Ninja Foodi 8-in-1) use slide-in trays instead of a basket, so you need one matched to your model's rail spacing, not a universal part. Most trays are non-stick and rated to 450-500°F, and advertise "PFOA-free" — but that label isn't the same as PFAS-free, since the coating itself is usually still PTFE. Get your basket-vs-oven answer first, then shop by that category below.
Type "air fryer tray" into a search bar and you'll get two completely different products mixed together: small non-stick inserts that drop into a basket fryer's drawer, and the flat slide-in trays that an oven-style air fryer uses in place of a basket entirely. Buying guides that lump these together send people home with the wrong part. Below, we sort the seven best air fryer trays for 2026 into the two categories that actually matter, so you know which one fits your machine before you click buy.
Quick Comparison: Best Air Fryer Trays
| Tray | Fits | Material | Best For | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COSORI Non-Stick Baking & Crisper Tray Set | Basket insert (5.8qt+) | Non-stick aluminum | Best overall | $15–25 |
| Cuisinart TOA-70 Replacement Crisper Tray | Oven-style slide-in | Non-stick steel | Best for Cuisinart ovens | $20–30 |
| Instant Vortex Plus Oven Crisper Tray | Oven-style slide-in | Stainless/non-stick | Best for Instant ovens | $18–28 |
| Ninja Foodi 8-in-1 Crisper Tray | Oven-style slide-in | Non-stick steel | Best for Ninja ovens | $18–26 |
| Round Perforated Pizza/Crisper Tray (universal) | Basket insert | Non-stick aluminum | Best for pizza & quesadillas | $10–16 |
| Solid-Bottom Baking & Cake Pan Tray | Basket insert | Non-stick aluminum | Best for batters & eggs | $9–15 |
| Stainless Steel Drip/Crumb Tray | Under-basket catch tray | 304 stainless steel | Best for catching grease | $10–18 |
Top 7 Best Air Fryer Trays
1. COSORI Non-Stick Baking & Crisper Tray Set — Best Overall
If you own a COSORI or similar 5.8-quart-or-larger basket fryer, COSORI's own tray set is the easiest way to get a guaranteed-fit insert. The set pairs a shallow perforated crisper tray (for loose or battered foods that would otherwise fall through the basket's mesh floor) with a solid-bottom baking tray for cakes, quiches, and eggs. Because it's sized around COSORI's own basket dimensions, there's no measuring guesswork.
It costs a bit more than a generic universal tray, but you get both tray styles in one purchase, which covers the two jobs most owners actually need an insert for.
Pros: Guaranteed fit on 5.8qt+ baskets, includes both perforated and solid trays, non-stick
Cons: Sized for larger baskets, not for oven-style fryers
Best For: COSORI owners and anyone wanting both tray styles in one set
Restocking your kitchen with a new air fryer to go with it? Amazon Prime members get free two-day delivery on both the machine and the accessories, so a basket fryer and its tray set can land on the same day.
2. Cuisinart TOA-70 Replacement Crisper Tray — Best for Cuisinart Ovens
The Cuisinart TOA-70 and similar air fryer ovens don't have a pull-out basket at all — the entire cooking surface is a flat tray that slides in on rails, the same way a toaster oven works. A model-matched replacement crisper tray is the right part here, not a universal basket insert, since the width and rail spacing are specific to the oven.
If your existing tray has worn non-stick coating or you want a second one to run two racks at once, buy the tray listed for your exact model number.
Pros: Correct fit for Cuisinart's oven-style rail system, lets you run a second shelf
Cons: Model-specific, won't fit basket fryers
Best For: Cuisinart TOA-70 and similar Cuisinart oven owners
3. Instant Vortex Plus Oven Crisper Tray — Best for Instant Ovens
Instant's oven-style Vortex Plus models use the same slide-in-tray design as other air fryer ovens rather than a basket. A second or replacement crisper tray lets you cook on two levels, which matters since these machines are usually bought specifically for their larger multi-shelf capacity.
Match the tray to your exact Vortex Plus Oven model, since Instant sells several oven sizes with different interior widths.
Pros: Enables multi-shelf cooking, fits Instant's oven rail system
Cons: Must match your specific model, not universal
Best For: Instant Vortex Plus Oven owners
4. Ninja Foodi 8-in-1 Crisper Tray — Best for Ninja Ovens
Ninja's 8-in-1 countertop air fryer ovens (not to be confused with Ninja's basket-style DZ-series fryers) also use slide-in trays rather than a drawer. A matched replacement or second crisper tray is the way to add a shelf or swap out a worn one.
Double-check which Ninja you own before buying: the DZ-series basket fryers need the basket-insert trays below, while the 8-in-1 oven models need this style.
Pros: Correct fit for Ninja's oven rail system, adds multi-shelf capacity
Cons: Only for Ninja's oven-style units, not DZ-series baskets
Best For: Ninja Foodi 8-in-1 oven owners
5. Round Perforated Pizza/Crisper Tray — Best for Pizza & Quesadillas
For basket fryers, a round perforated tray gives flat foods like pizza, quesadillas, and flatbread a surface to sit flat on instead of sagging into a round basket's curved mesh. The holes still let hot air circulate underneath, so you get the same crisping a basket provides, just with a flat, even surface.
These are sold as universal accessories in several diameters — measure your basket width first, the same way you would for a rack.
Pros: Flat surface for pizza and flatbread, keeps crisping airflow, inexpensive
Cons: Universal fit means you must measure, not for oven-style fryers
Best For: Pizza, quesadillas, and flatbread in a basket fryer
6. Solid-Bottom Baking & Cake Pan Tray — Best for Batters & Eggs
A solid-bottom tray has no holes at all, which is exactly what you want for eggs, batters, sauces, or anything liquid that would run straight through a perforated basket or tray. It trades airflow-based crisping for containment, so use it for baking-style foods rather than anything you want deep-fried-crispy.
Round cake-pan-style inserts around 6-8 inches fit most basket fryers; non-stick aluminum is the standard material here since these trays see less direct food contact with the air stream.
Pros: Contains liquids and batters, doubles as a small cake pan, cheap
Cons: No airflow underneath, won't crisp the bottom
Best For: Eggs, quiches, cakes, and batter-based foods
7. Stainless Steel Drip/Crumb Tray — Best for Catching Grease
This is a different job entirely: a flat tray that sits under the basket or heating element to catch dripping grease and crumbs, rather than holding food itself. If your counter or the inside of your fryer is collecting grease spatter, a stainless drip tray (either a factory replacement or a universal fit) solves it and is dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
Check your owner's manual for the exact drip-tray dimensions, since these sit in a fixed slot and aren't as forgiving on fit as a basket insert.
Pros: Keeps grease off your counter and out of the unit, dishwasher-safe, durable
Cons: Doesn't help with cooking or capacity, needs an exact fit
Best For: Reducing grease mess and cleanup
What to Look for in an Air Fryer Tray
Basket Insert vs. Oven-Style Slide-In
This is the fork every buyer needs to resolve first. Basket fryers (COSORI, Ninja DZ-series, Instant Vortex basket models, Philips) take a tray inside the pull-out drawer. Oven-style fryers (Cuisinart TOA-70, Instant Vortex Plus Oven, Ninja Foodi 8-in-1) have no drawer — the tray slides directly into the oven cavity on rails, the same as a toaster oven rack, and it has to match your specific model's interior width.
Perforated vs. Solid
Perforated trays let hot air reach the underside of food, which is what actually produces the crisping an air fryer is known for — use them for anything you'd otherwise put straight in a basket. Solid-bottom trays trade that airflow for containment, so they're for batters, eggs, sauces, and anything liquid that a perforated surface can't hold.
Material and Max Temperature
Most air fryer trays are non-stick-coated aluminum or steel rated to roughly 450-500°F, well above the 350-400°F most recipes call for. Listings commonly market these as "PFOA-free," but that describes a manufacturing chemical phased out across major U.S. cookware brands by 2015 under an EPA stewardship program — it is not the same claim as "PFAS-free," since the non-stick coating itself is typically still PTFE, one specific compound within the broader PFAS chemical family. If you want to avoid PFAS-class coatings entirely, choose a 304 stainless steel tray instead.
Are Air Fryer Trays Worth It?
Yes, once you've matched the right type to your machine. For basket-fryer owners, a sub-$20 perforated or solid tray opens up foods your basket's mesh floor can't handle on its own — eggs, quiches, pizza, and flatbread. For oven-style fryer owners, a second tray is often the real point of buying a multi-shelf machine in the first place, since it's what lets you cook two racks at once instead of one. If you're still deciding between a basket and an oven-style machine, see our best air fryer oven guide, and for non-stick basket floor protection compare trays with reusable air fryer liners or a multi-layer rack if what you actually need is more capacity rather than a flat surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best air fryer tray?
It depends on what kind of air fryer you own. If you have a basket-style fryer (COSORI, Ninja, Instant, Philips), the best tray is a non-stick perforated crisper/baking tray that drops into the basket for foods that would otherwise fall through the mesh, like fish, eggs, or battered items. If you own an oven-style air fryer (Cuisinart TOA-70, Instant Vortex Plus Oven, Ninja Foodi 8-in-1), you need a model-matched slide-in tray rather than a universal one, since these machines don't use a pull-out basket at all.
What is the difference between an air fryer basket and an air fryer tray?
A basket is a pull-out drawer with a perforated or mesh floor that food sits directly in. A tray is a flatter, shallower insert — either perforated (for crisping loose or battered foods that would fall through a basket's mesh) or solid-bottomed (for batters, eggs, or sauces) — that either drops inside a basket or, on oven-style air fryers, slides in on its own rails in place of a basket entirely.
Are air fryer trays oven-safe and PFOA-free?
Most non-stick air fryer trays are rated to 450-500°F and advertise PFOA-free construction, since PFOA (a manufacturing chemical, not the coating itself) was voluntarily phased out by major U.S. cookware makers under an EPA stewardship program completed by 2015. That label is not the same as PFAS-free, though: the actual non-stick coating is typically still PTFE, which is itself one specific PFAS compound. If you want to avoid PFAS entirely, choose a stainless steel tray instead of a non-stick coated one.
Can you put parchment paper on an air fryer tray?
Yes, as long as it's weighted down by food and not loose in an empty, preheating fryer, where it can get sucked into the heating element. Perforated parchment liners work well on perforated trays since they let air keep circulating; on a solid-bottom tray, parchment is mainly useful for easy cleanup rather than crisping.
Final Recommendation
Figure out your fryer type before you shop. Basket-fryer owners should get the COSORI Non-Stick Baking & Crisper Tray Set for both a perforated and solid option in one purchase, with the round perforated pizza tray as a cheaper single-purpose add-on. Oven-style fryer owners should buy a model-matched slide-in tray for their exact Cuisinart, Instant, or Ninja oven — a universal tray simply won't fit the rails. And if grease mess is your actual problem rather than cooking capacity, a stainless steel drip tray solves that on its own.