Most pre-cut air fryer liners on Amazon don't say what their release coating is. Silicone is the usual non-stick treatment on parchment, but fluorinated (PFAS) grease-proofing has been found in other food-contact papers, so an unnamed coating is a question mark. After reviewing brand disclosures and product listings, we found options across four categories: unbleached parchment, food-grade silicone, stainless steel, and glass. Our top pick: If You Care 100% Unbleached Parchment, which the brand describes as unbleached, chlorine-free, and silicone-coated.
You bought a PFAS-free air fryer. You want to keep the basket clean. So you grab those pre-cut parchment liners on Amazon – the ones with 50,000 reviews and cute little perforations.
Here's the problem: those liners are treated with a release coating to keep food from sticking, and most listings don't say which one. If it isn't named, you can't rule out fluorinated chemistry.
We reviewed product listings, brand websites, and manufacturer disclosures for popular air fryer liner products. Some publish nothing. Some use vague terms like "food-safe coating." A handful actually tell you what's in them.
This is what we found.
This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
| Liner Type | Material | Max Temp | Reusable | Certification | Price | Link | |------------|----------|----------|----------|---------------|-------|------| | Unbleached Parchment | Unbleached paper, silicone coating | 428°F | No | Brand material disclosure | $8 | View on Amazon | | Parchment (silicone) | Cellulose + silicone | 425°F | No | None | $6 | View on Amazon | | Silicone Liner | Platinum-cured, LFGB-rated silicone | 450°F | Yes | Look for LFGB | $12 | View on Amazon | | Stainless Steel Tray | 304 stainless steel | 500°F+ | Yes | Food-grade steel | $20 | View on Amazon | | Glass Baking Dish | Tempered glass | 425°F | Yes | Food-grade glass | $15 | View on Amazon |
Fluorinated treatments in food-contact paper are well documented. A 2017 study in Environmental Science & Technology Letters led by Silent Spring Institute found detectable fluorine, a marker for PFAS, in 46% of the fast-food wrapper and food-contact paper samples it tested (Schaider et al.). That study did not test air fryer liners. The issue isn't the paper itself – it's the treatment applied to make it grease- or stick-resistant. Parchment is usually silicone-coated, which is not PFAS chemistry, but other papers have used fluorinated grease-proofing.
The pre-cut parchment liners that dominate Amazon's bestseller list rarely disclose which coating they use. A listing that says only "food-safe materials" or "non-stick" doesn't tell you.
Here's what actually matters when buying an air fryer liner: the base material (parchment, silicone, metal, or glass), the release coating if any, and whether the brand publishes third-party certifications. If a product page says "non-stick" but doesn't name the coating, skip it.
Material: Unbleached, chlorine-free paper with a silicone coating Max Temperature: 428°F (per the brand) Certification: Brand material disclosure (silicone-coated, Quilon-free) Price: Around $8 for 24 sheets Link: View on Amazon
If You Care is one of the few parchment brands that tells you what the coating is. Its parchment is unbleached, chlorine-free, and silicone-coated, and the brand markets it as free of Quilon, the chromium-based release agent used on some other parchment (If You Care listing). Silicone is not PFAS chemistry. We did not find a published PFAS lab report for it.
The sheets are larger than most pre-cut liners, so you'll need to trim them for smaller baskets.
One drawback: It's still a coated paper, and you trust the brand's description. If you want no coating at all, the stainless steel option below is your move.
Material: Bleached cellulose pulp with silicone coating Max Temperature: 425°F Certification: None published Price: Around $6 for 30 sheets Link: View on Amazon
Reynolds parchment uses a silicone release coating. Silicone is a synthetic polymer (polymerized siloxane), but it contains no fluorine and is not PFAS chemistry.
These sheets are 10.7x12 inches and come in a pop-up dispenser box. They're smaller than the If You Care sheets, which means they fit 3-5 quart air fryers without trimming. For larger baskets, you'll need to overlap two sheets.
One drawback: Reynolds doesn't publish third-party test results or a PFAS-free statement on the product. Our view that it's low-risk for PFAS rests on the silicone chemistry, not on testing.
Material: Platinum-cured food-grade silicone, no fillers Max Temperature: Typically rated to 450°F Certification: Look for LFGB (German food-contact standard) on the listing Price: Around $12 for 2 liners Link: View on Amazon
An earlier version of this guide named a specific "Cook Choice" liner. We could not confirm that product, so we now describe what to look for instead. LFGB is the German food-contact material standard, which is generally considered stricter than FDA rules, and LFGB-tested silicone has been checked for migration into food. Platinum-cured silicone avoids the peroxide curing agents used in cheaper silicone.
Pick a liner with raised edges and perforations so hot air can circulate. Measure your basket first; square and round liners come in several sizes.
One drawback: Silicone retains odors. If you cook salmon in it, the next batch of fries will smell faintly fishy. Wash it immediately after use with dish soap and vinegar to minimize this.
Material: 304-grade stainless steel (18/8 chromium-nickel alloy) Max Temperature: 500°F+ (no practical limit for air frying) Certification: Food-grade stainless steel Price: Around $20 for 2 trays Link: View on Amazon
An earlier version of this guide named a "Numola" stainless set; Numola's listings we found are parchment liners, so we now describe the category instead. Look for uncoated 304 stainless trays: zero coating, zero plastic, just steel. This is the PFAS-free option with nothing to wear off.
A perforated tray works for air frying and a solid one for baking. Measure your basket before buying. The perforations let hot air circulate. Dishwasher-safe.
304 stainless steel is the same grade used in commercial kitchens. It isn't completely inert: a 2013 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found stainless steel pots leached nickel and chromium into tomato sauce during long cooking, with leaching dropping after repeated use (Kamerud et al.). For short air fryer cooks with non-acidic foods, that is a minor concern, but it matters if you have a nickel allergy.
One drawback: Food sticks more than it does to parchment or silicone. You'll need to use a small amount of oil or cooking spray. Also, these trays take up storage space – they don't fold or roll like parchment.
Material: Tempered soda-lime glass Max Temperature: 425°F Certification: Food-grade glass Price: Around $15 Link: View on Amazon
If you have a toaster-oven-style air fryer (like a Breville or Cuisinart), a glass baking dish works as a liner. This one is 1.5 quarts, which is the right size for a 2-4 person meal. No coating, no polymer, just glass.
Glass doesn't conduct heat as efficiently as metal, so cooking times may run 2-3 minutes longer. But it's chemically inert and dishwasher-safe. You can also see the food while it cooks, which helps prevent burning.
One drawback: Doesn't fit basket-style air fryers. This is only for toaster-oven-style models with a flat cooking surface.
Three categories of liners failed our material disclosure check:
1. Generic pre-cut parchment liners that don't name their coating. These dominate Amazon's bestseller list. They're cheap ($5 for 100 sheets) and have tens of thousands of reviews. But the listings we checked rarely name the coating or link a material safety data sheet. We can't verify what's in them.
2. Any liner labeled "non-stick coated" without naming the coating. "Non-stick" is marketing language. It tells you nothing about the chemistry. PTFE is non-stick. Silicone is non-stick. If the brand won't tell you which one they use, assume the worst.
3. Silicone liners from unbranded sellers. Silicone is not PFAS, but it isn't perfectly inert either. Studies of silicone baking molds have measured cyclic siloxanes (D4, D5, D6) migrating into food during baking, with more migration into fatty foods (example study). Better-made, fully cured silicone generally releases less, so if the product page doesn't mention LFGB or FDA compliance, skip it.
Parchment paper can catch fire if it touches the heating element. Follow these rules:
1. Weigh it down with food. Don't preheat the air fryer with parchment inside. The circulating air will blow it into the heating element. Place food on the parchment first, then turn on the air fryer.
2. Keep temperatures at or below 425°F. Most parchment is rated for 420-450°F. At 450°F+, it can smoke or char. If your recipe calls for 475°F, skip the parchment and oil the basket instead.
3. Trim it to fit. The parchment shouldn't extend beyond the basket edges. Excess paper can block airflow or touch the heating element.
4. Use perforated liners for crispier food. Solid parchment blocks airflow from below, which means the bottom of your food won't crisp as well. Pre-perforated liners or silicone mats with holes solve this.
We didn't test these liners in a lab – we're not chemists, and we didn't contact the brands. We checked material disclosures two ways:
If you're avoiding PFAS in cookware, this same level of scrutiny applies to everything that touches your food – including the throwaway liner at the bottom of the basket. Most brands make this hard. The options above are the ones where the material is clear.
For more on PFAS contamination sources, check our PFAS contamination guide, which covers non-stick cookware, food packaging, and drinking water. Speaking of drinking water: air fryer liners are one PFAS source. Your tap water might be another.
No. If your air fryer basket is PFAS-free (ceramic or stainless steel), you can cook directly in it. Liners help with cleanup, but they're not required.
But parchment or a silicone mat does make cleanup faster. They're most useful for sticky foods (marinated chicken, glazed vegetables) and least needed for dry foods (fries, roasted nuts).
If you do cook without a liner, use a small amount of oil and wash the basket right after cooking. Burnt-on residue is harder to scrub later.
PFAS chemicals don't just come from cookware. Our analysis of the EPA's UCMR5 dataset found PFAS detected at about a third of the public water systems tested. If you're avoiding PFAS in your air fryer, you should check your tap water too.
We built a free tool that shows PFAS and lead levels in your drinking water by zip code, using EPA data. Takes 10 seconds. Check your water quality here.
For water filtration options that remove PFAS, see our water filter comparison guide.
Most Amazon air fryer liners don't publish material disclosures. After reviewing listings and brand disclosures, these are the options where the material is clear:
Avoid generic bamboo parchment, anything labeled "non-stick coated" without naming the coating, and unbranded silicone liners.
If your air fryer basket is already PFAS-free, you don't need a liner. But if you use one, use one that publishes what it's made of.
Are silicone air fryer liners toxic? Silicone isn't PFAS, and food-grade silicone is generally considered safe at cooking temperatures up to about 450°F. It isn't perfectly inert, though: studies of silicone baking molds have measured cyclic siloxanes migrating into food, more so with fatty foods. Better-made, fully cured silicone releases less, so buy liners that state LFGB or FDA compliance.
Can I use regular parchment paper in an air fryer? Yes, as long as you weigh it down with food before turning on the air fryer. Parchment paper is safe up to 420-450°F, but it can catch fire if it blows into the heating element. Never preheat the air fryer with parchment inside. Trim the paper to fit your basket and keep temperatures at or below 425°F. Pre-perforated parchment or parchment with holes allows better airflow and crispier food.
Do I need a liner at all in my air fryer? No. If your air fryer basket has a PFAS-free coating (ceramic or stainless steel), you can cook directly in it. Liners make cleanup faster, especially for sticky or marinated foods, but they're not required. If you skip the liner, use a small amount of oil and wash the basket immediately after cooking to prevent burnt-on residue.
Are reusable liners better than disposable parchment? Reusable silicone or stainless steel liners are more sustainable and cost-effective over time – a $12 silicone liner can last hundreds of uses, while disposable parchment costs $6-8 for 24-30 sheets. However, reusable liners require washing after every use, and silicone can retain odors from strong-smelling foods. Disposable parchment is convenient but generates waste. Choose based on your priorities: sustainability and long-term cost favor reusable, convenience favors disposable.
What temperature can parchment paper handle in an air fryer? Most parchment paper is rated for 420-450°F. At temperatures above 450°F, parchment can smoke, char, or catch fire. If your recipe calls for 475°F or higher, skip the parchment and oil the basket instead. Always check the manufacturer's temperature rating on the package. Unbleached parchment and silicone-coated parchment have similar heat tolerances.