Have you ever tried to free your food from an air fryer while wearing an oven glove (spoiler: it’s like trying to pick up paperclips with mittens on)? Or grabbed at food with your bare hands? Or scratched the nonstick in the cooking drawer with a fork? Or just dumped a pile of chips onto a plate in the manner of a person who’s given up on life?
It’s awkward to remove food from air fryer drawers and a quick survey of my friends reveals that almost no one has gone for the simple option: buy a set of silicone-tipped tongs.
These inexpensive kitchen utensils let you nab your food from an air fryer drawer without scraping the nonstick interior, and then plate it up nicely.
And they’re currently on sale for just £7.99 from Amazon UK or $11.99 from Amazon US.
For the £7.99/$11.99 asking price, you’ll actually get two sets of tongs: nine- and twelve-inch. They’re nonstick, heat-resistant and dishwasher-safe too.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Tongs have been a lifesaver for me as I can’t even tip food out of a drawer like a caveman. That’s because the model I have at home – and it’s one of the best air fryers around – is the Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer. Its selling point is its huge cooking space. It’s the same size as a classic dual drawer model, but instead of featuring two drawers, it only has one, which can be split in two with the help of a divider.
But it does mean that tipping out a pile of fries is basically impossible if there’s something in the other half, and as the cooking zone is so vast, it’s as awkward as emptying out a sock drawer.
I use these tongs at home and have found them to be hard-wearing and useful for oven-cooking and serving food in general. I’d recommend you get a set to give your food prep a bit more polish and save yourself some hassle.
