For anything you want crisp, yes — it lifts food off the drawer floor so hot air passes underneath and fat drains away. Take it out only for a pan or a dish, and only where your manual allows it.
What it does
It holds food above the drawer floor on a perforated surface, so hot air passes under as well as over the food, and fat drips away from it. Makers call it a crisper plate, a crisper tray, a grill plate or a rack — the job is the same.
When to leave it in
Anything you want crisp. Fries, wings, nuggets, breaded fish — that is what the machine is for.
Anything fatty, so the fat leaves the food: bacon, sausages, chicken thighs with the skin on.
When to take it out
A pan, a dish or a ramekin, which would sit on the plate and block its holes anyway — and which gains a little height under the element on the drawer floor.
Anything small enough to fall through is better on a sheet of perforated parchment on the plate than without the plate.
What defeats it entirely
Foil or a solid liner over the holes. That turns the plate into a solid floor and the appliance into a small fan oven. If a liner is used, it is perforated and smaller than the plate — see do air fryer liners block the airflow and can I use aluminum foil in an air fryer.
Looking after it
It is the part most scraped and most lifted out. No metal utensils, no scouring pads: most plates are nonstick, and a scratched coating sticks and flakes. See coatings and what kills them. Clean it warm, when grease releases, and check the rubber feet if it has them.
In an air-fry toaster oven
The mesh air-fry tray is the crisper plate. The BLACK+DECKER 5-in-1 ships with an air fry mesh tray, and the Hamilton Beach with an air-fry basket — use them for crisp food, the solid bake pan for everything else.
And what the plate is not
A rack. A rack adds a level; the plate is the floor. See can you cook two things at once in an air fryer.
Check your own manual before you follow anything here. Temperatures, fill limits and pressure ratings differ from model to model, and the manufacturer’s figures take precedence over anything written on this site. We report what makers publish — an oven’s range in degrees, a cooker’s maximum fill line, whether a part is declared dishwasher-safe — and we never turn those figures into food-safety guidance. Cooking temperatures and holding times for particular foods are set by manufacturers and by your national food safety authority, and this site points you to them rather than restating them.
What readers want to know
What happens if I cook without the crisper plate?
The food sits in its own fat on the drawer floor, cooking from above only. The bottom stays pale and greasy, and fat can smoke on the hot drawer. Some manuals say the plate must always be in place — check yours before cooking without it.
Can I take the crisper plate out to use a pan or dish?
Usually, yes — a cake pan, a ramekin or a small baking dish can sit straight on the drawer floor, which gains height under the element. Where the manual asks for the plate to stay in, put the dish on it instead. See can I put a ceramic dish in an air fryer.
My crisper plate rattles or will not come out. What do I do?
Many plates sit on small rubber feet, which keep them off the drawer floor and stop them sliding. If a foot has come off, the plate rattles and can scratch the drawer — the maker usually sells replacements. A stuck plate is usually held by baked-on grease: soak the drawer in warm, soapy water, then lift it out with silicone tongs, never a knife.
Last reviewed 18 October 2026