9 Best Oil Sprayers For Air Fryers Of 2023
Air fryers are like small convection ovens that circulate very hot air around the cooking chamber to cook food.
While the cooking chamber is made of sturdy and heat-proof materials, it is still always a good idea to spray a bit of oil over the basket and food to cook better.
What are the best oil sprayers for air fryers? Air fryers are compatible with any type of mist oil sprayer. You can even use a typical brush to add just a dash of oil to the food and the cooking chamber. As long as the oil doesn’t drip and spill from the sprayer, the air fryer should remain safe for long-term use.
Read below to learn more about why it is important to use a fine mist spray for air fryers and the best types of oil sprayers that you can use for your air fryer!
How Air Fryers Work
Air fryers work a bit differently than your average oven and understanding their function is crucial in determining the best types of oil and sprayers to use for your appliance.
Unlike deep-fried food, air fryers work via the concept of convection cooking. In simple terms, convection cooking circulates hot air around the food via fans to cook it.
In comparison traditionally fried food is dipped in hot oil. The hot oil acts as the medium by which heat is transferred evenly across all the surfaces resulting in evenly fried food.
Air fryers follow the same concept but instead of oil, they rely on the circulation of air.
These appliances consist of a large fan that is put at the back of a heating element. When you turn on the appliance, the machine sends a current through the heating element that then produces heat.
This heat is dissipated using the fan which uses the outside air to keep the heating element from overheating and to also evenly distribute heat across the chamber.
The reason why air fryers can achieve results that mimic deep-fried conditions is that the inner chamber and the bottom perforated base are patterned with air fins that direct the hot air around the food.
This design allows the air to form a stable vortex that can evenly cover all surfaces, provided that you don’t overstuff the cooking chamber, to begin with.
The inner chamber of the air fryer consists of a removable basket that is covered with a non-stick coating that prevents food from sticking to each other.
So, where do oil sprays fit in?
Well, the good, and simultaneously bad thing about air fryers is that they can make do without the use of oil.
But since humans have been so accustomed to using oil as a cooking and flavoring medium that it can be very difficult for people to take the leap without it.
Also, since the base of the air fryer has perforations, you wouldn’t want to use oil in excess to prevent drippage and to keep the base from oxidizing.
Remember, the more grease and oil the base accumulates, the more it is likely to depreciate, especially if you aren’t in the habit of regularly deep-cleaning the appliance.
Air Sprayers Vs. Brushes
An excellent way to prevent drippage and to efficiently coat the basket using as little oil as possible is via air sprayers.
Mist air sprayers can atomize oil so that it can cover more areas without accumulating in one spot.
These mist sprayers have had lots of applications over the years (from perfumes to water sprays, cleaning products, and more), and only recently have they added air fryers to their already-impressive list of applications.
The sprayer converts the stream of oil into a finely distributed mist that can stick to the surface of the air fryer without overly oiling it.
See, air fryers can easily function without oil but putting a bit of oil over the surface of the food can help add a nice golden-brown color to it.
Also, the oil can protect the food from getting overly dry too. For this reason, many people tend to use brushes to coat the basket and the food.
This strategy may work for the short term but in the long run, it may just end up shortening the life of your air fryer basket.
Brushes tend to unevenly apply the liquid on surfaces and since these brushes don’t have a fine needle tip, they tend to leave large dabs of oil behind which can drip down to the base of the basket.
Others may also use their hands or fingers to lightly lubricate the basket. This is again the wrong approach for using the air fryer.
The best way to get the most out of the life and quality of your appliance is to use a fine mist oil spray that can equally atomize and coat the interior of the basket without leaving excess residue.
Buyer’s Guide
Oil sprayers come in many varieties. Some are simple and small while others can have more nozzle options and a higher storage capacity. This guide will help you choose the best type of oil spray for your particular use!
Here’s what you need to look out for:
Bottle Size And Build Quality
When choosing a dedicated spray for your air fryer, always go for a manageable bottle size. Larger bottles can be difficult to work with, especially when you have to move the bottle around with the basket to coat all the sides equally.
For this reason, we recommend that you purchase either a 250ml or 500ml bottle for everyday use.
Trust us, it is much more convenient to fill up the bottle after every 3-4 days than to deal with excessive loads and inadequately coated food.
Additionally, you may also opt for branded and pressurized spray bottles like PAM.
The downside to using pre-filled bottles is that you can’t fill them up again and you certainly can not add an oil of your choice to them as well – but they can be extremely convenient.
Furthermore, the build quality of the bottle should be top-notch too.
Most spray bottles are either made from steel and plastic parts or are completely built out of plastic. Both varieties will work well so long as they are properly built and are leak-proof.
A leaky plastic bottle or an easily dented steel spray bottle will not be suitable for air fryers since the goal here is to minimize the use of oil in the basket.
This quality requirement also extends to the plunger and lever of the bottle as well. Since oil is more viscous than water, some sprays may not be able to properly atomize the oil, which may result in drippage.
A high-quality plunger with a slightly wider input straw will ensure that you properly atomize the oil and create a fine mist of oil particles that can equally coat the surface of the food and cooking basket.
Nozzle Design
The nozzle design of the bottle is perhaps the most important aspect of the spray bottle. Beware of false advertising claims where some brands overpromise the mist capabilities of their sprays.
These sprays may be able to produce a fine mist but at the expense of drippage due to quality issues like we discussed above.
Other brands may also use terms like “nanoparticles” or “nano-mist” which mean the same thing and are typically used to denote fine-mist sprays in general.
So, if you do come across such jargon, just know that there is nothing special about the nozzle and that it is just designed to atomize liquid like other fine mist sprayers.
Some nozzles may also have an adjustable knob that can either widen the nozzle inlets or tighten them to create a finer mist.
While this feature may be useful for other uses, we would just recommend that you get a fine mist spray or leave the nozzle at the mist setting for the entirety of its use in the air fryer.
The 9 Best Oil Sprays For Air Fryers
Our recommendation list below is made up of handpicked oil sprays that are per our buyer’s guide above and we firmly believe that you will easily find a suitable oil spray for your everyday needs from the choices below!
Here are our top picks for the best oil sprays for air fryers:
| Rank | Product | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Misto Oil Sprayer (Set of Two) | Set of 2 Oil sprays, easy to fill and excellent atomization. |
| 2. | Woohubs Oil sprayer | 100ml Compact oil spray, perfect for daily use and easy to refill. |
| 3. | Evo Oil Sprayer | 6 oz capacity. Heavy-duty oil sprayer designed for multiple uses and great for spraying an ultra-fine mist. |
| 4. | Cooking Oil Sprayer with Filter & Glass Bottle | 10 oz Premium cooking oil sprayer built with a filter. Excellent for general kitchen and air fryer use! |
| 5. | Norpro Stainless Steel Sprayer | Small 3ml tank, durable design, fine mist capability, and easy to refill. |
| 6. | Glass Oil Dispenser Bottle Spray Mister | Trigger design with an excellent nozzle that can easily atomize high-density or viscous oils. |
| 7. | PAM Non-Stick Original Cooking Spray | The most ubiquitous and convenient choice for spraying oil in air fryers. (6 oz) |
| 8. | Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray | Extremely high-quality extra virgin oil with a premium sprayer bottle and a 5 oz capacity. |
| 9. | Cuisinart Oil Mister | Excellent for creating a balanced mist that can easily spread around the cooking basket. (200 ml) |
1. Misto Oil Sprayer (Set of Two)
The Misto Oil Spray is perfect for air fryers as it can produce a very fine mist of oil that can evenly coat the cooking basket without any drippage.
The high-quality nozzle along with a tightly sealed gasket ensures that the oil stays inside the can without forming drops under the nozzle.
This sprayer is extremely easy to use and can be refilled within minutes. It is made from high-quality and durable aluminum that is also rust-free!
The manufacturer states that you can use this sprayer endlessly without the nozzle breaking down or the mist quality becoming less effective!
2. Woohubs Oil Sprayer
This oil spray has two benefits: it has a compact shape that can easily fit in the hand and it can effectively atomize every type of cooking oil.
The Woohubs oil sprayers have multiple applications but if you want to use them primarily for your air fryer then this product will fit the bill!
It’s cheaper than the other oil sprays and is made from high-quality materials which guarantee its long-term use.
3. Evo Oil Sprayer
This trigger sprayer bottle is designed for heavy-duty use.
It’s made from premium plastic and features an advanced nozzle that is built for several purposes.
This sprayer can easily atomize every type of oil you add to it and the best part is that it won’t leak over your air fryer thanks to its sturdy design.
4. Cooking Oil Sprayer with Filter & Glass Bottle
Looking for a premium oil sprayer that fits the aesthetics of your modern kitchen?
Then this is the best oil sprayer for virtually all your kitchen needs.
This sprayer has a built-in filter and can easily create a mist from any type of cooking oil.
It is easy to refill and is perfect for air fryers too!
5. Norpro Stainless Steel Sprayer
The Norpro Sprayer is designed to last a lifetime thanks to its stainless-steel body.
No more swapping out broken oil sprays! Just refill by twisting the top and creating fine mists of just about any type of oil!
This sprayer can fit in around 90ml of oil which makes it a great handheld kitchen tool that you can easily use and then put away too.
6. Glass Oil Dispenser Bottle Spray Mister
This is a great deal because you get two amazing oil sprayers that are built with an extremely efficient and precise nozzle that can easily atomize oil or any other type of liquid.
The slim and compact body of this sprayer makes it an excellent choice for anyone.
It is easy to refill and since it is made of glass, it also adds a lot of class and will easily fit in with the rest of your crockery.
7. PAM Non-Stick Original Cooking Spray
PAM has been a household name for many years and has been around longer than air fryers.
Its applications are indispensable in the kitchen and what’s great about this sprayer is that it is designed and manufactured to just work—without effort.
While other sprayers on this list require a refill and aren’t disposable, PAM offers a convenient and no-frill solution that is available in every supermarket and can be bought online as well.
8. Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray
This sprayer is specifically targeted toward health-conscious people and chefs that are very particular about using only high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
While you can easily go for any of the above options, this sprayer sets itself apart because it is specially made for multiple purposes and is extremely convenient to use.
Just open the cap and spray an ultra-fine mist of the finest virgin olive oil as per your requirement!
9. Cuisinart Oil Mister
What’s great about this oil sprayer/mister is that it is designed to create a very balanced mist that is neither too light to escape nor too heavy to create drippage.
This 200ml bottle can easily cover the surrounding of any air fryer basket without wasting or depositing excess oil and you can even use it for grilling or other general kitchen purposes too!
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