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A standard toaster hasn’t been on our counter top for years. We moved from a toaster to a toaster oven over a decade ago and used that until we replaced it with an Emeril Lagasse Power Air Fryer. It’s a multi-function air fryer that has a ‘toast’ setting, making it very easy to use. But what about toasting bread in air fryers that do not have all the bells and whistles of the Emeril?
Air fryers and toasting
Even if your air fryer doesn’t have a toast button/function, you can still use it to toast bread. Our other main air fryer is a large capacity Cosori 5.8 quart. This is what I think of as a ‘standard’ air fryer since it has a basket and not a door like a toaster oven. Due to the nature of this basket-style of air fryer, it is basically a fan attached to a heating element. So what happens to lightweight things in a wind tunnel? They tend to move around.
Once all the moisture leaves the bread, the toast may fly around inside the air fryer – it’s happened to us. It isn’t a big deal, but you should be aware of the possibility. The good news is that if you hear the toast flying around in the air fryer, it’s a fairly good indication that your toast is done!
Important note: Because the bread is lightweight and can move around while in a standard air fryer, we recommend against using an air fryer liner when toasting bread. Because if your bread moves around, the liner will as well and could easily connect with the heating element.
Whether you like your toast with butter, jam, avocado, or peanut butter, try prepping it the air fryer next time.
Try one of these other great air frying breakfast recipes:
- 2 slices Bread Any type, any thickness
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No need to preheat
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Add your bread to the air fryer basket. Set the temperature to 400° F | 204° C, and air fry for 4 minutes. If you have very thin sliced bread, your toast will probably be done in 3 minutes. If you like your toast dark, add 30 seconds more.
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Due to the nature of the air fryer fan, during the end of your toasting, you may hear your toast moving around in the air fryer, this is no reason for alarm. The moisture has now left your bread.
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Top with butter, avocado, jelly, or peanut butter. But most of all, enjoy!
Tools and ingredients used in this recipe:
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Worked Great and tasted like it was cooked in a toaster oven
Air fryer makes the best toast…hands down!
I’m confused- in the very same article you claim you toast your bread in the air fryer and explain how to do it, as well as saying you don’t recommend it because it can fly around inside because it’s lightweight? Would one of the little metal racks work to hold it in place? I’m all for trying thing to see for myself, and these machines should never be left unattended. But as a newbie to the air fryer it’s a little concerning.
Hi, Andrea – We recommend against using an air fryer parchment LINER when toasting bread in an air fryer. As we mention above, because the bread can swirl around in the unit, the liner would too and it would likely connect with the heating element. We are very pro using air fryers to make toast! 🙂
Does your bread get toasted on both sides? I would like to purchase an air fryer that toasts bread on both sides. Would you recommend the Emeril air fryer oven for this toast dilemma, lol?
Hello Becky. I have found that the Emeril is good for toast, but the Emeril has quality issues over the long haul. But to answer your question, yes, both sides will toast. If you use a basket air fryer, the bread will lay on the bottom, and as the moisture leaves the bread, you will hear it bouncing around the inside of the air fryer like a toast cyclone. The first time I heard it I was worried…then after a while, it is the cost of bread getting toasted on all sides.
Do you have to turn the bread over to toast both sides?
Hi, Cathy – No, no need for that. Although the bread is likely to turn itself over during toasting. 🙂
I just toasted hamburger buns in my air fryer. I did spray a bit of olive oil and it worked great (3 min @ 400 degrees).
I finally decided to put air fryer on counter top and moved my toaster oven to ‘donation’ box. I am very impressed with the versatility of my air fryer. Thanks to my wonderful daughter, who gave air fryer as gift.
Love it
I am confused. Do you place in on the rack or in the basket that rotates.
Hi, Margaret – If you’re using a standard air fryer like the Cosori I mentioned in the post, just put the bread in the basket. There is no rotation of the basket in a standard air fryer. If you’re wondering about a multi-function air fryer like the Emeril I mention, just put the bread on the rack. If you have a rotisserie basket for items like french fries in the Emeril, don’t use that. Use the toast setting with the wire rack.
Do we take the crisper plate out or leave it in? New to air frying. Thank you.
Hello – I don’t know what air fryer you have, but leave the crisper plate in, unless it’s only meant for certain kinds of food. We’ve used a GoWise air fryer that had a crisper plate in the basket that was meant to always be used.
Hello, I have the 5.8 at Cosori that has a removable metal rack in the basket. What do I use the metal rack for? And to cook toast do I use the metal rack or just place the bread in the basket without the metal rack? Also, do I cook a frozen fish fillet using the frozen food preset or the fish preset.
Hi, Jane – We don’t have the removable metal rack with our Cosori, but I believe it would be used for cooking two levels of food at once. For example, you could cook meat on one level and vegetables on another. To cook toast, you do not need the metal rack, just place the bread directly in the basket. For a frozen fish filet, I don’t know what the difference in time and temp between those two settings is. The fish preset is for non-frozen fish so it likely wouldn’t complete the cooking of a frozen filet. Is the filet breaded? That would likely work well with the frozen preset. If it’s not breaded, the frozen preset may be too long. That said, I like the frozen preset because it offers a halfway through alarm to remind you to shake/flip your food. I would probably use that myself, flip halfway through and then check the inside temp of the filet with a meat thermometer a few minutes after that.
I have the GE User Manual GE JES1109RRSS. I still can’t make toast. Can you explain?
Hi, Carmen – I’m not familiar with any GE air fryers so I don’t know what the issue might be. I can’t think of any reason why it wouldn’t be possible to toast bread in any air fryer.
To the airfrying.net administrator, You always provide clear explanations and step-by-step instructions.