The metal rack that comes with the Gourmia air fryer serves an important purpose – it allows for maximum airflow and efficient cooking. Air fryers work by rapidly circulating hot air to crisp and cook food. The metal rack elevates the food off the bottom of the air fryer basket, allowing air to flow all around the food for even cooking.
Without the rack, food sitting directly on the bottom of the air fryer would partly shield itself from the circulating air. This could lead to uneven cooking results. The rack helps prevent soggy bottoms and cold spots by keeping air moving around the entirety of the food.
Benefits of Using the Metal Rack
There are several key benefits to using the included metal rack with your Gourmia air fryer:
- Promotes Even Cooking – As mentioned, the rack allows hot air to circulate all around food for crisp, evenly cooked results.
- Avoids Soggy Bottoms – Keeping food elevated prevents soggy, uncooked undersides.
- Allows Fat to Drip Away – The open design lets excess fat drip down through the rack away from food as it cooks.
- Prevents Food From Sticking – The nonstick coated rack helps prevent food like chicken wings or fries from sticking during cooking.
- Facilitates Flip-Free Cooking – The rack means you don’t need to flip or rotate food during the air fryer cooking process.
- Elevates Food For Crisping – Raising food closer towards the heating element helps create crispy textures.
- Makes Removal Easier – The rack allows you to easily lift and remove all food at once when cooking is finished.
As you can see, the rack has some clear usefulness for getting great results with an air fryer. It plays an integral role in air circulation and overall cooking performance.
When to Use the Metal Rack
Here are some examples of when you’ll want to use the metal rack with your Gourmia air fryer:
- Frozen Foods – The rack helps evenly crisp up frozen foods like french fries, tater tots, chicken nuggets, etc.
- Fresh Vegetables – Get deliciously roasted veggies by cooking fresh potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli, etc on the rack.
- Meat and Poultry – The rack allows air flow under chicken wings, chicken thighs, pork chops and other proteins for crisping.
- Fish and Seafood – Cook shrimp, fish fillets, scallops and more right on the metal rack.
- Snacks – Use it for crispy air fried snacks like cheese sticks, jalapeno poppers, egg rolls and more.
- Small Items – The rack prevents tiny foods like tater tots or shrimp from falling through basket slats.
The rack is useful for nearly anything you’d cook in the air fryer. The exception is larger roasts and whole chickens that won’t actually fit on the rack.
Using the Rack Correctly
To get the most out of the metal rack, follow these tips for proper usage:
– Make sure the rack is cleaned before each use.
– Position the rack securely inside the air fryer basket, seated evenly on the bottom.
– Don’t overload the rack – leave space between food for air flow.
– Brush or spray oil over food for optimal crisping. The rack design doesn’t hold oil well on its own.
– For foods like fries, shake the rack periodically during cooking to redistribute for even browning.
– Use tongs or mitts to remove the rack to avoid direct contact with hot metal.
– Check that smaller foods haven’t fallen through the slats during cooking.
– Allow the rack to cool fully before cleaning. Use non-abrasive sponges and dish soap.
Following these best practices will give you delicious air fried results every time.
Cooking Without the Rack
While using the rack is recommended, it’s not necessarily required. You can still cook foods directly in the air fryer basket without it. This may work better for larger roasts and whole chickens.
If cooking without the rack, follow these guidelines:
– Use a basket liner or foil to prevent sticking and catch drips.
– Brush or spray oil over food to prevent drying out.
– Flip or rotate food midway during cooking for even browning.
– Add a few minutes to the cook time since food is further from the heating element.
– Use tongs to remove food when finished cooking.
So you can certainly cook in your Gourmia air fryer sans rack. But for most meals, keeping the metal rack inserted provides ideal air circulation and consistency.
Troubleshooting Rack Issues
Using the rack properly will prevent most problems, but here are some troubleshooting tips just in case:
Food cooked unevenly?
– Don’t overload the rack next time. Leave space between food items.
– Shake the rack mid-cooking to redistribute food.
Food sticking to the rack?
– Properly spray or brush the rack with oil before adding food.
– Allow the rack to fully preheat before adding food.
Rack is hard to clean?
– Allow it to fully cool after cooking before cleaning.
– Use a baking soda solution to help remove sticky residue.
Delicate foods fell through the slats?
– Place a sheet of parchment paper over the rack to cover slats.
– Use a shallower mesh basket designed for small items like shrimp.
Rack warped or damaged?
– Avoid exceeding the air fryer’s maximum temperature setting.
– Replace a damaged rack to ensure optimal air flow.
Following the cooking instructions for your air fryer model will help prevent most rack-related problems. But the tips above can help troubleshoot any issues that pop up.
Alternative Rack Options
While the included metal rack works great, Gourmia and other brands offer some alternative rack options:
Cake Racks
Cake racks are less dense than traditional air fryer racks. The wider grid pattern allows more air flow for fast, even cooking. They can provide ideal lift for baking air fried cakes and pastry desserts.
Grilling Racks
Some air fryer grilling racks have raised ridges to add grill marks to meats, vegetables, and more. The ridges sear in flavor while the rack still allows air circulation.
Skewer Racks
Skewer racks allow you to cook skewered foods in the air fryer. They hold stacked proteins or vegetables vertically for full exposure to airflow all around.
Vented Pans
Perforated pans have holes all over the bottom and raised sides. These contain small or saucy foods while still allowing ample air circulation.
So consider accessory racks tailored to certain air frying tasks. But for general everyday cooking, the standard flat metal rack is still your best bet.
Should You Buy a Replacement Rack?
With proper maintenance, your Gourmia air fryer’s original metal rack should last a long time. But racks can possibly become damaged or lost over time.
Replacement racks are affordable and available. Here are some instances when buying a new rack makes sense:
– Your current rack is warped, bent out of shape, or otherwise defective.
– You’ve somehow misplaced or lost your original air fryer rack.
– You want to have multiple racks to use for large batch cooking.
– You want to upgrade to a different style of rack like a grilling or cake rack.
– Your rack has stubborn stuck-on stains or residue that won’t come clean.
As long as your current rack is intact and functioning, a replacement is not strictly necessary. But it’s handy to know you can conveniently purchase a replacement if needed down the road.
Top Rack Replacement Options
If you do want to buy a new Gourmia air fryer rack, here are some recommended options:
| Product Name | Price | Material | Dimensions | Dishwasher Safe? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gourmia GAF699 Original Rack | $12.99 | Stainless steel | 11 x 11 inches | Yes |
| Gourmia GAF779 Upgraded Rack | $14.99 | Stainless steel | 10.5 x 10.5 inches | Yes |
| Chefman Air Fryer Rack | $10.95 | Stainless steel | 10.5 x 10.5 inches | Yes |
| NUK Original Rack | $9.99 | Metal | 10.5 x 10.5 inches | No |
These well-priced replacements receive positive reviews and are made to fit most mid-sized Gourmia air fryer models. The Gourmia branded racks allow you to match your original, while the Chefman and NUK racks work well as generic replacements.
Conclusion
The metal rack that comes with your Gourmia air fryer is an essential accessory for crisp, evenly cooked food. It elevates food to allow air flow, prevents sticking and dripping, and makes cooking and removal easy. Be sure to use the rack for nearly all recipes to get the best results from your air fryer. Keep it cleaned and maintained, and replace it if becomes excessively damaged. With the rack inserted properly, you’ll enjoy mess-free, quick and healthy air fried meals your whole family will love.