How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-25 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• GCQ Air Fryer Basket — biggest strength: a steel baking pan plus a raised mesh fry basket built specifically for Cuisinart TOA-60, TOA-65 and TOA-70 ovens, with 360° heat circulation that surrounds food so you don't have to flip it.
• GCQ Air Fryer Basket — biggest trade-off: it's oven-specific and hand-wash oriented, so it's useless if you own a different air fryer and it needs more care than a rinse.
• Li & Zhao Li&Zhao Silicone Air — biggest strength: two reusable 8-inch silicone liners that fit 4–7 quart baskets and trays, resist food sticking, and clean up with a rinse or a dishwasher cycle.
• Li & Zhao Li&Zhao Silicone Air — biggest trade-off: silicone conducts heat more gently than steel, so it's better at keeping bread and breaded food moist and non-stick than at delivering a hard, dry crust.
• Who each pick is for: GCQ for Cuisinart toaster-oven owners who want real steel cookware; Li & Zhao for almost everyone else who wants cheap, flexible, easy-clean liners.
This is cookware, not a liner. GCQ gives you two pieces — a baking pan and a fry basket — sized at roughly 12.48 by 10.94 inches to drop straight into a Cuisinart TOA-60, TOA-65 or TOA-70 air fryer toaster oven. That compatibility is the entire point. The pieces are shaped so air can still move around them, which is what keeps a toaster oven's convection performance from getting choked off.
The mesh basket sits above the tray. That's the detail I care about most for bread and breaded cooking. Food rests on the mesh, hot air wraps underneath as well as over the top, and the tray below catches crumbs and drips. GCQ describes this as 360° heat circulation and claims you don't need to turn or flip food. I'd take that with a grain of salt for thick items, but for a slice of bread, a breaded cutlet or breaded fish, the raised-mesh approach genuinely helps the underside crisp instead of steaming against a solid surface.
The steel is food-grade, BPA-free, rated to a 480 °F max, and the brand lists a 17-liter capacity for the set. Steel also means real heat conductivity — it gets hot, it transfers that heat, and it doesn't insulate food the way silicone does. Cleaning is wipe-down or hand wash; the non-porous surface resists stains and odors, but you're not tossing this in a dishwasher with total confidence.
Buy it if you own one of those Cuisinart models and you want a permanent, sturdy basket that browns bread and breaded food properly. Skip it if your air fryer isn't a Cuisinart TOA-60/65/70, or if you want something you can rinse in five seconds and forget about.
This is the opposite philosophy: cheap, flexible, forgiving. You get two square silicone liners, each about 8 inches across and roughly 2 inches deep, in red and gray, and they're designed to sit inside a 4–7 quart air fryer basket or on a baking tray. That size range covers a huge slice of the air fryers people actually own, which is why I'd call this the more universally useful of the two products.
The raised pattern on the bottom is there to keep food off the surface so it doesn't stick and so grease and crumbs don't weld themselves to your basket. The brand lists a 428 °F max, dishwasher and microwave safe, and a smooth elastic inner surface that food slides off. Li & Zhao specifically names bread, bacon, pizza, buns and fries as foods it's meant for — which is the signal that this is a moisture-friendly, non-stick liner rather than a browning tool.
Here's the honest trade-off. Silicone is a worse heat conductor than steel. That's exactly why bread and breaded chicken come out tender and release cleanly from these liners, and exactly why you won't get the same crisp underside you'd get from a mesh basket. If your goal is golden, crusty breaded chicken, silicone is helping you in one way and holding you back in another.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for Cuisinart TOA-60/65/70 owners → GCQ Air Fryer Basket, since it's sized for those exact ovens.
• Best for everyone else → Li & Zhao Li&Zhao Silicone Air, because 4–7 quart coverage fits far more appliances.
• Best for crispy bread and breaded food → GCQ Air Fryer Basket, thanks to steel conductivity and raised mesh airflow.
• Best for non-stick release and tender results → Li & Zhao Li&Zhao Silicone Air, because silicone and a raised base keep bread and breaded chicken from welding to the surface.
• Best for easy cleanup → Li & Zhao Li&Zhao Silicone Air, which is dishwasher safe; GCQ is wipe-down or hand wash.
• Best for higher heat cooking → GCQ Air Fryer Basket at a 480 °F max versus 428 °F for the silicone liners.
• Best for multi-appliance use → Li & Zhao Li&Zhao Silicone Air, usable in air fryers, microwaves, ovens and steamers.
• Best for a permanent, sturdy setup → GCQ Air Fryer Basket, since it's a two-piece steel pan-and-basket set, not a flexible insert.
For my own kitchen, if I owned a Cuisinart TOA-60, TOA-65 or TOA-70, I'd buy the GCQ Air Fryer Basket. The raised mesh over a crumb tray is the right design for bread and breaded food, and steel simply browns better than silicone. If I owned anything else, I'd buy the Li & Zhao Li&Zhao Silicone Air — the 4–7 quart fit and dishwasher-safe cleanup make it the more practical pick for most people. In my opinion, the deciding question isn't quality, it's which appliance you actually have.
FAQ
how to air fryer bread
how to air fryer breaded chicken
Breaded chicken needs airflow on all sides or the coating goes soggy on the bottom. The GCQ mesh basket is built for this — food sits above the tray and hot air surrounds it, and GCQ claims you don't need to flip. Silicone liners keep the coating from sticking but won't crisp the underside as aggressively.
how to air fryer breaded chicken breast
Thicker breaded breasts benefit from a single flip partway through, since the center takes longer than the crust. Use a steel basket like the GCQ set for the crispiest exterior, or a Li & Zhao liner if you'd rather have a tender, non-stick result and easier cleanup afterward.
how to air fryer breaded fish
Breaded fish is delicate and sticks easily, so a non-stick surface matters more here. The Li & Zhao silicone liner's raised base does that job well and stays under 428 °F, which suits fish. If you want a firmer crust, the GCQ basket's steel and mesh airflow will get you there instead.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: HSOOVZN 2-Pack vs Fukaisu 2pcs: Air Fryer Silicone Pot, GWY 11.7"×11.7 vs GWYXC Air Fryer Basket, Afarnook 4 vs Aramox Silicone Fryer Liner: Air Fryer Chicken