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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-22 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• GWY's biggest strength: two stainless steel mesh baskets with a 12.2'' x 8.74'' basket and a 12.8'' x 9.6'' pan, a 480°F ceiling, and dishwasher-safe cleanup.
• GWY's biggest trade-off: steel this thin can warp if you skip the required preheat — the brand says to run it at 300°F for 10 minutes before first use or it may bend and shorten its life.
• THORSES's biggest strength: two different tray sizes in one set (large 15" x 11", medium 13.4" x 9.6") plus 60 pre-cut parchment sheets, so you can cook a main and a side at once and barely scrub afterward.
• THORSES's biggest trade-off: carbon steel tops out at 450°F, and the brand recommends hand washing to protect the coating even though it is dishwasher safe.
• Pick GWY if your oven is on the smaller side and you want the tougher, higher-heat, fully dishwasher-friendly option.
• Pick THORSES if you have a wide oven, cook for a family, and want the parchment paper doing your cleanup for you.
The GWY set is two pieces: a mesh basket measuring 12.2'' x 8.74'' and a pan measuring 12.8'' x 9.6''. That is a genuinely useful footprint for a standard home oven, and the mesh sits above the tray so hot air can wrap around the food from every angle. The brand calls it 360° heat circulation, and the practical payoff is that you do not have to stand there flipping drumsticks halfway through. For air fryer fried chicken, that matters — the whole point is a crust that sets and crisps without you babysitting it.
The material story is the real selling point. This is stainless steel with a non-stick finish and a stainless handle, and it is dishwasher safe. If you cook fried chicken regularly, you know the cleanup is the worst part: greasy mesh, stuck breading, soaking. Being able to rack it and walk away is a big deal. The set is also rated to 480°F, which gives you headroom above most fried-chicken recipes, which typically run in the 375–400°F range.
THORSES Air Fryer Basket: Who It's For
THORSES goes the other direction: two trays of different sizes, large at 15" x 11" and medium at 13.4" x 9.6", both in pink carbon steel. The large one is meaningfully bigger than the GWY pan, and the brand says the set fits ovens with at least a 16-inch interior width and 11-inch depth. Measure your oven before you commit — that is the one hard gate on this product.
The included 60 pre-cut parchment sheets are the standout feature. You line the tray, cook your chicken, and the grease and crumbs land on the paper instead of the pan. Pull the sheet, toss it, and the tray is basically clean. If you have ever scraped baked-on breading off a mesh basket at 9 p.m., you understand why that is worth something.
Performance-wise, THORSES uses the same raised-mesh idea: 360-degree air circulation, no frequent flipping, excess oil dripping down into the tray below. It is food-grade carbon steel with an easy-release surface, and it holds up to 450°F. That is enough for fried chicken, but it is a 30-degree lower ceiling than the GWY set, so if you like to blast things at maximum heat, keep that in mind. The brand also notes that because the surface treatment differs from raw carbon steel, hand washing is recommended for long-term life — dishwasher safe in theory, hand wash in practice if you want it to last. Buy THORSES if you have a wide oven and want volume plus disposable liners. Skip it if your oven is narrow, you dislike pink in the kitchen, or you refuse to hand wash.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for maximum heat tolerance → GWY Air Fryer Basket (480°F vs 450°F).
• Best for large-batch cooking → THORSES Air Fryer Basket (15" x 11" large tray beats GWY's 12.8" x 9.6" pan).
• Best for dishwasher confidence → GWY Air Fryer Basket — stainless steel, dishwasher safe, no hand-wash caveat.
• Best for small or standard ovens → GWY Air Fryer Basket — the smaller footprint fits where a 15-inch tray will not.
• Best for cooking a main and a side together → THORSES Air Fryer Basket — two distinct sizes in one set.
• Best for air fryer fried chicken specifically → GWY Air Fryer Basket if you want a hot, fast, no-flip cook with a stainless surface; THORSES if you want the parchment to handle the greasy fallout.
• Best for people who will not read instructions → neither, honestly — GWY needs a mandatory preheat and THORSES needs an oven-width check plus hand washing.
In my opinion, I would buy the GWY Air Fryer Basket. The reason is simple: stainless steel, a 480°F ceiling, and genuine dishwasher-safe cleanup are the three things I care about most when I am cooking fried chicken in the oven. The mandatory preheat is a real annoyance, but it is a one-time, ten-minute step, and once you know it, you know it. THORSES is the better pick if you have a big oven and you hate scrubbing — that parchment paper is a legitimately smart inclusion. But if you want the set that will take the most heat and the least careful handling over time, GWY is my call.
how to air fryer fried chicken
Coat your chicken, then arrange it in a single layer on the mesh basket so hot air can circulate on all sides. Both sets use a raised mesh over a tray, which the brands say means you do not need to flip the food. Cook at 375–400°F, which sits comfortably under GWY's 480°F limit and below THORSES's 450°F ceiling.
how to air fryer fried chicken breast
Breasts need a little more attention than wings because they dry out. Use the same single-layer arrangement, keep the temperature around 375°F, and let the mesh do the work — the 360° circulation these baskets are built around is what gives you a crispy outside without a soggy center. If you are using THORSES, line the tray with one of the parchment sheets first and cleanup is nearly nothing.
how to make air fryer fried chicken without buttermilk
Skip the buttermilk soak and use a simple dredge — seasoned flour, or flour plus a little mustard or egg to help it stick. The key is the basket: a raised mesh lets excess oil drip away and hot air reach every surface, so you get crunch without deep frying. Remember GWY needs that 300°F, 10-minute preheat before its first use, so plan for the extra time.
how to make air fryer fried chicken tenders
Tenders cook fast, so keep them in a single layer with space between them and check early. Both trays are sized for a decent batch — the GWY basket and THORSES large tray can each hold a family-sized portion without stacking. Check the current price on Amazon for either set before you decide, since that is the one variable this comparison cannot tell you.
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See also: GWY Oven Rack vs THORSES Air Fryer Basket: Air Fryer OR Oven, NUENSS-ROR Cover vs GWY Air Fryer Basket, GWY Air Fryer Basket vs TCSNOE 140PCS