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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-25 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want one versatile stainless-steel rack set that handles cooling, steaming, canning and air fryer basket lining, choose KITCHENATICS Round Cooling Rack; if you need dedicated non-stick silicone molds for baking ring cakes and pound cakes in an air fryer, choose Paeniom 6.
• KITCHENATICS Round Cooling Rack — biggest trade-off: it is a rack, not a pan. It does not hold batter, so it cannot shape a cake by itself — you still need your own pan or mold underneath or beside it.
• Paeniom 6 — biggest strength: two food-grade silicone fluted ring molds sized at 6" outer diameter × 2" height with a 1" central tube and 2.5-cup capacity, built specifically to fit inside a household air fryer.
• Paeniom 6 — biggest trade-off: it bakes one shape — a fluted ring — and its temperature ceiling of 446°F sits well below what a stainless rack tolerates. It is also far more limited in role than a multi-use rack.
• Who each pick is for: KITCHENATICS for the cook who wants one durable, multi-tasking piece of hardware for cooling, steaming and basket lining; Paeniom 6 for the baker who wants to drop batter in and pull out a ring cake, pound cake or flan from an air fryer.
This is hardware, and I mean that in the best sense. The set gives you three round racks — 7.5", 9" and 10.5" — made from 304 (18/8) commercial-grade stainless steel that is described as rust-proof with no sharp edges. Each rack has 1-inch high legs, which is the detail that matters most for real cooking: that clearance lets air move underneath whatever you set on top, whether that is a cake cooling after baking or a pot of food you want to steam.
The versatility is the whole pitch here. The manufacturer lists it for air fryers, pressure cookers, Instant Pots, metal and bamboo steamers, pots and toaster ovens, and it doubles as a trivet for a roast chicken or turkey and as a canning rack. It is rated oven and grill safe up to 575°F, and it is dishwasher safe, so cleanup after a messy steam or a sticky glaze is not a chore. There is also a lifetime warranty and a downloadable recipe e-book included, and the product is designed and quality-controlled by SNLCO LLC in Utah — a husband-and-wife operation that has been building kitchenware under this brand since 2016.
Buy it if you want a single set that earns its cabinet space across cooling, steaming, canning and lining an air fryer or pressure cooker basket. Skip it if your goal is specifically to pour batter and get a shaped cake out — a wire rack has no walls, so it simply cannot do that job. Also consider whether you already own round racks in these sizes; if you do, the value of a three-piece set drops sharply.
Paeniom 6: Who It's For
The temperature range is -40°C to 230°C (-104°F to 446°F), and within that window the molds are safe in ovens, air fryers, microwaves, freezers and dishwashers. That freezer-to-oven range is the quiet advantage of silicone. The non-stick surface means residue releases quickly — a rinse in warm soapy water or a trip through the dishwasher is usually enough, which is the main reason people move to silicone for sticky batters in the first place. The stated uses cover ring cakes, donut cakes, pound cakes, jello, pudding, cheesecake and flan, so it is not a one-trick mold, just a one-shape one.
Buy it if you specifically want an air fryer cake pan — a compact mold that fits the basket of nearly any household air fryer without wasting space, and turns out a fluted ring without greasing and flouring a metal tin. Skip it if you need high-heat searing, grilling or any job above 446°F, or if you want a cake in a classic round or loaf shape; the ring is the only form you get.
• Best for baking an air fryer cake → Paeniom 6. It is the only one of the two that actually holds batter and produces a shaped cake.
• Best for cooling a cake you already baked → KITCHENATICS Round Cooling Rack. That is literally its job, and the 1-inch legs let air circulate under the baked goods.
• Best for high heat → KITCHENATICS Round Cooling Rack. Oven and grill safe to 575°F versus 446°F for the silicone molds.
• Best for steaming and pressure cooking → KITCHENATICS Round Cooling Rack. It is designed for air fryers, pressure cookers, Instant Pots and both metal and bamboo steamers.
• Best for non-stick release and easy cleanup → Paeniom 6. The silicone surface releases sticky batters with a rinse or a dishwasher cycle.
• Best for freezer-to-oven flexibility → Paeniom 6. Its rated range runs down to -104°F, so it can go from freezer to oven or air fryer.
• Best for durability and structure → KITCHENATICS Round Cooling Rack. 304 stainless steel with a lifetime warranty will outlast silicone, which can eventually stain, absorb odors or tear.
• Best for one purchase that does many jobs → KITCHENATICS Round Cooling Rack. Three sizes, plus trivet, canning rack and basket-lining duty, versus one shape and one function.
My Verdict
If I could only buy one, I would buy the KITCHENATICS Round Cooling Rack. In my opinion, three sizes of 304 stainless steel, a 575°F ceiling, dishwasher-safe cleaning and a lifetime warranty make it the more durable and more broadly useful object — it works for cooling, steaming, canning and lining an air fryer basket, and it will not wear out the way silicone eventually does. But I would not pretend it replaces the Paeniom 6 for its specific purpose: if your actual goal is baking a ring cake, pound cake or flan inside an air fryer, the molds are what you need, and the rack cannot do that. If your budget only stretches to one and you bake in an air fryer regularly, buy the Paeniom 6. If you cook across steaming, cooling and pressure cooking, buy the rack.
can you put a cake pan in an air fryer
what is an air fryer cake pan
It is a small pan or mold sized so it can sit inside an air fryer basket and hold batter as it bakes. The Paeniom 6 is one example: a 6" fluted ring mold with a 1" central tube and 2.5-cup capacity, made from food-grade, BPA-free silicone so cakes release without greasing.
what is an air fryer baking pan
Broadly, any pan or mold you bake in inside an air fryer — round tins, loaf pans, silicone molds. The KITCHENATICS Round Cooling Rack is not a baking pan in that sense; it is a rack used to line an air fryer or pressure cooker basket or to steam and cool food, rated oven and grill safe to 575°F.
how to clean air fryer baking pan
It depends on the material. The Paeniom 6 silicone molds are non-stick and dishwasher safe, so a rinse in warm soapy water or a dishwasher cycle is usually enough. The KITCHENATICS stainless steel racks are also dishwasher safe and can simply be hand washed. Whatever you use, check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that is the one thing these specs cannot tell you.
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