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
If you want a crisper plate that actually helps air fryer onion rings come out evenly browned and crunchy, choose Pilipane Fryer Replacement Grill; if you need a replacement handle to keep a fry basket usable and safe to lift, choose Healifty Stainless Steel Fry.
• Pilipane Fryer Replacement Grill — biggest strength: a perforated 6.1-inch crisper plate with an upgraded double-layer non-stick coating, built to sit in the basket and let hot air move around the food.
• Pilipane Fryer Replacement Grill — biggest trade-off: it is a single-size plate, so it only makes sense if it fits your basket and you are cooking in that size range.
• Healifty Stainless Steel Fry — biggest strength: a detachable stainless steel and plastic basket handle with heat shielding, so you can lift a hot fry basket without grabbing bare metal.
• Healifty Stainless Steel Fry — biggest trade-off: it is a handle, not a cooking surface — it does nothing for browning or crispness on its own.
• Who each pick is for: Pilipane for anyone cooking onion rings, fries or similar small-batch food in a compatible air fryer basket; Healifty for anyone whose existing fry basket handle is broken, missing or too hot to grip.
The Pilipane Fryer Replacement Grill is a 6.1-inch crisper plate designed to sit inside a frying basket and change how air behaves around your food. Its defining feature is the perforated surface: instead of food resting flat on a solid base, the holes let hot air circulate underneath and around each piece. In my opinion that is exactly the problem with air fryer onion rings — they brown on top and stay pale and soft underneath because the underside never gets airflow. A perforated plate addresses that directly by letting the hot air do its job from more than one direction.
The second thing worth knowing is the coating. Pilipane uses what it describes as an upgraded double-layer sprayed non-stick surface, and the brand frames that upgrade around high-temperature resistance and durability. Read that as a practical claim: the point of a double layer is that the plate survives repeated hot cycles without the coating flaking away as fast as a cheap single-layer one might. There is also a rubber sleeve included that acts as a heat barrier and a scratch guard, so the plate is less likely to chew up the non-stick lining of your inner pot when you set it down or slide it in.
Healifty Stainless Steel Fry: Who It's For
The Healifty Stainless Steel Fry is a completely different kind of product, and it is worth being blunt about that. It is not a cooking surface. It is a detachable replacement handle for a fry basket, made from stainless steel with a sturdy plastic grip and a heat shield built in. You attach it to a basket, and it gives you something safe and comfortable to hold while you lift food out of hot oil.
The heat protection is the core of it. A bare metal basket handle gets hot fast during a long frying session, and the whole point of this design is that your hand stays comfortable rather than burned. The stainless steel body is described as heavy-duty and resistant to daily wear, which matters in a busy kitchen where a handle gets grabbed dozens of times a day. The plastic grip is what your palm actually contacts. And because the handle is detachable, you can remove it for cleaning or swap it onto a different basket instead of throwing the whole basket away.
Healifty lists wide compatibility with round and wire mesh fry baskets, and the size — roughly 10.24 x 2.76 x 1.38 inches — tells you this is a full-length handle rather than a stubby clip-on. The design also claims to minimize the hard-to-reach crevices where grease collects, which is a fair thing to care about if you fry often. Who should buy it? Home cooks with a tired or broken basket handle, and commercial or home kitchens running a chip basket, mesh basket or turkey-frying basket that needs a secure grip. Who should skip it? Anyone shopping for an air fryer accessory to improve crispness. This will not make onion rings crunchier. It makes a basket safer to hold, full stop.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for crisp, evenly browned food → Pilipane Fryer Replacement Grill. The perforated plate is the whole reason to buy it.
• Best for lifting a hot basket safely → Healifty Stainless Steel Fry. Heat shielding plus a plastic grip is its entire purpose.
• Best for replacing a broken part → Healifty Stainless Steel Fry. It is a direct replacement for a detachable basket handle.
• Best for non-stick and cleanup → Pilipane Fryer Replacement Grill. The double-layer coating and scratch-guard sleeve both point at easier, longer-lasting use.
• Best for commercial or heavy-duty use → Healifty Stainless Steel Fry. Stainless steel construction is described as built for frequent, repeated handling.
• Best if you already like your basket → Pilipane Fryer Replacement Grill. You keep the basket and just add airflow underneath the food.
• Best fit check → Pilipane needs a compatible 6.1-inch basket; Healifty needs a round or wire mesh basket it can attach to. Measure before you commit.
In my opinion, for air fryer onion rings the answer is not close: I would buy the Pilipane Fryer Replacement Grill. If your goal is crisp, evenly cooked onion rings, the perforated crisper plate is the product doing the actual work, and the non-stick coating and rubber sleeve make it a part you can live with day to day. The Healifty Stainless Steel Fry is a good, well-reasoned fix for a specific problem — a handle that has failed or is too hot to hold — but it will not change how your food cooks. Buy Healifty only if a broken handle is what sent you searching in the first place.
how to air fry onion rings
Spread the rings in a single layer so air can move between them, and use a perforated crisper plate like the Pilipane so the underside gets airflow too. Shake or flip them partway through so both sides brown. A crowded basket is the main reason onion rings come out uneven.
how to air fry onion rings frozen
Frozen rings go in straight from the freezer — no thawing needed, and no oil required if they are already coated. Keep them in one layer on a perforated plate so the hot air reaches all sides rather than steaming the pile. Check them toward the end, since frozen coatings brown quickly.
You do not need a separate appliance: a perforated crisper plate works the same way on an oven rack, letting hot air reach the underside of the rings. Set the rings in a single layer with space between them and turn them once. This is exactly the kind of small-batch job the 6.1-inch Pilipane plate suits.
Do I need to check the price before buying?
Yes — this page does not list prices, so use the "Check latest price on Amazon" button for both items. Compare the two there, since they are different categories of product and only one of them cooks your food.
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