How We Research
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 versatile oven-and-toaster-oven baking set that doubles as a cooling and bacon rack, choose Rottay Quarter Baking Sheet; if you need an air fryer multi purpose rack that turns your 5QT Ninja into a two-level crisper, choose ALJ 5QT.
• Rottay Quarter Baking Sheet — biggest trade-off: It's built for ovens and toaster ovens, not for the basket of a 5QT Ninja — and at 3.1 pounds for the set, it's a real piece of cookware, not a lightweight insert.
• ALJ 5QT — biggest strength: A purpose-built 7 x 7 x 0.1 inch crisping plate with a double-layer nonstick coating, a handle for lifting it out of the basket, rubber bumpers, and dishwasher-safe cleanup.
• ALJ 5QT — biggest trade-off: It fits the Ninja 5QT AF141 4-in-1 Air Fryer Pro specifically, so it's the wrong buy for any other appliance, and the nonstick coating needs gentle washing tools.
• Who each pick is for: Rottay for bakers and oven cooks who want a stackable pan-and-rack combo; ALJ for Ninja 5QT owners who want to crisp more food in one air fryer session.
The Rottay set is a baking tool first. You get two quarter-sheet pans and two wire racks, and the two halves of the set work together or apart. The pans measure 12 x 10 x 1 inches, and the racks are 11.6 x 9 x 0.65 inches, so each rack drops neatly into a pan or sits on its own as a cooling rack. The rack has six raised feet for stability and dense parallel wires so food doesn't slip through — which is also why it works as a bacon rack for rendering fat away from the strips.
The material story matters here. Everything is stainless steel with no chemical coating, so there's no nonstick layer to flake or scratch, and nothing to worry about at high baking temperatures. Aluminum pans are lighter and cheaper, but this is the alternative for anyone who wants to avoid bare aluminum in the kitchen. The pan bottom uses a corrugated surface, which does two jobs: it lifts food slightly so air moves underneath for more even browning and easier release, and the ridges stiffen the pan. Add the reinforced rolled edge and you have a tray designed to resist twisting and warping. The rim has no sharp spots, so it's comfortable to pull out of a hot oven.
So who should buy it? Anyone whose cooking happens in a regular oven or a toaster oven — sheet-pan dinners, dozens of cookies, roasted vegetables, cakes, chicken, bacon. Two pans means you can run one in the oven while the other cools or holds the next batch, and the racks double as a landing spot for anything that needs to cool without steaming itself on a solid surface.
Who should skip it? If your appliance is an air fryer, this isn't your accessory. The pans are sized for ovens, not for a 5QT basket, and nothing here is designed to slot into an air fryer's interior. Also skip it if you specifically want a nonstick surface — the trade-off for no coating is that you'll want parchment or a light oil for sticky bakes. And if you only ever bake one small tray at a time, a four-piece set is more cookware than you need.
This is a single-purpose accessory, and it's honest about it. The ALJ crisping plate is made for the Ninja 5QT AF141 4-in-1 Air Fryer Pro and nothing else — the product notes say so twice, which tells you the fit is the whole point. It's a 7 x 7 x 0.1 inch plate made of food-grade carbon steel with a double-layer nonstick coating that's described as high-temperature resistant and resistant to flaking. It's also BPA-free.
The design is all about handling. There's a handle so you can lift the plate straight out of the basket instead of fishing around with tongs, and rubber bumpers keep it from sliding or rattling against the basket walls. It's dishwasher safe, and the brand includes a nonstick cleaning cloth as a nod to the fact that the coating is the part you have to protect — no abrasive pads or metal scouring balls, ever.
The real reason people buy an insert like this is capacity and airflow. A crisping plate gives you a raised, perforated-style surface so hot air circulates under the food instead of letting it sit in its own oil. That's the difference between soggy-bottomed nuggets and properly crisp ones. It also lets you treat your air fryer more like a small oven — a plate of vegetables, a batch of fries, or reheated leftovers, all lifted off the basket floor.
Buy it if you own the Ninja 5QT AF141 and you want more usable crisp surface, easier cleanup, and a plate you can pull out one-handed. Skip it if your air fryer is a different model or capacity — the fit is specific, and a 7-inch plate won't do you any good in the wrong basket. Skip it, too, if you're looking for actual multi-tier cooking: this is one plate, not a stackable set.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for air fryer multi purpose rack use → ALJ 5QT. It's built specifically to sit inside the Ninja 5QT AF141 basket and raise food for airflow.
• Best for cooking two things at once → Rottay Quarter Baking Sheet. Two pans plus two racks let you bake one batch while the other cools.
• Best for one-handed basket handling → ALJ 5QT. The handle and rubber bumpers are designed for lifting the plate in and out cleanly.
• Best for coating-free cooking → Rottay Quarter Baking Sheet. Stainless steel with no chemical coating, so there's no nonstick layer to wear.
• Best for easy cleanup → ALJ 5QT. The double-layer nonstick surface is dishwasher safe, provided you avoid abrasives.
• Best for cooling cookies and baked goods → Rottay Quarter Baking Sheet. The wire racks have six raised feet and dense parallel lines made for cooling.
• Best for a specific appliance fit → ALJ 5QT. It's the Ninja 5QT AF141 or nothing; Rottay is the more universal of the two.
In my opinion, these two barely compete — they solve different problems in different appliances. If I had to pick one for a typical kitchen, I'd buy the Rottay Quarter Baking Sheet, because two stainless pans and two racks cover baking, roasting, cooling and bacon in an oven or toaster oven, and there's no coating to baby. But if you own a Ninja 5QT AF141 and your goal is crispier food with less scrubbing, the ALJ 5QT is the smarter purchase — it's the only one of the two that actually fits your appliance. Buy the one that matches what's sitting on your counter.
how to use multi layer rack in air fryer
A multi-layer rack goes inside the basket so you can cook on more than one level, letting hot air move around each layer instead of only over the top. The ALJ 5QT is a single crisping plate rather than a stacked rack, so it raises food off the basket floor for airflow — it doesn't add a second tier. If you want true layering, you'd need a rack designed for that.
how to put rack in air fryer
Lower the rack or plate into the basket with the handle or raised edge facing up so you can lift it back out. The ALJ 5QT has a handle plus rubber bumpers that keep it from sliding around the basket walls, and its specific fit is for the Ninja 5QT AF141 4-in-1 Air Fryer Pro. Check that it sits flat before you add food.
can you use an air fryer without the rack
Yes. An air fryer works with food straight in the basket — the rack is an accessory, not a requirement. A crisping plate like the ALJ 5QT mainly improves airflow underneath the food and makes cleanup easier, which is why people add one. Without it, food sits closer to the basket floor and may crisp less evenly on the underside.
can you stack racks in an air fryer
Stacking depends entirely on your basket height and the rack you own. A slim 0.1 inch plate like the ALJ 5QT sits low and leaves room above, but it's designed as a single layer, and the brand only specifies fit for the Ninja 5QT AF141 4-in-1 Air Fryer Pro. For a stackable setup you'd need a rack system built and sized for that purpose.
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: Findful 10oz vs Lainrrew Baking Sheet Pans: Air Fryer Cake, ALJ 5QT vs Yoclacr Air Fryer Dust, Frutasky Silicone Brownie Pan vs Yomvzake 6"x6: Air Fryer