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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• WAGENSTEIGER's biggest strength: A full 11.42-inch round SUS304 stainless steel set with a mesh tray and a drip pan, so it drains, dries, serves and bakes, not just fries.
• WAGENSTEIGER's biggest trade-off: It is a general kitchen tool first. It is not cut to fit any specific air fryer container, so how well it drops into your appliance is up to your own measurements.
• GXF's biggest strength: Purpose-built for Ninja Crispi glass containers, with a 0.8-inch gap under the rack to push hot air around the food for a crisp finish.
• GXF's biggest trade-off: Its 7.95 x 7.95 x 1 inch footprint is tied to Ninja Crispi sizes (2.5QT, 4QT, 6QT) and the small rack only fits 6-cup glassware, so it is close to useless in other brands.
• Pick WAGENSTEIGER if you want one stainless steel piece that works across prep, draining, drying and oven or air fryer crisping.
• Pick GXF if you own a Ninja Crispi and want a rack that actually belongs in that glass container.
This is a round 11.42-inch set made of SUS304 stainless steel, and the design is the whole point: an elevated mesh tray on three legs that sits above a solid drip pan. Anything wet you put on the mesh drains down instead of pooling, and air moves under and around the food rather than trapping moisture against the surface. That is exactly what you want after rinsing vegetables, defrosting something frozen, or draining a pot of pasta.
The second job it does well is crisping. The mesh is open enough that heat circulates 360° around the food, which is the same principle that makes air fryer vegetables come out crisp instead of steamed. You can run it as a baking tray, a cooling rack for fried food, or a basket inside an air fryer, and the drip pan underneath is sturdy enough to double as a serving dish straight to the table. It is also genuinely easy to live with: both pieces rinse clean or go in the dishwasher, and they stack for storage. At 1.3 pounds with a 1.18-inch profile, it stores flat without eating cabinet space.
Who should buy it: anyone who cooks vegetables often, wants one stainless steel piece that covers washing, drying, draining and crisping, and does not want to buy a rack per appliance. Who should skip it: if you specifically want a drop-in replacement rack for a Ninja Crispi, this is not shaped or sized for that container, and you would be forcing a general tool into a specific job.
The GXF set is a different animal. It is a two-piece stainless steel rack set with a square frame that is seamlessly welded so it resists deformation, sitting on four raised feet. The headline number is the 0.8-inch gap between the rack and the bottom of the glass container, which is what lets hot air sweep underneath the food instead of letting it sit in its own moisture. For air fryer vegetables, fries, wings or anything you want browned rather than soggy, that gap is the feature that matters.
The catch is compatibility. The maximum footprint is 7.95 x 7.95 x 1 inch, and it is designed around Ninja Crispi glass containers: FN090, FN100, FN101, FN102 in 2.5QT and 4QT, and Ninja Crispi Pro AS100 and AS101 in 6QT. The small rack fits 6-cup glassware; the large rack covers the 2.5QT, 4QT and 6QT sizes. It is heat-resistant for oven use, dishwasher safe, and the manufacturer notes you should skip abrasive cloths or metal scouring balls. It is also light, at 3.2 ounces, so it lifts in and out with one hand.
Who should buy it: Ninja Crispi owners who want a rack that fits their exact glass container and improves airflow under vegetables and proteins. Who should skip it: anyone without a Ninja Crispi, or anyone who wants a multi-purpose kitchen tray rather than a single-appliance accessory.
• Best for air fryer vegetables in a Ninja Crispi → GXF Air Fryer Crisper, because the 0.8-inch gap and square frame are built for that glass container.
• Best for washing and drying produce before cooking → WAGENSTEIGER Stainless Steel Mesh, with its elevated tray draining straight into the drip pan.
• Best for draining pasta or noodles → WAGENSTEIGER Stainless Steel Mesh; the drip pan catches the water and the mesh keeps noodles from sitting in it.
• Best for crisping in a regular oven or air fryer you already own → WAGENSTEIGER Stainless Steel Mesh, since it is not locked to one brand's container.
• Best for a dedicated single-appliance accessory → GXF Air Fryer Crisper, which does one job inside one family of appliances very well.
• Best for serving at the table → WAGENSTEIGER Stainless Steel Mesh, because the drip pan doubles as a serving dish.
• Best for compact storage → GXF Air Fryer Crisper at 3.2 ounces and a 5 x 5 x 0.3 inch package, though WAGENSTEIGER also stacks its two pieces flat.
• Best for a household that cooks vegetables daily → WAGENSTEIGER Stainless Steel Mesh, since it works at every stage from rinse to plate.
In my opinion, if you own a Ninja Crispi, the GXF Air Fryer Crisper is the smarter buy: it fits the container you already have and its airflow design is aimed squarely at getting vegetables crisp. But for most people reading this, I would buy the WAGENSTEIGER Stainless Steel Mesh. It is the more useful object in a real kitchen. It washes, drains, dries, serves and crisps, it is made of SUS304 stainless steel, and it is not tied to one appliance. You can check the current price on Amazon for either one before you decide.
FAQ
how to air fry vegetables
Cut them into even pieces, toss lightly with oil and seasoning, and spread them in a single layer so air can reach every side. A raised rack like the GXF crisper, with its 0.8-inch gap, or the elevated WAGENSTEIGER mesh tray, keeps vegetables off the base so heat circulates 360° and they brown instead of steam. Shake or turn them partway through.
You can skip the oil, but expect a drier, less browned result. The trick is airflow, not fat: vegetables sitting flat on a solid surface release moisture and go soft, while a mesh rack lets that moisture fall away and hot air wrap around the food. Both products here are built on that principle, so either one helps.
how to air fry vegetables in the oven
Use the same rack logic in a regular oven. Place vegetables on a mesh tray or crisper rack set over a pan, and the open design lets heat move around the food the way an air fryer does. The WAGENSTEIGER set is the more natural fit here since the mesh tray and drip pan are designed to work together as a baking and crisping pair.
Probably not. Its 7.95 x 7.95 x 1 inch frame is sized for Ninja Crispi glass containers, and the small rack only fits 6-cup glassware. Without that appliance, a general mesh tray gives you far more use for the same counter space.
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See also: Zacfton Stainless Steel Cooling vs generic Stainless Steel Mesh, GWY Air Fryer Cooking vs Fondpen Crisper Stainless Steel, Potchen 20 vs Univen Stainless Steel: Air Fryer Basket