How do you use Oil in the Air Fryer?

When I had my previous air fryer I was given a can of olive oil spray.

I tried to buy a oil sprayer though my order got cancelled for some reason I forget and I never tried to buy another one before my air fryer died.

Now that I am getting a new air fryer this week, I need an oil spray.

As far as I know this is a must for french fries and roasted veggies.

So what do you use?

For most items like potato fries and other veggies, I use olive oil if wife and I are sharing the meal, but expeller-pressed canola if I'm eating that item alone.  The latter has a higher smoke point and still is considered heart healthy.  Preparation is to have the veggie pieces in a large bowl and drizzle a bit of oil, then combine by tossing with a curved rubber spatula to get that squee-gee effect to coat all of the pieces.  Also been making a veggie bacon that starts with an overnight marinade of 'tofu skin' or yuba.  Just before cooking, I make a mixture of a few tablespoons of canola oil, 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika, a few tablespoons of maple syrup and a 1/4 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, all put directly on a large plate before mixing.  Marinated tofu skin pieces are transferred to the plate mix, coated on both sides by flipping with a fork and then placed into the air fryer basket.  I use the upper rack, fryer temp setting of 350F, and montior air frying carefully....pieces turn brown in a few minutes, but blacken if cooked too long.  After a few runs you will get a feel for the chewiness or crispiness that you prefer.  Note, for this or other fake meats done in the fryer, I often use a basting brush to add extra oil or marinade if items are cooking slower and longer.  Good luck!

For potatoes, I pour a small amount of oil on top, then rub it in with my hands.  I don't know if this would work for other foods.

Once I had a refillable oil spray can that used pumping action to add air to the can to spray the oil, but I broke it after 14 months.

a little bit of oil is good-- air frying with zero oil can make everything really dry, which is probably not what you're going for (I did it with plantains last week, they are not great to eat). Also some stuff might stick to the basket if you don't spray it.

I also broke one of those pump spray bottles almost immediately. My current solution is a trigger spray bottle from the hardware store that I fill with oil, and then brush with a pastry brush (for greasing muffin tins or bread pans, etc). Works great. You could also just pour some oil in a cup and paint it on with your pastry brush (they make silicone brushes that are good for this and easy to clean).

But honestly, for air frying it's easier to chop up the food, drizzle oil over it, toss and then air fry. Doesn't get much simpler!

I am sure it is a matter of individual taste, but I have never used oil in our air fryer.