I cannot help with the seriousness of the warning, but I have seen lots of casseroles being made and cooked in regular metal cake pans. Do you have any that will fit the air fryer?

I don't know about the small appliances but yes for sure I have seen ( and have a few) metal baking pans, trays, dishes etc. I definitely use some pretty often but I will say I think they aren't usually ( at least in my world and experience) the prettiest. Ceramic kind of gets restored easily by simply cleaning it but the metal ones look very well used and loved.

Just for starters, google metal baking pans ( and you can pick all different sizes and shapes).

If it says no ceramic, I'd heed that advice.

That warning is because it heats ceramic too quickly...and breaks it. I just replaced 14 salad plates because my husband was putting them under the microwave popcorn bag in the microwave and breaking the plate. Luckily I found great Christmas bargains and got the latest stoneware look....and purchased NEW salad plates. No advice as to ...if you should return it....you want one...I'd keep it. The Dollar Tree store has cheap metal cookie sheets you can buy. Or...use tin foil.

I have a small air fryer and I'm not having a problem with plates I use under a sandwich when toasting it.....but it's not in there more than 2 minutes. And....I can toast a sandwich without a plate under it too....

Mine came with pans, so I use them. But mine is old.

I would use only borosilicate glass in an air fryer. Original CorningWare (the vintage stuff), vintage PYREX, not 'pyrex'. 'pyrex' sold in the United States is not borosilicate glass. Anchor Hocking glass bakeware is not borosilicate glass, either. Both 'pyrex' & Anchor Hocking are tempered soda lime glass.

But metal/ aluminum is going to be the better performer because metal pans are thinner and conduct heat better. Food will cook faster. Which is the point of convection cooking.

Air fryers heat up fast, and it is probably too much of a shock to dishes and ceramics. I have a round 8" metal cake pan that I use in mine when I want to make an omelette etc. I also have a coated cast iron casserole dish that fits inside. I've never used pyrex, etc nor will I.

I would check the warnings that came with the pans.

I use old Corningware and old Pyrex pans in my convection toaster ovens and have never had problems with them, but they are not air fryers. It is possible that the warning you have concerns newer glass pans, and I have bought newer glass pans that came with warnings, but I bought them for storage (they came with plastic lids) rather than for cooking.

I never bake in Corningware or Pyrex at higher than 360°.

I've baked food in my convection/toaster oven/air fryer in regular white Corningware casserole dishes and a small Corningware Visions glass casserole dish without any problems. I usually set the temp about 25 degrees lower than my regular oven, because it seems to get hotter and cook faster.

I wouldn't recommend that you use glass pans if the instructions for your says otherwise.

" How To Use" - so far, nothing unusual, until I got to item #5:

"Never use glass or ceramic pans or lids"

I'd call the oven makers help line (should be one in the instructions) and ask about the "glass" comment to see if that included pyrex glass.

The theory about the unit heating too quickly is interesting, but doesn't make sense to me; it preheats just like any oven, before I would put the food in. The convection circulates the heat but doesn't add to it (I think - of course I might not understand!)

I never intend to use my corning/pyrex/AH pans with the air fryer function - only for the bake or roast setting. I used the current/old convection toaster oven to bake pies, cakes and casseroles in those pans without any problems - even at 400+ for certain recipes. I do use the metal pans that came with it for cookies and pizza.

Lars, mine are all older too.

I agree, Elmer, the help lines for this sort of product never have any additional information, but I will give a call anyway.

I will probably end up taking it back.

Thanks for all of the comments!

I would look online at the user's manuals for other brands of similar appliances to see if they have the same warning. If you want this combo appliance, if they all have the same warning, then you probably might just as well keep this one and go to goodwill and get some pans that will work.

Olychick, I did check a Cuisinart unit that looks very similar - and some of the language in the owner's manual is identical - but it actually recommended glass and metal.

I am looking around for other options - this is a nice unit (and very handsome) though, so I may just get some metal pie pans if I can find the smaller sizes that I use most often. I am totally accustomed to baking pie in glass so it will be a learning curve for a bit.

Picked up a never used Emeril air fryer/toaster oven at the church sale for $10 for DD#1. She loves it. Hers dehydrates too!! I would call and inquire. My bet in this litigious society too many people have glass and ceramic that are not oven safe. To cover their ASSets they just tell everyone NO. Most warnings are for those with the lowest IQs among us.