I tried the best nontoxic air fryers on the market and am sharing my unfiltered thoughts on each one. The best non toxic air fryer is made with stainless steel, glass and ceramic coating and is completely free from Teflon, PFAS, PFOA, BPA, and other harmful chemicals without compromising on performance.

Why Air Fryers are Toxic

Many conventional air fryers are coated with Teflon, PTFE, PFAS, PFOA and BPA that will gas off when exposed to heat. It takes less than two minutes for these forever chemicals to be released.

• PTFE coatings: when overheated above 500°F releases toxic fumes linked to flu-like symptoms. Teflon is the trade name for the PTFE polymer.
• PFAS chemicals: these are “forever chemicals” are linked to immune system suppression, lower birth weight, and increased risk for some cancers. They’re now on the California’s Prop 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer. 
• PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic Acid): chemical used in older non-stick coatings, linked to cancer, hormone disruption and liver damage
• BPA: some plastic components contain BPA lining which leaches into food especially at high heat
• Phthalates in plastic parts: hormone disruptors that can leach when plastic is exposed to high heat
• Cheap aluminum baskets: uncoated aluminum can leach into acidic foods at high temperatures
• Melamine components: toxic when heated, should never come into contact with food at high temps
• Cadmium and lead: found in low quality paints or coatings on cheaper imported models

Tips to Safely Air Fry

Here are some tips on how to find the safest air fryer and minimize your toxic exposure while using one.

• Look for air fryers made with stainless steel, glass or ceramic parts
• Avoid Teflon, PTFE, PFOA, PFAS, phthalates and BPA and look for “PFAS-free” or “Teflon free” in the description
• Reduce your exposure to acrylamide (formed when starchy foods are cooked at high heat and can act as a neurotoxin) by cooking at temps lower than 347°F and avoid over-browning and charring.
• Use non-metal utensils like wood or silicone to avoid scratching the coating
• Avoid cooking sprays with aerosol propellants and use a small amount of healthy oil applied directly instead like coconut oil or avocado oil.
• Don’t preheat an empty air fryer
• Avoid placing in dishwasher to avoid high heat and wash by hand

I Tried Bella 4QT Fits Anywhere Slim Air Fryer

Bella 4QT Slim Air Fryer is such an affordable yet really modern air fryer that’s free of PFAS and harmful materials. This sleek basket style air fryer uses a proprietary ceramic coating called Evergood and is made without any PFAS, PFOA, PTFE, lead, or cadmium. At just under $60 it’s the most stylish, thoughtfully-made basket style air fryer I’ve used for this price point. Instead of knobs it has digital controls that I find really responsive to the slightest touch. There’s six presets: air fry, bake, roast, broil, reheat, and dehydrate and it heats up to 400 degrees. I was surprised by how quiet it is and there was no weird smells or overheating. She’s super versatile, heats up quickly and air fries to crispy perfection. The downside with basket style air fryers is I can’t see how my food is doing inside and I’ve occasionally burnt my food. I find the 4QT size to be ideal for two people. Any more and this will feel small. Bella comes in four colors, but the oatmeal blends in the best and looks inconspicuous on my countertop.

Price: $59
What I love: so budget friendly! modern and elegant, very quiet
What I don’t love: basket style doesn’t allow me to see how the food is doing
Other models available: 6QT, Air Fryer Toaster Oven

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I tried Our Place Wonder Oven

The Our Place air fryer is made without any PTFE (Teflon), PFOA, PFAS, lead and cadmium and is built from premium glass and stainless steel. Is the Wonder Oven a little gimmicky? Yes, but it is one of the best stainless steel options out there, and she cute. This is a versatile oven-style air fryer that I’d only recommend for a one or two person household because of how little space is inside. Our Place does now have a Large Wonder Oven which has three levels inside and is good for 4-6 people. I love that there’s no weird smells, it heats up to temperature almost immediately and offers six different functions: air fry, bake, roast, toast, broil, and reheat. There’s also a unique steam infusion feature that I like. You add 1-2 tablespoons of water on the top and it circulates the steam so food stays moist without losing flavor. I can turn on the oven light to see how my food is crisping up, which is always nice.

I love the retro aesthetic and how light it is, but it does feel “delicate” compared to the heftier ovens I’ve tried. I try to be more careful with not putting anything too heavy inside. I feel that the downside with air fryer ovens are that they don’t feel like a true toaster nor a true air fryer, so there is a bit of a compromise to having all the different functionalities. The Wonder Oven comes with wire racks, an ultra-slippery nonstick bake pan, an air fryer basket, and a crumb tray. 

Price: $185
What I love: versatile and light, quiet
What I don’t love: feels very delicate, oven style is annoying to clean
Materials: Stainless steel (exterior and wire rack), Chromed steel (wire rack and air fryer basket), aluminum with ceramic coating (bake pan)
Other models available: Large Wonder Oven

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I tried Greenpan Bistro 9-in-1 Air Fryer Toaster Oven

Greenpan’s non toxic air fryer feels the most on par with my Ninja Foodi Air Fry Oven. Compared to Our Place, this feels like a professional heavy duty appliance. They use a proprietary ceramic nonstick coating derived from sand-based materials and are made without PFAS, PFOA, lead, or cadmium. There’s a few ways this company really stands out if you’re looking for the safest product. First, Greenpan own their own factories so they know exactly how their products are being made and what’s going into each part throughout the entire process. Second, their proprietary coating has been independently tested and certified to be safe according to USA Food & Drug Administration, German LFGB, Swiss government, and KTR standards. Legit nontoxic and no bs.

I find their oven style air fryer to be extremely sturdy, spacious, well built and well equipped with no offgassing smell. It has nine different functions: bake, broil, air fry, proof, dehydrate, slow cook, toast, warm, and pizza. I do find that it heats up super quickly in just a few minutes and is able to air fry all sorts of food to crispy perfection. The knobs and LED display are sleek, sophisticated and very easy to use. There’s lots of space inside to cook bigger meals (up to 4 lbs), but it’s also a clunky and heavy appliance. This is the heftiest PFAS-free air fryer I’ve tried to date.  It comes with a stainless steel rack, baking pan, air fry basket, and crumb tray.

Price: $399 (currently $189 on Amazon)
What I love: very durable, spacious and works so well
What I don’t love: heavy, clunky and annoying to clean
Other models available: 4.5 QT basket style, 7 QT basket style, Elite Convection Air Fryer Toaster Oven

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I tried Big Boss 16Qt Large Glass Air Fryer

The Big Boss Air Fryer is a unique egg-looking chamber air fryer that’s made up of a glass bowl and stainless steel racks. It’s 100% free of Teflon (PTFE) and PFOA non-stick coatings. I’ve found that Big Boss offers amazing value for money for the size, especially when other comparable models go for $300+. It’s just kinda ugly looking and oversized honestly.

I can make the most variety of food with this beast of an air fryer that sorta looks like a mini Big Green Egg, including a whole chicken! It’s got a whopping three racks and 16 QT capacity, has a chamber style look and is transparent all around. As I expected, the food on the top rack cooks faster than the bottom. I do love that I can easily throw in whole potatoes and larger foods and have a 360 degree view of how it’s cooking. This is a great option for family style cooking without the harmful plastics. I find that it heats up extremely quickly, and the knobs are easy to use. One thing to note is there’s no pre-sets and there’s only two knobs for time and temp. Personally, for my home I find it takes up way too much space and would be more suitable for large countertops.

Price: $99.99
What I love: great for big meals and large families, can fit a ton of food, great value for money, multiple levels for cooking
What I don’t love: enormous, only two controls, doesn’t cook evenly on each level
Materials: Glass and stainless steel

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I tried Aria Air Fryer (most compact)

The Aria Air Fryer is a basket style air fryer with ceramic parts that are PTFE-free, PFOA-free, and BPA-free. This is the simplest and most compact nontoxic air fryer I’ve tried at 2QT and is ideal for single servings. I find that it heats up to 400° super duper quickly and is super convenient for small and quick meals. It’s dummy-proof and soo simple and easy to use – perfect for people who don’t know how to cook or hate handling complicated appliances. I’ve air fried snacks and desserts and it does a great job at crisping up for every time. I love the retro look and how compact it is – saves up so much space on a smaller countertop. The downside is that it does feel flimsy.

Price: $49
What I love: so compact and easy to use
What I don’t love: can only handle small snacks and single servings, feels flimsy

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