Fried foods are Delish! Like, you’ll barely find someone who doesn’t love to crunch on crispy, deep-fried goodies. But hey, let’s face it, the health hazards associated with traditional frying methods can be a major turn-off. Fortunately, there are tons of non toxic air fryers in the market that offer a healthier alternative. These appliances are designed to use super-hot air for cooking food, eliminating the need for excess oils and fats.
In fact, studies have found that food cooked in nontoxic air fryers has the familiar crispy golden-brown texture but cuts down your calorie intake by 70%-80%. That’s massive! In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of non-toxic air fryers, what to look for when buying one, and our top recommendations. So hang on till the end!
Best Non Toxic Air Fryers
1. ARIA
2. Elite Gourmet
3. Nutrichef
4. Ninja® Foodi™
5. Oster
6. Black + Decker
7. Big Boss
8. Gourmia
9. Green Pan
10. Geek Chef
How We Chose the Best Non Toxic Air Fryer for You
Non Toxic Coatings
Nowadays, most nonstick coatings found on kitchen appliances and cookware are made from Teflon. While Teflon is safe to be used in packaging, textile, and furniture, it becomes extremely dangerous if used in cookware. Because as temperatures rise above 500°F (260°C), Teflon starts breaking down, releasing toxic chemicals like PFAS, PFOA and PTFE into your food. Our picks for the best non toxic air fryers have a ceramic coating or are made from stainless steel or glass, all of which are free from chemicals.
Affordable
Non toxic air fryers without Teflon coatings are a bit pricier, but they are also equipped with more features that come in handy when you regularly use the appliance in your kitchen. Our list comprises of cutting-edge air fryers that not only check all the boxes of being a healthy alternative but are also easy on your pocket with every model ranging between $65 to $300. Choosing to eat right shouldn’t come at a fortune.
Multi-Functional Features
The best non toxic air fryers are designed to be all-rounders. From easy-to-use controls to adjustable temperature settings, convection oven to toaster combo and grill, every safe air fryer we picked has multiple functions and is an apt example of advanced technology.
Dishwasher-Safe
Our day-to-day lives have become so jam-packed with never-ending schedules that the dishwasher seems like the only way to go for kitchen cleanup. Therefore, the below-mentioned air fryers are carefully selected after confirming that they ensure easy clean up and are dishwasher safe. Cleaning air fryers are mess-free anyway, as they don’t require much oil. But these air fryers can be cleaned up in a jiffy even after cooking foods that release grease or fat, like chicken wings or steak.
Size and Capacity
Depending on the lifestyle or size of the family, every person needs a different air fryer. This list features a good collection of air fryers in varied sizes and capacities to make cooking a hassle-free experience. From a compact piece of 2 Quarts to n appliance of a sizable 27 Quarts, you’ll find every alternative to match any lifestyle or kitchen setting.
Our Top Pics on 10 Best Non-Toxic Air Fryers for Saying Goodbye to Chemicals and Hello to Health
Air fryers are all about making healthy food choices without compromising on taste. However, it’s also important to steer clear of those that come with toxic nonstick coatings that pretend to do you good but are actually the worse thing ever. To ease your search for this perfect kitchen addition, we’ve rounded up a list of our recommendations which include the Aria 10 Qt Air Fryer Oven, Elite Gourmet Programmable Air Fryer, NutriChef Convection Countertop Toaster Oven, Ninja DT201 Foodi Stainless Steel NonToxic Air Fryer Oven, Oster Copper-Infused DuraCeramic 3.3-Quart Air Fryer, Black + Decker Crisp & Bake Air Fryer Toaster Oven, Big Boss Oil-Less Non Toxic Air Fryer, Gourmia Air Fryer, GreenPan 13-IN-1 Air Fryer Grill, and Geek Chef Air Fryer and Toaster Oven Combo.
1. ARIA 10 QT Air Fryer Oven
Dimensions: 16.85″D X 15.2″W X 17.7″H
Capacity: 10 Quarts
Price: $99.99
If you’re looking for an all-in-1, premium quality, non-toxic air fryer that has the features of a deep fryer, toaster, convection oven, and more, then The Aria 10 Qt Air Fryer Oven can be your one-stop solution. This versatile Teflon-free air fryer comes in a sleek and modern design to seamlessly fit into any kitchen setting. It has a large capacity to adjust multiple items simultaneously and has different cooking levels to help you make meals for your entire family, including unexpected guests.
Its rotating rotisserie gently spins your food at 360° ensuring even cooking, and the spinning cage steadily mixes every ingredient for a uniformly-cooked batch of fries and vegetables. The non-toxic air fryer is made with FDA-approved stainless steel and is free of harmful chemicals like PTFE, PFOA, BPA, and lead. In addition, you’ll love the expansive touchscreen display that is equipped with an internal lamp to help you keep an eye on the food without frequently opening it.
2. Elite Gourmet Programmable Digital Air Fryer
Dimensions: 16.88″D X 15.76″W X 15.55″H
Capacity: 26.5 Quarts
Price: $179.99
The Elite Gourmet Programmable Air Fryer is one of the most display-worthy, compact air fryers, perfect for a small family. With a future-forward look and advanced features, this stainless steel air fryer is the ideal kitchen appliance designed to provide you with a healthy and smart cooking experience. It is armed with a digital display and has easy-to-use controls to adjust your desired temperature setting and cooking time.
The PFOA and PTFE-free air fryer has a spacious basket enough for frying, baking, grilling, and roasting all your favorite food. Plus, the ceramic coating air fryer basket is dishwasher-safe for an easy cleanup. Moreover, for your safety, the Teflon-free air fryer has a safety feature that automatically turns off the appliance once the basket is removed. I love its compact design that takes up minimal space on your kitchen countertop, making it a flawless pick for small kitchens, studio apartments or dorm rooms.
3. Nutrichef Convection Counter Top Toaster Oven
Dimensions: 10.43″L X 9.21″W X 10.24″H
Capacity: 2.7 Quarts
Price: $182.99
The NutriChef Convection Countertop Toaster Oven is a cult-favorite for being one of the safest non toxic air fryer. This powerful appliance is built for faster cooking time, promising to cook, air fry, bake, and toast all your favorite foods in a jiffy. The temperature ranges from 149°F to 482°F, meaning you can easily defrost, broil, fry, roast, grill, and BBQ recipes for your breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Its built-in fan evenly circulates air to thoroughly cook everything while retaining the flavors of each ingredient.
What’s best about this air fryer convection oven is its wide glass cooking bowl that can hold up to 18 quarts of ingredients. So you are free from the hassle of cooking in separate batches. Plus, as this nontoxic air fryer is made of glass, you don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals absorbing into your food. To top it all, this glass design lets you monitor your food and ensures a mess-free cleanup later. So whether you’re a university student or a busy professional, the NutriChef Convection Countertop Toaster Oven is going to be your go-to appliance for all your cooking needs.
4. Ninja® Foodi™ 10-in-1 Smart XL Air Fry Oven
Dimensions: 17.09″D x 20.22″W x 13.34″H
Capacity: 12 l
Price: $329.99
This Ninja Air Fryer is the quintessential kitchen appliance for healthy, safe, and delicious meals. With a capacity of 12 litres, of course, it’s a right size countertop appliance that made it to this list, but hey, you can stop admiring its capability for whipping up full family-sized meals in one batch. We’re talking huge portions of a 5-lb chicken and a sheet pan of vegetables, 2 12-in pizzas, or a 12-lb turkey and so much more.
Perfect for busy households, this Ninja air fryer is a ninja in its true self that can help you gobble up fried delicacies without the added fat and calories. Additionally, it comes with a 10-in-1 functionality that features Air Fry, Air Roast, Bake, Whole Roast, Broil, Toast, Bagel, Dehydrate, Reheat, and Pizza. Its digital display and inbuilt controls make cooking settings super easy, and the powerful 1800W heating system ensures even cooking. Plus, the air fryer stainless steel oven has nonstick coatings that can be easily washed. Impressive!
5. Oster Copper Infused DuraCeramic 3.3-Quart Air Fryer
Dimensions: 14″D X 11″W X 13″H
Capacity: 3.3 Quarts
Price: $119.99
The Oster Copper-Infused DuraCeramic 3.3-Quart Air Fryer has a sleek and minimalist look fit to elevate your countertop to the next level. With a compact body of 3.3-quart capacity, its a perfect addition for small families. It has a copper-infused ceramic coating with the non-stick surface being PFOA- and PTFE-free. This nontoxic air fryer features easy-to-use automatic digital controls with eight preset cooking functions, such as air fry, bake, broil, roast, dehydrate, and more.
The temperature setting of this air fryer stainless steel oven ranges from 175-400°F, which you can adjust according to your requirements to achieve perfectly cooked meals every time. It has a cool-touch handle and an automatic turn-off feature ensuring safe cooking. And the cherry-on-top factor is the portable size of this air fryer— which is so handy, takes up minimal space, and is dishwasher-safe, making cleanup a whiff of a breeze!
6. Black + Decker Crisp N Bake Air Fryer Toaster Oven
Dimensions: 23″D X 21.5″W X 11.2″H
Capacity: 17 Quarts
Price: $109.99
If you have a big family or prefer to do meal preps for the entire week, then get your hands on the Black + Decker Crisp & Bake Air Fryer Toaster Oven. Undoubtedly, the best stainless steel, nontoxic air fryer for cooking up large portions, this appliance offers a drool-worthy deep-fried taste – but minus the fat. It is equipped with 5 cooking functions: air fry, toast, bake, broil, and keep warm, along with a 60-minute timer convenient for both short and long-duration cooking tasks.
The star of the show is it easily fits in a 9” x 13” pan with handles, toasting up to 8 slices of bread and a 12” pizza. In addition, its Bake function and extra wide capacity is apt for making brownies, casseroles, and much more! And when it comes to reheating leftovers, you can efficiently do so without turning on the big oven. So cool!
7. Big Boss Oil-Less Non-Toxic Air Fryer
Dimensions: 16″D x 16″W x 16″H
Capacity: 16 Quarts
Price: $74.63
This Big Boss Air Fryer is a super-sized non-toxic toaster oven that can cook up delicious deep-fried delicacies with little to no oil and still keep the crispy texture intact. That sounds like the most desirable result, right? The PFOA and PTFE-free air fryer has 5 main functions to air fry, bake, grill, roast, and toast with a temperature setting that range between 180℉ to 400℉. Simple and easy to operate, it features 2 dials, temperature control, a timer and auto-shutoff along with popular food recipe directions set right on the unit.
What’s more, the Big Boss Air Fryer has the triple cooking power of the halogen, convection, and 1300W built-in fan that circulates hot air evenly to cook your meals faster. In addition, its frying bowl is big enough to cook a whole turkey, and since it’s entirely made out of glass, you don’t have to bother about toxic nonstick coatings. Such a relief!
8. Gourmia Air Fryer
Dimensions: 13.58″D X 11.54″W X 13.2″H
Capacity: 6 Quarts
Price: $59.99
Hands down to one of the most trusted nontoxic air fryer brands in the USA, the Gourmia Air Fryer aims to help you enjoy your favorite fried goodies with just a drizzle of oil! Featuring innovative fat removal technology, its air fryer basket can remove up to 90% of fat in the cooking process. This multicooker combo electric oven is a perfect modern-day cooking gadget with 12-in-1 multi-functional quality that covers cooking presets for air-frying, broiling, baking, toasting, roasting, dehydrating, and more.
Gourmia Air Fryer has easy-set controls to adjust toast shades, time, and temperature. And its 360° fry-force technology ensures uniform cooking from every direction. This PFOA-free and PTFE-free air fryer isn’t laced with toxic ceramic coating and cooks food up to 30% faster compared to most ovens. So get ready to cook fast and clean fast, as the air fryer accessories are easy to clean up and dishwasher safe.
9. Green Pan Bistro 13-In-1 Multi Cooker Air Fryer Grill
Dimensions: 16″ W X 12″ L X 10″ D
Capacity: 6 Quarts
Price: $96.30
The GreenPan 13-IN-1 Air Fryer Grill is the ultimate kitchen appliance built to deliver healthy, delicious dishes without compromising on taste or convenience. Designed to give you perfectly fried, grilled, and roasted fares without any extra oil or fat, this revolutionary air fryer and grill combo will elevate your cooking to the next level. Its 13-in-1 multi-functions include— air fry, grill, steam, bake, dehydrate, slow cook, saute, sear, and roast. In addition, the appliance is free of PFAS, PFOA, lead & cadmium and is crafted with the highest quality materials to efficiently withstand the demands of everyday life.
Unlike generalized air fryers with toxic ceramic coating, the GreenPan Air fryer and Grill comes with diamond-infused ceramic nonstick coatings that keep your meals chemical free. And you just can’t miss its sleek and sophisticated design that is guaranteed to add some character to any kitchen. It is rigged with advanced heating technology to consistently deliver evenly cooked meals. Plus, its spacious air fryer basket can fit up to 2.5 pounds of meat and veggies to feed your family in one go.
10. Geek Chef Air Fryer Toaster Oven Combo
Dimensions: 13.38″D X 13.38″W X 12.79″H
Capacity: 10 Quarts
Price: $89.99
This Geek Chef’s Air Fryer and Toaster Oven Combo is one of the best non toxic air fryers in the market devised to help you broil, toast, bake, and air fry scrumptious meals without any oil. It boasts a 10-quart capacity and has 2 rack levels to prepare delectable spreads for up to a family of 6. With the power of 1500W and 360°cyclone, hot air circulation, this stainless steel air fryer cooks food evenly without compromising on the crispy texture.
The Geek Chef Air Fryer and Toaster Oven has a compact body that takes less room on your countertop, making it a perfect choice for smaller kitchens. It’s a multi-function oven that cooks food efficiently in the healthiest way by cutting more than 85% of fats. This nontoxic air fryer can cook anything you fancy, whether it’s the good old roasted chicken, pizzas and steaks or toast, cookies and cakes. It is also armed with a large viewing window to monitor your food.
Your Guide for Using a Non Toxic Air Fryer Easily
Air Fryers are definitely a good alternative to traditional deep-fried cooking methods, but that doesn’t mean they are completely safe. The hotchpotch of chemicals typically found in the nonstick coatings of the most popular air fryers might reduce the oil intake but causes long-term health issues. Let’s understand the good side of air fryers, the challenges and what we can do to sort them out—
Benefits of Air Fryers
- Air fryers use significantly less oil, ensuring the food items have a lower fat and calorie count.
- Air Fryers cook faster. Hence, it’s a convenient appliance for busy individuals or households who prefer to have meals ready in the blink of an eye.
- The new-age advanced non toxic air fryers are designed to be multi-purpose. They don’t just air fry stuff but can also cook in wide settings like broiling, steaming, baking, roasting, slow cooking, and so on.
- Air fryers are compact and come in sleek designs that can perfectly elevate the look of your kitchen without taking up much space on the countertop.
- Non-toxic air fryers produce less smoke and odor than traditional deep-fryers, making indoor cooking a swift experience.
- Since air fryers have a hot air fan installed to circulate heat, every ingredient is cooked uniformly.
- Air fryers have temperature control settings, built-in timer, and the best ones have automatic shut-off feature making them a safer choice. This majorly helps in saving energy.
The Downside of Using Air Fryers
- Apart from stainless steel and glass air fryers, most air fryers come with nonstick coatings, which are toxic to your health and the environment. These coatings release harmful chemicals like PTFE and PFOA when heated to high temperatures or if the non-stick coating is damaged after regular use. The residues of this layer can also get seeped into your food while cooking, if the coating is aerosolized in the air.
- Most common industrially-made air fryers consist of a plastic body, which is terrible for your health and the environment. What’s worse with them is, you can smell the plastic in the first few uses, once the appliance is heated.
- While air fryers are marketed as the safest options for cooking your food, that’s not always the case. Plastic-bodied air fryers and those with Teflon nonstick coatings are a big no-no, definitely. But even when you are looking for a glass or a stainless steel air fryer, it’s important to check for details and their credibility of not polluting your food.
- Just because you’ve air-fried something doesn’t mean it will become a healthy food choice. Of course, it’s better than regular deep frying methods, but that doesn’t mean everything that comes out of the air fryer is healthy. For instance, If your ingredients are coated in processed seed oils or sugar, they will remain unhealthy, air fry or not.
- Air fryers may not work with larger families as they’ve limited capacity.
- If you crowd the air fryer basket with a lot of stuff, you’re not going to get evenly cooked food, as too much of ingredients can prevent the proper circulation of hot air.
- Certain food items may release acrylamide when they are cooked at high temperatures. Acrylamide is a chemical substance which is formed when some food items are fried, roasted or baked. It primarily occurs from cooking starchy foods like potatoes and cereal grains. In addition, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines are other toxic compounds that occur when food items like beef, pork, poultry, and fish are cooked at high temperatures (above 300 degrees Fahrenheit). Interestingly, another source where you can find heterocyclic amines – exhaust fumes from cars and cigarette smoke.
- After observing the effects of acrylamide in rodents, it has been proven that this compound can cause cancers (carcinogenic) of any organ system it comes in contact with. However, its effects on humans via dietary means are still under research. Therefore, it is advisable to exercise caution.
Health Hazards of PFAS, PFOA and PTFE
Continuous exposure to hazardous chemicals like PFAS, PFOA, and PTFE, which are parts of nonstick coatings, can cause cancer. The PFAS category of chemicals includes Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Although, at present-day, most appliances are PFOA-free, you can still find PTFE in many, also known as Teflon.
The US Authority has already banned PFOA due to its increased contribution to toxic pollution in the environment. However, some brands are still breaking the law and manufacturing appliances and cookware with PFOA-based nonstick coating, putting people’s lives in danger.
PFAS, PFOA and PTFE can cause many health hazards, such as kidney disease, heart disease, tumours, fertility issues, low birth weight, and so on. Therefore, to get only the best from air fryers, you must ensure that its components or accessories are free of these compounds before moving ahead with your purchase.
Tips for Using Air Fryers
- Position your air fryer at the right place in your kitchen. Always keep your nontoxic air fryer on a heat-resistant countertop, ensuring at least 5 inches of space behind the air fryer for easy airflow from the exhaust vent.
- Pre-heat your air fryer before adding in your food items.
- Spray cooking oil on your food to limit your oil usage. Invest in a cooking spray bottle and fill it up with your own preferred oil, instead of buying oil sprays in cans. These oil cans contain aerosol agents that can break down the nonstick coatings on your air fryer basket, releasing harmful chemicals.
- You can multiply the benefits of air fryers by using cooking oils with a preferably high smoke point. This will help ensure that the oil does not start burning when the heat is high. Refined coconut oil, groundnut oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, and clarified butter (ghee), etc. are some great alternatives.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket with a lot of ingredients at one go, because this will not give you the desired uniformly cooked food. Instead, cook in batches by placing food items evenly on the air fryer basket or rack.
- While cooking, stop and shake the air fryer basket occasionally to ensure even cooking of your stack of veggies or french fries.
- Clean your nonstick air fryer regularly to prevent settling down residues from your food resulting in bacterial formation. User the manual guide for cleaning instructions.
- When it’s time to finally let go of your air fryer, try eco-friendly alternatives such as recycling at the nearest e-waste center. Don’t forget to segregate any components such as batteries, glass, or plastic items before proceeding.
To Conclude…
Non-toxic air fryers offer a safe and healthy way to relish your favorite fried foods without soaking in excess oil and fat. But as already mentioned, you have to make the right choice in purchasing this appliance to guarantee all-round clean eating.
Dr Karan Rajan (MRCS, MBBS, BSc), NHS Surgeon and author of ‘This Book May Save Your Life,’ debunks the concerns surrounding toxic air fryers. He points out that unlike popular opinion, these concerns are not as worrisome.The number of microplastics and forever chemicals that humans consume via air fryers is minuscule compared with the exposure from the environment. It all comes down to appliance maintenance. Otherwise, ceramic or stainless steel air fryers are the way to go.
With our recommendations and tips, you can easily find a non-toxic air fryer that fits your needs, lifestyle and your budget. So make the switch to non-toxic meals every day and start enjoying delicious, healthy fried foods without risking your health!
