Kitchen
Fewer chemicalsMany air fryer baskets are non-stick, a use of PFAS (“forever chemicals”). A glass-bowl air fryer cooks in a glass bowl instead of a non-stick basket.
Our pick
Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 glass air fryer, FN101ST
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The cooking bowl is borosilicate glass, which the maker says is free of PFAS, PTFE and non-stick coatings. Food sits on a crisper plate of aluminum with a ceramic non-stick coating.
FDA says studies show only negligible amounts of PFAS move from the coating into food, but a 2022 lab study in Science of the Total Environment estimated that scratched non-stick can shed tiny coating particles. Overheated non-stick also gives off fumes that can be deadly to pet birds: a 2012 veterinary report in Comparative Medicine notes they’re known to damage pet birds’ lungs.
General information, not medical or veterinary advice. Ask your doctor, or your vet if a pet could be exposed.
Keeping your air fryer? Don’t preheat it empty, skip metal tools and scouring, and replace the basket once the coating scratches or flakes.
Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 glass air fryer, FN101ST: The cooking bowl is glass. The crisper plate inside is aluminum with a ceramic non-stick coating.
Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.
Many do: they’re non-stick, and FDA lists non-stick coatings as an authorized food-contact use of PFAS. FDA says studies show negligible migration into food.
Yes, you can air-fry in your oven: an uncoated stainless steel mesh basket over a pan lets hot oven air reach every side; use the convection (fan) setting. It takes longer to heat than a countertop air fryer.
Overheated non-stick cookware is a known cause of fatal lung damage in pet birds. An uncoated steel oven basket has no coating to overheat.
Kitchen
Your pan’s ‘forever chemical’ coating can give off fumes when an empty pan overheats. Cast iron and stainless steel have no coating at all.
Our pick
Mercer Culinary 10.25" skillet
Kitchen
Scratched non-stick coatings may shed thousands to millions of plastic particles as you cook, a 2022 lab study estimated.
Our pick
TeamFar Stainless Steel Half Sheet Pans, 17.6 × 13", 2-pack
Kitchen
The simplest non-toxic slow cooker is a plain stoneware crock with a glass lid. There’s no non-stick coating to scratch, and our pick’s maker says its specifications allow no measurable lead in its crocks.
Our pick
Hamilton Beach 6 qt slow cooker, stoneware crock, glass lid (33665G)
