PTFE-Free Air Fryers: Glass, Ceramic & Toaster-Oven Options
Air fryers are a weeknight lifesaver with little kids, but most baskets are coated with traditional nonstick. Here's how to find one that isn't, and what 'PFAS-free' does and doesn't mean on an appliance box.
I put off buying an air fryer for a long time because nearly every basket I looked at was coated in PTFE nonstick, the same coating I'd just finished replacing in my pans. The good news is that there are now several real alternatives.
What to look for
- Glass cooking vessel: food sits in a glass dish, not a coated basket. This is the most coating-free option.
- Ceramic-coated basket: a sol-gel ceramic coating made without PTFE/PFAS. Easier to find and familiar to use, but it's still a coating that wears with time.
- Air fryer toaster oven: lets you cook on your own stainless sheet pan or in a glass dish inside. Check what the interior walls and included trays are made of.
- The rest of the machine: almost every air fryer has some plastic in the housing. That's normal; I focus on what touches the food.
A labeling heads-up: "PFOA-free" on an air fryer box doesn't tell you much, because PFOA was phased out of U.S. manufacturing years ago. Look for "PTFE-free" or "PFAS-free," and read the materials for the basket and the crisper plate specifically.
Glass air fryers
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Ninja Crispi Glass Air Fryer, 4-in-1
Instead of a coated metal basket, food cooks in a glass container that doubles as a storage and serving dish. The heating unit clips on top, which makes the cooking surface itself simple glass.
Worth knowing: Glass gets very hot and is heavy. Use oven mitts and set it on a trivet, out of reach of kids.
Check price on Amazon →Ninja Crispi Pro Glass Air Fryer, 6-in-1
The Pro version of Ninja's glass air fryer with more cooking functions. Same idea: food touches glass, not a nonstick coating.
Check price on Amazon →Chefman Crisp n' Go 4 Qt Glass Air Fryer
A smaller, lower-cost glass-bowl air fryer that Chefman markets with a PFAS-free bowl and rack. Good for a family of three or four doing snacks and sides.
Check price on Amazon →Ceramic-coated basket air fryers
Cosori TurboBlaze Air Fryer, 6 Qt
One of the best-reviewed basket air fryers, with a PFAS-free ceramic coating on the basket. Fast and quiet according to a lot of owner reviews.
Worth knowing: Same ceramic-coating caveats as above.
Check price on Amazon →Cosori Iconic Stainless Steel Air Fryer, 6.5 Qt
A familiar basket-style air fryer with a ceramic coating instead of traditional PTFE nonstick, so the workflow feels like any other air fryer.
Worth knowing: It's still a coating, so the ceramic caveats apply: gentle cleaning, no metal tongs, and expect it to wear over years.
Check price on Amazon →Aria Teflon-Free 3 Qt Ceramic Air Fryer
A compact air fryer with a ceramic basket, sized for a parent and a kid or for side dishes.
Check price on Amazon →Toaster-oven style
Our Place Wonder Oven 6-in-1 Air Fryer & Toaster Oven
A countertop oven with air fry, toast, bake and steam modes that Our Place markets as made without PFAS-based coatings (confirm the current listing before you buy). Toaster-oven style air fryers let you use your own stainless pans or glass dishes inside.
Check price on Amazon →With an oven-style air fryer, a small stainless or aluminum sheet pan from our bakeware guide fits inside and replaces the coated tray.
Making any air fryer last
- Skip aerosol cooking spray. It builds up and damages coatings. Toss food with a little oil instead.
- Use silicone-tipped or wooden tongs, never metal.
- Let the basket cool before washing, and use a soft sponge.
- Run a new air fryer empty once (by an open window) to burn off any manufacturing smell before you cook food in it.
Kid safety
Air fryers vent hot air out the back and the outside can get hot. Keep them pushed back on the counter, cords out of reach, and teach kids that the air fryer is a "grown-up only" appliance.
