Best non-toxic air fryers: PFAS free, glass and stainless steel options
Air fryers have become a kitchen essential — but most still cook our food in a non-stick coated basket. If you're looking to reduce PFAS and unnecessary coatings in your kitchen, here's what to look for instead.
Our Top Picks
Cuisinart ClearView Glass 3.8L Air Fryer
If you want to move away from the traditional coated air-fryer drawer without spending £150+, this is one of the most interesting options we've found.
Ninja CRISPi 3.8L 4-in-1 Glass Air Fryer
A clever glass cooking system from a well-established air-fryer brand, combining the convenience of an air fryer with glass cooking containers.
Fritaire Glass Air Fryer
Strong choice if avoiding conventional non-stick coatings is more important to you than having the familiar drawer-style air fryer.
On this page
Not my air-fryer aswell?
Air fryers have become a kitchen staple, promising crispy food with less oil and much less fuss. But the vast majority still cook food in a non-stick coated basket, raising questions about PFAS and the materials being heated alongside our food.
The good news is that there are now air fryers that use glass, stainless steel or PFAS-free cooking surfaces — and some avoid non-stick coatings altogether.
We looked at the materials that come into contact with food, alongside performance, practicality and value, to find the air fryers we think are worth considering.
The problem with non-stick airfryers
If you're trying to reduce PFAS and unnecessary plastic in your kitchen, your air fryer is another appliance worth checking.
Most traditional drawer-style air fryers use a non-stick coating on the basket or cooking drawer. Historically, these coatings have commonly been based on PTFE — the fluoropolymer most famously associated with the Teflon brand.
PTFE makes an excellent non-stick surface, which is precisely why it has been so widely used. The issue is that PTFE belongs to the very broad PFAS family of chemicals — often referred to as "forever chemicals" because of the persistence of many PFAS in the environment.
An air fryer is something that may be heated hundreds or even thousands of times. If there are good alternatives that don't require a traditional PTFE non-stick cooking surface, we think they're worth considering.
Where does Teflon fit in?
PTFE, the fluoropolymer most famously associated with the Teflon brand, belongs to the broad PFAS family. While PTFE isn't the same as all other PFAS chemicals, choosing an air fryer without a traditional PTFE coating is a simple way to reduce PFAS-containing materials in your kitchen.
If a PTFE/Teflon-coated basket is scratched, peeling or flaking, particles of the coating can end up in food. We'd replace the basket — or the air fryer if a replacement isn't available.
What should you look for instead?
For KindCasa, we prioritised air fryers where the surfaces that come into direct contact with food use glass or stainless steel, or clearly stated PFAS-free materials.
Glass
Glass is one of our favourite options for an air fryer.
It doesn't need a non-stick coating, it doesn't absorb flavours or smells and you can actually see your food cooking.
The downside is weight. Glass containers are heavier than conventional air-fryer drawers and, obviously, can break if dropped.
Stainless steel
Uncoated stainless steel is another material we like.
It's durable, well understood, doesn't require a non-stick coating and can last for years. It's particularly common in air-fryer ovens rather than conventional drawer-style models.
The trade-off is that food can stick more easily, so you may need a little oil or a different cooking technique
PFAS-free ceramic coatings
PFAS-free ceramic coatings are an alternative to traditional PTFE non-stick.
A good PFAS-free ceramic model can still be a sensible option — particularly if you really want the convenience and easy cleaning of a traditional drawer-style air fryer.
However, they're still surface coatings and can wear over time. For that reason, they may not last as long as stainless-steel or glass cooking surfaces.
We'd choose glass or uncoated stainless steel first, followed by a clearly stated PFAS-free ceramic coating where the convenience of a traditional air fryer matters.
What we looked for
- Food-contact materials — with particular attention to the basket, trays and surfaces that actually touch your food.
- PFAS/PTFE information — prioritising products where manufacturers clearly state what their cooking surfaces are made from.
- Glass and stainless steel — particularly products that avoid a coated cooking basket altogether.
- Durability — because a product that needs replacing frequently isn't necessarily the better choice.
- Practicality — it still has to work as an air fryer. Capacity, cleaning, speed and ease of use matter.
- Value — we've included options at different price points.
Glass vs stainless steel vs ceramic air fryers: which would we choose?
If reducing coatings is your main priority, we'd keep the hierarchy very simple:
1. Glass
Our first choice where practical. No non-stick coating is needed and it's easy to see and clean.
2. Uncoated stainless steel
Extremely durable and another excellent coating-free option, although food can stick more easily.
3. PFAS-free ceramic coating
A reasonable compromise if you want the convenience of a traditional drawer air fryer, but remember that ceramic is still a coating and can deteriorate with use.
4. Traditional PTFE non-stick
Very convenient and widely used, but not our first choice if you're specifically trying to reduce PFAS-containing materials in your kitchen.
Best PFAS-Free Air Fryers: Our Recommendations
Best Budget (£)
Cuisinart ClearView Glass 3.8L Air Fryer
If you want to move away from the traditional coated air-fryer drawer without spending £150+, this is one of the most interesting options we've found.
Food cooks inside a removable glass basket rather than a conventional non-stick drawer, while the crisper plate uses a PFAS-free ceramic coating. The 3.8L basket can also go from cooking to serving and storage, with a lid included.
- Glass cooking basket
- PFAS-free ceramic crisper plate
- Compact design
- Dishwasher-safe glass basket
- Can cook, serve and store food in the same container
- 3.8L capacity won't suit everyone
- Less useful for large family batches
Where to buy
Salter VertiCook View Air Fryer
Glass air fryers aren't for everyone. If you want the capacity and convenience of a more traditional dual-drawer machine, the this is a useful alternative.
It has a generous 9L combined capacity, with two baskets stacked vertically rather than side-by-side. The cooking surfaces use ceramic non-stick rather than conventional PTFE-style non-stick, making it one of the more interesting family-sized options we've found.
- PFAS-free ceramic cooking surfaces
- Generous 9L capacity
- Two independently controlled cooking zones
- Excellent value for a family-sized model
- Ceramic coating may wear over time
- Food sometimes needs turning for even cooking
- Large baskets can be awkward to fit in smaller dishwashers
Where to buy
Best Mid-range (££)
Ninja CRISPi 4-in-1 Glass Air Fryer
Instead of cooking inside the usual coated drawer, the CRISPi uses borosilicate glass cooking containers. Ninja confirms that its aluminium crisper plates have a nano-ceramic coating that is free from PFAS and PTFE.
- Borosilicate glass cooking containers
- PFAS-and PTFE-free ceramic crisper plates
- Compact compared with many dual-drawer machines
- Excellent independent reviews
- Two different container sizes
- Dishwasher safe
- Ceramic coating remains on the crisper plates
- Glass and the PowerPod are relatively heavy
- Capacity may feel limited for large family meals
Where to buy
HYSapientia 24L Air Fryer Oven
If avoiding coatings is your priority and you don't mind moving away from the familiar drawer design, an air-fryer oven opens up much better options.
HYSapientia specialises in stainless-steel air-fryer ovens. This 24L model has a stainless-steel interior and comes with an air-fryer basket, oven rack and rotisserie accessories.
Unlike a ceramic-coated drawer, you're able to cook on metal racks and baskets rather than relying on a non-stick cooking surface.
- Stainless steel interior
- Avoids the conventional coated air-fryer drawer
- Large 24L capacity
- Air-fryer basket and metal racks
- Rotisserie function
- Can replace several countertop appliances
- Much larger than a drawer air fryer
- Takes up considerable worktop space
Where to buy
Best Premium (£££)
Fritaire Glass Air Fryer
This is the strongest materials-first recommendation on our list.
Instead of a coated drawer, Fritaire uses a large transparent glass cooking bowl. The manufacturer specifically states that the appliance is PFAS-free, Teflon-free and BPA-free.
Our first choice if avoiding non-stick coatings altogether is your priority. You're accepting a little less convenience in return for a much simpler cooking surface.
- Glass cooking chamber
- No conventional coated cooking drawer
- Manufacturer states PFAS- and Teflon-free
- Food visible throughout cooking
- Rotisserie and tumbler accessories
- Generous 4.7L bowl
- Easy-to-clean glass
- Glass bowl is heavy
- Hot lid requires more care than a conventional drawer
- Self-cleaning function has received mixed feedback
- Less convenient than a pull-out basket
Where to buy
Our Place Wonder Oven
The Wonder Oven avoids the traditional coated drawer with an open-mesh chromed-steel air-fryer basket. It also offers six cooking functions, including air frying, roasting and baking.
The supplied baking pan is PFAS-free ceramic-coated, so we'd favour the uncoated metal basket where practical.
- Chromed-steel air-fryer basket
- Air frying doesn't require a non-stick basket
- PFAS-, PTFE- and PFOA-free accessories
- Six cooking functions
- Compact for an air-fryer oven
- Can replace several countertop appliances
- Attractive design
- Baking pan is ceramic-coated
- Larger than a conventional air fryer
- One cooking temperature at a time
Where to buy
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