The 6 Best Non Teflon Air Fryers in 2024 (Tried & Tested)

The more we learn about the dangers of Teflon, the more we try to avoid it in our kitchen – at all costs.

This is why we’ve researched extensively to find the best non-Teflon air fryers for 2024.

(👉 We’ve also found the best Teflon-Free Waffle Maker!)

Teflon and other PTFE coating can be found on the air fryer basket, accessories, and sometimes on the metal liner that goes into the air fryer bucket, and its toxic fume is released at high temperatures.

In this post, you’ll find the 5 highest rated and safest air fryers, made by established brands, that do not contain Teflon (PTFE) and PFOA.

👉 In a Hurry?

See our top picks compared below, or jump to our Non-Teflon air fryers reviews.

This post may contain affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.

What is Teflon and Why Do We Avoid It?

The actual technical or scientific name for Teflon is Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) – a group of man-made chemicals, that are very stable and do not react with other chemicals.

PFOA, another man-made chemical, was being used in the process of making Teflon and was found to cause flu-like symptoms when released into the air and increase the risk of certain tumors.

This use of PFOA for Teflon production was eliminated in 2013, but you should check if it exists in other nonstick coatings.

Teflon was found to start degrading and release toxic fumes at 570 F.

An air fryer is not supposed to get that hot, but we’d rather have the “better safe than sorry” approach.

Also, some nonstick coatings have been known to peel, and we don’t want this material to end up in our food.

How Do You Find a Nontoxic Air Fryer?

Most air fryers are made from plastic with nonstick baskets or pots, with vague information about the materials from manufacturers.

The best way to find the least toxic air fryers is to look for ones made mainly from stainless steel interior and stainless steel or ceramic coated baskets and accessories.

Make sure that the nonstick inner coating is PTFE-free and BPA-free as well.

All air fryers on this list are BPA-free.

The least toxic air fryer will be made from a stainless steel interior and exterior, a stainless steel basket and accessories, or glass air fryers, which contain a glass bowl. All food contact surfaces must be PFAS-free.

The 6 Best Non-Teflon Air Fryers (PTFE & PFOA Free)

Finding Teflon-free air fryers was not a simple task, since most air fryers are made from plastic.

However, we managed to find established brands that make a ceramic-based coating on the basket or even better – stainless steel.

Also, we have looked for air fryer toaster oven combos with no Teflon inner coating (safe for birds as well!).

1. Elite Platinum Air Fryer – With a Stainless Steel Basket

The Elite Platinum air fryer has a stainless steel basket, so you don’t have to worry about PTFE, PFOA, and aluminum.

The inner coating of the air fryer is PFOA-free as well.

While stainless steel may not be very non-stick, there’s no risk of anything leaching into the food, and stainless steel cookware is long-lasting.

When we tested it, we found that this air fryer is easy to operate with a touch screen LED display and cool-touch handle, is easy to clean (parts are dishwasher safe), and fits in our cabinet.

However, it’s a pretty small air fryer (3.2 Qt.) and can contain, for example, up to 2.2 lbs. of french fries, fish sticks, or pork chops – that will come out tender inside and crispy on the outside.

✅ Available on Amazon

2. Yedi Evolution Air Fryer – Stainless Steel & Ceramic Basket

Air fryers by Yedi are selling like hotcakes right now. I believe it’s because many people are looking for a high quality stainless steel air fryer with a ceramic basket – without forever chemicals inside.

(👉 See the top brands making PTFE & PFOA free cookware)

The Yedi is the only air fryer on this list that is made only of stainless steel, with a ceramic basket that is PFOA & PTFE free, and BPA-Free, lead-free & cadmium free)

It is practical (large LCD screen), easy to use (presets), has important safety features (auto shut-off and cord holder), and has an above-average bowl (6.8 quarts).

It comes with a great recipe book and a unique accessory cooking kit (Ceramic-coated divider for the cooking basket, 50 perforated parchment steaming sheets, an 8-inch ceramic-coated pizza pan, a cooking rack with 3 stainless steel skewers, a Cupcake silicone pan, a dehydrator rack, cooking mitts, and a cooking time table – this is a lot!)

✅ Available on Amazon ($128)

3. Ninja Air Fryer Oven – Larger Capacity

Ninja also has a toxin-free air fryer oven, made from stainless steel interior and exterior, and comes with 8 stainless steel and ceramic-coated accessories.

With its basket, wire rack, and crumb tray, you can cook and bake – without anything leaching into your food – for years.

This Ninja powerful oven (1800 W) allows you to choose from air frying, broiling, baking, toasting, dehydrating, toasting, and more, and the keep warm mode is useful.

However, some users have complained about the difficulty of cleaning.

Preheating in this Ninja oven takes only 60 seconds, and you have a full meal ready in 20 minutes.

It can hold 4 pounds of chicken, a 13″ pizza, or nine slices of toast.

If you think you don’t have enough counter space for it, think again.

This Ninja oven has a flip-away functionality, that you can use to flip it up and save counter space.

We tried the toaster function and got consistent toasting without needing to flip the bread.

We also tested it with nachos, fries, and frozen pizza.

The frying of the fries was not completely consistent.

✅ Available on Amazon ($170)

4. Vexon 6-in-1 Glass Air Fryer – Least Toxic Air Fryer

It cooks evenly, offers air frying, air barbecue, baking, thawing, heating, and dehydration, and does it quietly and efficiently.

Besides being talon-free, the transparent glass allows a clear view of the food – no more peeping in, losing heat, or burning your food.

The built-in cooling system makes sure the glass will not get too hot to touch, and unlike traditional nonstick air fryers, the inner space does not get dirty with grease. It is one of the easiest air fryers to clean on this list.

I like to use parchment paper, which is heat resistant, inside the glass container.

It helps avoid any oil buildup, making the cooking process even easier, and cleaning a breeze.

✅ Available on Amazon ($139)

And here’s a lower-cost air fryer, with a larger capacity,

5. Cuisinart Compact Airfryer Oven – Stainless Steel & Ceramic Coating

The Cuisinart sleek air fryer oven has a gorgeous brushed stainless steel exterior and a stainless steel interior – coated with PTFE-free nonstick coating for easy cleaning.

All accessories (Oven rack, baking pan, and AirFry basket) are made from stainless steel and are dishwasher safe.

This Cuisinart model can cook up to 2.5 lbs. of food in its wide and shallow mesh basket, which allows for better air heat distribution and decreases cooking time to a minimum (it will cook a whole batch of chicken wings in 15 minutes).

Monitoring recipes is easy through the glass door, and there is a drip tray to catch any grease, crumbs, or melted cheese from foods.

However, when we tried it we found that it is a hotter-than-average air fryer, so it’s better to cook food at a lower temperature than you are used to – to prevent the burning of the food.

We also found that the accessories can handle a dishwasher even though the instructions say they can’t.

✅ Available on Amazon ($99)

6. Home Labs Air Fryer Oven – Best with Rotisserie

The hOmeLabs large-capacity air fryer oven combo holds up to 11.6 qt. of food (a full dinner for 3 people) and even has a rotisserie chicken function (a whole chicken crispy cooked in 40 minutes!), a rotating basket for fries, dehydrating racks, adjustable skewer racks, an oil tray, and a rotisserie fetch tool.

You can look at the food being cooked via the unique see-through glass door – without constantly opening a drawer.

You won’t have to worry about PTFE and PFOA because the interior is made from zinc-plated steel, the fetch tool and dehydrate tray are made from chrome-plated steel, and the rest of the accessories are made from stainless steel.

All accessories are dishwasher safe.

Consumers seem to love the Home Labs air fryer oven, but there are a few complaints about it breaking down quickly, and the loud sound of the function buttons.

✅ Available on Amazon ($150)

Is a Ceramic Air Fryer Safe?

Ceramic-coated interiors and baskets inside air fryers are the second-best alternatives to Teflon (after stainless steel) as they are free of PFOA and PTFE and are just as nonstick and easy to clean.

Ceramic coating is environmentally friendly and established brands make it strong, durable, and long-lasting (though not like stainless steel).

Using oil on ceramic coating will shorten its life, but you are not supposed to use oil inside an air fryer, so this is not an issue.

How Do You Clean an Air Fryer Without Damaging the Coating?

When you handle nonstick coating on any cookware (including skillets), it’s important to not scratch it because it can leak toxic ingredients into your food.

Here’s how to clean an air fryer the right way:

1. Unplug the air fryer and let it cool completely.

2. Remove the basket and tray and wash them in warm soapy water (or in the dishwasher).

To remove grease stains use the simple baking soda hack (baking soda paste with water), let it sit for 15 minutes, and all the grease will come off easily.

3. Wipe the exterior and interior with a damp cloth. For stubborn stains inside, use a soft brush or a sponge only.

4. Dry the basket, tray, and interior completely before you reassemble and store the air fryer.

More Ways to Reduce PFAS in Your Kitchen

Here at Kitchen Mastery, we do our best to avoid “forever chemicals” in our kitchen as best we can. Here are some tips for keeping PFAS out of your kitchen:

• Discover the highest-rated PFOA & PTFE Free Cooking Brands
• Find alternatives to non-stick products whenever possible. For example, use cast iron frying skillets
• Avoid foods with packaging and fast foods as much as possible.

The KM Team

Studies

Sajid M, Ilyas M. PTFE-coated non-stick cookware and toxicity concerns: a perspective. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2017 Oct;24(30):23436-23440. doi: 10.1007/s11356-017-0095-y. Epub 2017 Sep 14. PMID: 28913736.