Most air fryer brands use PTFE (a type of PFAS) in their non-stick coatings but market themselves as 'PFOA-free', a misleading claim since U.S. makers phased out PFOA by 2015. Only a handful of models have clear PFAS-free claims: Ninja's Crispi glass line, Our Place's Wonder Oven, and ceramic-coated models such as Cosori's Iconic. Philips says plainly that its baskets are PTFE-coated; many other brands just say "PFOA-free" and stop there.
If you've tried to find out which air fryers have PFAS, you've probably noticed something frustrating: most brands won't give you a straight answer. Product pages shout "PFOA-FREE!" in bold letters but say nothing about PTFE, the PFAS compound that actually makes up the non-stick coating in most air fryer baskets.
PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) is the polymer commonly sold as Teflon. It's part of the PFAS family – the same "forever chemicals" that contaminate drinking water across the United States. When PTFE coatings scratch or overheat above 500°F, they shed microplastics and release fluorinated gases. The EPA finalized new PFAS regulations in 2024, but cookware isn't covered. There's no federal requirement to disclose what's in your air fryer basket.
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We compiled each major brand's public statements on PFOA, PTFE, and PFAS from product pages, manuals, FAQs, and chemical disclosures, plus independent reviews where available. We did not contact the brands or test any baskets ourselves. Here's what we found.
| Brand | Default Coating | PFOA-Free | PTFE-Free | PFAS-Free Model Available | Source | |-------|----------------|-----------|-----------|---------------------------|--------| | Ninja | PTFE (standard baskets) | Yes | No (except Crispi) | Yes: Crispi glass containers, ceramic crisper plate | Brand product page | | Our Place | Stainless interior, ceramic bake pan | Yes | Yes | Yes: Wonder Oven | Product specs | | Breville | Non-stick interior (coating not named) | Not stated | Not stated | Uncertain: Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro | Product manual, Mamavation | | Cuisinart | Nonstick (most models) | Yes | Not stated | Not confirmed | Product specs | | Instant Pot | PTFE (Vortex line) | Yes | No | Not in the US models we checked | Chemical disclosures | | Cosori | PTFE (standard) | Yes | No (standard) | Yes: Iconic ceramic, per Cosori | Product pages | | Philips | PTFE | Yes | No | No | Brand FAQ | | Gourmia | Varies by model | Claimed | Not certified | No independent testing | Marketing copy | | Dash | PTFE (standard) | Yes | Ceramic models only | Ceramic Tasti-Crisp, no PFAS claim found | Product pages | | Tower | Varies by model | Claimed | Claimed | Uncertain | Marketing copy | | Caraway | No air fryer found | n/a | n/a | Cookware only | Brand site |
Ninja's lineup is split. Most Ninja air fryers – the Foodi series, the AF101, the DZ401 dual-zone models – use PTFE-coated baskets. Ninja markets its standard non-stick coatings as "PFOA-free," which is not the same as PTFE-free, and Ninja is among the brands that have disclosed PFAS in their earlier air fryer models (Plastic Detox). PTFE is a PFAS compound.
The exception: Ninja's Crispi line (model FN101 and related) cooks in borosilicate glass containers instead of a coated metal basket. Ninja says the glassware is made "without forever chemicals – PFAS and PTFE" (SharkNinja). The crisper plate inside is aluminum with a nano-ceramic coating, so it is still a coated surface, just not a fluoropolymer one. It's the Ninja line with the clearest PFAS-free claim.
Verdict: PFAS present in most models. PFAS-free option: Ninja Crispi.
Our Place says the Wonder Oven's interior and included accessories are made without PFAS, including PTFE. The interior is stainless steel, the basket and wire rack are chromed steel, and the bake pan is aluminum with a ceramic nonstick coating (Our Place).
One note: "ceramic non-stick" is a broad term. Sol-gel ceramic coatings are not fluoropolymers, but we did not find a published third-party lab report on the Wonder Oven's product page, so this rests on the brand's statement.
Verdict: PFAS-free per the brand, with mostly uncoated metal food-contact parts. Our Place Wonder Oven.
Breville's Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (BOV900BSS) is not an uncoated oven. Its manual says the interior walls "feature a non-stick coating," and the kit includes a non-stick pizza pan alongside wire racks, an air fry basket, and an enamel roasting pan (Breville manual). Breville doesn't name the coating. Mamavation's review reports that the food-contact coatings are silica-based rather than PTFE (Mamavation).
The Breville Halo air fryers sold in the UK come from a different company that owns the Breville name in the UK, and they use non-stick coated cooking compartments; we did not find the coating chemistry disclosed.
Verdict: Uncertain. The Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro appears to avoid PTFE but has no PFAS-free statement from Breville. Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro.
Most Cuisinart air fryers use nonstick coatings. The TOA-60 and TOA-65 (Cuisinart's best-sellers) describe a nonstick interior without specifying the material, and Cuisinart is among the brands that disclose PFAS in their nonstick lines (Plastic Detox).
The TOA-70 is no exception: Cuisinart also describes its interior as nonstick. It does include an air fry basket. If you want to keep food off coated surfaces, an uncoated stainless steel replacement basket is the workaround, but the interior walls stay coated.
Verdict: PFAS likely in standard models; no confirmed PFAS-free option. If you own a Cuisinart TOA-70, an uncoated stainless basket reduces coated contact.
Instant Pot's Vortex line uses PTFE coatings by default. Instant's cookware chemical disclosures list PTFE, PFA, and FEP fluoropolymers for Vortex air fryers, and reviewers who checked report that the Vortex Plus ClearCook is on Instant's list of models with a PTFE-coated cooking surface (Mamavation). The ClearCook name refers to the viewing window, not the basket coating.
Instant does sell a "PFAS-Free" ceramic Vortex Dual on its UK site (Instant UK), but we could not confirm an equivalent US model.
Verdict: Vortex Plus models, including the Instant Vortex Plus ClearCook, use PTFE. No US PFAS-free option we could confirm.
Cosori markets its standard baskets as having a "PFOA-free" non-stick coating, which is not a PTFE-free claim, and Cosori is among the brands that disclose PFAS in their air fryers (Plastic Detox).
Cosori does sell ceramic-coated options. The Iconic is sold with what Cosori calls a "PFAS-free ceramic-coated, nonstick basket" (Cosori), and retailers carry a Pro III DualBlaze 6.8-quart "with Ceramic Coating" version. We did not find a published lab report for either.
Verdict: Standard baskets contain PTFE. Ceramic options exist; check the listing says ceramic: Cosori Pro III ceramic.
Philips is the original air fryer brand, and it has stuck with PTFE coatings. Philips' support page says its airfryer baskets, pans, and trays are made of steel or aluminized steel and mostly coated with non-stick PTFE, and that the coatings are PFOA-free (Philips). At least they're honest about it.
Philips argues that PTFE is stable at air fryer temperatures (which max out around 400°F in most models) and only breaks down above 500°F. That's true for intact coatings. The problem is scratches – once the coating is damaged, PTFE particles can flake into food at any temperature. We did not find a Philips model marketed as PFAS-free.
Verdict: PTFE in its coated models. No PFAS-free option we could find.
Gourmia sells a wide range of models, some marketed as "ceramic non-stick" and "PFOA-free," but we couldn't find third-party lab testing or material certifications. Gourmia's product pages don't specify whether the coatings contain fluoropolymer additives. Some ceramic coatings are PFAS-free; others aren't.
Mamavation's review rates some Gourmia models favorably (Mamavation), so check the specific model's coating line before you buy.
Verdict: Claims PFAS-free but no independent certification. Uncertain.
Dash's standard air fryers use nonstick coatings marketed as "PFOA-free," and Dash is among the brands that disclose PFAS in their air fryers (Plastic Detox).
Dash also sells ceramic nonstick versions of its Tasti-Crisp line (Dash), which it describes as lab-tested and food-safe. We did not find an explicit PFAS-free claim or a published lab report for them. Their compact models are popular because they're cheap ($40-60).
Verdict: PFAS in standard models. Ceramic versions exist but lack a PFAS-free statement.
Tower (a UK brand sold in the US via Amazon) markets some of its air fryers as "ceramic-coated" and "non-toxic," but we couldn't find lab reports or certifications to back the claims, and coatings vary by model.
Verdict: Some models claim PTFE-free, with no published testing. Uncertain.
An earlier version of this article described a Caraway air fryer. We could not find one: Caraway sells ceramic nonstick pots, pans, and bakeware, but not an air fryer, so we've removed those claims.
If you want Caraway's ceramic for oven or stovetop cooking, its cookware is marketed as made without PFAS.
Verdict: No Caraway air fryer found. Caraway ceramic cookware.
PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) was used to manufacture PTFE until U.S. makers phased it out by 2015 under the EPA's voluntary PFOA Stewardship Program. But PFOA isn't the coating – it's a processing aid. The coating itself is PTFE, which is still made (just without PFOA in the manufacturing process).
PTFE is a PFAS. The "forever chemicals" label applies to all fluorinated compounds, not just PFOA. When brands say "PFOA-free," they're technically correct – but they're also dodging the real question, which is whether the basket contains PTFE. Most do.
Glass and uncoated stainless steel are the only air fryer materials that are definitively PFAS-free. Ceramic coatings can be PFAS-free, but you need third-party lab testing to confirm it – marketing claims alone don't prove anything.
Glass containers (like the Ninja Crispi's) are the most chemically inert option, though the Crispi's crisper plate is ceramic-coated metal. Borosilicate glass doesn't leach, resists scratching, and handles thermal shock well. The downside: glass is heavier and more fragile than metal. It also doesn't conduct heat as efficiently, so cook times are slightly longer.
Uncoated stainless steel (like the interior of the Our Place Wonder Oven) is durable, but food sticks. You need to use oil, parchment paper, or silicone liners to prevent sticking. That adds a step, but it's the trade-off for avoiding coatings entirely.
Scratched PTFE coatings shed microplastics into food. A 2022 study from the University of Newcastle and Flinders University found that a single scratch on a nonstick pan can release about 9,100 plastic particles, and a broken-down coating up to 2.3 million. That study tested pans, not air fryer baskets, but the coating is the same type. Those particles are PTFE fragments, which are themselves PFAS.
The FDA authorizes PTFE for food-contact use, and the usual view is that swallowed PTFE particles pass through the digestive system without being absorbed. But PFAS accumulates in the body over time, and we don't know the long-term effects of chronic low-dose exposure from multiple sources (water, food packaging, cookware).
If your air fryer basket is scratched, you're eating PTFE every time you cook. The safest move is to replace the basket or switch to a PFAS-free model.
If you want a PFAS-free air fryer, these are the models with the clearest brand statements or material specs, in order of how well documented they are:
Everything else either uses PTFE or lacks the documentation to show the coating is PFAS-free.
There's no federal law requiring air fryer brands to disclose whether their coatings contain PFAS. The FDA regulates food contact materials, and it has authorized PTFE resins for food-contact use for decades (21 CFR 177.1550). California's cookware disclosure law (AB 1200) is what pushed brands like Instant to publish chemical lists.
Brands know that "PFAS-free" is a selling point, but most can't claim it honestly because their baskets use PTFE. So they say "PFOA-free" instead – a technically true but misleading statement that makes people think the product is PFAS-free when it isn't.
The brands that disclose clearly (Philips, Instant, Ninja on the Crispi models, Our Place) are the exception. Most stay vague on purpose.
Ranked from safest to least safe:
If you're trying to reduce PFAS exposure across your entire household, start with cookware and water. Air fryers are part of it, but PFAS in drinking water is a bigger contributor to total body burden for most people. You can check your local water quality by zip code.
Most air fryers contain PTFE, a PFAS compound that makes up the non-stick coating in the basket. Brands market themselves as "PFOA-free" to sound safe, but U.S. makers phased out PFOA by 2015 – the coating is still PTFE, which is still PFAS.
If you want a PFAS-free air fryer, buy one with glass containers (Ninja Crispi), a stainless interior with uncoated basket (Our Place Wonder Oven), or a ceramic coating the brand explicitly calls PFAS-free (such as Cosori's Iconic). Everything else either uses PTFE or doesn't have the documentation to show it's PFAS-free.
The safest move: check what coating your current air fryer uses. If the basket is scratched, replace it. If the brand won't tell you what's in the coating, that's your answer.
Is PFOA-free the same as PFAS-free? No. PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) was a processing chemical used to make PTFE until U.S. makers phased it out by 2015 under an EPA stewardship program. PTFE itself is still a PFAS compound. When brands say 'PFOA-free,' they mean they stopped using PFOA in manufacturing – but the coating is still PTFE, which is still PFAS. PFOA-free marketing is technically accurate but misleading.
Which air fryer brand is the most PFAS-free? Ninja Crispi (glass containers, ceramic crisper plate) and Our Place Wonder Oven (stainless interior, ceramic bake pan) have the clearest brand statements that they're made without PFAS, and Cosori calls the Iconic's ceramic basket PFAS-free. Ninja Crispi is our top pick because its glass containers are uncoated; the only coated part is a ceramic crisper plate.
Why won't brands disclose what's in their coatings? There's no federal law requiring cookware brands to disclose whether coatings contain PFAS. The FDA has authorized PTFE for food-contact use for decades, so outside state rules like California's AB 1200, brands have no legal obligation to tell customers their baskets contain PFAS. Most brands use vague language like 'non-stick coating' or 'PFOA-free' to avoid the question entirely.
Are ceramic air fryer coatings PFAS-free? It depends. Some ceramic coatings are sol-gel silica (genuinely PFAS-free), but others use fluoropolymer additives for durability. Third-party lab testing is the best confirmation, and few air fryer brands publish it. Our Place and Cosori (for its Iconic) explicitly say their ceramic is made without PFAS. Brands that claim 'ceramic non-stick' without naming what it's made without might still contain PFAS.
What's the safest air fryer material? Uncoated stainless steel and borosilicate glass are the safest materials because they're chemically inert – no PFAS, no coating, no leaching. Certified PFAS-free ceramic (with third-party lab testing) is the next safest option. PTFE coatings contain PFAS and shed microplastics when scratched, making them the least safe choice for long-term use.